Fourteen of the best law students representing VNU and LNTU had a four-day tour of Kyiv from August 25-28. Eric Putzig, a volunteer lecturer from the United States, selected the students based on their performance in his course "Legislating for Democratic Governance", and like many of the other students, he was in Kyiv for the first time. On the first day, the group visited fourteen historical sites, and each student was responsible for giving a lecture on the significance of a particular site.
Yuriy Voitovych (VNU; presentation on the Taras Shevchenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Ukraine) and Oksana Iranek (LNTU; presentation on Independence Square) were awarded for their excellent presentations.
During a visit to the beautiful St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, the group found themselves in the midst of the military funeral of Vladyslav Onyshchenko, “the poet", who gave his life for Ukrainian freedom at the age of 21. The group stayed silently and respectfully until the end of the memorial service and listened to a profound sermon about sacrifice and freedom from the priest.
"The only good Russian tank is a destroyed Russian tank." - "It is a pity that Vladimir Putin was not inside it." - Eric Putzig, a guest lecturer from the United States.
That evening, they enjoyed visiting an exhibition of destroyed Russian military weapons on the famous Khreshchatyk Street.
Eric Putzig said: "I look forward to the day when the wave of democracy destroys all Russian weapons of war."
On the second day, the participants explored the historic Podil district, and on the third day they visited the majestic Motherland monument, took a 5-kilometer walk along the picturesque Dnipro River, and relaxed on the Glass Bridge, which offers spectacular views of the city.
At the end of the trip, the students "knighted" their teacher and presented him with the traditional title of "Hetman" of the group, and the mace is now kept in his living room in Lutsk.
Most importantly, the students and their instructor left Kyiv with a deeper understanding of the richness of Ukrainian culture and history, as well as its rightful place among civilized democratic nations.