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.

43 people died as a direct result of the disaster and hundreds of thousands more were exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation.  Thyroid cancer has become infinitely more prevalent in the area and much of the plant and animal populations in the immediate area were adversely affected.

Today the atmospheric radiation around the Chornobyl Site has returned to the levels before the meltdown. The site has also been the destination for eco-tours as well as general curiosity. It can be an expensive trip, but clearly an interesting and important historical event to explore.

Watch here to see what its like:

http://www.rferl.org/video/7045.html

The environmental impact of the disaster remains and life of any form in the area will never be the same. Every year in Ukraine schools all over the country hold conferences to educate students on the tragic history of this nuclear facility.

For more information please visit:

U.N. Report

Peace Corps Volunteer Emily Kotay, Outside of her Village of Kozova, Ternopil's'ka Oblast

SEE: _{Emily Kotay*}

Kosova

Western Ukraine is a major agricultural area in Europe.  The country fields are beautiful to see, especially in spring and summer.  Visiting western Ukraine, one gets a feel for authentic, rural life.  Pictured here are fields of Canola blooming in the beginning of May 2008, near the town of Kozova, Ternopil’s’ka Oblast. (30 kM from Ternopil) A visitor is free to walk among the flowers and crops, enjoying the idyllic scenery!

EAT: _{Jenny Heintz*}

?????? ???? (Starey Miln) “The Old Mill”

At Starey Miln, Ternopil Ukraine, you can experience some of the best food and best beer the country has to offer for a pretty good price.

The main event and my favorite main course at Starey Miln is soup in a bread bowl! This might be the most delicious thing on a cold Ukrainian afternoon.

You have a choice between the traditional red borsch (???????? ????), green borsch (??????? ????), and a soup called “solyanka” (???????), all of which you can get in a normal bowl or a rather large bread bowl made out of only the best Ukrainian rye or “brown” bread. My personal favorite is the green borsch, which unlike its red counterpart, has no beets in it. It’s made of chetl which is a green I have not seen outside of Ukraine but looks and tastes similar to spinach.  This is a truly fantastic Ukrainian staple that my host mom used to make and Starey Miln replicates to a T.

Don’t forget to try your soup with a half liter of draft ???????????? (Mykulynetske), which is the Ternopilska Oblast micro brew!  Mikolenetske is available in light (??????), dark (?????), and honey (??????).

TRANSPORTATION:

Trains from L’viv to Ternopil run three times daily (3 hours ride) and from there you can take a short bus-ride (????????) to Kozova.  In addition overnight trains run from Prague to Ternopil and Kyiv to Ternopil every evening.

To Starey Miln from the train station: Turn right out of the station onto Khmel’nyts’koho Street and go 1/4 mile to Zbarazka St and turn right. Go through the tunnel and across the intersection. The restaurant is on the left hand corner at 1a Brodivscka Street.

*Emily Kotay and Jenny Heintz were Peace Corps Volunteers in Western Ukraine from 2007 to 2009.

Pochiav Monastery, Ternopil's'ka Ukraine, December 2007

Jenny Heintz,  Returned Peace Corps Volunteer

March 9, 2010

Here’s a Photo of the well-known Monastery Pochiav in Ternopi’l’ska Oblast (Western Ukraine).  Visitors come from all over Ukraine, Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe to see this Monastery and make pilgrimages in the Spring-time. We visited on a very cold but beautiful day. The tops of the Monastery were glistening in the sunlight.  I had to wear the black skirt they gave me as a rule  for entering the church but I was glad to have an extra layer on anyways.