Travel Pictures: November 2014

This photo: shrines for victims of the demonstrations last spring.

My 2-week trip to Ukraine was exhausting but worth it. Altogether I estimate we had about 180 Canadian observers placed throughout Ukraine. I was teamed with a 35-year old who was quite experienced (her mom is mayor of a town in Ontario, incidentally), and we were based in Bila Tserkva, a town about 80 km south of Kyiv. Our days there consisted of visiting many different polling stations during the pre-election days, questioning them on their level of preparedness etc., sending in reports to CANEOM, and then returning to a selected polling station on election night, observing the counting procedure, following the police-escorted vehicle to the District Electoral Office, then observing the follow-up process there. It was an all-nighter!

The whole CANEOM team at the President Hotel, where we had 2 days of orientation meetings.

Head of Mission, Senator Raynell Andreychuk (right) with Cdn Ambassador to Ukraine,
Roman Waschuk

Some evidence of jetlag around me!

Although we didn't have much free time, I have some photos of the Bila Tserkva area, the surrounding countryside, as well as photos taken in Kyiv (Kiev) itself. Kyiv is quite a beautiful city, with wide boulevards and spectacular orthodox churches, some near the banks of the Dnieper River--my mother said she used to swim in that river as a child--thus I have included one photo of me with the river in the background.

The first full day in Kyiv a few of us walked from the hotel down to the Maidan (Independence Square). It was a beautifully sunny but chilly day,and there were a lot of people in the square. Along one long wall were shrines to the 100+ people who died in the violence last spring, and the attitude of the people there seemed both curious and reverential. We then went to nearby St. Sophia Cathedral, which is architecturally stunning, and entered to find a Sunday service in session. The congregation was standing, and worshippers moved around, crossing themselves and kissing the glass protecting various shrines and icons. Then two priests entered, followed by a number of monks in robes. The priests wore ornate "crowns" on their heads, and led the chanting, and to me the whole setting looked positively mediaeval, and the effect was mesmerizing. We visited a few other, similarly beautiful cathedrals, including St. Andrews (photos are included), but the most interesting visit of all occurred on my last day in Kyiv--to the monastic caves at Pechersk Lavra. These caves were constructed about 1000 years ago, and contain the bodies of mummified monks in glass-enclosed coffins resting on ledges in various locations in the tunnels. Although the bodies were covered, some had a hand
(or both hands) exposed. It's an active religious site, and there were monks present in the tunnels, as well as worshippers who kissed the glass of the coffin, crossed themselves, then moved on. We weren't allowed to take photos inside the caves, so I've stolen a few from the internet.

Overall, the people were great: they seemed to appreciate our presence there as observers, and were generally very helpful. Canada is well thought of in Ukraine, and there is a close connection because of the over-one-million Canadian citizens of Ukrainian origin. In Kyiv the mood is decidedly anti-Putin, anti-Russian. One thing I had previously questioned was answered for me, I think: It seems that the coup, although Western-inspired and assisted, was "necessary", as the previous Yanukovich government, although ostensibly democratically elected, was corrupt and the previous elections allegedly rigged, so to replace him through the electoral process may not have been possible; on the other hand, there is no question that this was Western-inspired and Western-supported coup, and our media seldom acknowledges that fact. There is a process in place now called "lustration", which involves the removal of any and all persons from public office who were associated with the past corrupt regime. Some right-wing men have taken it upon themselves, prior to the election, to accost MPs that they deemed corrupt, verbally abusing them, them tossing them into dumpsters. Our translator approved of the practice.

The men usually wear dark clothing: usually blue jeans and black or blue jackets. It appeared to me that the women for the most part were more fashion-conscious than their N. American counterparts; I don't think I saw a single slouchily-dressed woman on the streets! Most of the pedestrians appeared very fit.

As for food, I tried to sample traditional Ukrainian food as much as possible. However, our hotel stays were inclusive of breakfasts, and these breakfasts included every imaginable option, including cakes and other pastries and well as thin crepes. Almost every restaurant offers "borsch" and "vareniki"(dumplings, but smaller and less doughy than Polish perogies offered in our supermarkets). Vareniki were usually offered with various fillings, including meat, potato, cottage
cheese, and fruit; I remember my mom used to make the fruit-filled ones the same way, with melted butter and some sugar sprinkled on top. I tried to find "piroshki" (you know, pie-by-the-yard), and although our translator knew what is was, I didn't find any place that offered it; however, desserts
were definitely an important part of the menus I saw. I also enquired about "halupsi" (cabbage rolls) and although they were certainly known about, I failed to find any in restaurant menus. In Kyiv, I twice bought a "doner" from some Egyptian guys who had a little stall on one of the main streets;
a doner is a kind of like a burrito containing shaved beef, thinly-sliced vegetables and sauces--actually a very good, quick snack. Except in the hotel bar, beer was cheap, same for vodka (not that this was of great interest). The first wine I tried was from Azerbaijan, and it was terrible--I left two almost-full bottles, one white and one red, in my hotel room when I left. However, I later found out that wines from Georgia and Crimea were much better, and I brought one home with me!

The photos show my initial foray into downtown Kyiv with some new CANEOM acquaintances: visits to an indoor market, the Maidan, Poroshenko's chocolate store (Roshen), then St. Sophia Cathedral, and St. Andrew Cathedral. Returning to Maidan, we saw a choir performing patriotic songs, possibly on behalf of a political party, as this was just days before the election. These photos are followed by a set showing our trip to Bila Tserkva with our driver and translator. As you can see, I was interested in the profusion of mistletoe in some of the trees. The final set is of the orthodox monastery complex and caves at Pechersk Lavra.

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Jacques and Barbara, both with CANEOM

A market in Kyiv

Inside a Roshen chocolate store, owned by billionaire Petro Poroshenko, now President of Ukraine

At Maidan with my new friend, Jacques Samson, from Montreal

The building to the right was damaged in a fire during the demonstrations, and is now covered with a large mural.

This was the scene in February, at the height of the turmoil

"Photo shrines" for the many killed in the riots.

Yatsenyuk pre-election advertisement. He is now Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Below: photos taken in Bila Tserkva

Below: ballot-counting in the polling station at Bila Tserkva. Polls closed at 8 PM; this photo was taken at about 2 AM. When completed, about 2:30, we pursued the police-escorted vehicle which delivered the sealed counted ballots to the district office for verification (next photo below).