Lustration as necessary step to democracy in Ukraine.

Ukraine needs a lustration of the former employees and cooperators of communist secret police in USSR. Similar lustration was held in Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Baltic States and such lustration must be held in Ukraine. People have a right to know who co-operated with secret police of that unhuman soviet regime. Ukraine may be really democratic state only after this lustration, when people will know a list of the names of these employees and co-operators of KGB in Ukraine. Because You know, Ukraine is young twenty-year-old state and who knows if some ex-employee or ex-co-operator of KGB continues to do something bad things in politics, economics or cultural and social life against Ukrainian citizens and state or not.

Nice and quiet Dubno, city in Rivne region.

Several weeks ago I visited nice and quiet city in Rivne region - Dubno. And here are some photos from this lovely place in Ukraine.

The gate and the bridge of Dubno castle - Ukrainian fortification of XVth century and the main sightseeing in the city.

Ancient castle' smithy.

Castle's cave and entrance in it.

Fortificated wall and ditch of Dubno castle.

Ostrozki princes' palace - one of the building of the historical complex "Dubno castle".

One of Dubno castle's towers.

St. Yan Nepomuk Catholic Cathedral - architectural monument of XIXth century.

St. Illya Orthodox Church, built in 1905.

Lutsk Gate - three-storey building which was important Dubno fortification.

St. Transfiguration Orthodox Church, the first Dubno Orthodox Church built in 1643.

Former Bernardine monaster, the oldest Dubno Church, built in the beginning of XVIIth century). Here is St. Mykolay Orthodox Church nowadays.


Interesting monument to Ukrainian writer Taras Shevchenko, which consists of the statue of young T. Shevchenko, old blind kobzar and little boy nearby.



House of Children's Creation (former Contracts's House) - architectural monument of XIXth century.

Some Ukrainian news

There are some news from Ukrainian reality.
Good news are prohibition to use former chapel by Dognal's sectarians as their church on Pluhova street in Lviv. I wrote earlyer about this new Ukrainian dangerous sect here: http://thoughtsanddreamsfromukraine.blogspot.com/2011/06/everyone-has-right-to-choose-religion.html
Another good news are complaints of 45 oppositional deputies from BYUT and "Front zmin" ("Front of changes") (the first signed deputies under complaints - Serhiy Sobolyev, Andriy Pavlovskyy from BYUT and Arseniy Yatsenyuk from "Front zmin") to Constitutional Court about non-recognition of the Law about Pension reform, because Pension reform was accepted in unconstitutional way on July 7th, 2011 - the number of present deputies wasn't equal to number of the deputies which voted for this reform! Present deputies in parliament were much less than the number of voted deputies on parliament's screen.
And other good news are appeals of Association of Ukrainian Banks and of BYUT's deputy Serhiy Teryokhin to National Bank of Ukraine to cancel Bank's decision about obligatory showing and copying! of the first page of Ukrainian passport for all who want buy or sell foreign currency in the places of currency exchange since September 23th, 2011.
And farce's news are news about some documents of the criminal deal against ex-Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko, which are dated with unexisting date - April 31th, 2011! And three days ago Tymoshenko's lawyers also said that Tymoshenko's original signature wasn't on Ukrainian-Russian gas contracts of January 19th, 2009. There was only her facsimile. So it's a big question why she's in the prison now.

Palestine

Palestinian bid for full membership in the UN and for statehood is examining in these days in New York at the UN Assembly. I don't know what decision will be approved, but one day Palestinian state must be exactly created. Because the peace at the West Bank and in sector Gaza will come only when both nations, Israeli and Palestinians, will have their states and will form peaceful relations between each other. No war in the Holy Land anymore! I believe that as Palestinians thus Israeli want to live peacefully without military conflicts. And world must help them in it.

Possible EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.

All Ukrainian newspapers and TV-channels talk about possible EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (AA). But the majority of Ukrainians can't understand how EU may sign such AA with Ukrainian state power nowadays. Association Agreement gives development of political, trade, social, cultural and security links between two sides of the signed deal. And Ukrainians know that democratic values are very inportant in EU countries and that's why people want to join to the European Union. But how can such AA be signed in the present time?
When former Minister of the Ministry of Iternal Affairs Yuriy Lutsenko is still arrested during almost nine months and former Prime Minister Yuliya Tymoshenko is still arrested during almost two months, though court doesn't prove their guilt yet, but all people know that these politicians are oppositional leaders towards present Ukrainian power.
Simple Ukrainians can't find job just to feed their families, while Ukrainian newspaper "Dzerkalo Tyzhnya"("The Mirror of the Week") wrote that "Chornomornaftohas" had overpaid 150 millions dollars from state budget for sea drilling rig in the Black Sea, so the real price for this drilling rig is much, much lower. While Ukrainian newspaper "Ukrayins'ka Pravda"("Ukrainian Truth") writes that Ukrainian President decided to rent two new airplanes for himself, also taking money from state budget. While informational agency UNIAN informed about 50 millions hryvnyas of state money, which were uneffectively used by National Television and Radio Companies, so this is a question where these money "traveled". And site "Nashi Hroshi" ("Our Money") reported about almost 260 millions hryvnyas of state money for the technical-material center's building of Lviv Employment Center. In Ukraine employment centers don't find any jobs for unemployeds and I really don't understand why these centers exist and are financed, but I'll write apart one article about Ukrainian employment centers.
So simple Ukrainians read such news and only think how it's possible just to live in Ukrainian state, when state power doesn't take care about them. Many Ukrainians have some relative which lives and works abroad and helps financially. But a few days ago National Bank of Ukraine obligated Ukraine's citizens to show their passports in currency exchange to buy or to sell even 1 euro, 1 dollar etc since September 23th, 2011. Yeh, it's "very nice" power's step to create a dictatorship in Ukraine.
And may it be signed Association Agreement between EU and Ukraine in such conditions of the Ukrainian reality?

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.