The Way To Cherkasy

On a beautiful Sunday, Nov. 14, we traveled with Brother Poddubnyy, a temple worker, counselor in the mission presidency, and CES supervisor, to visit the LDS branch in Cherkasy.  Traveling east and south we passed through farm fields, many very green with growing winter wheat since we had been having unusually mild temperatures all week long.  Sugar beets are also a main crop in this area of Ukraine

This area of Ukraine was the home of Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916), author of the story from which "Fiddler on the Roof" was created.  Until he was 13 he lived in a small Jewish settlement (which probably doesn't exist anymore--60,000 villages were destroyed on the Eastern Front during the fighting in WWII) and then the family moved to a town in this area.  As we travel through the rural Ukrainian villages we often think of fictional Anatevka  

The Cherkasy Branch meets in this building constructed by the Church and attached to the adjoining apartment building.  Just a block off of the main street, the corner is landscaped for pedestrians.  It is spacious with a large meeting area, many classrooms and offices and well suited to the small congregation.  There are 200 members and about 60 were in attendance.  We see many in the temple often.  They are wonderful people.

Cherkasy sits at the end of the largest reservoir on the Dneiper River.  It was founded in the 14th century and home to Ukrainian Cossaks who ruled the area.  This was our view as we traveled back across the causeway in the evening after passing some time walking in the city while Bro. P. took care of his church business.  It was a 3 1/2 hour drive from Kyiv.