The Patron House--upstairs

Upstairs are the dormitory rooms for the patrons. This is how the hallway looks from near our apartment looking to the far end where there is a lounge with a TV.  The day after I took this picture an area rug was placed on the floor and that makes the lounge more cozy.  The doors along the hallway are entrances to the dorm rooms.

Each room has 3 bunks, so there is space for 6 patrons.  There is a bathroom with separate toilet and shower rooms that you can see in the mirror.  There are also lockable lockers for each person's things.

It may be spartan living, but it is new and clean.  Bedding and towels are provided.  There are laundry facilities  and patrons are expected to clean up after themselves and before checking out.

There is one room with no bunks for a couple or handicapped persons.  Cribs and roll-away beds are available.  Occasionally the dorm bunk rooms are assigned to a family with children.  More often patrons are assigned to a room with 6 females or 6 males.  There are 10 bunk rooms.  So the total capacity of the rooms is 62.  Some weeks all rooms are filled and more could be!  Then patrons have to find housing with friends in Kyiv or in motels.  

The Patron House--ground floor

Most of the building we live in is for the patrons who come from the far-flung temple district so they can stay during the week in dormitory-style living.  Besides being comparatively cheap, it is new, nice, and next to the temple.  They love it!  This is the entrance for the patrons.  Under the right curved arch is the entrance to the church distribution center where patrons go to buy their temple clothes.  (Our apartments are at the far left end, closer to the chapel.)

This photo was taken when the distribution center was being stocked.   It is a challenge to keep the shelves filled since goods are often held up in customs.  When patrons come to the temple from the far reaches of the temple district they often stock up with dozens of various items to take home.  What a blessing it is for them to purchase the temple clothing they need at prices that fit their incomes.  

This is inside the entrance with the registration desk.  Through the door to the right with the white sign is the family history computer room.  There patrons can prepare and print their bar code request for temple ordinance cards which they take to the temple office to be processed.  They may do family history research or indexing of records.

To the left is the dining room.  The kitchens can be seen as two openings in the back--side by side two identical areas for preparing food and cleaning up.  Also shown are the special refrigerators with individual locking cabinets for one's own food.

Adjacent to the dining area is a room where children can play under supervision.  The day after I took this picture a nicer area rug was put down!

Cultural Outings during our Holiday

We had two weeks "off" while the temple was being repaired and cleaned.  Thus we had time to spend some evenings sampling the events offered at the National Opera and Ballet of Ukraine which dates from 1867.  They are housed in this splendid building constructed after the first building burned because of an unextinguished candle and was a total loss including props, costumes and music library.  This building opened in 1901 and was refurbished in the 1980's.  It has a very large stage and we enjoyed wonderful seats in the balcony and on the floor.

We saw the Verdi opera La Traviata.  It was sung in the original Italian and they had Ukrainian translation on an electronic signboard above the stage, neither of which was helpful to us!  We had studied the plot beforehand and just enjoyed the staging and singing.  The soprano lead was very good and the tenor and bass leads seemed to get better.  We really enjoyed seeing Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ballet from balcony seats where we could see the orchestra pit as well as the stage.  If you would like to see a YouTube clip of the production go to:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptI9XPk0qAE.  The lead dancers are different but others are the same.  We were sitting on the third level up right in the middle and at the edge of the balcony where we had an unobstructed view.  It was great.  Others of our group sat on the first and second levels; their seats were more expensive and also good.  

This is the back of the hall

Our favorite performance was the Romeo and Juliet ballet.  We found the Prokofiev music added such drama to the dance interpretation of the story.  We liked it better than the play.  The next day I spent time on our computer on YouTube watching several clips uploaded by wotanwag of "Romeo and Juliet ballet Kiev".  The lead dancers are different but the staging and choreography are the same.  We loved watching the many strong male dancers.

The monthly schedule for this house usually alternates between a night of opera and a night of ballet with different performances all month.  They have 24 ballets in their reperatoire; I don't know how many operas.  Obviously they have a large corps of performers.  They stage performances every night except Mondays and do matinees on some weekends.

We were also very pleased to attend a performance of Handel's Messiah.  The Kyiv Symphony Orchestra and Chorus was established by a Texas Presbyterian in 1993 to perform Christian oratorios, requiems, masses, cantatas, etc. that were forbidden in Soviet times and not a part of the Orthodox church because, by tradition, they only sing a capella as a congregation in their services.  The KSOC also performs other classical works and in other venues.  This concert was free and held in the Kyiv Central Baptist Church.  The church chapel hall was large (holding at least a thousand) with pillars supporting a high ceiling and a balcony at the rear, so the sound was excellent.  It was sung in Ukrainian but we had programs that had the English text as well.  It seemed like a complete holiday season because Messiah is so much a part of our Christmas.

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.