We looked for the Cossacks and finally found them. Our two week cruise on Europe's third largest river was billed as "In the Footsteps of the Cossacks". We started at Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine, and went down the Dnieper River about six hundred miles to the Black Sea, and Crimea.
We expected some spectacular scenery, beautiful cathedrals but were taken aback by the number of historic monuments commemorating Ukrainian and Russian and Cossack heroes over the centuries of warfare this part of the world has so
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This is Ukraine, a brand new democracy that is larger in size than...
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We were met at the Kiev airport by one of the Viking River Cruise...
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During the half hour drive to the Kiev port, the most noticeable sights were...
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Finally, we arrived at our ship.
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The Lavrinenkov, our home for the next 14 days.
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A familiar sight right across the street.
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One of the nicest McDonald's we've ever seen, in front of one of the...
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One of many dramatic memorials we'll be seeing in every stop we...
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Our guide Anna was with us every step of the way.
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This gentleman was playing an unusual looking instrument as we began...
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Two ancient icons guarding the door of a museum.
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High on a hill above the port is the spectacular St. Andrews Cathedral...
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Vendors, vendors everywhere we went.
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Lots of colorful, hand painted items for sale.
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Have you ever heard of Bogdan Khmelnitski? He was a Cossack leader who led an...
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St. Sophia's Cathedral was built in 1037, almost a thousand years...
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The choir was practicing inside when we visited St. Vladimir's...
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This was May 1 ... May Day ... and there were celebrations in Kiev as...
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Entering the Cathedral of the Caves.
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Actually this 'Cathedral' is comprised of about 80 different...
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The beautiful facade of just one of those buildings. Many were built...
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This Russian tank is another reminder of the devastating World War II.
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This old lady stood on crutches around us as we visited one of the...
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Pointing out yet another cathedral, the Lavra. Our tour of historic...
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The Motherland Monument towers over the Dnieper River, commemorating the...
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