Maidan Nezalezhnosti

Ladies, gentleman and horses. Welcome to Maidan Nezalezhosti, the Independence Square, the place where everything important to Kyiv and Ukraine has started.

This is the square where you can see the monument of three brothers Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and their sister Lybid. According to the Primary Chronicle, they were the founders of the medieval city of Kyiv.

It is also a place where the Revolution on Granite has started in 1990 and lead to Ukrainian Independence in 1991.



It is the place where under the Lach Gates (meaning Polish Gate), another remaining from the medieval times, the Orange Revolution started in 2004.

And this is the place where the last revolution, the Euromaidan errupted and run to the successful changes.

Just under the 61 meter high Independence Monument everyone can read and recall what was happening here in January and February 2014.

With the pictures you can easily imagine the dramaturgy and determination of the people fighting for their freedom.

Unfortunately over 100 fighters perished. One of the first ones was Serhiy Nigoyan, depicted now on a mural on of the nearby buildings.

Altogether 130 people lost their lives, including 112 civilians. They are called the Heaven's Hundred.

Fortunately the freedom won and today there is also a place to celebrate the Love on the Maidan. This is the emotion that we all should feel leaving this place.

Downtown Atlanta

Today, I have one place on my mind.

And by Georgia, I definitely do not mean the beautiful country in Caucasus Mountains. No doubt that we are in USA.

My friends - welcome to Atlanta!

One of the most important place of downtown Atlanta is the Centennial Olympic Park. It was built for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.

It is quite large. Though based on my experience, in most countries parks mean trees, while here it is more a large lawn.

Alright, there is one.

But to be honest, it is just on the edge of the park, next to SkyView Atlanta, the lovely Ferris wheel.

But let's get back to the Centennial Olympic Park. The tall structure represents the Olympic Torch. Though far smaller than the one we have seen in Beijing.

And here comes baron Coubertin that we have already met in Lausanne.

But this is not the only statue in the park. The other one is of John Pemberton, the inventor of coca-cola.

Because coca-cola was borne in Georgia. And it is still headquartered in Atlanta. You can even visit the World of Coca-Cola.

The entrance is not so crowded in case you want to take a look inside.

But if you are not so interested in commercial artefacts, you can choose the Center for Civil and Human Rights instead. It is just next to the World of Coca-Cola.

Those of you who prefer to stay in the sunshine, can follow me for a walk down the large streets of Atlanta. Or actually the interstate Georgia roads.

The buildings are tall.

So to make transfers easier, at times they are connected in surprising places.

Atlanta is the birth town of Martin Luther King who won a Nobel Prize for his pacifist fight with racial discrimination. But the road from laws to reality was long and required Freedom Riders. Literally.

Because a Vision need followers.

Red square

Over the last years, we have been in over twenty countries. Some of them were very small, like Liechtenstein or Tonga, other really large like USA or Canada. But today I will take you to the largest country on the planet. And if you want to start your first visit in Russia, there is no better place than the Red Square in Moscow, a UNECCO World Heritage Site. Let's enter by the Resurrection Gate.

On your right hand side you will immediately see the State Historical Museum, which is a museum of Russian history.

On your left hand side, you will see a church in bright orange colour. It is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. It was built to commemorate a very important event in the history of Russia (to which I will revert later) but Stalin made it demolished completely. It was rebuilt entirely in 1993.

Next to the cathedral you will find a huge shopping mall. Or to be more precise the Main Department Store.

Let's have a look inside.

I am not sure if this place recalls you of anything? Well, for me it looks a lot like the Victor Emmanuel II Gallery in Milan, which we have visited last spring.

We have seen on the Red Square a church, a temple of wealth, now time comes for yet another type of temple. A modern type of pyramid where a human god lies, allowing believers to pay him tribute.

Yes, you are right, the red square structure in the middle of the Red Square is the Lenin's Mausoleum. As of what I have heard, Lenin actually wanted to be cremated and buried in St. Petersburg. But the communists knew better. It is not allowed to take pictures inside but if you have a special interest in mummies, you can take a look at another website.

The Mausoleum is located next to a high wall. This is the wall surrounding Kremlin, the most important place of power in Russia. Nowadays the gates are mainly decorative items but in the past they were really meant for protection.

A total of twenty towers survived, four of which are gate towers. Each is topped with a red star.

On the far end of the square, you will find one of the landmarks of Moscow and the only church which survived Stalin's orders. This is the church of Saint Basil.

In front of it stands a monument dedicated to Minin and Pozharsky. They were leading Russian forces which expelled from Moscow the forces of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1612. This victory was believed to be a miracle brought by the Virgin of Kazan, hence the church devoted to her on the Red Square.

Looking from the Saint Basil's church, the Red Square shows its size, even if only a part of it is visible.

Everything here is meant to make the visitor understand what an amazing country Russia is. The wall of Kremlin and it gates incite the proper respect ...

... the multi-colour domes of the Saint Basil's church bring hope in the divine protection.

But to be honest, I had a feeling that the further I walked from the Red Square the stronger the sun started to shine. Revealing the grandeur and uniqueness of this place.

San Marino

I am so excited to be able to take you once more to one of the tiniest states in the world. Let me welcome you today to the beautiful Republic of San Marino.

San Marino is divided into nine castles, being largely convergent with former parishes. The capital city is called (of course) San Marino. The city of San Marino is located on a high hill called Monte Titano, that dominates a large plain. You can reach it by car but you can also take the cable car, painted blue as the national flag of the country. 

From the observation deck next to the upper station you can admire the villages below the capital city and, since San Marino is the fifth smallest country in the world, obviously also a large area of Italy.

San Marino has been a republic since ever, long time before anyone anywhere thought it would be possible. For sure more than a thousand years. This is why, the palace that you will find on the main square of the capital does not belong to a king but to the people. It is the Town Hall, called here Palazzo Publico. The lady on the postument is Liberty herself.

The governmental buildings are quite modest - if everything is "ours" there is no need to show off. This one is the siege of the Secretary of State.

These unique values of San Marino which was been able to survive as a republic since the Middle Ages have gained it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Just next to the Town Hall you will find the basilica of San Marino, dedicated to Saint Marinus, the founder and patron of the Republic.

The classical style is visible both on the outside and inside.

I liked in particular two items. The ceiling with the beautiful rosettes ...

... and the throne. Of course it is not a throne for a king, since San Marino has been a republic since forever. You surely noticed that it is quite large. No, it is not meant for the boss of the largest fast food company weighting two hundred kilograms. It is simply designed for two people. To be more precise, for the double-head of San Marino. Because San Marino is headed by Captains Regent. Always two, always coming from opposite parties and always serving six months. Apparently it is a tradition that is linked to the consuls of the Ancient Rome. And since the Captains Regent share the same job, they also literally share the same chair. Or the same throne if you like.

The city of San Marino is best known for the three castles. Let's try to find them all.

The first one will be the Castello della Guaita, named after on of the peaks of the city.

This fortress has been built in eleventh century and then rebuilt in fifteenth century, to guard and protect the city.

The inner courtyard is surprisingly large.

But the most amazing element is the tower which was built without any foundations, directly on the rock. Its sharp edge makes it look a bit like sail.

When you look over the crenelage you are likely to notice the second castle.

It is La Cesta o Fratta, easy to recognise by its pentagonal tower. Why don't we go there to see it ourselves?

We need to walk along the city walls.

The second tower was built in the thirteenth century on the remainings of an old Roman fort.



Inside the tower you will find the Armory, converted now into a museum. If you look carefully, you will notice on the wall the coat of arms of San Marino, depicting (yes, you got it right!) the Three Towers of San Marino.

Actually, Cesta is the best place to see it. On right hand side you can see the First Tower of Guaita ...

... and on the left hand site, the Third Tower of Montale. Unfortunately, the last tower is not open to public. One reason can be that, as a former prison, it has its door somewhere around seven meters above the ground.

I hope that you have enjoyed this walk through San Marino. Not so often one can visit half a country in one afternoon. Now one last thing before we leave. I hope some of these will reach my Postcrossing friends before they read these words. If yes, let me know!