kyiv

I prefered to go to Kyiv via Kharkiv rather than a direct route. Other options was much more  costly.  One of  the Pegasus flıghts was connected via Ankara to Kyiv. It ıs not worth to mention about  other options, both expensive and laborious. The  Turkish Airlines flies from  the  new İstanbul  Airport to Kyiv Borispol directly. I flew afternoon on the 29th of October 2019 from the Sabiha Gökçen Airport. I thought I had known the Kharkiv Airport very well. Even so it was a surprise to me. Because the Ukrainian police delayed me at the passport check-point for the first time. They were questioning me about why I was coming there, whether I had the return ticket to Turkey. "Of course , yes.. I have", was my answer. I was the last  passenger while i was passing the passport check-point. Whereas the Ukraine State does not have any restrictive visa regime to the Turkish citizens, I couldn't find any logical reason for   their behaviours.

I  have always wanted to see the most important rivers of the world  . As is known, usually, there is an important city by rivers. There is no strangeness  at that.  Water always is a symbol of life  in   all  of the cultures of the world  . It is an essential  factor for all of the production processes, especially in agriculture, as well as industry and transportation. İt is enough just reading  the stories and challenges of conquerors to understand that.   

A State Hospital Building

If you visit the center of Kharkiv  you will see the monument of Taras Shevchenko that placed in the same named with Shevchenko Park.  Taras Shevchenko is the most remarkable writer, poet,artist of Ukraine. 16 statues in a circle surrounded the main figure are representing the working people in the fight for their rights and freedoms.  This monument's height is 16 meters and more. According to what I learn on the Internet.. "One  of the most famous Shevchenko’s books is Kobzar. After publishing this legendary book, the writer himself was nicknamed Kobzar."

There are a few very old trees in the park.  They were date tags in front of trees. For example, 1775 is written here.  but I don't know what it is .. 

According to what written on the Internet the Annunciation Cathedral is the

largest Orthodox cathedral of East Europe 

The Kharkov Art Museum is one of the oldest museum of Kharkiv, which you can see such masterpieces as "written letter of Zaporozhye Cossacks  to Ottoman Sultan" by İlya Repin. (I copy pasted    this picture from internet which orginal painting is in San Petersburg.  Other version of its  is in the  Kharkov Art Museum which  was painted by İlya Repin.) 

 İlya Repin made a picture about a famous Cossack's letter.  According to what narrated  legend Cossacks reply to the Ottoman  Sultan   Mehmed 4th he painted it.  İlya Repin treated this topic after about 230 years   in his painting in 1880. Cossacks challenged   each other by saying bad  words for The Ottoman Sultan  in this scene. After reading both letters  on the Internet, i laughed long time in front of the picture while sitting on the bench in the museum.But it is not clear whether this story true or fake. There were  heroism tales about Cossack society since old periods.  Even Gogol wrote a historical novella about Zaporhizian Cossacks. Probably watching such paintings and travelling arpound the world always open a window to the history, so you can comprehend  historical events very well .   

I liked these charcoal pencil drawings. They are  very good  pieces of works..You should look at them in close distance, not on the screen,  for comprehending  their artistic levels,   As you can see above and below there are so much differences between two photos…  like the winter clouds and summer's shining sunlight..

There were so many handcrafted porcelain in the museum. I would like to have  some pieces...They were so cute .. 

Train journey took 5-6 hours  between Kharkiv and Kyiv . An   average train ticket fee  for 2nd class was 20 euros if you find.   Usually those cheap tickets are sold quickly . if you didn't book the train seat  before, you will have only one option for buying the ticket, taking from 1st class compartment in the train . İts fee was around  45-50 euro. 

There is a word on  this building that means "circus"

St. Sophia Catedral ..it was cloudy. That's why photo doesn't clear and sharp

In the square in front of  St.Sophia Cathedral ..

The Motherland Monument is on a hill which looks  toward to Dnieper river . İt was erected memory of the honored soldiers of World War Two. It was made  from stainless steel. The tip of the sword was cut due not to be higher than the cross of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra  also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery...

The typıcal soviet statues which were erected for depicting the World War Two.

 I understand so,   at least that.