Tag: Ukrainian
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Ukraine: Second Impressions
After a couple of months in Ukraine I began to slowly accept the country as it is, for better and worse. I got used to some things, especially after living in Kharkiv for a few months, and yet just couldn’t understand some other aspects of the country and its culture. What follows are my second…
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Kyiv, Ukraine: The Divided Country and… Has Dave Lombardo Heard Me Play Drums?
If there’s one city where you can see the change of the Ukrainian West-East dichotomy, it’s Kyiv (Київ, pronounced K-yeev in Ukrainian, or Key-ev in Russian). Kyiv is modernity mixed with tradition: narrow, cobblestone streets like those found in L’viv intersect modern, paved streets. The huge roadways hum with traffic while the sidewalks are lined…
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Modern Ukrainian Music
If there’s one thing that is noticeably different from my mental image of Ukraine and the country as it is right now, it’s the music. Whereas in Canada “Ukrainian music” often means polka, in Ukraine “Ukrainian music” is an ambiguous term. So here is a list of Ukrainian music that I either discovered in the…
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L’viv, Ukraine: The Cradle of Ukrainian Culture
My opinions and views of Ukraine thus far have been far from admirable. Within a week I was ready to leave the country and couldn’t believe what a utter mess Ukraine was/is in. But being out of the country for a few months has given me some distance and perspective allowing me to appreciate my…
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Ukraine: First Impressions
This post is admittedly quite late as I’ve been out of Ukraine for a couple of months now. But I thought I’d write up how my expectations compared with my first impressions of Ukraine. My visit to Ukraine was eye-opening to say the least. Growing up in Canada as a Ukrainian-Canadian, my entire life I’d…