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!