What to do on a Ukrainian Holiday in Lugansk?

Luckily, I have great friends to answer such a question for me, after I spent the morning sleeping in, reading and cleaning a bit.  I am even getting better at using the washing machine.  One of these days I need to defrost the fridge.  Anyway, today was more about playing than anything.

Today explorations took Caroline, Andrew and I thru two parks and a university campus, past many statues and two churches.  We ended the evening at Caroline’s, meeting up with Yuri and Vlad, for some homemade Buffalo Wings, and dancing in her living room.  It was a great evening!  And day for that matter!

       

The flowers all over the city are still in bloom and look fabulous.  These are in various locations of what Americans would call the Quad of a university campus.

    

The statues were amazing.  They have been collected over the years from all over Ukraine and placed in their own little garden on the university campus.  They were in all shapes in sizes.  Really, a very cool sight.

The university has a new church being built.  The picture seems to speak for itself with the statues in the foreground and the church in the background.  I could have just sat on a park bench in this location and watched the world meander by.  Note to self:  this is a great place to hide from the world when necessary.

 

       

Ah, my own little Daisy Mae.  This cow is adorable. 

      

Now we are in a park next the library.  This church is being renovated and is not yet open.  It seems to be all of wood.  With any luck it will be open in the next two years and I am check it out a bit more.

   

Another wonderful statue in the park.  Someday I am going actually know what these signify and the names, but for now they are beautiful to photograph and wander past.

    

You are thinking Bavaria, right.  Nope, Ukrainian.  A very cool depiction of Ukrainian traditions.

          

Again the flowers and creativity with flowers is incredible.  And the roses.  This city has endless amounts of roses and they bloom at the same time as in Oregon.  All the roses make me feel like I haven’t completely left home.  And from now until forever, roses will connect my two cities, Portland and Lugansk.

        

Here is the Lugansk version for the Locks Bridge.  I post a similar photo several months ago regarding Chernihiv.  Same concept.  And still all the flowers.