Lutsk

I visited the centre of Volyn region, the city of Lutsk, one rainy summer day in the past year and I falled in love at once in this antique city and its kind people with blue eyes. In general Ukrainians call Volyn region blue-eyed region for much persons with blue eyes there. :)

And the first recollection about Lutsk was written in 1085 year in Ipatiyivskyy chronicle, so this Ukrainian city has 926 years! But archaeologists say that the age of Lutsk is more elder. Here are some my photos for Your virtual acquaintance with Lutsk.

The tower-entrance into Lutsk castle or Lyubart's castle, named after Lithuanian prince Lyubart, the founder of this huge Ukrainian fortress of the XIVth century.

Castle's walls

Wooden belfry of ancient St. John Church in the yard of Lutsk castle.

Wooden well

Catapult

Cannons

Great sculptures to play chess in Lutsk castle's yard. But...It's impossible to play them, because these chess pieces are immovable.

A little bit sad knight nearly one wall of Lutsk castle. Why is he in the sad spirits? Maybe he wants to come back in the Middle Ages for a few minutes...

                                            Armoury in one of Lutsk castle's towers

          Printing press near Museum of Ancient Book in Lutsk castle's yard.

The monument "Eternal Glory" in the honour of 4000 Lutsk citizens, killed by Soviet NKVS agents in 1941.

Sts. Petro and Pavlo Catholic Cathedral was constructed in 1600-1610 as Church of Jesuit's order.

Memorial museum of Ukrainian poetess and writer Lesya Ukrayinka (Larysa Kosach - her real name) is situated in this house, where poetess lived with her parents in Lutsk.

The House of the Gospel was built in the end of the XVIIth century as Protestant church for German community of Lutsk.

Virgin Mary Protection Orthodox Church was erected in the XVth century. The facade of this sacral building is rare in Volyn region because of its yellow colour - here Orthodox churches traditionally have blue-coloured facades.

St. Trinity Orthodox Cathedral was built in 1752-1755 years (former Catholic Church of the Bernardine's order).

Funny small monument to a soldier Shveyk, the hero from the novel of eminent Czech writer Yaroslav Hashek - very popular book not only in the Western Ukraine (Lviv also has own Shveyk's monument :)), but in other countries of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Monument to wonderful Ukrainian poetess and writer Lesya Ukrayinka who lived many years in Volyn region.

Volyn National University and monument to genius Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian poet, writer and painter.

The emblem of the city of Lustk on the road

International folklore festival "Etnovyr"

Lviv citizens enjoy festivals and have a lot of them. Perhaps, one of the favourest festivals is held before Ukraine's Independence Day, in the end of August, and is called "Etnovyr", international folklore festival. Thanks to "Etnovyr" Lviv people and the guests of the city had a possibility to watch Czech, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Mexican, Indian, Indonesian, Palestinian, Macedonian, Cyprian and, of course, Ukrainian folklore ensembles from around a world in Lviv. And this year "Etnovyr" was held in the fourth time. Here are some photos from "Etnovyr-2011".

Italian ensemble's members play drums and trumpets while their colleagues from ensemble show Italian art of the flag bearers.

Italian ensemble shows medieval art of Italian flag bearers.

Spanish ensemble starts to perform one Basque dance.

Spanish ensemble performs one beautiful Basque song.

French ensemble shows it art to dance on the stilts.

French ensemble performs medieval shepherd's dance on the stilts.

Burundi ensemble performs its national dance with drums.

Ukrainians! Here we are.

International folklore festival "Etnovyr" was held on August 20-24th in Lviv. The ensembles from Italy, France, Spain and Burundi showed their folklore dances and sang their songs on the festival. And Ukrainian ensembles not only from Ukraine, but also from Great Britain and Canada danced arkan, kolomyyka, hopak and others. I'll upload photos of all members of "Etnovyr" later, but let me show You few photos of Ukrainians now.

Ukrainians from Great Britain perform Cossack dance with the sables.

Donetsk ensemble performs one song from Poltava region.

Ukrainians from Canada perform the dance of Hutsulshchyna region.

Lviv ensemble performs the dance of Lemkivshchyna region.

Ukrainian Independence Day and the days after.

On August 24th, 2011 Ukraine celebrated its 20th anniversary of Ukrainian Independence. Ukrainians had Independence's holiday in their hearts, but not in their state. Because present state power prohibited! any meeting or foot march organized by oppositional leaders in many regional centres and in the capital Kyiv on Independence Day! Is it independence when state power allows only pro-power meeting or march? No. So people wanted to celebrate Ukrainian independence and went foot march to oppositional meeting (prohibited with a court!) near Taras Shevchenko monument in Kyiv on August 24th. And now state power is deciding to open criminal deal against these meeting's members in Kyiv! The same situation arose in Donetsk, where 300 Ukrainians, representatives of oppositional parties and organizations, went foot march on Independence Day with Ukrainian flags, but without state permission for such foot march. And state power also decided to open criminal deal against these members of Donetsk foot march. Can You believe in such nonsense? Ukrainians could't go where they wanted on Ukraine's Independence Day! Ukrainians have a right to organize meeting or to go foot march where they want according to Ukrainian Constitution. They only need to notice state power about their actions before. So what is this state power in Ukraine which prohibits Ukrainians the peaceful foot march and meeting in their main state holiday?
Ukrainians fought for their state independence during many centuries. And present state power has no right to prohibit people to celebrate their Independence Day. In another case this state power isn't a power for Ukrainians, but only occupants. And then nation has a duty to protect its motherland from the occupants.

Sometimes there is no time for a family or for the relatives in this crazy world. But it's necessary to find that time for them. I'm saying it now.
I like to look for the users of the social media and one unknown girl was seemed very kind person for me. I watched her profile in the social media for a few months. And this day I have found out that unknown girl was my second cousin. I didn't know her because I really have very much relatives and don't know all of them. And this day I have already known that this my second cousin died exactly today in the age of 32 years. And now I only can hear from anothers how kind person she was indeed. And can pray for her.
...It must be time in the life to acquaint with the relatives if someone doesn't know them.

Ternopil

Jesus Christ Resurrection Orthodox Church, XVII-th century.

Jesus Christ Resurrection Orthodox Church' s belfry.

Monument to Danylo Halytskyy, the first Ukrainian king and the prince of Halytsko-Volynske principality.

Monument to Yosyf Slipyy, born in Ternopil region, the Cardinal and the Head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in 1944-1984.

Former Dominican Cathedral, nowaday Saint Mary the Virgin Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral, architectural monument of the XVIIIth century.

Monument to Solomiya Krushelnytska, famous worldwide opera singer, who was born in Ternopil region.

Taras Shevchenko Dramatic Theatre.

Monument to Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian writer, poet, painter and public figure.

City's fountains.

Monument to Ivan Franko, Ukrainian writer, poet, translator and public figure.

Monument to Stepan Bandera, Ukrainian hero and politician, the chief of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists.

Ternopil City Council

Monument to Andrey Sheptytskyy, the Metropolitan Archbishop and the Head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in 1900-1944.

Ternopil Philarmonic Society.

Monument to Aleksandr Pushkin, Russian writer

"See you later...in Ternopil", as if this funny hatch says.

To be or not to be a fair justice - this is a question.

Former President Viktor Yushchenko came in the court as a witness in gas deal against ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. I don't want to say what Ukrainian statemen and politicians are or were good or bad. But why did V. Yushchenko not use his Presidential veto right, if Y. Tymoshenko was mistaken when signed gas deal with Russian Prime Minister V. Putin on January 19th, 2009? Ukraine isn't monarchy and Y. Tymoshenko wasn't a queen. Ukraine isn't also parliamentary republic, where Prime Minister is a main stateman. So where were other Ukrainian politicians in January of 2009 and why did they not propose another decision in the time of gas crisis in Europe? And where was Viktor Yanukovych as opposition in January of 2009? Opposition must be the first who says about state power's mistakes. And where were all Parliament's deputies? All together were silent then? But when anything is going in the worst way for the country, all politicians must do something better. Or maybe that January gas deal of 2009 wasn't so bad for Ukrainian economics indeed, was it?

This incomprehensible Egypt.

Egyptians are still incomprehensible in their wishes after revolution's ending in February, 2011. Then Egyptians wanted democratic changes in the country and when at least former Egypt's President H. Mubarak left his post, people won their revolution. Egyptians didn't like dictatorship and they wished democracy - in any way they said such wishes in February this year. Nowadays ex-President H. Mubarak, his sons and other former statemen are on trial and can get death penalty for the killing and wounding of the demonstrators during Egypt's revolution of 2011. Of course, killings of the thousands are serious criminal, especially when that thousands want better changes in their lives. But also H. Mubarak left his President's post by himself and he didn't fight "till the end" against his nation, as another dictators say in the present time in the world. Yes, the penalty's decision for H. Mubarak and others is a mainly deal of Egyptian people. But great risk of mistake exists in the death penalty for former Egyptian politicians, because any dictator won't leave his post voluntarily or under the world's pressure in the future. Besides it. Why do Egyptians not begin to change the community and its laws in the democratic way?
I wish real democratic changes and economical successes for Egypt. And wish that Muslims and Christians live peacefully in this country, that Christian girls don't be stealed by Muslims and don't be forced to accept Islam, that Christian Churches don't be set on fire and all Egyptians be happy.

Yulia Tymoshenko was arrested.

Yulia Tymoshenko, the ex-Prime Minister of Ukraine and the mainest competitor of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, was arrested today. The opposition's leader is staying in the prison in Kyiv now. I don't want to say much, because don't like to talk about farce, and all this political deal against Y. Tymoshenko with her today arrest is no more than a farce. She is accused of "bad" prices of the Russian gas for Ukraine, which she signed as Ukrainian Prime Minister with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in January of 2009. But every European can remember the end of 2008, that cold winter and the stop of the transposrtation of Russian gas into Europe across Ukrainian territory. All wanted any Russian-Ukrainian agreement - only to have Russian gas again. And now what is it? Did Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko something wrong then? But why was this gas deal ratified by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev, when it was wrong?