Saturday, October 25, 2008

Visiting The Lavra

A quick post here. On Wednesday the 22nd, we visited one of the most important sites in Ukranian culture--The Lavra. We felt it would be a good way to know more about Nazar's heritage.

In Orthodox Christianity, a lavra is a cave for monastic hermits. Kiev's lavra is located in the center of the city, along the banks of the Dnieper River. Over the years, several chapels, monastaries, and churches have been built on the site. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The coolest part was visiting the catacombs, which are caves located underneath the site. After lighting a candle, you follow a stream of religious pilgrims down into the tunnels, which extend for miles. Once your eyes adjust, you notice that there are niches that hold dozens of monks laying in glass coffins. Their bodies have been partially preserved in the cave air. We had never experienced anything like it.

After leaving the Lavra, we boarded a plane for Kharkov. Tomorrow, Nazar!

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