bells, bells and more bells

When I have talked about the Cathedral of St. Volodymyr, I haven't much described it.  It is in a little square of its own, just of one of the main streets of Kyiv - Boulevard Taras Shevchenko.  Behind the cathedral, there's a parking area and in front, there's a plaza with a few benches.  The bell tower is on the right side as you're facing the church and one can see the large deep-voiced bell and five increasingly smaller, increasingly higher-voiced bells.  Today, I visited the cathedral after lunch and after my visit, was sitting on one of the benches outside.  At 4:30, the deepest-voiced bell began tolling once every minute.  We were lucky today, there was a ringer for each bell and soon all the bells joined in the joyful announcement that a service would begin.   I just sat for the half hour of the bell chorus and listened and watched so many people coming and going from the church, making brief visits.  It brought me back over 50 years when churches were open and people would often drop in for visits.  We seem to have lost that in most places in the west now.  I went in when the ceasing of the bells indicated the beginning of the service and stayed for a while enjoying the singing and the service.  I then walked home.   It is a mild day today and it was a pleasure to feel the warmth in the late afternoon sun on my face.  It was a very pleasant half hour.

When I got back to my apartment building, I waited with a woman for our elevator.  It's an old elevator and if you don't mind literally rubbing elbows, there's room for 4 people in the elevator.  Elevator protocol is to announce what floor you're on (I'm on "dev'yat - 9).  The reason for this is that everyone can't just push the button for their floor because there's no memory in the elevator.  The lowest floor goes first, then the next person pushes a higher number, and so forth.  I hope the day doesn't come during my visit when the power is out to the elevator.  I can't even imagine walking up all the flights.

One other thing about my building, a common feature here.  One doesn't sort trash/garbage.  There's a chute on each floor behind the elevator.  You drop your trash down the chute.  Several times a week the trash person goes through all the trash sorting for recycling.  Not a job I'd sign up for.

And finally, today is the last work day for Jenia because of his and Kate's wedding coming up Friday.  Kate is getting a little anxious.  She has done remarkably well until now.  Jenia will be off for a week after the wedding.  They won't go away but have time off together.  The night before the wedding, they will sleep in separate apartments so Jenia won't see his bride until the ceremony.  As in many countries, there are religious and civil ceremonies.  The civil ceremony/registration is what makes it legal.  The relgious ceremony doesn't.   Jenia is always worried when he's not at Glossary that I won't be taken care of adequately.  Today he introduced me to Vasiliy who will work while Jenia's off.  I heard him instructing Vasiliy about how I'm to be treated.   And then he told me that I can always call him if Vasiliy isn't doing a good job.  Yeah, right.  I'll call him during his honeymoon to complain! Not!