This is the front view of the internot, a boarding school for orphaned childred between the ages of 6 & 16. There is not a direct English translation.
When we first arrived, we had no idea how to contact Sergei directly. Word at the school was that you only need to tell one kid and they would pass the information through the ranks to locate Sergei. However, he was still a no-show. He knew when we were coming because Cheryl & Rusty Trump shared our arrival information with him.. After about 45 minutes of waiting, we learned that he was swimming in the lake with a group of kids. We left for a while to do some paperwork with Sergey (translator). Finally, after a couple of hours, we returned and word spread that we were there. Sergei sprinted out to the front court yard and greeted us with the biggest hug you could ever imagine. It was a glorious reunion and I look forward to the day that he can share all that he had been thinking about for the past six months. 
Olena has been the director of the internot for 19 years. She is pictured in her office with Cheryl and Rusty Trump who have become our wonderful and dear friends. Olena is a big advocate of the New Horizons hosting program and she admits that she is happy when her children are adopted into American families. She is a strong and busy woman but her love of these children shines through loud and clear. Below is a shot of the lobby with a picture of the Ukrainian president. The entire first floor is finished with these white textural tiles.
I included the picture below because there is something very interesting to me about the location of the school relative to the community. One might think that the orphanage might sit on the outskirts of town or on a dark corner but that is not the case with this particular school. It actually resides at the end of a major road that is open only to foot traffic. Directly in front of the school, there are high rise appartments tate extend for several blocks and end at a piazza where there is a beautiful performing arts building and a very popular restuarant. What I have found to be interesting is that the school is not separated from the community. In fact, local residents cut through the gates of the school as a shortcut to the apartments behind the building or to use the playground equipment. There is also a convenience store behind the school and infront of our hotel where this community shops on a daily basis. So while one might think that orphans are segregated from everyday life, that is not really the case here. There appears to be little differentiation and one blended community.
Our first week in Severodnetsk, we spent the entire day at the school. We would hang out either in the back of the building where there was a shaded area with benches, the front of the school where kids were playing with the animals or just relaxing, or we would be a little more active around the corner at the fields. We got to know the entire area pretty well.
There are plenty of pets and they do get a lot of attention. Above is Zicco (who did take a bite out of Craig's thigh early in out trip). All is OK....no worries. His bark was definitely worse than his bite.
Of course we were very curious to see Sergei's room. The first day he would not allow us to see it. My thoughts were that it was probably messy but then I had to think back about how neat and orderly he was in our home. Finally, Larisa his teacher for the past eight years insisted and took us into his room. It was not a mess and all beds were made. How can there be a mess when all you have is a bed, linens and a small cubby for your personal effects. Sergei was happy to show us his accumlated "poshta" from home, some neddle point he had started and a small wood craft project. 
Sergei is standing next to a wardrobe closet that is in a room down the hall. All five guys in his room share the same closet.
This wash station is for their feet. We never saw where they showered but I think there are shower stalls somewhere.
Below are the lavatories.
Pretty much everything during the school year happens on one floor . (sorry I had a picture but just deleted by accident.) Their bedrooms are here, dressing rooms, bathrooms and also classrooms. Some of the pictures below show the classrooms which are not set up for the summer and are being used as lounges.
We spent a lot of our time in the cafeteria. With the extreme heat, it was a cooler place to congregate and play cards or bingo. Below is a peek into the kitchen and some of our new friends having lunch.....family style!!
Our first couple of days of getting reunited our family along with the Trumps spent hours outback just talking and picking up where we left off. As we talked, we knotted friendship bracelts, did some beading or even took naps. Friends of Tatiana & Sergei would come out back to check in with us. It was a really nice and quiet way to interact with some of their friends and get to meet the kids. Everyone was up for some craft project or another.
I was adorned with gifts of homemade jewelry on my birthday. Tatiana made beautiful earrings and a beaded necklace for me. Nastya, her dear friend knotted a friendship bracelet AND gave me a pretty needle point. Sergei presented me with the double heart necklace that I am wearing.
Above, we were celebrating Larisa's birthday in the teacher's lounge at the end of the hall where the bedrooms and classrooms are. It was a wonderful celebration with many of the teachers. I also think it was a special gathering for Sergei and Tatiana so that teachers could say goodbye. The kids pulled out their photo albums from Americcan and were showing the teachers their new homes and family members. It was a wonderful surprise and tons of fun. Afterwards, we moved down the hall to a lounge and experienced Russian karioke and some Ukrainian dancing.
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