We crossed railroad tracks leading to the canning factory where many of the villagers work, mostly during the busy corn and beet harvest.    

This well maintained road trekked through the village with several side streets. We passed an old school house and playground near an abandoned soccer field where a pack of dogs were romping in the tall dry grass.  

Turning onto one of the main streets in the village, we came to an old wooden church that had been used as a military warehouse during years of Communist Rule. Tanya said many people are worshiping God for the first time in their life; it was a crime to worship God during Communist times. A young priest waved as we passed. 

Tanya pointed to women drawing water from the Village well in the next block. “This well is their source of cooking and drinking water, it is also the ‘Gossip Center’ of the village women,” she said with a smile.  

At the corner of the next block was a Kiosk, selling many of the necessities we find in a convenience store. The Kiosk was next to the two story concrete Village Administration building, the business center of the village. The Administration building employed a couple of women along with a government agent (tax police). Inside the building was the Post Office, as the village is without rural mail service,  and a desk where Pensioners would pick up their monthly retirement vouchers. The meeting room at one end of the building also served as the Tax Police office where Tanya dropped off some documents.  She explained they were permits to hold meetings at Ohio Farm from the Ministry of Agriculture in Kiev. 

Dimitri turned the car around and followed the main street , which led over a small creek.  Tanya said the creek is where the women wash clothes on wash day, then on warm days laid them out on the grass to dry while the little ones play in the water. Next to the creek was the Village Bazaar, an open market where daily shopping takes place. There aren’t any stores or shops in the village. It was nearly vacant due to the time of day, however, I did spot several women near the long stands and tents,  waiting for last minute shoppers.   These women were selling bread, flowers, butter and butchered chickens. 

While driving along the tree-lined streets of the village, noticeably absent were mail boxes, street signs and side-walks.  The village was filled with faded once-bright colored wooden or grey stucco single story homes, each with a guard dog tied by a long rope or chain inside a locked gate. I also noticed a few abandoned houses, some with broken windows and doors. The missing wooden fence and tall dry grass indicated no one lived there anymore. These abandoned houses were property of older citizens. Some had passed away. Others had moved away to live with their older children.  

Because few people drive cars, the people walking shared the road with geese, ducks, stray dogs and horse drawn wagons. I inquired as to where the ducks and geese go at night, Tanya said, “Don’t worry, they know how to find there homes, that’s where their owners feed them.”  

We turned into the driveway to a small dirt parking lot of the Burtyn Dacha, an old two story wooden building void of any sign that indicated it to be a place to stay. Tanya said they don’t need signs, everyone knows what and where it is.   

The three goats that rummaged through a pile of garbage,  including paper boxes, remained undisturbed by the barking guard dog as we drove in. Tanya gave the dog a piece of cake she had taken from the Ohio Farm. The fierce guard dog now became our tail wagging friend. 

Dimitri helped unload our luggage before he drove off. Well, guess what - the door to the Dacha was locked and the lights were out.  No one was home.