The Window on America Center in Dnipro is designed to provide up-to date information on the United States.
The mission of our Center is to promote mutual understanding between the United States and Ukraine.
The guests of the Center were an American professor of political science Youngtae Shin and a tourist Sam from Texas. Sam told about his University in Texas where he studied math. Now he studies in Budapest and he told about his study. Our Ukrainian students also told Sam some peculiarities of studying in Ukraine because Sam was extremely interested in that.
The members of WOA organized an outdoor meeting to Samara Desert-Nicholas Monasterywith Youngtae Shin.
Samara Desert-Nicholas Monastery (Russian: Самарский Пустынно-Николаевский монастырь) is located in a deciduous forest on an island at the confluence of the Old and New Samara Rivers in Novomoskovsk, Ukraine.
The monastery was founded in 1602 as Kievo-Mezhgorskogo Monastery by Cossack Hieromonk Paisiem, destroyed in 1654, and rebuilt from 1672-1688. However, the Polish-Lithuanian King Stephen Batoriya referred to the “relocation of the monastery in Samara” in 1576 suggesting the monastery existed before.
The monastery was the most important shrine in the Zaparozhian Sich, and was a fortified outpost during the Russian-Turkish wars of 1734-1739 and 1768-1774. During the latter the monastery housed many prisoners both Tartars and Turks. The prisoners were treated so well that many of them were baptized, and some, following the war, became monastics.
During the Soviet period the monastery was a nursing home, followed by a home for the mentally retarded. In 1993 the parish buildings were renovated, and two years later the monastery was reopened as a convent.
On March 12, 1998 the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (MP) transformed the convent into a men’s monastery.
Like most architectural monuments of Ukraine, the monastery is in a lamentable state of emergency.
The main shrines of the monastery are the Ahtyrskaya Icon of the Mother of God, called “Samara,” and an icon of St. Nicholas
WOA meeting with a professor of history Linda B. Gray. The main topic that was interesting to everybody was political situation in the USA and Ukraine. Linda told us about the first steps of Barack Obama as a president of the USA.
Drogashevskey Sasha:
The meeting was great, very interesting and funny. I learnt a lot of interesting things about American culture and political situation!
Tofel Vasil:
The meeting was interesting and full of new guests. Lind B. Gray told about her academic career and every-day life in American universities. All present people could to get acquainted with the dissertation of Lind B. Gray, presented to the library of "Window On America" Center. Participants of the meeting asked many interesting questions about the USA. Discussion about political life in the USA and Ukraine was very hot. Lind B. Gray told about first steps of Barack Obama as American president, reform of medical insurance, peculiarities of internal policy. Ukrainian students expressed their own vision of Ukrainian political situation.
«Oberig» is small present from members of Window on America for good memory about our Center and Ukraine.
We are very grateful to Linda. She made our meetings extremely interesting and unforgettable.
The participants of the discussion club asked Linda B. Gray many questions about her family, work, hobbies. Linda made up an interesting topic about dreams.
Gavruluk Tamara:
Mrs.Linda is a very charismatic person. I am very glad to meet her and enjoyed every minute of the communication at the WoA meeting.
Shinkarenko Olga:
I’m grateful for that opportunity to come and speak English last evening. It’s always a privilege for me to communicate with our foreign guests and our Ukrainian friends.
Kirichenko Sergey:
The meeting was really interesting and very useful for us and personally for me. I have got a good chance to communicate with native-speakers. It is good possibility to improve my English! So i strongly advice it for everyone who wants to be a successful English speaker! Join us!!!)
Ganushevich Kostya:
Linda Gray, History Professor from the state Vermont. USA, has visited “” several times during her visit in Ukraine. Everybody who took part in the discussion with the professor remained very satisfied and pleased with the discussion.
Alkayali Fadi:
Linda Gray, welcome to your second home Ukraine, it was my pleasure to meet you in that super meeting which we had our interesting talk in Window on America.
and don't forget, our next meeting after 5 years from now ;)
Some members of the club Window on America visited the professor Youngtae Shin’slecture “Educational system of USA” which was held in Dnipropetrovsk National University.
English Speaking club. The guests of this meeting were: the professor of political science Youngtae Shin and the professor of historyLinda B. Gray.
They were shown a slide-show about our Center.
Linda Gray told some facts about her native state Vermont, andYoungtae Shin – about Oklahoma and its symbols. Our members especially students were interested to know everything about American universities and Ukrainian students who study there.
Tofel Vasil:
The last meeting was extremely interesting. Many people came, among them - new participants of our Club. But most of all, I appreciated the opportunity to communicate with native-speakers - Linda and Youngtae. I was very surprised they remember our club members which met 2 years ago! I learnt a lot of new information about Vermont, Vermont bridges, maple syrup, university life, Oklahoma, Ukrainian students in the USA, etc. In addition, Linda recommended interesting books from the library of Center.
I hope, we will see Linda and Youngtae more at our meetings!
Svitlana Kolesnikova:
The meeting was great! Linda Grey and Youngtae Shin made a big present for us by visiting our center!! I was strongly impressed with their stories about their own states.
The atmosphere was very warm.
English Speaking club dedicated to the 95-th anniversary of the American economist Paul A. Samuelson (15 May 1915 – 13 December 2009). There was an exhibit with photos, books, booklets.
Svitlana Usenko presented her slide-show Washington and Chicago – how it was devoted to her business-trip to the USA. She told about her taking part in the program The Open World and a lot of interesting facts about these cities and about the USA in general.
Kolesnikova Svitlana:
Every member of English speaking club was impressed with a wonderful story about Chicago. It was interesting to learn about American libraries, their work and organization! Everybody was amused with nice pictures of beautiful buildings in Chicago, its skyscrapers, architecture, etc!
Tofel Vasil:
Previously knew only some particular facts about Chicago. But after the watching the presentation about this city I learnt a lot of new things. And now I know about Chicago much more than average Ukrainian. This city successfully combines modern skyscrapers and green parks. And I remembered few places in Chicago I liked the most - Cloud Gate, 110-storied skyscraper (Willis Tower), Chicago public library. I was very impressed that fact that annual budget of Chicago public library is about $ 30 mln.
We also watched some pictures of Washington. We could easily recognized many famous places in this city.
In addition we mentioned Paul Samuelson, the first American to win the Nobel Prize in Economics (he was born May 15). And by the way, Samuelson studied at the University of Chicago and received his Bachelor of Arts degree there in 1935.
The guests of the Center were an American professor of political science Youngtae Shin and a tourist Sam from Texas. Sam told about his University in Texas where he studied math. Now he studies in Budapest and he told about his study. Our Ukrainian students also told Sam some peculiarities of studying in Ukraine because Sam was extremely interested in that.
WOA meeting with a professor of history Linda B. Gray. The main topic that was interesting to everybody was political situation in the USA and Ukraine. Linda told us about the first steps of Barack Obama as a president of the USA.
The participants of the discussion club asked Linda B. Gray many questions about her family, work, hobbies. Linda made up an interesting topic about dreams.
Kirichenko Sergey:
Linda Gray told some facts about her native state Vermont, and Youngtae Shin – about Oklahoma and its symbols. Our members especially students were interested to know everything about American universities and Ukrainian students who study there.
