Odessa Hot News

[altiva]

Today is a holiday in Ukraine. It's called "Forty sainted martyrs".

It's dedicated to the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebastia.

Forty saint martyrs were forty Christian warriors. They served in the

army under Roman emperor Licinius. They were killed because they

refused to perform Roman pagan rituals.

But, in fact, it's a very old Ukrainian holiday, which comes from the

pre-Christian times. When Ukraine was christened,the church tried to

incorporate the old pagan holidays into Christian rituals.

This day, people asked the spring to come, and

to come quickly. They sang special songs, and danced.

They also made buns or cookies, shaped like birds. They took the

pastry outside, and paraded it throughout. People believed, back

then, that the spring came on the wings of the birds. So, they

reasoned: if we showed the baked birds outside, the real birds would see

it and they would bring the spring quicker.

After the ritual, children were given these cookies to play with, and

eventually, to eat.

"Forty" is pronounced "sorok" in Ukrainian language. It sounds similar to

the word "magpie". So, the holiday is called also "magpies". Also, "larks", "birds",

"little storks".

It's a holiday about the birds, after all.

 

[altiva]

In Ukraine, traditionally, there was three types of footwear:

1. Barefoot (if you were very poor, or tried to save your shoes).

2. Postoly (everyday wear).

3. A holiday wear, red boots, made from the softest goatskin

(sapyan). They had to be red, all the time.

Here are postoly, a traditional every day wear. They

are made from leather, and afterwards, embroidered. Postoly came in

different sizes. These below are made by a master called Taras

Dzvinchuk. He lives in a Ukrainian town, called Kosmach in Carpathian

mountains. His father taught him how to make postoly. After his

father's death in 1977, Taras started on as an independent

postoly-maker. Since then, his postoly were worn by local population,

a children folk group, and even travelled abroad, as far as

Australia. Taras also makes belts. The narrow belts are for everyday

wear, the wide belts are for weekends and holidays.

 

 

 

[altiva]

These are Ukrainian lizhnyky. The word "lizhnyky" derives from the

word "lizhko" - bed. These are blankets, or bed covers, however you chose to use

them. They are hand-made in Carpathian mountains, from sheep wool.

100 per cent pure wool! In Carpathian mountains, people keep sheep.

They cut their wool, and then they made threads and fabrics out of

it, bu hand, using looms. This woman is a renown maker and designer

of lizhnyky. She lives in Carpathian mountains, in her house. She has

9 children! To get to her house, you have to walk up the mountain for

2 hours by foot (like the girls on the photo).

Her family uses horses to ride up and down to the

town. There is no road, because it's not possible to build one there.

So, you can tell that these covers are really echo-friendly.

If you go to Carpathian, you can buy such a cover for about 100 euros

(sometimes more, sometimes less, it depends on the colour, the

design, the designer). On souvenir stalls and markets they sell them

for 150-200 euros.

 

 

[altiva]

And here is the wooly sheep that contributes to the bed covers.

Carpathian mountains.

 

[altiva]

I already told you about the last week before the Lent, eating

pancakes and celebrations.

There is a museum-culture centre in Kyiv, called "Mystetsky arsenal"

(Arsenal of Arts).

It used to be an arsenal, a place to keep arms, explosives and such.

It was built in 1784, on the place of a nunnery. At first, they just

kept arms there, but later, used it to repair cannons and such as

well.

In 2006 it was decided to open a museum-culture complex there. During

the restoration, they found many graves on nuns.

It's called "a window to Ukraine". It's situated not far from Kyiv

Lavra, and you can get to there by metro. They have a museum,

exhibitions of arts and antiques and much more.

During the celebrations before the Lent, they had an art week, with

music, dancing, Ukrainian arts exhibitions, master classes, pancakes

tastings.

Here are some photos.

Also, don't be upset that you missed this event. There will be plenty

more.

What: Mustetsky arsenal (Arsenal of Arts)

Where: 28-30 Ivan Mazepa street. The nearest metro station: Arsenalna.

Not far from Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.

When: every day from 10.00 to 19.00. Day off - Tuesday.

 

 

[altiva]

 

 

That was called "funky textile".

[altiva]

 

 

[altiva]

 

 

More photos here:

http://odessainterpreters.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=12

[altiva]

An exhibition "Beads embroidery: yesterday, today, tomorrow" in

The Centre of Ukrainian Culture and Arts.

They are cooperating with

the House of fashion. It will be opened till April 11. Here are some

photos.

Bead-embroidered icons.

Traditional clothes and towels with beads.

Evening and wedding wear.

What: An exhibition "Beads embroidery: yesterday, today,

tomorrow".

Where: 19-b Khoryva street, Kyiv (metro Kontraktova ploshcha").

When: March 23 - April 11 2013,

Monday - Friday - from 10.00 to 19.00

Saturday - from 10.00 to 18.00

Sunday - a day off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More photos:

http://odessainterpreters.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=12

[altiva]

Happy Easter, people. Here are some pyskany for you.

[altiva]

Warning: danger in Odesa.

Tomorrow, there is a huge carnival in Odesa, dedicated to a "Day of

Humour".

But, everything is not safe in Odesa. Those on MSC Lirica bravely

faced the danger.

MSC Lirica in Odesa sea port.

 

Once they got off board, they found out that there were snakes in

the sea port! Huge ones.

 

Then, there was a mysterious yellow train with MSC logo on the

carriages.

[altiva]

Monsters of all sizes and shapes hanged among the souvenirs and

costumes/masks/wigs sellers.

 

 

 

[altiva]

A house disappeared into another dimension, living only one wall

standing, yet people came in and out and seemingly did not notice

anything!

 

An escaped cow blatantly ate flowers off a flower bed.

[altiva]

Got you? April's Fool!!!

Ok, please, don't cry. Have some candy.

 

More photos here:

http://odessainterpreters.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=43

[Avida]

Hi Altiva.

 

Thought that was where we were going - April fool!! Good laugh however. Thanks for your recent post on the other forum regarding places of interest outside Odessa. Will do some research and get back to you.

 

Thanks very much.

 

Bryan

[Peregrina651]

Got you? April's Fool!!!

Ok, please, don't cry. Have some candy.

 

 

More photos here:

http://odessainterpreters.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=43

 

Ya got me!! :D :D

[4774Papa]

Sugar is dangerous. Jack La Lane was right.

[altiva]

Ya got me!! :D :D

 

:)

 

[altiva]

There is always a carnival on April Fool Day in Odesa Ukraine.

There is a procession, people in costumes, music, stalls with wigs,

costumes, masks, souvenirs, competitions and stuff.

Here are some photos from the Carnival 2003.

 

 

 

More photos here:

http://odessainterpreters.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=44

[altiva]

 

 

[altiva]

 

[Avida]

Great photos. Hopefully they were of the Carnival in 2013 and not 2003 as captioned!!

 

Bryan

[altiva]

Opps, sorry, yes, it's this year, 3 days ago.

[altiva]

People also ask, how to get around, we don't speak the language? If

I want to lunch/dine in a restaurant, or to visit some place you talked about,

what should I do?

If you are not one of the persons who learns the alphabet and tries

to figure out the public transport, this is how:

1. You stay in a hotel. Talk to your concierge. Tell him//her: "I

want to book a table at... (the name of the restaurant)".

2. Go down to the hotel lobby well in advance of your booking. Tell

your concierge: "Could you, please, call a taxi for us?"

There is such a thing as taxi by phone in all the major cities in

Ukraine. The concierge calls, then the taxi service calls him/her

back. He/she says something like: "A green Toyota is waiting for you

outside." You go out, find that green Toyota, the driver brings you

to the restaurant, you pay by the meter.

3. You enjoy your meal. After you finished, called the waiter and

say: "We'd like to have the bill. Please, call the taxi for us, too".

The waiter brings you the bill, and asks you to wait for a taxi.

After a while, he/she comes back and says something like: "A red

Renault is waiting for you outside". So, you go outside, board the

Renault, and pay by the meter. The driver does not speak English, but

the waiter already told him where you were going. Don't forget to

leave a tip for the waiter who dialled a taxi for you and left

his/her phone number as a collateral!

[altiva]

Great video by two Dutch cyclists who cycled throughout Ukraine

without knowing a word of Ukrainian language!

They got the names of all the dishes, cities and towns right. Ok,

they misspelled "Kyiv" and talked some about Russians at the

beginning. Otherwise, a great video, without any prejudice or

Ukrainian phobia. Thank you, Blanche and Douwe!

http://vimeo.com/49933499