Day 6 – Historical, Social and Political Issues of Ukraine

Our day started with a visit to an orphanage. We were hosted by director Elena and deputy director Victoria. They provided us with a tour of their facility. This facility is very clean, the girls are very well taken care of, and they participate in state, national, and international arts and sports competitions. The state provides for operating expenses and the basic needs of the girls but the orphanage also depends on the support of non profit organizations. Our class donated art supplies as well as 450 lbs of fresh fruit to the orphanage. The females in our group received a handmade pin cushion from the girls working on their needle point.

We then took the bus to the Chernobyl Museum. We were given a one hour tour by Andrew, our guide. Documentation of the devastation was overwhelming and the photos and the videos in the museum left us with a long lasting impression of the catastrophe.

In the afternoon we visited the Pecherska Lavra, which is a Ukrainian Orthodox historical and sacred holy center. There are several churches dating from the 10th century that were occupied and several destroyed by the Germans during WWII and then recently rebuilt.  In addition, there is an extensive underground cave system that was used by monks over a thousand years ago. There are over one hundred monks resting in glass coffins whose bodies have not decomposed. The Ukrainian Orthodox church believes this is a miracle and holds this site as sacred. During our tour, many pilgrims were paying homage to these saints.

After walking these historic sites, Father Nikolaj, director of public relations of the church, was gracious to spend an hour explaining the church and how it survived so many years under persecution and its present relevance to Ukrainian life.

In preparation for our 18 hour train ride from Kiev to Krakow, Poland, We stopped at MepaMarket, a local supermarket, to purchase provisions. As we clogged the aisles, the local shoppers became frustrated with our grocery store etiquette. We were surprised to see the cashiers seated at their registers leisurely scanning each item.

Off to the train station we went. After traveling over many crumbling roads, we were amazed to see a vast rail terminal. Our train car, while cramped, was moderately comfortable.

We leave Kiev with the hope that the coming generations will find the courage to make the crucial decisions that will help their country reach its true potential.

Submitted by:
Christine Ivory
Vernon Petersen
Jorge Suarez