The entrance to church in a tent. Kyiv, Ukraine Aug. 2008

Blessed Virgin Icon - This photo was taken inside an all-wood Ukrainian Cossack church at the Cossack village Mamayeva Sloboda, in Kyiv, in August of 2005. The Cossack village opened to the public officially last summer and serves as a cultural center where one can tour the grounds, view the reproduced historical architecture and take part in the revival of Ukrainian traditions. The village was constructed not just as an open-air museum but also as a place where Cossack traditions and history can be celebrated today. They offer tours and cultural programs prepared for each Ukrainian national and religious holiday.

To read more on the village visit: http://mamajeva-sloboda.ua

Daughter watches mother reach into her purse during a service outside the front gate of Pechersk Lavra (Києво-Печерська лавра) “Monastery of the Caves” - Kyiv, Ukraine 2005

Mother and daughter at service outside the front gate of Pechersk Lavra (Києво-Печерська лавра) “Monastery of the Caves” - Kyiv, Ukraine 2005

Girl selling corn on the cob and roses - Kyiv, Ukraine

View while driving from Baturyn to Kyiv - Ukraine, August 2008

Summer Fruit, Ukraine, 2008 - photo by Nadya Wasylko

Artist and winner of ‘Ukraine’s Got Talent’, Kseniya Simonova, illustrates the invasion of Ukraine by Germany in World War II. Using her hands and fingers she draws a moving depiction in sand. Her performance ends with the message, “You are always near.”

Flowered Skirt - Baturyn, 2008

Soldiers in white, marching down Kreschatik St. at dusk during a military parade rehearsal. Kyiv, August 2008.