April 02, 2015

Lviv, Ukraine

Historic church from the Lviv Region, now located in the Museum of Folk Architecture and Peasant Homes.
Historic church from the Lviv Region, now located in the Museum of Folk Architecture and Peasant Homes.
Inside another historic church from the Lviv Region.
Inside another historic church from the Lviv Region.
Church from the Boiko Ethnic Region, with sheep grazing in front (there's always got to be one black sheep in every herd).
Church from the Boiko Ethnic Region, with sheep grazing in front (there’s always got to be one black sheep in every herd).
Inside an old home from the Hutsul Ethnic Region.
Inside an old home from the Hutsul Ethnic Region.
Hut from the Transcarpathian flatland.
Hut from the Transcarpathian flatland.
Church from the Lemko Ethnic Region.
Church from the Lemko Ethnic Region.
Woods in the Museum of Folk Architecture and Peasant Homes.
Woods in the Museum of Folk Architecture and Peasant Homes.
Bandura (a traditional Ukrainian stringed instrument).
Bandura (a traditional Ukrainian stringed instrument).
Graves in Lychakivske Cemetery.
Graves in Lychakivske Cemetery.
Cross on top of one of the tombs.
Cross on top of one of the tombs.
Polish military burials from 1918 to 1920 AD, in Lychakivske Cemetery.
Polish military burials from 1918 to 1920 AD, in Lychakivske Cemetery.
Chapel found in Lychakivske Cemetery.
Chapel found in Lychakivske Cemetery.
Lviv National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet.
Lviv National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet.
Building where Ludwig von Mises was born (back in 1881 AD), located in Lviv on Hnatyuka Street.
Building where Ludwig von Mises was born (back in 1881 AD), located in Lviv on Hnatyuka Street.

I woke up this morning near 10:00, showered, dressed, grabbed my stuff, and walked out of the hostel at 11:00. I then walked east to the Museum of Folk Architecture and Peasant Homes, which is basically a smaller version of the Ukrainian National Museum of Folk Architecture and Everyday Life located in Kiev; this museum also preserves historic homes taken from across Ukraine and creates an idyllic park for visitors to stroll or picnic in. Ahh, how I wish it were in the early throes of summertime with flowers in bloom and the sun out and I wish I had a lovely Ukrainian woman with her hair in braids and wearing a traditional dress and that we were picnicking in a secluded spot by a stream and an old rustic dwelling, drinking wine and chasing fauns and nymphs through the woods . . . instead it’s cold, the trees are all but leafless, everything looks dead, snow flurries are falling from the sky, and I’m alone. Oh well. So, I walked around the park, counterclockwise, through the different ethnic regions, looking at all the historic dwellings and churches. I spent a little over an hour in the park and exited it. A short distance from the park, as I was walking south, I ran in to the Asian-American I had met at the hostel I stayed at in Odessa; he was heading to Museum of Folk Architecture and Peasant Homes with his Ukrainian girlfriend – I was surprised to see him since I thought he would be staying in Kiev. We talked for a brief time, said goodbye, and he thanked me for advice I had given and he had taken, which appears to have worked out favorably for him. I then walked south to the Lychakivske Cemetery, which was established in 1786 AD and is populated with many past well-to-do and national heroes. I walked around the cemetery (after paying an entrance fee to do so), past the oldest tombstone (dated to 1675 AD), up a small hill, and to the Cemetery of the Defenders of Lwów, which is a memorial and a burial place for the Poles and their allies who died in Lviv during the hostilities of the Polish-Ukrainian War (1918−1919 AD) and Polish-Soviet War (1919−1921 AD). I also came across a small chapel built like a miniature Eastern Orthodox Church and talked to a young Polish man there who was searching for specific tombs. After touring the cemetery, I exited the grounds and walked back to the city center of Lviv. Next, I went to a restaurant next to the Latin Cathedral and ate a meat pie with spinach and tomatoes and mozzarella, strudel with meat and mushrooms and cheese, and a beer; this was a poor meal and tasted ready-made and then reheated for costumers. After eating, I walked to the Lviv National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet and bought a ticket to tomorrow night’s performance of ‘The Nutcracker.’ I then spent the next two-to-three hours going from clothing store to clothing store in search of suitable clothes to wear to opera houses, clubs, and genteel restaurants. Every store I came across was either too expensive (that is for me to purchase items and wear them out in three months through excessive use) or had a very limited and poor selection. The most frustrating part of my search was the fact that skinny/slim-fit pants (not just jeans) are the new normal for guys and I hate tight/form-fitting pants. For ladies, tight-fitting trousers are great and can accentuate some of their best features, but for men, they look silly and constrain movement of the leg too much, which is something I can’t live with on account of all the walking I do. So, sadly, I wasted too much time and had nothing to show for it . . . or almost nothing; while wandering around, I did come across the birthplace of Ludwig von Mises, the great Austrian School economist and champion of classical liberalism [NOTE: “classical liberalism” is a product of nineteenth-century thought that promoted small governments and individual freedom – a far cry from what is regarded as “liberalism” today and what can now be associated with libertarianism]. I then returned to the hostel and relaxed, went through my photos, and did some typing. Later, near midnight, I went out to taste the club scene in Lviv. It was snowing outside and very cold; I wore clothes more suited for the cold than for the clubs; as a result, I could not get inside anywhere worth going to due to my dress. So, I then tried to find a pub, but everything was closed or closing. So, disappointed, I returned to the hostel. Once back inside the door, I met the Ukrainian programmer and he was just heading out to shop at a convenience store. I joined him since I didn’t realize any stores were still open and I wanted to get a drink(s) for the night. We walked to the store, I bought some beer, and then walked back to the hostel. I then stayed up late drinking beer, listening to music, and surfing the internet – not typing out journal entries like I should’ve been doing (I’m a bit of a procrastinator).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

An open journal or an exercise in narcissism.