Goodbye Bila Tserkva, Goodbye Ukraine

By the time this blog posts, we should be on an Aeroflot plane somewhere over Russia on our way to Los Angeles. We don't know exactly what God has planned for us, but we know that He has forever changed our lives by taking us to Ukraine. Our perspective on life in this world will never be the same. God has taught us so much over the last three years. We are so grateful for all the opportunities He has given us and all the people He has brought into our lives. We have definitely witnessed lives changed, including our own.

We don't know if we will ever have a chance to return to Ukraine although I would love to lead a short term missions team to Ukraine if God wills it. I honestly believe that leaving Ukraine is much harder than when we left the United States. We always knew that someday we would have to move back and that we could go back to visit friends and relatives, but we know there is a possibility that we may never return or see all the beautiful people of Ukraine that we have come to know and love. Some of those people are dear friends and like family to us. I can't begin to describe all the emotions we have been feeling.

Our time in Ukraine has taught us a unique lesson in the value of life as we watched people die simply because the knowledge and resources that could have otherwise saved them was not available. I know it has helped me to see more clearly that we are perishing and that Jesus is the only one who can truly save us. We have also been blessed to see God bring new life into this world in Ukraine. There is no greater joy than holding an infant in your arms and being able to dedicate them to the Lord.

We will be living in California and serving the Lord however we can, but our hearts will always be in Ukraine. Thank you to everyone who has helped us through prayer and support. You have truly been a part of this chapter in our lives and touched lives that you may never be aware of. And to all of our friends in Ukraine, we love you and will NEVER forget you. May the Hope of Christ be with you always.

Beautiful is the Cross

Cross on the River Ros

Each year on January 19th they celebrate the Baptism of Jesus and Epiphany by cutting a hole in the ice on the river here in Bila Tserkva. This happens all over Ukraine as people brave the icy waters for a triple dunking. This is an interesting sight in and of itself, but what fascinates me most is the image of the Cross intricately cut into the ice. No matter how many times I see it, I'm always drawn to it and reminded of all that it represents. It is ugly, yet beautiful. It is shameful, yet proud. It is lowly, yet exalted. It is painful, yet comforting. It is weak, yet powerful. It is bondage, yet freedom for those who believe. And if you approach the edge of this particular cross you can see a dim reflection of yourself and the world around you framed in the image of the Cross.

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. - 1 Corinthians 13:12

The first woman of the day to endure a cold dip in the ice with wind chill on the river dropping felt temperature to -21 °C ( -5 °F ).

Happy Birthday My Love!

Edna in Park Oleksandria this morning

Today is Edna's birthday and I just wanted to say how much I love her and how proud I am of her kind and loving heart. She is a wonderful servant of our Lord Jesus Christ. She also was extremely patient with me this morning as I dragged her out into the cold to take pictures in the park with all the snow we got during the night.

We were rewarded with these shots of birds that began taking turns landing in Edna's hand. They are use to people feeding them seeds and even though we didn't have any, they were still curious enough to check.

After taking as many pictures as possible with gusting winds and in some places having to trek through two feet of snow, Edna headed home. She hurried back to start cooking for guest that are coming over for her birthday. Even though I know that she is often in pain due to her spinal condition, she rarely complains and she always has a loving smile on her face. God has blessed me so much with my beautiful wife and best friend.

This was one of the views we were greeted with in the park this morning.

A Monument a Day #21 - Holodomor Victims Memorial 1932-1933

Bila Tserkva Holodomor Victims Memorial

This is the city memorial for all of those who suffered and died during the genocide famine imposed by the Soviets in the winter of 1932-1933 known as Holodomor. You can see my past post about Holodomor by clicking HERE.

This is what Nadia Shulha who lived in the village of Zhovtneve about 40km from Bila Tserkva remembers about Holodomor:

"When they milled the grain, they first prepared seed for the spring planting, then set aside some for the cattle. Then they said that the machine broke, and they collected the sheaves. We went to collect the grain stalks. I went too, although I was little. The brigadier rode in on a horse and said we weren’t allowed to collect the stalks, that they were going to plow the field, and we couldn’t collect the stalks, because the tractor was coming, and collecting stalks was prohibited. So we had to stand aside. The same thing happened with the potatoes. When they dug up the potatoes, the tractors came right away to plow the field, so that people wouldn’t collect the potatoes that were left. I know this well.

I remember this because I myself went to collect these stalks. But the winter came and there was nothing left. You know, they say that you should forget these things. But you can’t forget something like this. The words of my little sister who was one year old, they’ll never leave me, “Mamo, Mamo.” But my mother had nothing to give her. I’ll never forget these words.

[My mother and father] went to Voronezh [in the Russian SFSR]. You had to go through Kyiv to get to Voronezh. [In Voronezh] they were able to trade some things for some grain and bread, and were returning home. In Kyiv there was an old and a new railroad station. You couldn’t get into the new station without a ticket, and tickets were sold only in the morning. There were hundreds of people there, not only my mother and father, and they had to wait near the old station. Just before they could go buy tickets, the police came, lined the people up, and took everything away. They could only keep one loaf of bread each. And you couldn’t say a word because they could kill you. I remember how my parents were crying when they came back. By the time they returned, two of my sisters had died. I know that they died, but where they died, in the house, or on the road, that I don’t know. I just know that they died. I know how they buried my father after he died. My father got an infection in the spring, and died. My mother’s sister, her husband and their three middle children died. In the neighboring house, the entire family died. Only the owls in the attic were left. Our other neighbors had three children, and only one girl survived. I always said the human heart is so small, but can endure so much."

This memorial is located at: 49°48'11.54"N 30° 7'23.83"E

This is my final post on the monuments of Bila Tserkva. I hope you have enjoyed learning about Ukraine and our city, Bila Tserkva.

A Monument a Day #20 - First Ukrainian Cosmonaut Pavlo Popovych (1930-2009)

This plaque marks the building where Pavlo Popovych attended trade school from 1946 to 1947

Pavlo Romanovych Popovych was the first Ukrainian cosmonaut to go into space. He was born in Uzyn just outside of Bila Tserkva on October 5th, 1930. During WW II, the Germans occupied Uzyn, and burned documents including Popovych's birth certificate. After the war, these were restored through witness testimony, and although his mother knew that he was born in 1929, two witnesses insisted that Popovych was born in 1930, and so this became his official year of birth.

During the past few years, he lived in Crimea (southern Ukraine). Popovych had spent almost 60 years of his live in Moscow, but never forgot Ukraine. For several years he headed the Slavutych society of Ukrainian culture, and made a great contribution to the opening of the Ukrainian Culture Center on Stary Arbat in Moscow. "I am proud that I am a Ukrainian. Addressing the audience, I always say that I am the first Ukrainian cosmonaut," he used to tell the press. The first time he went into orbit was in 1962 as a pilot of the Vostok-4 spacecraft. His second flight took place 12 years later, when he headed the crew of Soyuz-14. He finished his service as the deputy head of the cosmonaut training center in charge of research work (1982-1988).

The building where he attended trade school to become a carpenter, is marked by a plaque with his likeness here in Bila Tserkva. He just passed away on September 29th, 2009 at the age of 79.


This plaque is located at: 49°48'13.65"N 30° 7'27.86"E

A Monument a Day #19 - German Monument in Park Oleksandria

Notice the various bullet holes in this monument in Park Oleksandria

This German monument was dedicated to Jens Kunst-Gartner on his 50th birthday by his friends on September 19th, 1865. The monument stands on the bank of the River Ros in Park Oleksandria. The park was founded in 1793.

What I've always thought was interesting about this monument is that it has several bullet holes in it. Most likely it was damaged during WWII and some of the holes were made by large caliber machine guns (probably by a Soviet DShK). It makes me wonder if it was used for target practice by Germans or targeted by Soviets because it was German. Just something to think about.


This monument is located in Park Oleksandria at: 49°48'29.45"N 30° 4'9.03"E

A Monument a Day #18 - Castle Hill

Castle Hill is the current location of St. John's Catholic church

The small stone marker in the bottom right hand corner of the above photo marks the location of Castle Hill where the city was founded in 1032 by Yaroslav the Wise. The city was originally called Yuriv, after the Christian name of Yaroslav, but once a stone white painted cathedral (no longer in existence) was built, people began to call the city "White Church" or Bila Tserkva.

Today, another white church, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, stands on Castle Hill having been built in 1812.

The marker on Castle Hill

Castle Hill is located at: 49°47'29.38"N 30° 6'36.55"E

A Monument a Day #17 - Soviet Pilot Liberators

MiG-21 monument to the Soviet Pilots who liberated Bila Tserkva

Here's an example of a Soviet MiG-21 (МиГ-21) that has been fashioned into a static display in remembrance of the Soviet pilots who liberated Bila Tserkva. I'm still not sure how a plane first produced in 1959 makes a good WWII memorial, but it's interesting.

This Soviet Jet is located at: 49°47'1.09"N 30° 7'57.65"E

A Monument a Day #16 - Chornobyl Victims Memorial

Memorial to the victims of the Chornobyl nuclear accident

This memorial was dedicated by President Victor Yushenko on the 20th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster. On April 26th, 1986, there was an explosion and fire in reactor #4 at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station near the city of Prypyat (the city has been abandoned since it was evacuated). Bila Tserkva is located in the Chornobyl region for purposes of government assistance to survivors. Many of the emergency personnel and doctors from Bila Tserkva participated in the emergency response to Chornobyl and the massive cleanup that followed.

There are no exact statistics as to how many people have died or have been physically harmed by the radiation release at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Station, but it is in the tens of thousands. The effects on future generations can not be estimated.

There is a good documentary that explains the accident and the details of the cleanup and government cover up of the disaster. Here are the links to the parts:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8

The Chornobyl Memorial is located at: 49°47'8.18"N 30° 9'16.88"E

A Monument a Day #15 - The Patriotic War of 1812

Statue of a Ukrainian soldier of the Kyiv Kozak regiment

This statue commemorates the war with the French that invaded Russia under the leadership of Napoleon in 1812. Specifically, it marks the June, 1812 formation of the 2nd Kyiv Kozak regiment here in Bila Tserkva. This war was known as The Patriotic War.

The lack of supplies ultimately starved the French Army into retreat and Russian troops harassed the retreating French causing massive loses. Out of an original force of 500,000–600,000, only 40,000 frost-bitten and half starved survivors stumbled back into France. The Russian campaign was the decisive turning-point of the Napoleonic Wars that ultimately led to Napoleon's defeat and exile on the island of Elba. You can read about the details of the French invasion of Russia by clicking HERE.

"In June of 1812 in Bila Tserkva, was formed the 2nd Kyiv Kozak regiment that actively participated in the Patriotic War of 1812."

This monument is located at: 49°48'7.54"N 30° 6'29.54"E

A Monument a Day #14 - Vladimir Lenin (1879-1924)

Lenin standing with his hat in his hand in the town center of Bila Tserkva

Almost every Ukrainian city has a statue of Lenin and Bila Tserkva is no exception. These statues are an increasing source of controversy in Ukraine (see the article in the Washington Post by clicking HERE). Several politicians have vowed to take them all down and I've actually seen some in Western Ukraine that have been replaced with statues of Shevchenko. Lenin was the leader of the Bolsheviks who were responsible for the revolution that led to the formation of the Soviet Union. You can read about his life in detail by clicking HERE.

Here's a picture of Lenin most people haven't seen. He's clean shaven and wearing a wig while in Finland. Creepy.

This statue of Taras Shevchenko holding a kobzar (also the name of a book of poetry he wrote) now stands where Lenin once did in a Western Ukrainian city. The place where Lenin's name was removed is still slightly visible if you look closely.

The statue of Lenin is located at: 49°47'44.88"N 30° 6'57.29"E

A Monument a Day #13 - All Power to the Soviets! (1919)

All power to the Soviets!

This monument is probably the most controversial in Bila Tserkva. At first glance it seems like a "harmless" Soviet Union military memorial, but a closer inspection reveals otherwise. Roughly translated, it reads, "All power to the Soviets! Eternal glory to the Red Army and Red Navy of the Kyiv international brigades that died bravely in combat for the power of the Soviets in 1919." This was in response to Ukraine declaring its independence and the war for independence that followed. The monument is to foreign (international) soldiers who eventually forced Ukraine into the Soviet Union in 1921. For obvious reasons, this is not a popular monument and it suffers from frequent acts of vandalism.

The spray paint reads, "Glory to Ukraine" and contains the national symbol of Ukraine.

This monument is located at: 49°47'41.37"N 30° 6'33.95"E

A Night with Yulia

Yulia Tymoshenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine

Today, I got an invitation in the mail to come and meet with Yulia Tymoshenko this evening in the central town square here in Bila Tserkva at 7:00pm. Joshua and I decided to go check it out. We were both amazed at the seemingly endless sea of Ukrainian flags. We were not impressed, however, by having to wait for an hour in the cold while a couple of semi-famous singers lip synced to some mildly patriotic songs. The rest of the crowd didn't seem pleased either, but we all endured and were comforted by the non existent personal space that allowed us to keep warm. Joshua and I stayed just long enough to hear a few words from Yulia and then we cautiously made our way home ahead of the sprawling crowd. Joshua thought it was cool so our excursion was a success.

So many Ukrainian flags!

People stood around in -9C (about 16F) weather to get a glimpse of Yulia

Apparently only this guy remembers the Orange Revolution

Here's a short clip of Yulia in case you were wondering what she sounds like. Notice the two scary security guys on either side of her.

A Monument a Day #12 - Home of Prymakova

Revolutionary Committee and Vitali Markovych Prymakova

This plaque commemorates the Ukrainian Revolutionary Committee that was housed in the building it is attached to from 1918-1921. In 1921 it was used by the state commander of the 1st Calvary of the Red Kozak Army, Vitali Markovych Prymakova.

This building is located at: 49°47'47.94"N 30° 6'35.07"E

A Monument a Day #11 - Grave of the Soviet Liberators of WWII

The final resting place of 187 Soviet Army soldiers who died liberating the city of Bila Tserkva (1943-1944)

This burial mound is located near an industrial part of the city where heavy fighting took place. A nearby plaque also notes that during the time of the German occupation of Bila Tserkva, 45,000 people in the city and surrounding region died at the hands of "Hitler's invaders" from 1941 to 1943.

The Great Patriotic War

The Widow

This burial mound is located at: 49°49'1.94"N 30° 5'12.51"E

Although there isn't any specific monument in Bila Tserkva dedicated to Lyudmyla Pavlichenko, I thought I would include a short video of this famous WWII Soviet sniper who was born here in Bila Tserkva.

A Monument a Day #10 - Bohdan Khmelnytsky (1595-1657)

Bohdan Zynoviy Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky (1595-1657)

Bohdan Khmelnytsky was a Hetman of the Zaporozhian Kozak (Cossack) Hetmanate. He led the uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth magnates (1648–1654) which created the Kozak state. He is usually pictured holding a bulava.

Khmelnytsky is pictured on a Ukrainian five Hryven bank note.


The statue of Khmelnytsky is located at: 49°47'36.55"N 30° 6'36.64"E

A Monument a Day #9 - T-34 WWII Liberation Memorial

This Soviet T-34 tank commemorates the liberation of Bila Tserkva from the Germans

Memorials made from obsolete military equipment are common across Ukraine, but this one is in memory of the tank battle that led to the liberation of Bila Tserkva. A plaque on the nearby post office is in remembrance of 23 year old Lieutenant Commander Konstanyn Mykhailovych Turchanynov who was killed in his T-34 tank during the battle for the city. The side of the tank reads, "For Family".

"To the warriors of the Soviet Army and Czechoslovakian brigades, that on the 4th of January 1944 liberated the city of Bila Tserkva from the German fascist invaders. -9 May 1970"

This T-34 tank is located at: 49°49'3.73"N 30° 4'10.76"E

On a side note, I thought it was interesting that Bila Tserkva was stripped of vital equipment and Soviet troops quickly retreated when the Germans rolled through. Here is an excerpt from the life of Viktor Nevinchany as told by his daughter, Halyna Nevinchana. It sheds some light on the conditions in Ukraine and a little local history.

"Viktor came back to Ukraine and worked for some time in the town of Bila Tserkva, dreaming of a career of an architect. In June 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union and the German forces gained a very considerable initial success — they pushed deep into the soviet territory at an alarming speed. The soviets began to evacuate whole factories and equipment further east, into the Soviet Central Asia and even Siberia, from the cities and towns which were likely to be captured by the invading German forces. In early July, Viktor was appointed to supervise the evacuation of some equipment from Bila Tserkva to the town of Mari in Central Asia. He did what he was required to do. Once, in a private conversation he was asked a provocative question — Why is it that the soviet troops are being beaten by the Germans and are retreating so fast? Viktor bluntly answered that it was because of poor command, low fighting spirit, mismanagement and lack of proper preparations for the imminent war. His words were duly reported to the secret service agents and Viktor was arrested the next day.

He was accused of “anti-soviet propaganda” and “Ukrainian bourgeois nationalism” and sentenced to ten years in a concentration camp. Viktor Nevinchany was moved from camp to camp — from Central Asia he was taken to a camp in the north of the country where he was to cut timber in bitter cold. Viktor Nevinchany proved to be lucky — he was singled out for his qualifications as an engineer and sent to work at the construction of a hydroelectric power station.

His “luck” proved to be not a blessing but a misfortune — though his job was less physically demanding, he had to work side by side with convicted criminals. And he could not hold his tongue in situations when he should have — it cost him another four years in the camps.

Viktor did return to Bila Tserkva in Ukraine after he had done his term in concentration and labor camps. He joined his wife Leya, who had come to live in Bila Tserkva earlier, and, after all, saw his daughter. And then it was my turn to come to this world. My father found work in construction and in 1955 he won a contest for the best design of a hotel in Bila Tserkva, proving it was not only the best architecturally but would be the cheapest to build. The Hotel Kyiv, which was built in 1957, still graces the center of Bila Tserkva. His designs were used for the construction of several other buildings in Bila Tserkva and in Kyiv Oblast."

Hotel Kyiv is located at: 49°47'47.23"N 30° 6'50.35"E

A Monument a Day #8 - First Ukrainian Revolt Against Feudalism (1591)

First Ukrainian Anti-Feudal Revolt

This monument commemorates the first revolt under the leadership of Kryshtofa Kosynskoho in 1591 against the feudal system by villagers and Kozaks of the right bank of Ukraine.

In Ukraine serfdom developed first in the territories ruled by Poland. Under the Polish system of serfdom the peasants were bound by law to their plots of land, which were owned by the lord. The amount of obligatory labor (corvée) owed by the peasant to the lord depended on the size and quality of the peasant's plot, but the amount of labor effectively exacted was often arbitrary. The Russian system of serfdom, which was established in most Ukrainian territories under Russian rule at the end of the 18th century, was based on the principle that the lord owned the peasant under his control. He could dispose of his serfs as he wished. He could even separate them from their land. The amount of labor owed by the peasants and the size of their allotments depended on the number of adult males in their families. Serfs were finally emancipated in 1861.

This monument is located at: 49°47'27.79"N 30° 6'32.92"E

A Monument a Day #7 - University WWII Memorial

"To the employees and students that were lost in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"

This monument stands in front of the Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University and was dedicated on the 30th anniversary of the victory of WWII. In the United States many people fought and died in WWII, but for the most part, they were soldiers, sailors, and marines fighting on foreign soil. It's easy to forget that here, people were fighting and dying for the very cities they lived in. It's a very sobering thought.

This memorial is located in front of the university at: 49°47'30.85"N 30° 6'42.04"E

A Monument a Day #6 - Ukrainian Civil War Dead (1919)

The bodies of 19 people in charge of food procurement for the Soviet Army were buried here in 1919.

This monument and burial site is somewhat obscure, but very interesting. It is located in Glory Park, but stands alone among some trees. The plaque doesn't give much detail as to what happened to these 19 people so I turned to a university historian, our friend Kolya, for information. The war from 1917 to 1921 is referred to as the Ukrainian Civil War, the Ukrainian War for Independence, and also as the Russian Civil War.

In 1917 during the First World War, the Russian Bolsheviks revolted against the Russian Tsar effectively creating what would be known as the Soviet Union. Ukraine saw this as an opportunity to break away from Imperialist Russia and declared their independence. This began a complicated series of events and struggles for power. To make a long story short, Ukraine was ultimately absorbed into the Soviet Union. You can read about the war in more detail by clicking HERE.

So as I understand it, the 19 people buried at this site were in charge of procuring food for the Red Army soldiers who were fighting against an independent Ukraine to bring Ukraine under control of the Soviet Union. These food procurement people weren't exactly going out and buying food from local vendors, but taking what they needed from the Ukrainian population. I can't imagine that these people were very popular. I don't think it's surprising that they ended up in a mass grave.

This memorial grave marker is located at: 49°48'8.36"N 30° 7'5.83"E