Tag: eastern europe
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Poltava, Ukraine Part 1: Language Learning and Water Nymphs
I had heard about Poltava from a few folks. It was the site of an important Ukrainian battle (the Battle of Poltava) and that it was one of the few remaining cities that still spoke and preserved the Ukrainian language and heritage. Not only that, the age-old pagan festival of Ivana Kupala would be held…
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Kharkiv, Ukraine: Easter Horses
Ukraine is a devoutly Christian country, mostly Orthodox but Catholic as well. Depending on your faith, you can attend any number of church services. Now, I’m not a very church-going guy on most occasions but, as curiosity would strike me, I wanted to see what a Ukrainian Easter service looked and felt like. There was…
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Symska Women and Ukrainian Dating Agencies: The Student Who Wouldn’t Speak
After a couple of months teaching English in Ukraine, I learned a bit more about the country and its people. In general, teachers can tell within a few classes who their strong students are and those who need a little more encouragement. Well, in one class I had three Natashas, three Katerinas (often spelt Yekaterina),…
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Kharkiv, Ukraine: An Introduction
Kharkiv, an unpronounceable city just like Poland’s Rzeszów. Depending on your Cyrillic abilities, you’ll have trouble pronouncing this city’s name. KARkov, KHHHHHARkov, or, if you’re listening to a Ukrainian speaker (not Russian), KARkeev or KKHHAAARkeeev. The “kh” is a gutteral throat sound and the best way to get the pronunciation right is to take a…
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Russian Movies
The Slavic film industry, simply put, is in shambles. Although a re-emergence is beginning to take place, it’ll be a long time before it’s stable. The following movies were made either in Ukraine or Russia and by Ukes or Ruskies, though their themes and language are primarily Russian. 9th Company Great movie. Interesting to see…