A Trip to Ghost Town

Hello World! How are you doing in 2021? I know you haven't felt ay difference yet but wait till you have to fill some paperwork out! Once you will get to the place where you need to put "today's date" I bet you will automatically write "2020" and then will redo "0" into "1". That's how we finally realize that something has changed )) I promised myself that this year I will write a lot more (and hopefully eat less) and the best way to stick to such promises is to bring them to life right away. So today I'm going to tell you about our small trip to a ghost town. It won't be about modern towns that you can see on YouTube that got abandoned because of different reasons. It's a completely different type of story. Chervonohorod or Red Town in English is situated not far from the town where live my parents. I remember visiting this place in childhood and it always mesmerised me. Only years later I learnt the history of the place and I must tell you its history is even more impressive than the way this place looks nowadays. According to different chronicles, the settlement with a castle in its center existed as early as the 12th century. It got its name from red soil it stands on.

As you can see on the photo I took not just soil is red but it colors everything in red. The wheels of our car looked like after some fancy customizing. The town used to sit at the bottom of a very deep valley and even nowadays to get to the ruins of the castle you need to have guts to take a serpentine-like road with tricky boulders all over it. But believe me its worth it.

The town had been in the center of historical events for almost 6 centuries. It was conquered by different kings of Kyiv Rus, it suffered from the invasion of Tatars, it was given as a present and a dowry, it was owned by kings of Lithuania, it was part of Poland and later on of Austro-Hungarian Empire. Its last owner decided to rebuild the centrepiece of the town, the ancient castle and turn it into a palace. If I had ever met him I would have broken his arms, but unfortunately, history knows a lot of self-taught architects. So in the 19th century, the two towers and part of the castle were torn down, the other two towers got rebuilt and a palace was added between them.

(photo taken from the Internet) When the Soviet Union took Ukraine over the local Polish population was re-settled and as of 1952, the official number of residents was 15 people. There was an attempt to revive the place by building a hydropower plant on the river Dzhuryn in 1957 and the reservoir next to it was really popular with locals. But it lasted only for a couple of years and at the beginning of the 1960s the station was closed and the equipment was removed. In 1970 Chervonohorod or Chervone - the Soviets also changed its name to something less significant - ceased to exist de jure. Nowadays what's left of rebuilt castle-palace and ruins of a church next to it attract a lot of local and foreign tourists (judging from inscriptions on the walls). There were a couple of projects aimed at reconstruction or, at least, conservation of the place, but they haven't got anywhere yet. The day we visited the place was very gloomy but it adds some character to the place.

The church located near the castle that I've mentioned earlier is a catholic church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the 17th century and used to be home to monks of Dominican Order.

The cherry on the cake is a magnificent waterfall on the river Dzhuryn right next to the ruins. It is the tallest lowland waterfall in Ukraine and its roar is very impressive.

That's it for today. I hope I didn't overload you with history. Enjoy and I would really appreciate your comments! Stay safe and till next story!

Happy New Year everyone everywhere! I don't know how you are celebrating this year, but I can tell you that here in Ukraine we are going to celebrate differently than ever before. Of course I don't mean the whole country but only my family, judjung from the lines in the stores and how crowded the farmer's market was yesterday a lot of people will celebrate the usual way. That is with tables filled with meats, salads, fruit and alcohol. Why have we decided to celebrate New Year differently this time? Well, it's been a very tough year, and not because of corona. The virus was just a "cherry" on top of the cocktail of craziness. So I am sitting here with a bottle of sparkling wine opened (won't wait till the midnight) and a plate of salad a la Russe that I made first thing today in the morning and hope that fireworks won't be too loud and we can go to sleep before the "change of years". I understand that 2021 won't bring the normality back. So I will take this change from 2020 to 2021 just like a fact and keep walking my path. In any case, it doesn't matter what date is on the calendar, it does matter if you have quality time with those who really matter to you. And if you want to have real fun - dress your parent's dog to look like a Christmas tree! Cheers!

Back in Ukraine

Hello everyone everywhere! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I have a story to tell you though I've been very quiet this year a lot of things have happened and now I am planning to catch up a bit and tell you them one by one. So my second and last story of this year will be a big one. After 5 years of living in the USA, I am back to Ukraine. Ta-daaam! I know that for a lot of people in Ukraine this decision is something they can't wrap their heads around. I know that for many people in the US moving across the ocean it's something absolutely crazy but romantic. I want to explain to you why they think so and tell you what I think about all of it. For the majority of Ukrainians, I have to deal with on a daily basis moving abroad is a dream of their lifetime. Don't get me wrong, Ukraine is a wonderful country, but being a Ukrainian is a tough thing and demands some amount of patience and courage. We became independent a while ago but our Soviet past still holds an icy grip on our mentality and behavior. So not surprising that the amount of my fellow citizens that believe that the grass is greener on the other side is still pretty large. Once they move abroad and understand that each country has its good and bad sides they take a decision to pretend that they are a story of great success. So they feed their relatives that stayed home all these stories about "money grow here on the trees" and keep all the hardship to themselves. I've never been illusional as for "wonderful abroad" though I have to confess that living in such country as the US opened my eyes on a lot of things and taught me to appreciate my own country. I learnt that the virus of bureaucracy has infected the whole world, that you have to pay attention to what food products you buy (we are slightly spoilt here in Ukraine with more natural products), that you have to be careful with people you speak to because what seems like a joke in Ukraine can be offensive to someone in the States. There is a bunch of other things that I had to adapt to but since I speak the language it was relatively easy for me. However, I am fully aware that I risked living in another country only because of my husband. I am not sure I would do something like that, especially in my age. Moving to another country requires a lot of energy and dedication. It's way easier if you are just 21 years old and there is no power in the world to stop you. Once you crossed the Rubicon of 35 years old you get used to your lifestyle and any dramatic changes are very painful. At least for me )) On top of that Americans live a very stressful lifestyle. They work all the time and rest very little. It literally wears you out and by a certain age you are tired and your health starts going downhill. Ukrainians are hard-working nation too, especially those who live in rural areas. They heavily depend on the land to feed themselves and their families. And since a lot of people still think the old way they tend to grow more than they really need. Smart farming just started coming to Ukraine and it will take a while to reset the minds to new ways. So, for Ukrainians that are shocked about our decision to relocate to Ukraine, I can answer that though the United States is considered a country of endless possibilities the possibilities are actually pretty limited and will require a ton of effort and that still won't grant you anything. If you are ready to gamble like that, well, be my guest. I weighed all pros and cons, my husband did even more of that weighing and we came to the conclusion that it might be a solution for us. Especially if to take into account that we are looking for a quiet lifestyle and downshifting to a rural environment. For Americans that romanticise Europe I can say that, unfortunately, Europe has changed a lot. Old good Europe is pretty much non-existent and the events of 2020 proved that. It's sad but that the reality we have to accept. That's why countries like Ukraine, Romania, Slovenia and alike look more attractive right now. At least they are more attractive to me. I do see both good and bad sides of the developing economies and I can say that some good things I see actually outweigh the bad ones. Among them, I can definitely name the quality of food and less bureaucracy (surprisingly). Of course, if you are a person heavily dependant on American lifestyle you would have massive problems here. I will not pretend that it's easy to integrate into local communities, even the language will look to you as an abyss between you and natives, but with a little bit of an effort in a year local people will call you lovingly "Our American". So I am happy to be home, I am happy I can show my country to my husband in a more profound way, literally from inside. It's a challenge for both of us, though the whole 2020 was a kind of endless quest and I am not sure there is anything left to surprise us. Though I think I should keep my mouth shut because you never know what 2021 has on its mind. With all this said I want to wish you a better year ahead and not to be afraid of changes. What is life if not a bunch of changes we constantly try to adjust to? Greetings and stay safe! P.S. A couple my photos for good mood ))

Solid Air 4

SolidAir1

Solid Air2

Ukrainians and Cars

Hello everyone! We made it through the first half of 2020! At this point, I feel like ordering myself a T-shirt saying "I SURVIVED 2020" at the end of the year. I planned to proceed with my blog earlier this year but too many things have happened and my head was somewhere else. Yesterday I checked the statistics for my blog and was surprised to learn that people keep reading it and even leave comments. That was very inspiring, therefore I will continue and bore you with more stories from my past and, hopefully, from my present as well.

  The first story of this year will be about cars. Tell me true: What's your relationship with your car? Do you have only one? Does it have a name? Do you remember the day you bought it? Do you attentively listen to its engine every morning you start it? Do you come to your garage to say "good night" every evening? I remember I was utterly shocked when I googled how many cars glide the roads of the US. The number is staggering, 272.48 million cars. Of course, this number includes all kind of them, buses, trucks, and motorcycles. But the number is shocking anyways. An average American family owns 2.28 cars. When you read the statistics it says that owning a car does not reflect the financial status rather location and proximity. That's what shocked me when I first got to the US, the number of cars around me. And then I tried to figure out how I can get to places if I don't have a car. And guess what! My options were either a very long walk (if you feel like walking 10 miles and still not get anywhere) or a pretty long bicycle ride. If you don't live in a big city in the proximity of the public transport network, you must have a car. I have a confession to make. It might sound shocking but in my 38 years, I have never had a car. I do have a driving license, I did drive a car for a very short while. But... I never had a car and I'm not sure I will ever buy a car just for myself when I am back to Ukraine. Don't get me wrong, my husband has a car and we use it for his work and long trips. But the "proximity" allows me to walk to the stores and ride my bike to work and it feels great just like it used to be when I lived in Kyiv.
So how did it happen that a 38-year-old woman never had a car of her own? I will have to remind you of my background again. And it's not like I'm complaining, but I was born in the USSR. A country where everyone was equal, rather say equally poor. So in order to have a car, my dad, for instance, had to be on a waitlist for a number of years. And only in 1990, he was able to buy a car. So you might wonder what kind of car did he buy? A Ford? A Chevi? Or maybe something European, a Fiat or a Peugeot? And... you didn't guess. He was able to buy a Moskvich! What??? You have never heard of Moskvich??? Really? How come??? Ok, ok. Don't worry, I will show you a photo of this miraculous creation of the finest car designers. Here it is.

Appetizing, right? Well, we were happy. Actually, a car fulfilled my biggest childhood dream and it was a DOG!! My parents promised that as soon as they got a car I would get a dog. And it did happen ))) The car gave us relative freedom since we were not tied to trains and buses anymore, so once in a while, we could take small trips to the mountains or go to some historic site. The only and biggest problem connected to the car was gas. As you know cars need gas, and during the 90s it was pretty impossible to buy gas by simply going to a gas station. I know it's hard to imagine but it's true. When Ukraine became independent our stores and other businesses were just trying to figure out where to get goods and other commodities. You needed to know people who knew people that knew where to get gas. My father used to keep an oil drum in his friend's garage where he stored gas for our trips. So hopping into the car in order to go get a loaf of bread from the store was out of the question. We walked to stores, to market, to school. The only short trips within the town were made in case of extremely bad weather and on Tuesday and Friday when I attended music school in the afternoon. 

The funny thing about all soviet cars is that either their design or engines of most of them at some point were "stolen" from other countries. For instance, my father's first car had an engine that was a copy of the BMW M10. At first, we thought that it was some kind of "legend" but when our friend from Germany looked under the hood and shouted "BMW Three!" we were speechless. 

When Ukraine became independent the car market started developing but in a weird way. For a long time, famous brands were nervous coming to Ukraine, so used cars market turned into a huge business with its own mafia and criminal conflicts. However, the lack of official dealerships and car workshops encouraged a lot of very skilful mechanics to study foreign cars really well and in result, they were able not just stay very busy but created workplaces for others. At some point, living conditions of Ukrainians improved and people started buying more cars. I can single out three categories of car owners in Ukraine: used cars owners, new cars owners and Ukrainian cars owners. There is also one more category - carless people )) New car owners are a privileged cast of people and their number is not very big. We don't have generally accessible car loans like in the US or an opportunity to trade-in our old model. The cast of used cars owners is huge and I would say that the majority of cars in Ukraine were brought from Europe. You have to be very vigilant when buying a used car since they are not sold in dealerships but at the car markets and nobody will provide you with the results of a mechanical check or you can get in touch with a seller via an online ad and then set up a meeting to see the car. I've heard a couple of stories from my friends about their experience buying a car and the circumstances were pretty sketchy. The lowest cast is the owners of Ukrainian cars. I remember when my dad bought his latest car a lot of his acquaintances were mocking at him for he bought a Ukrainian car. I don't think you've ever heard the name of the brand Tavria Slavuta. 

Not a Ferrari but it does fulfil its function - it has 4 wheels and a steering wheel and can take you from point A to point B! 

I won't deny, young people in Ukraine dream about Lexuses and Mercedeses. A lot of people buy cars mainly to underline their status. A big number of people can't afford a car at all. It definitely limits their trips to only necessary ones and doesn't benefit local national tourism. If in most countries it is believed that a car is a means of transportation rather than a luxury. In Ukraine, unfortunately, it is on the contrary. As I've mentioned before I've never had a car and never felt need in it. I travelled by trains and buses most of the time or joined my parents on their car trips. This fact shaped my lifestyle in a certain way. I would walk to the supermarket and never buy the whole cart of food rather as much as I could effortlessly carry home. So I wouldn't buy anything I didn't need. Consequently, my food was always fresh and I would throw things out very rarely. Though I lived in the capital city I would take very long walks from work home in warm sunny evenings easily covering 20-30 thousand steps. Sometimes I would walk from the right bank of the Dnipro river to the left sipping a milkshake with favorite music in my headphones. 

Of course, there are people that can't imagine their life without a car and they find ways to get one at any cost. So if you are a car owner in Ukraine you will have to prepare yourself for a couple of issues you will have to deal with on a regular basis. Firstly, be morally ready that when oil prices in the world will drop to their historical minimum the prices of gas in Ukraine will remain the same or even slightly go up. In the US I've several times witnessed the lowering of gas prices substantially but have never seen it happen in Ukraine. Secondly, you will have problems with the parking spot, especially in big cities. When our cities were developed the number of cars was way way smaller. Nowadays such cities like Kyiv or Lviv are literally choking with the number of cars. You will see cars parked in very unexpected places and sometimes even blocking pedestrian zones. It's very frustrating and nothing is being done at this point. Thirdly, you'd better have a good mechanic among your acquaintances because official workshops are extremely expensive. And one more thing to keep in mind, unfortunately, we don't have any road trip infrastructure. I mean you won't see rest stops with toilets and vending machines in Ukraine. There is a bunch of old rest stops back from soviet times, but they are just an asphalted pockets on the side of the road without any amenities. So if you need to visit a restroom you will have to do it at the gas station and maybe even buy something there so that they let you use it. Oh! I almost forgot! Quality of roads! Well, I don't want to talk derogatorily about m own country but sometimes the waysides are better quality than the main road itself. Sometimes we joke and say that "There is no road but just a direction". It's sad because Ukraine has many unique places and it gets very challenging to see them. But we do hope that bit by bit this situation will change for the better. 

Anyways, appreciate your ability to buy a car and the freedom it gives you, but don't overdo it by driving it everywhere especially when you need to go one block down to get a bottle of water. We have two feet not for just for brake and accelerator pedals, they can take us places and keep us fit!

Stay safe and explore the world!