More than 40 people attended C.H. Booth Library’s virtual “Pre-War Beauty of Ukraine” on the evening of August 11.

The presentation was led by Toni McKeen who is a historian, professional researcher, and longtime member and chair of The Genealogy Club of Newtown. Her recent program was funded by the Friends of the C.H. Booth Library.

With so much destruction currently taking place in Ukraine, McKeen began by saying, “We really need to see the beauty of the country that we are not seeing.”

McKeen showcased a large assortment of images she collected through online research. She discussed the architecture and history of various buildings, theaters, museums, monuments, churches, and synagogues that are in either the capital city of Kiev or the port city of Odessa.

She also highlighted individuals from Ukraine who are notable worldwide, including the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

While McKeen has not been able to visit Ukraine yet, she told the group, “I want to go to Ukraine so bad.”