First Day in Kiev

I spent day one in Kiev torturing my legs and feet and feeling breathless, also known as exercise, on hilly cobblestones and bell tower steps. My friend, Tania, wore sandals and did not seem fazed by the hilliness or the duration of our walking. I suppose there is a direct link between living in a physically demanding city like Kiev, one with lots of steep hills, and being in good shape. I realize I need to walk more. I’m sitting up in my hotel bed right now, feeling muscles I’d forgotten I had. Did I just hike up the Carpathian Mountains? No, I went for a simple stroll in a beautiful old city with a beautiful old friend. So why am I grumbling about my debilitated body? Because I’m out of shape, that’s why. Who knew movement could be so hard? I discovered ballet flats are not viable shoes for conquering this kind of rugged cobblestone environment. I will wear my running shoes today. And I will try to adapt to the hills and cobblestones and not complain so much.

I think I also need to improve my knowledge of history and read more to satisfy my curiosity. The old Soviet occupation of Ukraine has me curious about the psyche of Ukrainian people, their emotional memory, and how history has influenced present day tensions. I talked to Tania about the annexation of Crimea, but try as I might, I cannot fathom what it must be like to have an aggressive nation swoop in and steal a piece of my country, and then worry that they’re going to try to take even more. It would be like Canada occupying Buffalo and staking maple leaf flags in the ground everywhere. Like I said, completely unfathomable.

The highlight of the day was visiting Saint Sophia’s Cathedral, an 11^th century church. The architectural plan is similar to the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. I wasn’t allowed to take photos, so you will just have to imagine the Hagia Sofia in all its Byzantine glory, only a bit smaller, and instead of Greek inscriptions, imagine Cyrillic ones. The painting of the brown and white feathered seraph angel in the Hagia Sophia can also be found in Saint Sophia’s Cathedral in Kiev. In Saint Sophia’s, there are three seraphs in a row, reminding me of the lullaby league in The Wizard of Oz. While walking around with Tania and her little boy, Misha, I wondered what the difference is between a mosaic and a fresco. (I noticed that when my friend Tania and I were referring to the same religious art, she used the term fresco while I called it a mosaic.) At the risk of being wrong I’ll continue calling them mosaics until I google the answer later. I wonder if mosaic artists in the olden days followed patterns, like, I dunno, mosaic by numbers? Looking at any number of haloed saints, I can’t help but think I’ve seen its exact replica somewhere else. I find myself staring at ancient fragmented faces, asking, “Have we met before? I think you have a twin in Istanbul.”

One more question I am pondering is if I have any need in my life or room in my luggage for a Ukrainian power stick, also known as a bulawa. Walking down Andrivskaya Street with my friend Tania, we saw these items for sale and I was tempted to buy one. Tania was telling me that it’s a symbol of power that many high-ranking men depicted in statues and paintings are shown holding. I don’t know what purpose this object would serve, other than giving me a heightened sense of importance and being a great conversation starter. I think I just answered my question. A power stick is a must-have souvenir from the Ukraine. Until next time.