David Kerlick in Ukraine, July 21-26, 1999
Wed 7/21 Arrival
5 AM taxi to Heathrow, stop in Prague airport, Kosice,
van to Intourist Hotel Uzhgorod.
Meet Anna Kirlik Hyley, family dinner w/ host Petro Kirlik.
Interpreter Elena (German-Ukrainian) teaches Petro's kids.
Thu 7/22 Smerekova I
Climb the mountain past Vel. Berezny and Chornoholova (don't see
either village, turn off before).
Stop at a rest stop with spring. Radiator boils on way up the
hills.
Nobody home at Maria Petrivna's except for Baba Olena, Petro's widow.
A little while later, Maria Petrivna shows up, along with her partner.
Have a meal and champagne inside her house, a two-room affair.
Later we see the house Petro (b. 1909, grandpa Frank Kerlick's
youngest brother) built after escape c 1946 from Russians.
Near death, he vowed to live a long life, and
lived 50 more years, despite ailing stomach.
He never learned what became of Grandpa Kerlick, since communications
were supporessed by the Commies after WW II.
Petro was a Renaissance
Man, built house, flour mill, smokehouse out of sticks and wire, also a flute he
played. he was featured in a Kiev TV segment before his death in 1996.
Visit to Smerekova Cemetery where Petro is buried. Older graves than WW II
were destroyed, presumably also the grave of great-grandfather Vasil (died
c 1942 or 1945).
Anna Plavayko (Vasil's wife) and Alex Kurtanich's mother were sisters.
Stories of a plague through Smerekova in distant past, which
left all but three women dead, from whom spring all latter day
citizens.
Fri 7/23 Mukachevo
Green Convent, War Memorial,
Lunch at Barbecue Disco. Castle Museum (Hungarian patriots),
Convent (Maria Petrivna's cousin< also Maria?), Seredne (inquire after Kovach,
probably left for Slovakia in 1920's), also graves of Sember and Tirpak.
Look also for Gr. Cath church, can't find.
Sat 7/24 Uzhorod
With Petro and Wife, Elena.
New Orthodox cathedral near Intourist Hotel,
wedding in basement,
Walk to Uzh river, bridge,
Retail pedestrian zone. Greek Catholic Cathedral (baroque, gift of Maria Teresa).
Uzhrod Castle and Governor's Quarters, Musical Instruments, Natural History.
Outdoor museum of wooden houses and wooden church.
Sun 7/25 Smerekova II
Visit Maria Petrivna, and Polina's grandkids. Twin girls have been to Israel, speak English.
Also Anna and Petro's sister Maria.
Three suppers.
return to hotel
Mon 7/26 Departure
Intourist keeps money for three nights, only having used one.
Whatta Ripoff! They don't care about customers, old Soviet style.
Diarrhea. Van to Kosice, Train to Poprad.
Slovakia and Prague (next)
99 trip
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