Ніжин

On Saturday we tried out the Ukrainian train system for the first time, as our TCF took us and our link cluster to her home city of Nizhyn (Ніжин), a 1.5-hour train ride south of Chernihiv. The day started with us standing in the aisles of the very full "elektrichka" (short-distance train) – as time passed and stops went by, we were able to sit down.

Chernihiv trains station.

Chernihiv --> Nizhyn!

Upon arrival in Nizhyn, we walked to the Center for Children and Youth, where they teach math, English, and music to children ages 3-6. They also have some older students who study various things there, including traditional Cossack sword-fighting. Nizhyn was a largely-Cossack city in the early times. We watched some demo fighting and saw some other model weapons, including a little cannon and some Viking shields.

Cossack fighting.

Women of my cluster!

We went briefly to an old post-house and museum, which among other things had collections of stamps and letters written by famous Ukrainian and Russian writers. After lunch we walked to the Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University, where our TCF, Kateryna, teaches when she’s not working for the Peace Corps. As you may know, Gogol is a famous writer who Ukrainians and Russians both claim as their own. A beautiful park adjoins the university buildings.

Gogol!

Best link ever.

Gorgeous fall trees.

It was fun to see a new city for a day – Nizhyn was wonderfully peaceful, and it was a beautiful fall day to explore a new place.