Kiev

St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery.


Logging in front of St. Andrew's Church. This is a crop of a much wider shot -- I only noticed afterwards that these two men were cutting down half the trees in front of the church. Maybe it's to clear up the view of the church from below, or maybe it's something to do with this, from Wikipedia:

As the church sits atop a hill, foundation problems have been one of the main concerns of preservationists. More recently, the foundation below the church has started to shift, causing some concerns that the church's foundation might collapse. Cracks have already appeared in the foundation, and some of the church's falling decor has been found in neighboring areas.

Funicular between the lower Podil neighborhood and the historic Uppertown.






Ceiling of the funicular station. It would've been nice to get a better shot, but I didn't.



A giant pysanka (intricately painted Easter egg) made from many regular-sized pysanky.






Looking out at the skyline of Greater Kiev, with the Mother Motherland statue (here and here) behind me.


At the Lavra, where we were kicked out of the Catacombs because Kseniya was wearing pants, which are vulgar and unseemly for a place of such sacred status. High heels and slutty skirts the size of a wristband, however, are totally cool apparently. As is being a creepy priest who walks through dark tunnels kissing the glass coffins of mummified children. That is just a very normal thing to do, but a woman wearing pants is like a fork in the eye.


DEFINITELY not allowed in the Catacombs. Ad for an upcoming dance show at the unbelievably large entertainment complex Dream Town. (Go to their site and wait a few seconds for the picture show to start.) There's a bowling alley, ice skating rink, roller skating rink (all full-size), movie theater(s?), bumper cars, and tons of eating/shopping/Roman statues. They have definitely won the Malld War.