Interpretation of Ukraine's history collides with Ukraine's present

Partisan or traitor? Freedom fighter or spy? These diametrically opposed labels may speak to the interpretation of the country’s history during World War II but the argument is far from settled, the answers far from definitive. Ukraine has always been a country of controversy from the time of the Cossacks but these days the argument is predicated on financial and moral recognition.

No longer “Little Russia”, Ukraine emerges from the shadows

Coined “Little Russia” by Catherine the Great, Ukraine and the surrounding southern portions of the environs were presented to Russian nobles and German compatriots in an effort to forge a global empire. Orthodox Serbs commandeered Cossack lands with the Tsarina’s assistance and Turks lost the Crimean peninsula to the Russian Empire. Centuries later, Ukrainians still strive to keep Russia at arm’s length economically and culturally. Just as Canada is not America and Scotland is not England, Ukrainians are quick to tell travelers that Ukraine is NOT Russia.

Ukrainian money a metaphor for independence

Reach into your wallet to buy a coffee on your way to work. Pay a utility bill over the Internet. Make a purchase at your local grocery store. Ordinary acts of everyday life may be unremarkable to many but in Ukraine, using the coin or paper money in one’s wallet these days is as much a symbol of national independence as it is an execution of daily commerce.

Break Bread and Celebrate Life in Ukraine

Bread, Peace, and Land, may once have been the rallying cry and slogan of the first Russian revolution, but in Ukraine where both Tsarist and Soviet rulers alike exploited the land and ruled the people with iron fists, wheat and bread have always been symbols of food, wealth, and most particularly independence for Ukrainians. Bread itself is an object of reverence. Indeed, the Ukrainian word for grain – zbizhzhia- is translated as the “totality of divinity”.

Ukrainian postcards record more than travels

“Gorgeous weather”, “Having a great time” and “Thinking of you”- the language of postcards rarely changes from culture to culture around the world. Often considered obligatory by the writer, happily read by the recipient, in a world of text messaging and email, the postcard has always been a cherished method of correspondence – especially by Ukrainians.