The New Year's Tree at Maidan Nezalezhnosti

This is the main "Independence Square" in downtown Kyiv.  The tall white statue is for their independence.  The large New Year tree was obviously sponsored by Milka Chocolate because there were logos all over it, but you can't tell that from the distance.  I didn't believe there was a real tree underneath but found online that there is a framework that is loaded with 480 fir trees underneath all the lights!  Notice the "falling" lights on the real living tree to the right.  I especially like the people strolling by--you get a good look at Ukrainians on a winter evening.

Downtown Kyiv Holiday Lights

Today is the Orthodox Christmas Day!  From Jan 1, New Year's Day (their BIG holiday) to this Jan 7 Christmas day is a week of holiday with many businesses and schools closed.  We went downtown Monday evening, January 3 and found Khreschatyk Street (without cars) and Independence Square full of people enjoying the beautiful lights.  Many of the photos are slightly blurred because we were taking them at night, but they still give you an idea of the beauty we were all enjoying on a mild winter evening.

Spirit in this Season

It's always hard to be away from home and loved ones at Christmas.  We are grateful for computer communication that allows us to reach across miles and share love.  This is the small manger scene on the front walkway of the Kyiv temple.  We are glad that we have snow that is always part of Christmas for us, and also a warm comfortable apartment close by our lovely new temple where the environment is always warm and peaceful in every possible way.  We are blessed to be able to be serving here.

I recently listened to Elder Holland in an interview with Sheri Dew for "Conversations" on the Mormon Channel online.  They were talking about how most often in his addresses Elder Holland is pleading with us to not give up.  He said: "We were meant to have help, to be encouraged, to succeed.  We don’t talk enough about hope.  There is one commandment that we may unwittingly violate almost more than any other commandment: “be of good cheer”.   "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33  He went on to say, "We are supposed to hope, to know it will get better.  It will get better; it does get better....  This is a contest in which the victory has already been won.  We already know who wins.  The irony is that we are still trying to figure out which team we are going to play for!  Which seems to me crazy.  You play for the winner.  The Savior has already won all of this, has overcome all of the world.  He’ll answer your prayers….  The world has tried every other formula, and none of them work.  The only one that works is the gospel."  I'm grateful for Hope.

I also liked Pres. Uchtdorf's invitation to us all his message during the 2010 First Presidency Christmas Devotional:  "Look steadfastly for His coming  This is a time for preparation and growth to prepare for His return, a time for looking forward, preparing for the blessed day, to watch as the wise men did.  “He saith... Surely I come quickly.  Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus” said John at the end of his Revelation"  

I have been listening to Christmas music since October and have lots of albums from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on our computer.  I have noticed that the choir has usually ended their annual Christmas music specials with the carol, Angels from the Realms of Glory.  I have paid particular attention to the closing verse that says something like:

Saints before the altar bending

Watching long in hope and fear

Suddenly the Lord descending

In his temple shall appear

Glorious--- now we view Him

He shall fill his father’s throne

Gather all the nations to him

Every knee shall then bow down

And so every day in this Kyiv temple we help the saints here and ourselves to prepare to meet the Lord.  We are trying to live closer to Him, to be more like Him.  And He is helping us.  

We are grateful for the hope that is only possible because of the birth, life and death of our dear Savior.  We are grateful for the restoration of His gospel and the priesthood keys and ordinances which make it possible to make covenants with Him.  We send our love to all of you.  We appreciate hearing from you, your support, and your patience when we don't have much time to reply to emails quickly.

Churches, Calendars and Holidays

To understand the holidays in Ukraine, you need a historical background. Since holidays were originally holy days, we start with the Christian Church.  After the death of the apostles there were still active church groups in many areas presided over by bishops.  Congregations in those cities which had been missionary sites of the apostles claimed to have precedence over other areas and their bishops, even as the priesthood was passed on down others, had more importance.  Over time the bishop in Rome, because both Peter and Paul had personally preached and lived there, presumed more importance.  Christianity was recognized as the "state" church by Constantine in 320 and the capital of the Roman empire was moved to Constantinople.  Many church councils of bishops were held to unify Christian doctrines since the various churches acted independently.  This was the orthodox catholic church that existed when Vladimir, head of the Kievan Rus state adopted Christianity as his state religion in 988.  There continued to be disagreements and eventually in 1054 the bishop in Rome and some of his followers broke from those in the east.  From then on those in the East continued to use the designation "Orthodox" meaning right believer and those in the West continued to use "Catholic" meaning universal.  Eventually Rome's bishop (father, pope) assumed divine authority above all others, the only heir to Peter and Paul.  The orthodox churches continued to allow each important bishop (patriarch) and church group to act independently and treated each other as equals.

Julius Caesar adopted a calendar for his Roman empire in 46 BC.  It was used by the Christian Church as they adopted holy days and feasts commemorating Christ's birth, death and resurrection, saints' days, the new year, etc.  In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII of the Roman Catholic church adopted a calendar that corrected the lack of a few minutes in each year's time, which over centuries amounted to many days.  The Eastern Orthodox churches continued with the earlier Julian Calendar.  It wasn't until 1918 that  the USSR adopted the Gregorian calendar and by that time the discrepancy between the two calendars was 13 days!


In countries of the USSR where religion was denounced, the New Year celebration became the important holiday.  They adapted the decorated evergreen tree, and a red-robed grandfather frost (Ded Moroz) and his helper snow maiden, who bring presents in a 3-horse-drawn sleigh.  A festive family dinner is held along with fun and perhaps fireworks.  Even children are allowed to stay up until midnight.  This is held Jan 1 (or Jan 14 if you use the old calendar).

Those who believe in Christ celebrate Christmas on either Dec 25 or Jan 7 depending on which church they belong to.  Most Latter-day Saints celebrate on Dec. 25, but if relatives (like grandparents) are members of the Orthodox church the children may get a small gift at home on one day and at the relatives 13 days later!

St. Nicholas, an orphan whose rich parents died, lived in what was then Greece and is now Turkey, and was known for his generosity, his love for children and for sailors.  He became a bishop and was later recognized as a saint.  He died on Dec 6, 346 and that day became a feast day in his honor.  St Nicholas Day is still celebrated with a small gift for children.  In Ukraine that day is now Dec 19.


Thus if you are a child here in Ukraine, you may expect gifts, small or large, from Dec 19 through Jan 14!  And as adults you can expect holiday parties and days off work at various intervals during the cold short days of winter!  The Kyiv temple will be closed the afternoon of Dec. 24 and all day on Dec. 25, 31 and Jan 1.  We will find ways to celebrate here too.

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. 

Ukraine Map for Your Reference

Where in the World is Ulan-Ude?

This week at the temple we had members from the Novosibirsk mission area.  The group included some from Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, and Ulan Ude as well as Novosibirsk. FYI: The Novosibirsk area is 6 time zones away from Kyiv!
 Some flew from Novosibirsk to Moscow and then took an overnight train to Kyiv.  Those from further east took trains to Krasnoyarsk, then a plane to St. Petersburg and one to Kyiv (this was the cheapest way)!  In the past the temple trips were to Sweden and later to Finland.  The reason they now come to Kyiv is not just distance, but that no visas are needed to exit Russia or enter another country and that was often a major obstacle.  It is also only a 3 hour plane trip to Kyiv and was an 8 hour bus ride to Helsinki.  Besides, they are in the Kyiv temple district (and probably for all of those reasons).  

So where is Ulan-Ude?  It is on the south east side of Lake Baikal.  One family who joined the church there in 2006 after attending English classes offered by the missionaries, was sealed together this week.  The daughter served a mission in Vladivostok, the son in Samara.  They all came and the two returned missionaries were delightful temple workers with us.  Their mother was endowed and along with the deceased father all were sealed.  This family looks oriental/mongolian.  They are the nicest people.  They said their church branch had about 70 active members.  We will miss them and hope for the best.