The Unexpected: Iryna from Odessa takes Camp Sosnovy to "Sacred Mountain"

The road to Sacred Mountain and the beautiful and sacred Monestary. 

A Ukrainian ritual: Preparing to enter the Cathedral monestary.

When I thought I was done for the day at Camp Sosnovy, the summer camp for kids from all over Lugansk oblasts, listening to music, studying Russian, a counselor would pop into my room and take me to an unexpected activity. 

One evening it was the nightly disco, thumping music blaring, a whirl of motion. I had heard the music before but thought it was just the teenagers cranking it up! It was that, and more.  

One morning I was told I was assigned to help lead the kids in their morning calisthenics. That no doubt allowed a few counselors to sleep in!

Another time I was led to an American couple from Alabama who were adopting a Ukrainian child. We had a lovely talk, and I was made poignantly aware of the special camp site where the orphaned children, most teenagers, stayed. The Alabama couple told me other Americans were hoping to adopt too. I was glad of that. At 16-years orphans were turned out of state facilities to fend for themselves, unless they were lucky enough to be adopted or find a private foster home. I made special efforts to stop by every day. I wanted to adopt all of them.

I was asked to help judge the natural habitats the children had built for a project: houses made out of branches (huge branches gathered from the forest), fences out of twigs, paths out of acorns, gardens out of wildflowers. All incredibly beautiful. I gave them all 100+. Some judge I made!

One night after I had fallen asleep, Iryna from Odessa barged into my room, turned on the lights, and said I had to wake up at 5:00 a.m. because we were going to the monastery in the mountains. She motioned to my clock and made sure I set the alarm. "Wear a skirt, no pants." Beyond that, I didn't get the details. "But I have to meet with the kids," I mumbled. "Not tomorrow. Tomorrow you join children for a very special day."

The next morning some 30 of us boarded a bus for a 3-hour ride through bountiful fields of wheat and sunflowers to Svyatogorsk and CBYATbLIE ROPbl,  Sacred Mountain. Stunning: the terrain, the river, the domed churches built along the mountainside. 

When we got to the monastery grounds, we snacked on fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese and bread. All fresh from people's gardens and kitchens. Delicious. We then got ready to go into the Cathedral monestary.  I had no idea what to expect.

It turns out that this took a lot of loving preparation. I became absorbed in a Ukrainian ritual. The women and girls pulled out dozens of colorful scarves, mostly sheer and gauzy. They wrapped the scarves around their waists if they were wearing jeans or pants, and covered their heads. Now I understood what Iryna had told me the night before. But I never knew there were so many ways to tie scarves!

Natasha (one of the counselors in charge of taking care of me for the day!), reached into her bag and pulled out a pretty blue and green scarf. It was for me. She wrapped it carefully around my head. Now we were all ready to approach the church with reverence and respect. An elaborate ritual, a solemn moment.

Heads covered, children and counselors in a somber frame of mind, we entered the grand church. We stood under a huge gold and crystal chandelier, surrounded by icons, exquisite art and architecture. Ukrainian Michelangelos had done their work and it was breathtaking. A priest's voice boomed through the sound system. The bells tolled.

Beauty and awe. "The Ukrainian Vatican," Iryna called it. A sense of the sacred enveloped us, the bonds of Ukrainian culture and tradition. I joined in the moment. I lit a candle and prayed for my family and friends back home, for my country, for Ukraine. It was unexpected. I felt blessed.

Notes: 

* Holy Mountains National Nature Park - Wikipedia    

 Holy Mountains National Nature Park, or Sacred Mountains, is located along the chalk cliffs and river terraces of the Donets River in Eastern Ukraine. The park's boundaries are a patchwork of forested areas stretching along the banks of the Donets. The Sacred Mountains of Ukraine contain many archaeological, natural, historical, and recreational sites, including the Sviatohirsk Lavra monastery. The park is located in the administrative districts of Sloviansk, Lyman and Bakhmut. You'll recognize the names of these towns because they are now under the fierce combat of Russia's war against Ukraine.