Shelly, Carrie and Marion Nagel's Visit to Kyiv

Carrie and Shelly arriving in Kyiv on September 28, 2012.  We were so excited!!!

A bit blurry, but that evening we went to the Kyiv National Opera House and watched the "Sleeping Beauty Ballet".  Brother and Sister Callister in front of us.  Karlene and Gary dance also went with us.  Karlene took this picture.

Prior to the Ballet, we went out to eat at the Krum outdoor restaurant in downtown Kyiv.

On our way to the Opera house we stopped to take a picture at the Golden Gate.

On Saturday, Sept. 29, we visited the Pyrohovo Outdoor Cultural Museum. 

One of the old wood churches at Pyrohovo.

Jay thinking about his barn at home!

Carrie and Shelly at the gate entering into one of the village houses.

One of the Ukrainian dance groups performing at the village the day we visited.

We had a good lunch at one of the restaurants in the village.  Karlene and Gary Dance spent the day with us.  The shadows on Marcia's face are quite attractive.

When Ukrainians take photos the women always pose.  We talked  Carrie into posing for us.

Shelly posing in front of another of the churches in the village.

Carrie and Shelly in front of one of the thatched-roof houses of the village.

In front of one of the Ukrainian painted eggs at the village.

Shelly and Karlene walking up a road in the village.

Another group of dancers.  They were older couples and were so cute.

A lady demonstrating how to paint Ukrainian eggs.  It looked pretty intricate.

Walking around Kyiv on Sunday Afternoon (Sept. 30) with Olga Chistyakov and her husband.  At times it rained pretty hard, but we still had a great time.

Here we are eating a snack of apples and walnuts that Olga brought.  We are approaching the Motherland Statue.

Carrie sitting by a statue and his dog in the Ivan Franko square garden.  The statue is of a famous actor in the Ivan Franko National Theater that was behind us.

Shelly sitting by the same statue.

Looking from Prince Volodymyr's statue across the Dnipro River at the Left Bank of Kyiv.

Shelly and Carrie went to Berlin for a few days and then came back to Kyiv with Marion Nagel.

Here we are in front of the Kyiv Temple.

Here we are on the Metro headed downtown.

At Independence Square in downtown Kyiv.

Another view of Independence Square.

Jay and Marcia at Independence Square with Carrie and Shelly.

A busy weekend afternoon on Khreschatyk Street.

Another view on Khreschatyk Street.

Carrie, Marion, Marcia and Lynn Callister coming home from church.

Shelly was a little behind us coming home from church.

In front of some of the Kyiv Temple gardens.

Marion and Marcia at the Lavra Monastery.

Marcia, our guide Helena, Shelly, Marion, Karlene and Carrie in front of St. Sohpia's Cathedral.

St. Sophia's square with St. Michael's Cathedral in the background.

Standing in front of the Babi Yar Memorial.  33,000 Jews were killed in one day in this ravine by Hitler.

In front of the Babi Year Memorial with our sweet tour guide, Helena.

Our picture with the Box Elder News Journal prior to Shelly and Carries departure.

Jay's 69th Birthday and more

We went downtown to a French Restaurant for dinner with Karlene and Gary Dance and Mike and Ilene Hendrick for Jay's 69th Birthday, August 28, 2012.

Jay got a free dessert for his Birthday.  It was like a chocolate cupcake with hot fudge in the middle.

The waiters and waitresses sang "Happy Birthday" to Jay.

Before going to the restaurant we went to a huge "rynok" (market) and got Jay a North Face jacket.

"The Rynok"!  Inside these buildings are hundreds of individual vendors selling shoes, clothes, coats, purses etc.  This is where Jay got his North Face Jacket.

On August 29, 2012 we visited a flower exhibit in a park below the Motherland Statue.  Karlene and Marcia in front of the many painted eggs depicting the different regions of Ukraine.

It was a Saturday and so there were lots of people viewing the exhibit.

Marcia and Karlene in front of one of the exhibits.  The different exhibits depicted different Ukrainian folk tales.

Look at the detail of the Mother, all in flowers.

This peacock was one of our favorites!

We thought of the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" when we viewed this exhibit.

Another great one.  What beautiful detail they have done with plants and flowers.

Don't you love this gal?  Gypsy?

What talented mice!

A handsome Rooster of plants and flowers.

A group of Indians from Uruguay were the entertainment at the flower exhibit.

Karlene celebrating her Birthday on Sept. 4. 2012.  We spent the morning serving in the Temple and then had Karlene for a birthday lunch.

Jay and I were in charge of the Temple Missionary dinner on Sept. 10, 2012.  We served Chinese Sundaes.  We decorated with fans and flowers.

In Sept. there were also beautiful flower displays downtown.

We first saw this clock in the background when we watehed the video on lds.org of the Kyiv Temple Celebration.

The "Mirinsky" Palace in Kyiv.  We were hoping to take a tour, but as you can see it is all fenced off and under renovation.  It looked to us that it would be a long time before it was finished.

One of the fountains in the park around the Mirinsky Palace.

Jay in front of the "House of Chimeras".  Built by Horodetsky in 1901-1903.  Built of cement with cement animal and fish creatures.  It shows his imagination and also was to advertise cement which was new to building at that time.  The interior was also filled with different kind of creatures.  Very unusual and a highly visited site in Kyiv.

Notice the snake coming down the corner of the house.

    

We liked this Elephant-decorated passageway.

Another view of the House of Chimeras showing the Ukrainian flags.  The President of Ukraine's offices are the white building on the right.  The house is now owned by the government and is used for government affairs.