Sofiyivsky Park. Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/arhivator/2344557915/

Uman is a small city located about halfway between Kyiv and Odesa, making it an accessible stopping-off point for travelers, even if only for the day. The city is reachable via bus and private car, with very limited train service from Cherkasy (the oblast center). Sofiyivsky Park has a new entrance on the Kyiv-Odesa highway (International Street) and an older, more elaborate entrance on Sadova Street in Uman. The park is open May through November from 9am to 6pm. An entrance fee is charged, but access is free for those entering prior to 9am and after 6pm. Extra fees are charged for tour guides (multiple languages spoken), minibus tours, rowboat rentals, and boat rides. Approximately 500,000 visitors travel here each year to see the park and experience a step back in time to a charming and leisurely lifestyle.

Island of Love. Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/arhivator/2344563051/in/photostream/

Sofiyivsky Park has fantastical lakes, fountains, grottos, gazebos, bridges, pavilions, statues and much more! Purchase a map at the entrance and plot out an itinerary, for the park covers over 385 acres and is crisscrossed by numerous paved walkways with few posted signs. The map allows visitors to target areas to see—all with intriguing names such as the Island of Love, Ionian Sea, Flora Pavilion, or Grotto of Apollo.

Grotto of Apollo. Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/minarge/3636755071/

Noted for its incredible beauty, Sofiyivsky Park became one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine in 2007. However, Sofiyivsky is not simply an enchanting fairy-tale place to visit, the park is also part of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine. The park is officially designated as a dendrological park and engages in the research of tree and shrub cultivars and organizes conferences on dendrological, horticultural, and conservation topics. There are research institutions along with hotels and conference venues on site.

Sofiyivsky Park was a fabulous birthday gift centuries ago and truly remains impressive today! Travelers to Ukraine should definitely add it to their must-see list.

By Cheryl S. Pratt, a Peace Corps Volunteer. Text and opinions herein are the author’s only and do not reflect in any way the position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.

Koktebel has a softer, slower character than Feodosiya, its brash big-sister resort located a few miles to the east. Koktebel does not offer the high level of tourist infrastructure as Feodosiya, Yalta, and similar resorts in southern Crimea. Nevertheless, it offers a pleasing array of fun activities and attractive sights that appeal to families with kids, young adults looking for nightlife, and harried travelers seeking seaside relaxation.

Koktebel: Sun-kissed Beach Resort on Black Sea

Koktebel was first “discovered” by the multi-talented Maximilian Voloshin (1877-1932), a Russian poet, translator, critic, and painter. He and his entourage of intelligentsia and artists came to sun-kissed Koktebel in the early 1900s. Voloshin built a charming home on the beach with a fabulous view of the sea. It is now a museum, open to the public for guided tours in Russian. Today the building is surrounded by the crowd of street vendors that comprise Koktebel’s promenade.

Bring your beach umbrella, sunscreen, a good book and relax! There’s plenty of beach space away from the frenzied activity of Koktebel’s promenade. However, the promenade is a great place to people-watch and also has a wide-range of bars, restaurants, souvenir shops and food kiosks. Partake of Koktebel’s famous cognac and wine here. Purchase a few bottles for gift-giving. Although Koktebel vineyards produce only a small percentage of Ukraine’s cognac and wine, their products are well-known for their outstanding quality (evidenced by the many awards they have won).

Koktebel Morning

Interested in marine mammals? Koktebel hosts a dolphinarium, which includes performances by Black Sea dolphins, northern fur seals, and other animals who make their home in Crimea. The ticket kiosk is conveniently located on the promenade. Another kid-friendly place that caters to families and youth groups is the Water Park, which is located a short walk off the promenade.

If visiting Crimea in the fall, be sure to check out the Koktebel Jazz Festival in September. This festival’s vibrant mix of live performances is attracting more and more attention each year. Koktebel is also the gateway to the Kara Dag Nature Reserve. This unique terrain resulted from ancient volcanic activity and subsequent wind erosion and is now protected to encourage biodiversity of plant and animal life.

Koktebel Morning

Visitors can reach Koktebel via car (Route P29) or bus from many convenient locations in Crimea. Alternately, include it as part of a paid excursion originating from the neighboring city of Feodosiya. Accommodations in Koktebel include a small hotel and hundreds of guestrooms rented out by local residents. For those who enjoy lots of people and activity, come to Koktebel in the summer high season (June, July, August). For those who prefer a quieter experience, consider visiting in spring (late April and May) or fall (September and October).

By Cheryl S. Pratt, a Peace Corps Volunteer. Text and opinions herein are the author’s only and do not reflect in any way the position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.

Although today quite modest, Staryy Krym once boasted being the center of the Crimean Yurt, a branch of the mighty Golden Horde. In the early 1200s the Golden Horde (including the formerly nomadic Tatars) swept through Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Crimea. Crimea became part of a huge empire that stretched from China in the east to beyond Kyiv and Moscow in the west, and Staryy Krym became capital of the Crimean portion of the empire.

The Monastery of Surb-Khach

Staryy Krym was also a major stopping point on the ancient caravan routes that wove their way around the Black Sea, resulting in a vibrant mix of nationalities—Armenians, Turks, Genoese, Tatars, and Russians. In its 13th- and 14th-century heyday, Staryy Krym was such a prosperous, powerful city that contemporaries labeled it the “second Baghdad”. Alas, in the early 1500s, Staryy Krym began its slow decline as the Crimean Khanate’s focus shifted to the up-and-coming Bakhchisaray.

The Monastery of Surb-Khach

What tops the must-see list? The monastery of Surb-Khach (Holy Cross) in the hills outside of town. Founded by Armenian refugees in 1338, the monastery’s stone buildings are being restored from centuries of wear and tear, along with reconstruction of beautiful religious details destroyed by the Soviets when they ruled Crimea. The Surb-Khach monastery is amongst the oldest Armenian sites in Crimea. Tours are free of charge. Monks still reside here, so portions of the property are not open to the public. Visitors can drive or walk the paved road that pleasantly winds uphill for two miles to the monastery. A cookhouse nestled in the forest behind the monastery prepares food for the monks and also sells light refreshments and tea to hungry travelers.

Green Museum

The oldest mosque in Crimea is located on Halturina Street in Staryy Krym, a short walk off the main street of Lenina. Ozbek Han Mosque was constructed in 1314 by the Tatars. It has been restored and is in use today. Next to the mosque are the ruins of an ancient medresy (Islamic school) built in 1332.

Mosque

Other sights in Staryy Krym include the Alexander Green Museum, a tiny three-room house that Green (also known as “Grin”) lived in at the end of his life (1932). Some say his books (e.g., Scarlet Sails) have timeless appeal on the level of such writers as Jack London and Robert Louis Stevenson. The museum is at 52 Karl Liebknekht Street, a narrow sidestreet parallel to Lenin Street. Donations appreciated.

Mosque

Today, this quaint town is overshadowed by its Black Sea resort neighbors of Feodosiya, Sudak and Koktebel. Should Staryy Krym be left to obscurity? No! It is definitely worth a day trip. Reach it by bus or car (Route P23). For visitors arriving by bus, be prepared to do lots of walking to take in the sights, for there are no mini-van routes (“marshrutkas”) in Staryy Krym.

By Cheryl S. Pratt, a Peace Corps Volunteer. Text and opinions herein are the author’s only and do not reflect in any way the position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.

Bakhchisaray Palace

Bakhchisaray’s Khan’s Palace has been nominated to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage site and is the only extant palace of the Crimean Khanate. The only other two Muslim palaces in Europe are Spain’s Alhambra and Turkey’s Topkapi Palace. Although visitors can enter into the palace’s courtyard for free, a fee is charged to enter the buildings. Visitors can tour on their own or as part of a guided tour (English language tours can be arranged).

Bakhchisaray's Khan's Palace

The Khan’s Palace also has romantic allure. Its Fountain of Tears was made famous by Alexander Pushkin’s poem “The Fountain of Bakhchisaray”. One of the last Tatar rulers, the cruel Qirim Giray Khan, lost his young wife, and in his grief had a marble wall fountain built “so that the rock would weep, like him, forever.” The fountain is adorned with a white and a red rose to honor the two lovers.

There are other gems to find in the medieval winding streets of Bakhchisaray, a sun-drenched town located about an hour south of Simferopol. The town is host to a number of restaurants specializing in Crimean Tatar cuisine.  There is also the USTA Workshop with its traditional Crimean Tatar crafts, most notably pottery and intricate silver jewelry.

Currently being restored is the Madresy, an ancient Muslim school. The grave of Ismael Gasprinky, a beloved Crimean Tatar journalist, poet, and political activist, is also located in Bakhchisaray, and a small museum in his former home is open to the public free of charge.

For visitors willing to do a little uphill walking, a 20-minute trek past the Khan’s Palace is the Uspensky Monastery (a cave-church and Orthodox Christian monastery) that is built into the limestone cliffs.  This is free of charge, but donations are appreciated.

Uspensky Monastery

For the more ambitious visitor, the famous cave-city Chufut Kale is a further 25-minute walk (mostly uphill) from the monastery. Dozens of caves have been dug into a plateau, which affords a great 360-degree view. Former settlers also built fortress-like stone walls, installed a massive gate, and constructed a mausoleum and prayer house. A small entrance fee is charged.

Cave-city Chufut Kale

Cave-city Chufut Kale

Bakhchisaray is a short trip from Simferopol and Sevastopol – go by train, bus, or private car. If arriving by bus or train, grab a marshrutka (mini van) with the sign “?????? ?????” (Old city). It’s a short, inexpensive ride.  The best time to visit is in the spring through the fall. Colorful flowers will be in bloom in the spring and summer, and the fall will be cooler. Be sure to wear comfortable footwear, for you’ll do a lot of walking in beautiful Bakhchisaray.  Also, be sure to have your camera charged and ready for a stimulating photo adventure!

By Cheryl S. Pratt, a Peace Corps Volunteer.  Text and opinions herein are the author’s only and do not reflect in any way the position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.

*Population statistic taken from (http://www.lutsk.ua/english/modern_city.html)

These photos were taken by Derek Hom, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Lutsk, Ukraine, from 2007 to 2009.  He is currently a MA candidate at the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies in the Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies.  Derek is studying Post-Soviet security affairs focusing on Ukrainian affairs and Black Sea Security.  This summer, Derek will study Russian language in Odessa, Ukraine, through a Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) award.

This photo journal is also featured in the Spring/Summer 2010 REECAS Newsletter published by the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies, Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies (http://depts.washington.edu/jsishelp/ellison/)

In Ukraine, Easter is the biggest holiday of the year, for many families. Easter is three days long in Ukraine, although the biggest day is still Easter Sunday. The holiday starts on Saturday night. Everyone attends Church for a candle-lit ceremony through the night. In addition, all the church-goers bring their Easter baskets to be blessed. Inside are all the painted eggs (pysanky), sausage, and Easter Paska break (like coffee cake). This way, when the fast is broken after the church ceremony all the food can be considered holy.

If you sleep at all on Easter it is only for a few hours. In the morning on Sunday, the real celebration begins. There is a huge feast including all the food that was blessed the night before as well as a little vodka, and then a lot more food! The celebrating can continue (as with most holidays in Ukraine) for hours!

Usually Ukrainians spend the first day of Easter with their families, and the second and third paying visits to friends.

Ukrainian Easter in the Kyiv Post

Jenny Heintz, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer 2007-2009

Ivana Kupala, celebrated on July 6-7 in Ukraine, was originally a pagan festival and has now been adopted into the Christian Orthodox calendar. It is a summer festival that celebrates fertility and the hope for a good harvest.  The festival is celebrated the most in the Carpathian mountains with a large feast (often outdoors and over an open fire). On the day of Ivana Kupala each unmarried girl makes a head-wreath from wildflowers and wears it until the end of the night. At the end of the feast all the girls toss their wreaths into the river. Farther downstream the young men await the wreaths.  To whomever the wreath caught by a young man belongs is his true love.   Among other traditions is the fire-jumping ceremony. It is said that if a young girl and boy jump over the fire together without letting go of eachother’s hand their love will last forever.

March 9, 2010

Ukraine’s most valuable asset, despite its beautiful countryside and historic buildings, is still its people. And of all those people the best stories are told by and the most history is remembered by the babyca’s. The word babucya (babushka in Russian) literally means “grandmother” but can refer to any older women. The babucyas in Ukraine are the ones who bore the brunt of the hardship at the end of the Second World War and during the Soviet era, which is why most of these women can tell stories that are sure to captivate most anyone.

The babucyas continue to live their lives according to their code of survival; including ensuring that anyone in under their roof is well fed, if not over fed, comfortable, and warm. They always at the ready with a bowl of borsch or a hot cup of tea. They have a solution to everything and are caretakers of Ukraine.

They continue to voice their opinions by taking part voting during elections, volunteering at polling places, simply continuing to work hard and tell their stories, even when the weather might intimidate even the strongest person of a younger generation.

My host mom, or babucya, was a remarkable woman who had retired as the director of the school at which I worked about 5 years before.  She had traveled throughout most of Eastern Europe and always encouraged me to see the world. She took me in as if I was her daughter and made me feel welcome in the community.

My "Babuyca" (left) on her Birthday, August 2009