The authorities who forced Ukraine to become a part of the Soviet Union had no regard for the will of the people or the right to self-determination. Stalin was hell-bent on incorporating Ukraine – a pesky and independent-minded nation with a proud history – into the nascent Socialist empire. Many Ukrainians resented the process of Russification that followed feeling that it threatened to greatly diminish their rich culture and heritage. Ukrainians, after all, have their own language, literature, music, art, food and traditions.
In some countries, Martinmas celebrations begin at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of this eleventh day of the eleventh month (that is, at 11:11 am on November 11). In others, the festivities commence on St. Martin’s Eve (November 10). Bonfires are built and children carry lanterns in the streets after dark, singing songs for which they are rewarded with candy.
Looking at the sculptures, covered with the thinnest marble veil, one ponders: How to sculpt the thinnest, transparent fabric from a block of solid stone? A truly divine gift of brilliant artists and sculptors allows you to convey in stone the tenderness and airiness of the lightest fabric, bends and folds while preserving every feature of the face and body. It is impossible to believe that this is the creation of human hands.
Building a bridge over water is a daunting task, and despite the many technological progresses, the basics have remain unchanged since ancient times. First a cofferdam is constructed on the riverbed and the water inside this enclosed structure is pumped out, exposing the muddy button. Upon this ground the piers of the bridge are erected.
For over 400 years the great maritime powers of Europe waged sea wars to curb or destroy Britain’s predominance as a maritime nation. All failed and by 1900 Britain without question ruled the waves.
Just a half hour’s drive from Riga’s center, nestled in a pine forest, one of Europe’s oldest and largest outdoor museums can be found alongside the shore of Lake Jugla. It is called the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia.
Michael Walsh Stories and Books 
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