"We went to Dereshova because this is the place where my grandmother (my mother's mother) and her mother were born. We were taken through the village by the burgermeister Victor Petrovich Semenyuk. Since I do not speak Russian or Ukrainian, a translator came with us. His name is Alexander Saksonov. He is from Murovani Kurylivtsi, but now lives in Vinnitsa."

"Oh, my native village!!!!!"

"I hope to return one day to continue the research into my family's ancestry. As a Ukrainian American, I was not sure what to expect, but I found the people of Ukraine to be very friendly."

"I wish I would have spent more time in Vinnitsa researching my ancestry. Here is a link to a webcam showing the entrance to Gagarin Square but unfortunately it does not work all the time. http://ur4nww.narod.ru/webcamera.htm"

"The entrance to my most favorite park in the entire world! Wish I could be there right now!"