Kitty MacDowell

Once we left the city area, the highway looked like  a road almost anywhere….first through the forests….well, except for the vast stands of birch trees mixed in with the very tall fir trees….and then through the rolling hills and farmland….well, except for those onion domes. OK, so it didn’t look like "a road almost anywhere," but was this really Russia? Forests and a lush green landscape somehow didn’t fit my long held vision of a place that was cold, dark, and foreboding!

We were on our way from Moscow to Yaroslavyl, a Golden Ring City on the Volga. This ancient town was founded as a fortress nearly 10 centuries ago by Prince Yaroslav The Wise near the mouth of the Kotorosl River….but more about this ina future post.

Our team’s home-away-from-home was the Hotel Kotorosl….There were 11 of us plus 4 holdovers from the last team….12 women and 3 men…..3 Scots….7 more women and 2 more men joined us after two weeks but we had 4 leave before then….Yes, there were a lot of changing faces and fond farewells each weekend since volunteers come for varying lengths of time here….2 weeks to 4 months.

Our placement schedule could become complicated and it was a marvel to us how our team leader/country manager could keep it all running smoothly. We were dispersed among many projects:

               The Deaf Kindergarten has about 35 children aged 1 and1/2 to 9….a third have no parents. Volunteers keep them occupied twice a day in the summer and try to give them some of the love and attention they lack.

               The Hospital for Kids is a place for children with behaviorial problems. Volunteers provide some much needed attebtion as they engage them in all kinds of activities.

                City Camp is for children from unstable families and those with a low income. They are given 3 free meals a day and taken on field trips and excursions around the city. They are 7 to 14 years of age.

                The Hospital for Women has about 70 residents with psychological issues. All have very little contact with family and volunteers provide company and a chance to do some leisure activities such as playing card, crafts, or just talking.

                There is also Perekopski, The Elderly Center, and the Shelter for Homeless Children….I am not too well versed on these three projects.

I was assigned to a new project….The Hospital/Orphanage for Babies. Three of us were the first volunteers to go there and we didn’t know what to expect….nor did they know what to expect from us. This orphanage has a capacity for 100 babies….there were currently 120 and more were on the way. There are clusters of 10 - 15 babies of varying ages….My group was 2 months to 2 and 1/2 years old….They group them this way so everyone is not awake at the same time. Often the "special needs" children do not get the one-on-one attention they need and that is where the volunteers can help.

Every morning I walk a small underdeveloped 2 and 1/2 year old boy in a stroller for an hour. He has "water on the brain"  (and possibly some other conditions I don’t know about), cannot walk or stand, and only says "uh, uh." He is much calmer on days when he can be outside for a bit. I sing to him and talk about whatever we see…. we count the cats and dogs we see (i.e. today was a 2 dog, 3 cat day). He laughs when the breeze touches his face, loves to gently feel the leaves with his little hands, and together we enjoy the flowers especially the fragrance of the Jasmine as we pass by. After the walk, the rest of my "work day" is spent changing diapers, playing with the crawlers and todllers in the play area, and helping to feed the many mouths.

We have Russian lessons twice a week and a guest speaker once a week. The lectures will be on "Russian Orphanages, The Social Care System,"  "The Mysterious Russian Character," "Lenin and Stalin," and "the Great Patriotic War (WW II)." We also take a "field trip" each week to learn more about Russian history and culture.

Russia…….Cold? No, it is positively HOT!….Dark? Are you kidding? The sun doesn’t go down til after 11 PM!….Foreboding? Hardly! The people are warm and learning to smile and even laugh…….Til next time….Kitty 

It was so serene-looking as the sun was beginning to set over the emerald green fields coming into Riga….BUT IT WAS 10:30 PM!….My first taste of "White Nights."

This Baltic gem called Latvia has been struggling for its own identity since the 11th and 12th centuries. Latvians came from tribes which settled on the Baltic coast in 2000 BC. They have been conquered, colonised, or occupied by Germany, Poland, Sweden, and Russia. These people have suffered mass killings and deportations under the Communists and others. WWII found them occupied by Nazi Germany and their Jewish population nearly totally annilated….175,000 Latvians were killed or deported.The Glastnost (openess) Era brought about the first public protest of the latest Soviet Occupation at Riga’s Freedom Monument on June 24, 1987 but it took until 1991 for Latvia to gain its independence….and what they have done since then is astounding.

Latvia has 2.3 million people however Latvians are a minority in each of their main cities. Russians are 30 % of the population. The majority of Latvians (60 %) are Lutheran. Among the many other denominations are a large number of Russian Orthodox and a significant Roman Catholic minority.

Elegant Riga epitomizes the preservation and well-done restoration of the old…."Vecriga" (Old Riga) was declared a Unesco World Heritage Old Town….with the Art Nouveau architecture and hustle-bustle of contemporary European commerce. The Daugava River flows through Riga and finds the skyline of this medieval old city on its eastern bank dominated by three church steeples: Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s, and St. Jacobs.

The foundations of the Dome….the largest church in the Baltics….laid in 1211, have stone tombs within that were blamed for a cholera epidemic after the flood of 1709. One third of the city’s population perished. It also boasts the world’s fourth largest organ.

St. Peter’s, severely damaged during WWII was originally built in 1209 and after a massive restoration remains an outstanding example of Baroque architecture as well as marking the physical and symbolic center of the city. This is where Martin Luther’s teachings were first proclaimed in Riga and the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation still meet there on Sundays. Most any day finds tourists flocking to take the decrepit lift up to the 2nd gallery of the tower to catch a bird’s eye view of this fairy tale 12th century city.

Strolling thru this part of Riga is a delight to the eye, ear, and nose….many wonderful restaurants and outdoor cafes dot the cobblestoned winding streets and passageways. Fascinating yards and squares lined with medieval residences such as "The Three Brothers" or Guild Halls such as "The Blackheads House" which has a festival hall on its second floor….(The City Hall Square and Blackheads are spectacularly lit up at night)

During my brief respite….(compliments of gracious friends from Rochester)….in this wonderful city, I was ushered about by some lovely local residents who showed me all of the above plus the Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum….over 90 buildings from old rural Latvia….and the difficult but well-chronicled Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. Here you see the story of the Soviet and Nazi occupations of the last half century summed up by the poignant quote: "They took it all —our native land, our honour, and our name. They punished us for being human beings."

With my first glimpse of the Baltic Sea (actually the Gulf of Riga) at Jurmala with its white sand beach and dunes….and mere minutes from the city center….I say to myself, "Oh, how I would like to return and spend more time in this Baltic Gem….Riga, Latvia……….til next time……Kitty

So much has changed at Tutova Hospital "Failure to Thrive" Clinic since volunteers started coming here.

The iron cribs are wooden with good mattresses and fresh sheets. The walls are painted with bright, colorful animals and flowers. The windows are new and can open to let in fresh air. The children are divided into 3 rooms when they are awake….the immobile infants, the mobile infants, and the toddlers. Each playroom has plenty of toys, soft floor coverings, and age appropriate swings, jumper chairs, or walkers…. and people to watch and and play with them. Outside there are swings for younger and older children, an enclosed play area, and plenty of strollers.

We became used to changing diapers at the changing station in the hallway….it could hold 4 at a time….and using double cloth diapers. Boy, we got to be pretty good with those pins. Playing outside was wonderful when weather permitted. The children and volunteers often shared the space with tethered munching cows,,,,so who needs a lawnmower? Inside we spent a lot of our time on the floor when we weren’t feeding, diapering, or watching little ones go up and down the hall.

Amidst sporadic crying you heard children babbling, squealing, laughing, playing, and discovering….remember? "Oh! Oh! Moo!" Volunteers would relive times with their own babies singing, A,B, C, D…"….or "Itsy Bitsy Spider"….or…."Old MacDonald…"….Well, you get the picture.We each became very enamored with "our" children but willingly helped with others when needed. We could actually feed 2 and sometimes 3 at a time when necessary.

Our thoughts and feelings were overwhelming on our last day as we saw our little charges for the last time, but we knew we were leaving them in the hands of a very caring staff. Most of us had seen some real progress and that is what this is all about. "My" little girl was now sitting up better, would roll from her stomach to her back….Yea!…and was eating from a spoon. She babbles happily now that her back molars have broken through and she has a smile and a giggle to melt your heart. "My" little boy….who needs eye surgery….absolutely loves walking outside holding onto a hand….swinging isn’t bad either. He can now walk across the room without help even navigating around other mobile infants….at least most of the time. He is a delightful child who will gently hold your face in his hands and carefully explore it. He was especially intrigued with our sole male volunteer’s mustache.

We spent just three weeks in one of Romania’s poorest regions but we learned of the richness of spirit and the graciousness of its people as we greeted them with "Buna Dimineata" (Buna Dimeenasha)….Good Morning or "Buna Ziwa"….Good Afternoon. They were also kind when we bungled their lovely language.

We leave….but others come the same day and will continue to come. Does it make a difference for these babies?….Where there was little chance of a future for them, now there is a stronger possiblility….we shall see….and pray it is so….as we say, "Multumesc" …Thank You….and "La revedere"…Good Bye….til next time….Kitty

 

Anatolian carpets from the 17th and 18th centuries from places like Bursa, Usak,and Gordes hung everywhere….but who would expect to see them here in the Black Church of Brasov? After a successful trip to the Orient, guilds, traders, and citizens of Brasov would donate objects of great value to the church. This largest Gothic church between Vienna and Constantinoble built during the 14th and 15th centuries amassed the richest collection of oriental rugs in Europe. It is called the Black Church because of the castastrophic fire of 1689 when smoke blackened its walls but it still stood while nearly the entire town burned down. It is also known for having one of the biggest church organs in southeastern Europe….the only Buchholz (from Berlin) organ of 4000 pipes preserved in its original configuration. Although it was made in 1838-1839, organ concerts are still performed on it regularly.

We had stayed overnight in Brasov, a beautiful medieval town often referred to as the new Prague. It is nestled in the Carpathian Mountains on the way to the Transylvanian Alps. Str Republicii, a pedstrian only promenade filled with shops and cafes leads to Piata Sfatului, the central square, which is like something out of a movie with its baroque facades and bohemian outdoor cafes. Just south of the square is Biserica Neagra….The Black Church.

Can one think of Transylvania without making the connection to Dracula?  Apparently not….Bran Castle is the destination for many a tourist who believes it is Count Dracula’s abode. Bram Stoker’s character is thought to have been inspired by the real infamous tyrant, Vlad Tepes (The Impaler). The ruling Prince of Wallachia in the 15th century called Dracula ("…’son of the dragon’, after his father, Vlad Dracul, a knight of the Order of the Dragon.") used a particularly vicious form of punishing his enemies….impaling on a wooden stake driven through the backbone causing conscious suffering for at least 2 days. Whether he ever lived here or not, this fairy tale castle of 57 rooms is a "must see"….It was renovated by Queen Marie and became her favorite summer residence in the 1920’s. What had been a fortress became a charming retreat for the royals and provided some modern amenities for the surrounding poor Romanian communes.

 

After seeing the flatlands everyday on our way to work, we were astonished to see the mountains of Romania around Sinaia, often called "the Pearl of the Carpathians." The Bucegi Mountains have the country’s best skiing and provide an unbelievably beautiful backdrop for this delightful town and Romania’s most fabulous castle, Peles. Built between 1893-1914 by Carol I, Romania’s first King, in the German-Renaissance style of his homeland, it is situated in an isolated but most picturesque area….a perfect retreat.

The individual rooms of Peles were dominated by different styles such as the Turkish Salon, the Moresque Hall with Moorish and Hispanic elements, the Florentine Hall in Italian neo Renaissance….English Renaissance, French, German Baroque, and on and on. They seem to have gathered the best of the world around them. Though each room is a work of art, probably the most awesome is the sumptious reception hall known as the Hall of Honour….It is 3 stories high in the center of the castle’s main building….walls, staircases, balconies all made of beautiful carved woods and with alabaster bas reliefs and statues representing mythological, biblical, and historical subjects. The ceiling is stained glass which can be opened and closed with an electric or manual engine….an extraordinary device for 1911 when it was constructed. They also had a Theatre Hall, a Concert Hall, a Library, and a study for both Carol I and his Queen Elizabeth, who wrote fairy tales under the pen name of Carmen Sylva….a retreat indeed.

The Bucovina Monasteries in Moldavia….Romania’s Painted Churches….were originally built within fortified enclosures and run by monks. The monks were ousted by various occupying forces in the 18th century and their monasteries are now inhabited by small communities of nuns. These remarkable architectural gems are covered with painted frescoes inside and out depicting the Bible stories and notable events of history. The exterior frescoes are what make some of these churches unique.

Humor Monastery, constructed from 1530 to 1535, had its exterior paintings done in one year,1535, by a single artist. The dominant background color is Red…often called the Red Monastery……and painted in the Byzantine Tradition. The depiction of the Biblical and the Historical are evident on the southern exterior wall where we saw the 1453 siege of Constantinople and next to it the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

The amazing Voronet Monastery has a color named for it. "Voronet Blue" known worldwide is the dominant background pigment of the exterior especially evident on the southern wall which depicts Jesse’s Tree….the geneology of Jesus Christ. The great frescoe of The Last Judgement covering the entire western wall is why many consider this church to be "The Sistine Chapel of the Orient." This spectacular church of the Voronet Monastery was built in 1488 by Stefan the Great….one of Romania’s Princes and a legendary hero in the struggle against the Ottoman Empire….as gratitude to God for his victories over the Turks.

The last monastery we visited….the Sucevita Monastery….has green as its dominant background color and was built between 1581 and 1601. Unlike most of these churches, the fortress walls here are still intact and you can see what these fortified enclosures looked like long ago. The exterior frescoes are the best preserved amongthe Moldavian churches. The northern wall has a masterpiece of medieval painting of monumental proportions called "The Ladder of Virtues," contrasting the order of Angels and the chaos of Hell.

These marvelous creations were "the books" during the eras of oral traditions. One could return time and time again "to read" the stories. People "saw" the tales they were hearing and came to know them perhaps better than we do now.

Romania….a land of colorful mountains, palaces, retreats, amd monasteries….til next time….Kitty

  

There are no fences! … As far as the eye can see its flat farmland like Kansas … but no fences! The mixed flocks of sheep and goats seem to be carefully placed on the green carpet like a child’s farm set up. There are herds of cattle too, but more often you see a single cow or horse tethered to a stake in the ground.

We are living in the Romanian countryside and see the shepherds moving their flocks down the hill behind our pension every morning. We are near the village of Banca, a 20 minute ride from the town of Barlad which is a 5 hour ride north of Bucharest. We are in the region of Moldavia, east of the Carpathian Mountains, and in the midst of some of the last bits of peasant culture in Europe. We awaken to the combination of  clip-clopping horse drawn carts called caruta (karootza) mixed with modern cars, trucks, and buses carefully using the same road.

As we are driven to work each day we see families out in their small fields tending their crops by hand with hoes, picks, and spades. Chickens, roosters, ducks, and geese are grazing all along the shoulders of the highway. What keeps them there? … and why don’t they ever wander off? The animals and fields have no fences but it is a different story when it comes to the people. Each small home and patch of ground around it is fenced off from their very close neighbors … Yet they often work the land collectively and share their resources freely.

There are seventeen volunteers on this team for the first two weeks and then we are down to 8 for the third week. Two of our team members teach conversational English at School #5 in Barlad each day. After we drop them off, the rest of us go on to Tutova Hospital and the babies at the Failure to Thrive Clinic.

In response to some recent news stories about the dire conditions of Romania’s orphanages, Bud Philbrook, President and Co-founder of Global Volunteers, wrote the following:

As a volunteer, my job was to care for a 10 month old little girl in the morning and a 2 1/2 year old boy in the afternoons. The boy was a special needs child and had therapy in the mornings. My little girl was cared for in the afternoon by another volunteer. She was admitted last November with malnuitrition, anemia, and enterocolitis. She is now "fat and happy" but slow to develop physical abilities. When I first met her, she could not sit up by herself and was very unhappy when she was on her stomach. She could not begin to hold her bottle … in fact she would pull her little hands away from anything that touched them. She could not? or would not? grasp an adult’s finger or any toy. She loved to be in the jumper chair and her legs seemed quite strong but she could not support herself in a standing position. She was teething and maybe that was why she would not take anything by spoon. She  is the 4th child in her family. The 2nd child has Down’s Syndrome. This child has been tested and does not. She may be one of the lucky ones. Her parents come to visit and once she is developing more normally she may be able to be released back to her parents.

My little boy was born prematurely at 30 weeks. He is the 5th child in his family and comes from a poor home environment. When he came to Tutova he was malnourished, had protein anemia, rickets, and badly crossed eyes. His cognitive and motor development is also delayed. When we first met he would walk around a room hugging the wall. He would become fixated with a white plastic chair and move it and stare closely under and around it for long periods of time. He could feed himself his bottle and ate from a spoon. He desperately needs eye surgery and must have it before age five or else it will be too late … Why isn’t he getting it?….it is not the money … that could be found. The clinic must have the permission of the parents for the surgery according to the law and they haven’t been able to find them. After a certain length of time they can petition the authorities if they can prove that they have tried to find the parents. In the meantime, a little boy waits and struggles to see his way across the room.

So  … these are my little ones … We feed them, change their diapers and their clothes, play with them, take them outdoors on nice days, and we try to work with them on whatever their weaknesses are. We also hold them and sing to them and love to make them laugh or at least smile. During the three weeks there, we saw some significant changes which I’ll tell you about another time.

I’m learning much in this land of shepherds with cell phones … til next time … Kitty

Over 40 years ago, a young girl in her twenties was on the outskirts of Rome traveling to Germany. She had a chance to see Rome … for half a day … and chose not to. Instead she vowed to come back when there was more time to savor the Rome that was and is.

Half a lifetime later, I have come back and with a dear cousin as a traveling companion have been gulping down the history, art, and everyday life of Roma. Of course one has to see the "must sees" in Rome … the Colosseum, the Forum, the Spanish Steps, the Fountain of Trevi, and that nearby nation, The Vatican, home to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica … but in the midst of "seeing the sights", we went on a quest … to see as many of the works of art by Caravaggio as we could in our 2 weeks.

Fascination with this early 17th century artist began long ago and the chance to see his paintings up close (as you can in European galleries) was a dream come true. Caravaggio was at the forefront of the realistic school of art … unheard of is his time … indeed his men with rippling muscles and women of delicate features are so real you think you are looking at either a photograph or someone sitting across from you. He used light and dark to make his figures stand out like no other artist of his era.

Our search took us to the Vatican Museums to see his Deposition in the Pinacoteca and we saw a few other notable works along the way: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Transfiguration, Leonardo Da Vinci’s St. Jerome, and the Apollo Belvedere that inspired Bernini’s Apollo.

The church built over Emperor’s tombs, Santa Maria del Popolo has one of Rome’s richest Renaissance and Baroque art collections including Raphael’s Chigi Chapel, Bernini’s Chigi Chapel, and Pinturicchio’s Adoration but I most wanted to see Caravaggio’s dramatic Crucifixion of St. Peter and his awestruck Paul in the Conversion of St. Paul … Incredible.

The National Church of France, San Luigi dei Francesi, boasts 3 of Caravaggio’s St. Mathew paintings: The Martyrdom of, The Calling of, and The Angel and St. Mathew. These works show how the artist was moving away from the symbolic to the real … Astonishing. The nearby St. Augustine Church houses the controversial Madonna del Loreto where two scruffy pilgrims are shown adoring a very common looking Mary and Child.

This was a good place to take a break from our conspicuous consumption of beauty and feed ourselves some delicious Italian food at an outdoor café in sun drenched Piazza Navona. Present day artists and street performers worked the crowds near the Four Rivers Fountain of Bernini. We sipped our wine and let the sights, sounds, and smells of the charm of today’s Rome wash over us.

Our Roman adventure happened to coincide with 2 Italian holidays when tourists were practically the only ones left in Rome … or so we thought until we strolled through "our neighborhood" to the Galleria Borghese. One must have a reservation for a specific day and time to enter this gallery so we walked thru the surrounding park enjoying the intermingling of tourists and families as we waited for our appointed hour. This is one of Rome’s "must see" places. Yes, there were some Caravaggio’s here too … not my favorites but Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love, Raphael’s Deposition, and Correggio’s Danae (based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses) more than made up for that. Though the timed visit to Galleria Borghese made it not our favorite gallery tour, the collection of  Bernini’s work was mind boggling. Here you see his Aeneas and Anchises which he carved at age 15, the breathtaking Rape of Persephone done at age 23, and not much later his Apollo and Daphne. Will this earthly world ever see such an era of artistic splendor like the explosion of the 16th and 17th centuries again?….another wonderment.

Our favorite gallery was near the Pantheon and perhaps we would never have gone there if we hadn’t been "collecting" Caravaggios. The Galleria Doria Pamphilj in one of the family palaces provides an audio tour done by the current Doria Pamphilj. He takes you through his childhood home and personally tells you about his family history and its treasures … one of the best private collections in Rome: paintings by Rubens, Correggio, Tintoretto, Carracci, Breughal, Titian … oh yes,  Caravaggio’s Mary Magdalene and Rest on the Flight into Egypt is there and Bernini’s extremely life-like bust of Pope Innocent X (who was the Doria Pamphilj family member that brought this family into prominence). The experience here was unhurried, beautifully done in exquisite rooms, and no crowds … Fantastic.

Lest you think we only gallery and church hopped, we also immersed ourselves in the antiquities in this city which is a 3000 year old indoor-outdoor museum. Our days at the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, and the Museo Capitolini (and these sights lit up at night) were so overwhelming we almost ran out of awe. Marvels of art and architectural engineering everywhere … hard to believe remnants of an ancient civilization that was so good and so bad all at the same time … (kinda like our society now, isn’t it?)

Arrivederci, Roma … I came back … and your timelessness and melding of the old and the new fulfilled my expectations and more … One can never get enough and just to be sure I threw a coin over my shoulder into the Trevi Fountain … so I must return … Til next time … Kitty

Before saying "da svidaniya" to Ukraine, I must say a bit about music. It is so much a part of these people and we experienced a variety of entertainments.

In every taxi and marshrutka you heard the latest pop rock much of it from the US … At the other end of the scale, we attended 3 concerts in one week at Galinka, Zaporozhye’s renovated Concert Hall. The first was an organ concert performed by a noted guest organist from Kiev. Everyone was thrilled to hear an organ played in this concert hall for the first time … They never had one before this. The second concert 2 days later was performed by the entire symphony orchestra and it was an unusual selection of classical contemporary jazz pieces. The next evening was a real treat. To celebrate the two Easters….(our Easter and the Orthodox are 1 week apart) … operatic selections were performed by a soprano, a tenor, a pianist/organist and a bandura player. The bandura is an Ukrainian instrument that looks like a combination of a large guitar and a zither. It has a marvelous classical-guitar-like sound and looks impossible to play. The audience gave her performance a rave review and overwhelmed her with flowers.

On our Easter Sunday, I attended a service with some of the volunteers at one of the few Roman Catholic Churches in town. As we stood (through the entire service) at the back of the full church, one of our Slovakian born volunteers explained the liturgy spoken in Russian. This church combined the Roman liturgy with some Ukrainian traditions. The congregation’s singing was beautiful in this acoustically well-built structure. I can still see the rays of sunlight coming through the high windows of the dome touching a few of the bowed heads and hear the reverent tones as they sang the Lord’s Prayer on their knees.

I’ve already mentioned the performances at the schools and the orphanage. Some of us also saw a talent show put on by the University students … our translators were among them. Many of these young people have been studying song and/or dance for many years. Of course, we each thought our translator was the best.

Now the round of farewells began … First a pizza party with our translators. We have become so close to each other in such a short time. As my translator said, "I do not see the age difference." you are my friend … we can talk about anything … and we did. I wish you the strength and determination, dear friend, to follow your dream to a future filled with love and happiness. Our hosts joined us for a farewell dinner at our hotel. They have worked so hard to show us their country and enable us to do as much as we could while we were here … Many thank yous. To our team leader and my volunteer team: We shared a most memorable time together. Best wishes to you all whatever your futures hold. To all the students who spent time with us: Hang onto your hopes, keep your love for "Your Ukraine", and work to make it the country you want it to be in the future.

… Spasiba … (spaseeba) … thank you … Ukraine for opening your heart to us and allowing us to share some time with you … Til next time … Kitty

A happy family lived here….not often thought of in those terms because of their tragic end. The last tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, Alexandra Federovna, and their family of 4 girls and a boy probably had some of their happiest times together at Lavadia Palace near Yalta in the Crimea.

The stunning white Italian Renaissance style Palace overlooking the stunning natural beauty of the southern Crimean coast had been a favorite summer residence of the last 3 Russian Emperors….in fact this part of the coast on the Black Sea was referred to as the Russian Riviera. Nicholas II enlarged and reconstructed Lavadia in 1910-11 and today one walks the same halls and garden paths. One can see and feel the peaceful beauty just as OTMA …..a family pseudonym of the Grand Princesses initials….a "big pair" (Olga and Tatiana) and a "small pair" (Maria and Anastasia)….and the frail son, Alexei and their loving mother, Alexandra saw and felt it back in 1914. That was the last visit the family had to Lavadia….not long before the execution of the entire family at the hands of the revolutionaries.

Lavadia’s history does not stop there….In February, 1945 Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin walked through this palace and worked at these tables as they deliberated at the now famous Yalta Conference. We looked at the White Hall where the plenery sessions were held….During the reign of Nicholass II, the hall was used for grand receptions, banquets, and balls. Olga’s 16th birthday was celebrated here. Nicholas II’s study (on the same floor as the White Hall) became Rooseveldt’s bedroom and the adjoining State Reception room was FDR’s study during the conference. Stalin stayed in Lavadia too but Churchill was housed a few kilometers away at Alupka Palace.

Alupka is breathtaking….It was Count Vorontsov’s dream….20 years in the making from 1828-1848, to create this Tudor style palace with elements of Indian architecture such as its Alhambra southern entrance overlooking the Sea. It has been called "music in stone." Churchill had a strong friendship with the owner of Alupka in 1945 and must not have minded getting away from the fray a bit….His rooms definitely had a view!

One thing I shall never forget at Alupka was seeing a white piano in the Blue Room where Rachmaninoff had played his music in an earlier era!

The Crimea has always attracted royalty, heads of state, and the rich and famous. It was also a lure for the not-yet-famous literary giants of the 19th century….One of those was Anton Chekhov. What a thrill to stroll through the gardens he designed and planted himself. Many of the 150 varieties of plants, roses, and trees are still there and being carefully tended. His home is simple but in his time considered architecturally to be "the most original structure in town." It became a refuge for the many creative intellectuals Chekhov entertained there….Gorky, Rachmaninoff, Chaliapin, and Konstantine Stanislavsky….They slept in that guest room, had tea at that table, sat on that bench in the garden!

Though Chekhov was only 44 when he died, his genius left us with such masterpieces as "The Three Sisters" and "The Cherry Orchard"….He sat at that desk and wrote those plays!….He walked down that garden path….Wait….There he is!…(Ironically, a movie about Chekhov was being filmed at his house when we were there and we met the look-alike actor playing Anton as we left the gardens!)

The history of the Crimea is so entralling , one could write a tome…..no, I won’t do that….but I have learned that history becomes more real….more alive….when for just a short space of time you allow yourself to follow famous footsteps….til next time….Kitty

Why was the bus shuttle from our 24 seat airplane stopping at this non-descript grey warehouse???….There wasn’t a soul insight!….but the doors opened and we found ourselves going in….Could this really be the airport for Dnipropetrovsk (Nipperpatrosk) (DNK for short)?…With one conveyor belt for luggage, our bags weren’t hard to find!

I shouldn’t have been surprised. Ukraine, a land that has been populated for 6000 years, has only known independence for the last 15. The largest country totally within Europe has been called "The Breadbasket" because of its rich black soil (Chernozem).Its natural resources made it a desired patch of land for conquerors of all sorts….Ostrogoths, Huns, Khazars, Varyagi….from the 2nd to the 9th centuries. These were followed by the Mongols, Russians, Poles, Germans, Luthanians…..and of course the Russians again more recently. Constant divisions and occupations fuelled a Ukrainian nationalism that is passionately displayed today. Eastern and Western Ukraine have some distinct differences. Although most everyone can speak both, the West uses Ukrainean and the east uses Russian as their everyday language. In the West bits and pieces of the Polish occupation is still evident while the East has a strong Russian feel to it.

Dnipropetrovsk, with a population of 1.2 million now, had been a "closed" city during the Russian era….until 1997 there was no international airport….it had been a military airport. DNK had been the center for  missles and tracking systems. Now it is being transformed (slowly).

We saw the very rich looking black earth as we drove to Zaporozhye (Zaporoshia), a town of about 900,000. One of its claims to fame is the immense Sikorosky (sp?) airplane factory that is still a large part of their economy. It also boasts "the longest main street" in Europe….12 miles long….named Prospect Lenin. It starts at the larger than life statue of Lenin standing and pointing to what is said to be the first and largest water energy plant and dam built in Europe (in the 40’s?)….Prospect Lenin (Zaporozhye’s equivalent of NYC’s Fifth Ave.) has upscale shops, the Ukraine Department Store, restaurants. and (when blooming) beautiful trees and parks. Our hotel was on Prospect Lenin. We often used public transportation….buses, trolleys, or marshrutkas (maashrootkas) (18 seat vans usually carrying 24 - 30 people)….to travel up and down this main thoroughfare. Then we walked several blocks the rest of the way to "work."

Our volunteer team taught conversational English in many different venues….University students at Municipal University, 9th and 10th graders at several city schools, college age students at the Linquistics Institute, and children from 3 - 15 at Makveetka Orphanage. The demand for our services far exceeded our resources. We could have used double the number of volunteers. Here, as in Poland, the desire to learn, improve, and use English was viewed as an important part of future success.

We each had 1-3 translators accompany us everywhere each workday. These 18-21 year old English students are studying to become career translators or interpreters and their work with us was an integral part of their curriculum. We could not have functioned very well at even the most basic things such as shopping or using public transportation without their kind, conscientious assistance. Their English was already very good and our Russian could barely get past Spaseeba (Phonetic for Thank you).

Much of my time was spent in the city schools and at the orphanage. The school children, their teachers, and I shared our strories, asked questions, and worked hard at listening to each other. At School 25, they also wanted to show me their considerable skills in the arts. I heard American Jazz and Classical pieces on the piano, heard traditional and patriotic Romanian songs, and saw beautiful art and needlework.

Makveetka Orphanage was one of the best run orphanages I’ve seen. With the help of some generous volunteer donations, this place has been transformed into a warm home, school, alternative family model that could be replicated anywhere. Nothing can replace what these children lack….parents and a real home….but this place gives its best. The children are clean, happy, active in a bright, colorful, and loving environment. Their individual gifts are nurtured and encouraged. Again, the arts are strong. Some of the children are so good at song and dance that they tour around the country and beyond.

Municipal University….only 14 years old….has grown from 1000 students in its first year to 10,000 students today. It is one of the first private institutions of higher education and considered to be the best in the region. They asked our team of volunteers to be a panel for their Discussion Club….the topic was "Democracy"….We found ourselves examining our system with an unAmerican eye and struggled to explain simply what we take for granted everyday. The student’s intense questions…."Do you think Democracy can really work here?"…."You talk about rights and responsibilities, but how do you get rid of corruption in government?"…."We are young and want to change but some of our people have an "old" mindset."

Like college students the world over, they are the seeds of change here and their will and passion is as rich as the Chernozem….the disputed, fought-over land they pridefully call "My Ukraine."…..Til next time….Kitty

Apologies to all who have been tuning in to this blog for posts since Poland. The last several weeks in the Ukraine, Italy, and now Romania have not been easy to access the Internet or time did not permit much writing or posting when I could get on. Hope to be able to catch up soon….but when lapses do occur, please understand all is well with me….it is just a matter of other stuff…..and don’t give up on this continuing saga!…..Many thanks…..Kitty