Viking 'Footsteps of the Cossacks' (Ukraine)

[silkismom]

Is there a place to buy some of those colorful animals, I collect cats from everywhere, and my SIL collects moose.

[altiva]

Is there a place to buy some of those colorful animals, I collect cats from everywhere, and my SIL collects moose.

 

Hi silkismom,

you can go to Arsenal of Arts, and they always have some sort of

exhibition. Usually there are "recurring" exhibits, which you can

find every time. It's easy to get there. Your hotel is near

Khreshatyk, so the Arsenal of Arts is one stop away by metro. Or you

can walk to there from Kyiv Pechersk lavra.

There is another place, called The Centre of Ukrainian Culture and

Arts, which is a museum and an art gallery. It's situated on 19-b

Khoryva street, metro Kontraktova ploshcha (it's near Kontractova

ploshcha). Right now, there is an exhibition there, called "Beads

embroidery: yesterday, today, tomorrow". 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.

 

 

 

 

[silkismom]

Hmmm, I wonder if those beautiful gowns come in a size 14??

[altiva]

hi silkismom,

if you wish, you can visit their boutique when you are in Kyiv. The

name of the designer is Stella Shakhovska. Here is the link to her

collections. She has bridal, high fashion, evening wear. You can go

there, try on, touch and buy, but she is expensive.

Here is the site:

There is no English language, but I am leaving you the link to the

collections. You can look through the photos. Just click on the links

on the left-hand menu, it goes: bridal gowns, evening gowns, high

fashion, for girls, carnival clothing.

The address is 18/29 Ivana Mazepy, Stella Shakhovska. It's in the

centre.

http://stellashakhovskaya.ua/couture/

[silkismom]

Thank you, as lovely as the dresses are, I'm sure I could never afford one!! Or I should say, DH would never let me have one!!!

[altiva]

Someone on this boards mentions souvenirs. I'd like to show you the

difference between Russian and Ukrainian ornamental painting.

Petrykivka is the most famous of all the Ukrainian ornamental

paintings. It's one of the oldest also. It started because Ukrainian

people white washed their houses and inside of their houses. And they

loved to decorate their houses, so they painted the walls and the ovens.

So, traditionally, the background of real Petrykivka is white or very

light yellow. Under the Russian regime, Petrykivka artists were forced

to pain on the black background, because there is some town in Russia,

the name escapes me, and they paint wooden jewellery boxes, red on

black. So, Russians wanted to make Ukrainian paintings to be "close"

and "brotherly" to Russian ornamental painting. I found only one man

artist, who is old, and who produces some of his paintings on the

black background. The other main attribute is the big red flowers,

which are everywhere. They are called "onions". And, of course, the

sheer beauty of the creations. There is painted spoons, plates, sugar

bowls, eggs, walls, paintings, bottles, you name it.

Now, there is a week of Petrykivka paintings in Brussels! There will

be exhibitions and master classes in the Ukrainian embassy, NATO

headquarters, and American school for children of ambassadors who live

in Brussels. You can buy the creations of Petrykivka's artists, too.

UNESCO will give Petrykivka a status of the Intangible Cultural

Heritage of Humanity. I am posting some of the paintings and works.

 

 

 

[altiva]

 

In Petrykivka, they make ordinary jewellery boxes, and also many jewellery boxes, shaped like hens and roosters.

 

Edited March 29, 2013 by altiva

[altiva]

 

 

Sugar bowl.

 

More, much more photos here:

http://odessainterpreters.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=42

[Ebmshops]

Would love any up to date advise (have read thread to date) on weather. Has anyone employed private transfers or guides for more intimate touring?

[Grandcruisevirgin]

Hi poster before me. Contact Altiva of odessainterpreters.com about tours in Odessa. He may know of an agency in Kiev also.

[altiva]

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

[altiva]

People, I have to warn you about danger in Odesa, Ukraine. Read this post:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=37790768#post37790768

[altiva]

Also, some pasky for your Easter.

[Peregrina651]

Would love any up to date advise (have read thread to date) on weather. Has anyone employed private transfers or guides for more intimate touring?

 

It is always hard to advise on weather because there is just no way to say that the weather we had last May will be anything similar to what you will encounter on your trip. We had spring weather, similar to what we had left behind in Boston. Some days were warmer than others and we did have a couple of days with rain showers. I followed the local weather on weather.com starting a couple of weeks before we were leaving and that was a bit helpful in figuring out what to pack.

 

 

.

[Peregrina651]

I just found a roll call that was started for the September 12, 2013 sailing.

 

And another for the July 7, 2013 sailing.

 

[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]

Re: where to eat in Kyiv.

Restaurant O'Panas.

(Panas is a traditional Ukrainian male name).

It offers you Ukrainian decor, Ukrainian and international dishes,

great service.

What: Restaurant O'Panas

Where: 10 Tereshchenkivska street, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Tel.: 585 0523 (if dialling from Kyiv)

 

 

 

[altiva]

Anything served in a home baked bread is delicious!

 

 

[ocean999]

ALTIVA< Thanks for the beautiful pix! Can't wait to taste the Ukranian goodies and see all the sites! Peregrina, good news about those two Roll Calls. I couldn't find any Roll Call for ours, April 20th, but I guess we will meet people soon!!! Getting very excited!!!!

 

Have a great day everyone. This site has really helped me and my DH in our trip planning!

 

Thanks for the great pix. I still have trouble sending these replies. I haven't seen anyone on our cruise yet, but we are going in l7 days! Can't wait! Thx for all info, Altiva and Peregrina, especially!

Have a great day!

[altiva]

People also ask, how to get there? If I want to lunch/dine in

Mamayeva sloboda, in O'Panas, anywhere, 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

[silkismom]

Boy, they are much more adventuresome than we are--also younger. The countryside looks very much like the US midwest--Kansas, Iowa. The towns look like fun, but the cyrillic (spelling) would be a real challenge for us. I'm glad we are on a tour, not just trying to be on our own!!

[Peregrina651]

Boy, they are much more adventuresome than we are--also younger. The countryside looks very much like the US midwest--Kansas, Iowa. The towns look like fun, but the cyrillic (spelling) would be a real challenge for us. I'm glad we are on a tour, not just trying to be on our own!!

 

Actually, the alphabet is not that undaunting, if you are patient. I'm not very good at alphabets, never have been for some reason but it turns out that my husband, whose only foreign language success was FortranV, is good at them. He doesn't understand what he is reading but he can transliterate and after a while he learned the letters and went like a house afire--as long as the word was a cognate.

 

Here an important word to start with, one that you will find helpful throughout your visit. Fortunately, it is a cognate, too.

 

[silkismom]

I don't even know what a "cognate" is. I CAN read WC.

[Peregrina651]

I don't even know what a "cognate" is. I CAN read WC.

 

A word that sounds or looks the same or similar in both languages--like 'problem/problema' in English, French and Spanish. Clinic, advocate (for lawyer), apothecary (apoteka) for pharmacy, cafe are just some that I remember seeing.

 

Fortunately, they use WC as well and either word will get you there.

 

Okay, while we are on the topic, here is the facilities run down: Odessa walking tour--the line was too long and I didn't bother; Livadia Palace --there is a free handicapped inside the palace but once you leave the building it is a pay facility; walking tour in Sevastopol I did not use but again a long line. St. Sophia, not bad. Aloupka Palace, again I didn't use them. Cossack Museum, smelly and I refused to use them. Also, the bus is equipped and I did have to get over the claustrophobia and use it--but I was desperate, very desperate. Bakhchisaray I think was also a pay facility, but I don't remember.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Peregrina651