A typical interior of a Ukrainian rural home.

A typical interior of a Ukrainian rural home.

GeorgeVPBlog

One man's toy costs 1,700 lives?

A sad story, yet true. On the left: Viktor Yanukovych, the president of Ukraine, stepping out of his helicopter, which, with maintenance and all, costs $17,000,000. On the right: a Ukrainian girl with cerebral palsy, whose parents desperately try to find $10,000 for her medications. The caption below says: "One man's toy costs 1,700 lives?"

GeorgeVPBlog

More pics of winter in Ukraine

More pics of winter in Ukraine. One might think that it's freezing inside this rural house, but, actually, it is not. All these houses necessarily have a "pich," a fireplace where the flames go up into the space surrounded by walls made of brick. If you keep the wood (especially large logs) burning in the "pich" for a few hours (say, from late afternoon till 9-10 p.m.), the bricks became so hot that they do not cool down till 6 a.m. or so. And if the "pich" is made right, there is no smell of smoke in the room.

GeorgeVPBlog

A stork on top of the house (photo)

Rural Ukrainian classic: a stork on top of the house, a wicker fence, and red poppies.

Something From "Ascetic Literature of Kyivan Rus' "

Just found an astonishing piece in the book by Archbishop Ihor Isichenko "Ascetic Literature of Kyivan Rus'." From a chronicle written by a 12th century monk from what is now Chernihiv oblast (northern Ukraine) and describing his pilgrimage to the Holy Land: "The river Jordan is so much like the river Snov near Chernihiv: same width as the Snov in its estuary, same depth, same speed of the flow, same curves.... also, the plants that grow on the muddy sides of the Jordan are like those an the banks of the Snov, and the fishes are very similar." (Op. Cit. p. 284-285).

GeorgeVPBlog

A traditional Ukrainian "mother-daughter" picture (photo)

A traditional Ukrainian "mother-daughter" picture. Note that the mother (right) has her head covered, while her daughter wears only a garland, which means that she is still not married and lives in her parents' house. In old Ukrainian villages, there existed a rather cruel custom to put a head covering on an unmarried girl who became pregrant. These poor girls were called "pokrytky" ("the covered"), and it was "normal" to ridicule them and their parents. :(

GeorgeVPBlog

Indeed, "the sleep of reason produces monsters" (Francisco Goya)

Indeed, "the sleep of reason produces monsters" (Francisco Goya). In his propagandistic Russian film, titled "A Strange Affair," "evidence" is presented in favor of the notion that everyhtng in the world is controlled by the 300 wealthiest families, all of whom are members of the Order of Free Masons. They have started both world wars, they dismantled the USSR, and they initiated the Arab Spring. Most interestingly, among these top playes of the "global behind-the-scenes government" are Francis Ford Coppola and Arnold Schwartzenegger.

P.S. Forgot to mention that, according to this film, everyone in the USA in 2005 received a new ID card (I must have missed something really important!), which contains a microchip allowing the "government" to know everyone's location at any moment of time, and also to track anyone's financial transactions. In the future, say the authors of this film, the "government" will be able to take all of a person's money away if the "government" feels that this person is not content with the existing regime. This will lead to mass starvation and death of a larger part of the US population.

GeorgeVPBlog

The ukrainian “pich” — a large fireplace…

This is a typical rural Ukrainian home with a "pich" - a large fireplace where the fire, lit at the fround level, is trapped in a rectangle formed by thick walls made of brick (and usually coated with white tyle on the outside). The fire and the hot air make these bricks very warm, and they chill very slowly, so it is enough, even when the temperature outside is below freezing, to keep the fire for just a couple of hours, and it will be comfortable in the room till morning. The "pich" is great not only for heating the house, but also for cooking (especially bread baking), and as a place to sleep (note the embroidered blanket on the right side, on the second-from-top level).

GeorgeVPBlog

Ancient traditions of the Ukrainian marrige

Interesting. This canvas shows what is thought to be a "traditional" giving of a rural Ukrainian maiden in marriage. Her mother is sitting at the teble with two men (probably the father and the uncle of the groom), and negotiates some economical matters related to the future marriage. The bride, though, sits at a distance (foreground), does not take any part in the conversation and looks pretty bored. HOWEVER, the person who posted this claims that this was a custom that emerged only in the late 19th century. Before that, especially at the peak of the Cossack power in Ukraine (17th - mid-18th century), girls were free to propose to young men whenever they wished (unless, of course, their parents were completely against the idea). It was completely normal for a girl to walk into her groom's house and address his mother, saying, "Mommy, here I am, your daughter-in-law! Receive me!"

GeorgeVPBlog

Orthodox Christians that never read the Bible

Interesting. According to official statistics, 74% of Russian citizens consider themselves Orthodox Christians. Yet, this mini-survey indicates that out of 118 respondents, 61 (~52%) never read the Bible. The poster comments, "they believe in the ultimate power of the devil over the world, and in various pseudo-"magic" trash like sashes, "honorable chairs," etc.; and yet, there hardly is any room for our Lord and Savior in their pantheon." I agree; my personal experience of communication with some Russian clergy (!) is, too, that they hardly even mention Christ, while making abundant references to Holy Mother Russia being tormented by evil enemies like the West and especially the USA.

GeorgeVPBlog

The so-called "Antonov uprising" started in Russia in 1920's…

The so-called "Antonov uprising" started in Russia in 1920's, when there was no gun control whatsoever (after the WW1, people had more rifles and pistols and even machine guns they could even handle). Nonetheless, in 1921 the infamous Tukhachevsky ordered Red Army airplains to drop chemical bombs on the "rebels" (who were, actually, simple peasants who did not want to give all their produce to the new Communist government). Virtually all of the rebels died, and the uprising came to nothing. In the USA, the "Branch Davidian" compound of David Koresh, again, had more firearms than one could even imagine; yet, the US government destroyed it in just a few hours with the help of incendiary bombs. Later, during the "Ruby Ridge Standout," the AFT, again, annihilated the rebels without any difficulty despite of the having lots of firearms and amunition.

GeorgeVPBlog

Christmas Eve

As always on Christmas Eve, I feel a little bit uneasy because all my friends in Ukraine who are either Orthodox or Greek Catholic celebrate Nativity according to the "old calendar." For them, Christmas comes on what the secular calendar calls January 7th. When I was little, growing up in Ukraine, I heard people say on December 25th, "alright, today's the Catholic Chrismas" (or, sometimes, "the Polish Christmas"). Even today, I am not sure whether folks in Ukraine realize that quite a lot of people who are genuinely Orthodox have switched to the "new" calendar, so that the "secular" Deceber 25th is the Christmas (or, as the Orthodox say, the Nativity) day!...

GeorgeVPBlog

“ah, this old crazy old stinking bore is doing it again”

I know, I'm boring, and I know that hardly anyone pays attention to what I say - and I am grateful that, maybe, a few people will, at least, glance at these lines I write and stop for a second or two before they say, "ah, this old crazy old stinking bore is doing it again." Guys... tomorrow we are celebrating the Nativity of Jesus Christ. I know, many religions claimed that they understood the concept of "Avatara," the bodily appearance of the God of universe in front of the faithful. Yet, I do not think that any religion has, at any time, claimed that the "Avatara" of God WAS GOD, AND that He became FULLY MAN, and that He "emptied" Himself (ἀλλ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε
μορφὴν δούλου λαβών) (Phil. 2:7) to the condition when He suffered from hunger, thirst, heat, cold, pain inflicted by blows of fists or sticks or whips, anxiety, despair, even the feeling of complete abandonness by everything He believed in for all of His life, and of being lowered to Hell, "Sheol," the lowest of the low of any possible notion of mere existence. Yet, He, descending as low as it could be, overcame death, trumpled it, destroyed it to such an extent that now EVERYONE who as much as give a split second of thought about all this and say, "YEAH!" - will live forever! The Person of Jesus Christ, whose Nativity (or - less precisely - Incarnation) we celebrate tomorrow, is as much God as God is, and as much human as everyone of us is, except for sin. And we are called to be like Him, and the ONLY thing that is required of us to be like Him is to acknowledge in our hearts that He is perfect, and we aren't (yet), but we sincerely want to be as perfect as He is, and thus to be admitted to His table and spend the eternity with hi. How simplier can this be...

GeorgeVPBlog

And the Word became flesh

"Ke o Lohos sarks eheneto ke eskinosen en imin, pliros kharitos ke alithias." "And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, full of grace and truth." "І Слово стало плоттю, і пeрeбувало між нами, повнe благодаті та істини." Blessed Nativity, merry Christmas to all who cebebrate!

GeorgeVPBlog

Holy Supper

Yesterday's Holy Supper with Pipa. :) (Our other cat, Bagira, declined our invitation, and Grits was already in bed.)

GeorgeVPBlog

Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God

Today, the "second day" of the traditional 12-day long Nativity (Christmas) celebration, is, traditionally, marked by the Orthodox Church as "Synaxis of the Most Holy Mother of God." During the famous "Christological" debates of the 4th-5th centuries, it was painstakingly slowly, yet convincingly, established that the two natures of Christ, Divine and human, are united in His ONE person (as opposed to the Nestorian heresy, which claimed that there existed two completely different persons of Christ). Therefore, once and forever, regardless of how this can strike a human mind, an obscure, humble teenage girl from Galilee called Mariam, the daughter of Joachim and Hannah, is the Mother of God; and, as St. John of Damascus and other Orthodox theologians explain, God the Word created His humanity not from nothing, but FROM HER. Like we would say today, the eternal Logos created His own humanity from Her DNA.:) "Tin Ontos Theotokon, Se megalinomen!"

GeorgeVPBlog

One of the orphanages for children with neurological defects in Russia

 

Hard to believe, but this photo was taken just a short time ago in one of the orphanages for children with neurological defects in Russia. The author explains that the orphanage receives 25000 rubles ($819) per month per child, but only 1000 rubles (~$37) is actually spent on each child (yes, one dollar and ~20 cents per child per day). The ill children are placed in rooms where as many as 30 kids are staying, and they are fed about once in two days, and they have no clothes except diapers. The remaining 24,000 rubles per child per month are, apparently, pocketed. Lord, have mercy on us all...

GeorgeVPNews

Today in a public park in the city of L'viv, Western Ukraine

Today in a public park in the city of L'viv, Western Ukraine.

It is cold in Ukraine during much of the wintertime, but people dress very differently, compared to the US (not only the South, but in other places, too). When one wears a thick winter coat with a collar made of fur, a woolen scarf, a fur hat that protects the ears, a special warm winter underwear (which protects you from waist to ankles), and a pair of boots with fur attached to their inside - one does not feel cold at all. Besides, Ukrainian cities have very extensive public transportation, including fast underground trains.

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