Lakeside in Navariya

There's a lake in Navariya that used to be the jewel of the whole Lvivs'ka oblast.
People used to swim and have picnics here. Camp out. Have weddings. Sports competitions were held here. Any sunny day you could bet the beach was packed.

And then people stopped caring, and started polluting the water. And now it 's just a lake.
The kayaking team trains on it still. And some people still swim here.
But the majority of people wouldn't.
And that makes me so sad.
Because I remember being little and having my grandpa and grandma take me down to the beach and set up a picnic and have a jolly ol' time.

Almost a year ago, one warm evening we packed up a little car with a baby, beer and meat, and drove down to the lake.

While us, girls walked around and chatted, the boys got busy making the fire.

When we got back, we threw the meat on to cook and chatted until the sun set.
I think this is by far one of my favorite Ukrainian traditions.

My Hometown: Navariya

I was born in L'viv and grew up in a little village, Navariya, just outside the city.

The village look terribly different to the city, but to me both are equally beautiful.

This is the school I went to for 1st grade.

This is my uncles Caucasion Ovcharka.

He's a child-eating, massive dog, and I love him.

This is the local post office.

And this is my grandpa.

I feel so lucky to have grown up in such a wonderful place.
Navariya is small enough that everyone knows each other and feels safe.
Everyone has gardens and orchards that bloom in the spring, summer and fall and turn the village into a personal playground.
Yet it's only 10 minutes away from one of the most magical cities in the world.

It's home, and about as sweet as they come.