Kyiv: Day 7 (updated)

This was our last day together.  The realization was hitting hard, and we were intent having the most enjoyable day possible. 

Our day began with a satisfying and inexpensive breakfast at Rosie O'Grady's, an Irish pub (One can find anything in Kyiv).  I asked Amy what she wanted to see, and she replied that she wanted to go to the World War II museum, or the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, as it is known here.  In Russia and the former Soviet republics, World War II is called the Great Patriot War.  For the Soviets, World War II was highly personal, as Hitler was doing everything he could to completely crush and annihilate the USSR and her people.  The Great Patriotic War Museum tells the story of their struggle against Nazi Germany. 

The exhibits are comprehensive, educational and moving, and Amy and I spent the entire afternoon at the museum. 



Entrance to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War
The inscription reads:
"Their feats shall live forever; their names are immortal!"
Спасибо, Victor.



This sculpture and the ones below are at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War.



The Motherland statue at the Museum of the Great Patriotic
War.  This is an enormous statue.  To get an idea of the
vast scale of this monument, take a look at the tiny people
standing on the top of the base. They are just barely discernable. 



Soviet Artillery located at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War



Soviet tank also at the musuem

Soviet tank

Soviet tank

Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Museum of the Great Patriotic War

The Paton Bridge spanning the Dnieper River - commissioned in 1954
This photo was taken near the Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Amy with the Paton Bridge in the background.
This is the last photo I took of her before she returned to the U.S.

Dormition Monastery as seen from the Museum of the Great Patriotic War

I forgot to mention that during one of our Ukrainian meals, Amy and I were served (сало) salo with our borsch.  Salo is raw, salt-cured pork fat, usually taken from the back of the animal, and is sometimes served with bread as a garnish with borsch.  Salo is a very traditional Ukrainian food, and if you want to experience an authentic Ukrainian meal, then have some borsch and salo.  Actually, the salo we had didn't taste bad (ours was smoked), but I don't think I'd make a habit of eating it.  I didn't think to take a photo, but here is a photo taken by someone else: salo