The Opera House in Minsk, Belarus, is officially named the National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus, but most just call it the Bolshoi Theatre. Originally completed in 1939, the venue was subsequently renovated and reopened in 2009. During the renovation, sculptures were added inside and around the grounds, the … Read more
These days, Belarus is a truly European country, but emerge from the Metro onto Independence Square in Minsk and you would be forgiven for thinking you’d been transported to Russia. Construction on the square began in 1964, well before the breakup of the Soviet Union, and in some ways it perfectly reflects the Russian penchant … Read more
As I often do when visiting a new country for the first time, I asked a number of people I met in Kiev what one thing best describes Ukrainians. Without exception, they all proclaimed, “We want to be free.” My first foray into the city center reinforced what I’d been told. At Independence Square, a … Read more
I stood at the top of the Potemkin Stairs in Odessa, Ukraine, and contemplated the hike down. No problem, I thought. It looks like a lot of landings and very few steps. I started down but soon realized there were way more steps than I originally thought. Fifty, 100, 150…was I ever going to reach … Read more
When UNESCO turned an eye toward Ukraine, the first site they chose to inscribe as a World Heritage Site was the magnificent Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev. In somewhat of a departure, UNESCO opted to inscribe Saint Sophia along with the monastic complex of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra as a single site, even though they are two … Read more
