ESL Blogs

My dear friends! I told you I came to Europe expecting at least some snow and frost here on New Year. I hoped to see Kiev like this (on the left), but when we arrived we saw such a misty, dull and unattractive landscape (on the right)! We were really disappointed, but then, we reminded ourselves of being the masters of our lives. It is not the weather that makes our mood, it is us who enjoy any weather!

So, we went on enjoying holidays in Kiev.  One day I saw hoarfrost outside and tried to take a few pictures.

They are not good although I tried to edit them.  So, I will show you a few picturesque places borrowing the pictures from the net.

Ukrainians like to celebrate different hoidays and New Year is the most desirable. In this picture you can see one of the most ancient places in Kiev.

It is the Cathedral of St. Sophia that it about 1000 years old. The square in front of the cathedral is a place for Christmas town and the main Ukrainian New Year Tree that is delivered here from the Carpathians.

The name of Ukrainian Santa is Father Frost. He is always accompanied by his granddaughter, Snow Maiden. They both are an integral part of the winter holidays. Ukrainian kids are eager to tell Father Frost their devout wishes for him to make them come true! This year I have noticed that Father Frost has got new assistants, elfs. Perhaps, our Santa lended Father Frost his elfs so that all Ukrainian kids could get their gifts! Hahaha!

Well, I'd also like to tell you about one special place in Kiev. Its official name is The Park Bridge, but all Kiev residents call it "The Lovers' Bridge". It is more than 100 years old and has its sad history. At the very end of the 19th century one young guy, a high school student, jumped off that bridge just onto the road due to one-way love. It was the first suicide in a long chain of self-murders in the name of love on that bridge. The last two took place on the same day in 2007 when a boy and a girl who hadn't known each other at all, commited two suicides there. I really wonder, why they chose such a great place to say their last "goodbye"! Anyway, despite such sad history, the bridge is one of the most romantic places in Kiev. To walk it, to kiss on it is just a tradition for those who are in love. Lovers leave locks on the bridge's fencing as a symbol of their unbreakable union and it so touching to see even aged couples walking on the bridge looking for their locks. There is our lock, too. I put it there many years ago and I become speechless when I think that after the Revolution of Dignity in 2014 when the Lovers' Bridge was burned down, it has been reconstructed by volunteers and all the locks have been put back.

What else to say? We are expecting severe frost at the end of the week and frosty Christmas (that is celebrated on January 7 here) is supposed to compensate melting New Year! The winter holidays are going on in Ukraine! If the temperature falls below -20 C and it is impossible to start a car engine or just to go out as even breath freezes, we will still have a comfortable place to stay with a nice tree, our new friend, Teddy Bear (one of Tanya's gifts) and my true feeling that is able to melt even The Snowqueen's heart!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MY FRIENDS! MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!