A lot of people asked the question, "why?" when I mentioned I was visiting the Ukraine. My answer was a prompt "why not?" It became independent from Russia after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. There of course is plenty of influence in the city from the Soviet days.As I was in Moscow during the final week of the Soviet Union's existence, I was amazed at the architecture in the city and I thought Kiev might be just as dramatic. I was not disappointed.There was a language barrier of course, but it mattered not. I walked 6 miles a day to see some of the wonderful buildings, with a map and iPhone GPS in hand.There was a little edginess in the city at the time due to political issues, but I did not let that worry me, in spite of a large protest with armed police and military present on my final day.I stayed adjacent to Independence Square, an important part of the city.The National Opera House, St. Sophia’s Cathedral, St. Elijah Church, Kiev Founders Statue, The Great Lavra Bell House, Vydubychi Monastery, St. Pantheleimon Nunnery, The Cathedral of St. Pantaleon are just a few of the sites to see, but St. Michaels Monastery was the standout for me.All in all, I am so happy I made the trip.The adventure continues and so does the learning experience.For a You Tube video with great pictures, check this out:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBUUk_oL51I http://www.malcolmteasdale.com