The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow (HDR)

I thought today called for something bright and sunny. First, because here in Kiev, we're in the middle of one of those gray periods that can last a month or more. And second, friends and family in the USA are about to get buried by another winter storm.

I know this is little comfort to most suffering through the current winter in the USA, but I do miss it sometimes. Here in Kiev, I'm further north than anywhere in the continental US, excluding Alaska, yet, in most winters here, we get 1/10 the amount of snow one might get in New Jersey. And I do miss that sometimes. There is something so exhilarating about the raw power of nature, and just having everything shut down for a day or three and staying at home and watching the whole spectacle unfold. OK, I know what you're saying. I'm just getting plain delusional now. :-)

This photo was taken on a family vacation at Simena Sun Club, Kemer Turkey, in early October.

Statue of Ostap Veresai

~~ Wonderful, wonderful life history here... ~~

Ostap Mykytovych Veresai (Ukrainian: Остап Микитович Вересай), (1803 - 1890) was a renowned minstrel and kobzar from the Poltava Governorate of the Russian Empire (in today's Ukraine). He, like no other, helped in the popularity of kobzar art not only in his country, but also outside its borders.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostap_Veresai

The Former Leipzig Hotel (HDR)

This is the former Leipzig Hotel building, constructed in 1900. Unlike many older buildings in Kiev, which are left vacant by greedy owners who covet the land the building is on, but not the building itself, this building is being restored by it's new owners and will once again open as a hotel, just in time for the Euro 2012 football championships. (That's soccer to you folks in the states).

The Sport of Photographers

This is from Orthodox Epiphany, January 19th.  Yes, this is a ritual in many Eastern Orthodox religions.  Orthodox religious holidays often fall 13 days after the similar holiday in other religious denominations. This year was a bit of a disappointment. Partakers in this holiday prefer it to be much colder than 36F/2C when taking the plunge.

The Mask at Sorkirentski

Seen at Sokirentski, Chernigov Oblast, Ukraine.

Japanese Garden, Denver CO

Digging deep into the film archive, about 15 years!

Memorial to a Pickpocket (HDR)

All cities have statues and memorials that might bewilder an outside observer, and Kiev is no exception. Why oh why would anyone put up a memorial to a pickpocket?

Well, the story behind this statue helps explain it. Because the pickpocket here is not a real-life one, but a fictional one. This statue was erected in 1998 (after the fall of the USSR) but commemorates Mikhail Panikovsky, a character in the 1931 Soviet era novel "The Golden Calf."

The Panikovsky statue resembles the Soviet era film star Zinovy Gerdt, who played the role of Panikovsky in the 1968 film version of the story. There used to be a cane in his right hand, but it has been vandalized. :-(

More at… Kyiv Post