The Lyre and the Portuguese

Just Like the Country, Kiev is Big, but Also Inviting

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August 3rd 2005
Finally...after 23 hours on a train in a compartment by myself I arrived in Kiev. True I slept most of the way, but nonetheless by the end of it all I was nearly singing to myself and playing out entire scenes in movies. The most excruciating part of the journey, however, had to do with the border crossing that occurred around 1:00 a.m. in the morning. Evidently, the Ukraine has different sized t ... read more

Europe » Ukraine » Kiev

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Ukraine was the center of the first Slavic state, Kievan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kievan Rus was incorporated into the Gran... ... read more