OUR TRAVELS
Photos of sightseeing enthusiasts
A TRIP ROUTE
IT IS WORTH KNOWING
The king of Poland, Bolesław the Brave, went to Ruthenia to place his son-in-law, Świętopełk I, on the Kiev throne. According to legend, when entering the city, Chrobry struck the gate of the Golden Gate in the walls of Kiev with his sword. Thanks to the lynx created after this blow, the sword was called Szczerbiec . It was a truly extraordinary act, as Chrobry came to Kiev in August 1018, and the Golden Gate was not erected until 19 years later. This event was immortalized on canvas by the excellent battle painter Piotr Michałowski.
INTERESTING FACTS
It was in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lviv that King John II Casimir Vasa, during a mass celebrated by nuncio Pietro Vidoni in front of the painting of Our Lady of Graces, made his famous Lviv vows on April 1, 1656. The author of the text was the Jesuit Andrzej Bobola. The country was almost entirely taken over by Swedes and Russians. The royal vows were to make the nobility fight the invaders and the entire people to fight. The monarch entrusted the Republic to the protection of the Mother of God, whom he called the Queen of Poland. The weddings were made on the initiative of Queen Louise Maria Gonzaga, and were modeled on the vows of Cardinal Richelieu, who twenty years earlier, after defeating his enemies, entrusted France to the protection of the Mother of God. This event presents a painting by the famous Polish painter Jan Matejko.
IT IS WORTH SEEING
One of the Lavra's attractions are its underground hermitages. They consist of the Near and Far Caverns. They are located at a depth of 5 to 20 m, and the length of very narrow corridors is as much as 228 m. Initially, monks lived in them due to specific climatic conditions. Later, the caves began to function as a crypt. The bodies of the monks are placed in glass coffins, devoutly kissed by pilgrim Orthodox believers. The atmosphere inside the tunnels and caverns is quite well reflected in the following amateur video posted on YouTube.
INTERESTING STORIES
The Potemkin Stairs in Odessa are the most recognizable symbol of the city. Due to the high location of Odessa in relation to the port, stone stairs were built at the beginning of the 19th century. They were designed in 1825 by the Italian architect Franciszek Boffo, but in 1837 a decision was made to enlarge them to gigantic sizes according to the plans of the British engineer Upton. During its existence, the stairs had different names - "Gigantyczne", "Przymorskie", "Ryszeliewskie", "Bulwarowe", and from 1955 "Potemkin". The stairs were made famous in his film "Battleship Potemkin" by Sergei Eisenstein. Below you can see a fragment of the work depicting a scene of a massacre of the population invented by the director, carried out by the rhythmically marching tsarist army. This scene was used by Brian De Palma in his famous movie "The Untouchables".
Ukraine - Lviv, Kyiv, Odessa
April 2013
The original idea was to be a trip to Lviv and a visit to the Golden Horseshoe castles. When it turned out that I still have free time and I decided to go to Kiev. However, the Ukrainian businessman I met on the train was so successful praised the charms of cosmopolitan Odessa that I decided to check it out for myself.
Lviv is not much different from Polish cities, and if it weren't for the Ukrainian language, you might think you were in Poland. Huge Kyiv with its monumental architecture and churches, it resembles Russian cities. Odessa, however, could successfully play the role of one of them from towns on the French Riviera. Since Ukraine is a large country and the distances between cities are large, I traveled comfortably at night I slept in the "shop" wagon and visited during the day. Generally, all Ukrainians I asked for help turned out to be very cordial and helpful, and during the trip I have never encountered any reluctance or hostility.Lviv
Lviv will remain a city with a Polish soul for a long time to come. Despite the fact that all around you can see Ukrainian inscriptions and hear Ukrainian speech, and many churches have been converted into Orthodox churches, Lviv has lost little of its Polish character. Walking through the streets of the Old Town, I had the impression that I was walking around Krakow or Sandomierz. Despite the city noise and crowds of tourists, I experienced feelings of nostalgia and reverie throughout my stay in Lviv.
Zhovkva
The visit to Zhovkva turned out to be a hit. When on a sunny morning I found myself at the market square in Zhovkva I had the impression that I had traveled back in time. There wasn't a living soul around. I could admire the remains of its former glory as much as I wanted the seat of the Żółkiewski and Sobieski family walk, take photos and soak up the atmosphere of a sleepy provincial towns.
Castles of the `Golden Horseshoe`
Due to the large distance between the castles of the `Golden Horseshoe`, I decided to buy an optional trip. Unfortunately, local travel agencies only offered tours of Olesko, Zolochiv and Pidhirtsi. During the journey, the guide tirelessly flooded the participants with a stream of professional information. I have to admit that the monuments I visited disappointed me a bit. Perhaps with the exception of the "palazzo in fortezza" castle in Pidhirtsi, which, despite the damage, still looks very impressive.
Kyiv
Kyiv is overwhelming with its vastness. To see as much as possible, you need to travel by metro, tram or bus. It is an extraordinary experience to blend into the crowd of pilgrims and walk with them through the underground corridors of Pechersk Lavra. Looking at the moving figures, I involuntarily surrender to the aura of the sacred surrounding me. After reaching the surface, the spell is broken. Time to move on.
Bila Tserkva
I really wanted to see one of the most famous parks of the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, which is Zofiówka in Uman. However, due to the considerable distance of this city from Kiev, I decided to take a trip to Bila Tserkva. This traditional mainstay Cossacks became famous thanks to the almost model Polish magnate residence - Aleksandria. Unfortunately, little remains of the former glory of Aleksandra Branicka's monumental park.
Odessa
Odessa is a cosmopolitan city with friendly and open inhabitants. I was convinced of this by a Ukrainian couple I accidentally met on Primorski Boulevard. The young people not only kept me company during an evening walk through the alleys of Odessa, but also treated me to lots of funny dictations. Among the many attractions of Odessa, I was most impressed by the famous Potemkin Stairs, which are the symbol of the city.
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