The other day I discovered Baba Yaga: Terror of the Dark Forest. I love a modern spin on an old-school legend, and the Baba Yaga is a great one. As a Ukrainian, I was born hearing stories about the real Baba Yaga. She was a magical old lady who lives in the forest in a wooden…
Tag: Ukraine
Independence Day of Ukraine: August 24th, 2020
Independence Day of Ukraine takes place on August 24th, 2020, one day after Ukrainian Flag Day! Independence Day of Ukraine is the main state holiday in modern Ukraine, celebrated on 24 August in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence of 1991. That’s a year before I was born! Is it appropriate now to show off…
Ukrainian Flag Day: August 23rd
Today is Ukrainian Flag Day! It is celebrated annually on August 23rd. It was on the day of dawn of independence in 1990 that a blue-yellow flag was hoisted above the capital’s city administration. After the failure of the coup in Moscow on August 23, 1991, a group of Ukrainian MPs brought a blue and yellow flag…
Pysanky: Ukrainian Easter Tradition
You can’t celebrate Easter in Ukraine without pysanky, or decorated eggs! The word pysanka (singular) or pysanky (plural) comes from the word pysaty which means “to write” in Ukrainian. The traditional folk designs are not painted on, but rather written or inscribed with beeswax. Ukraine isn’t the only country that decorates Easter eggs using wax…
Kvass: Ukraine’s Version of Kombucha
Long before hipsters (like me) drank kombucha, Ukrainian’s and other Slavs drank kvass. What is it? It’s a fermented beverage traditionally made from rye-bread. Today there are so many kvass recipes that go beyond bread and incorporate other healthy ingredients such as apple cider vinegar. Just like kombucha, kvass is non-alcoholic although it naturally contains…
Blood at Maidan – Kyiv, Ukraine 2014
There was no physical blood present when I stepped onto Maidan Square in Kyiv, Ukraine. Yet signs of it were everywhere. Bullet holes pierced the shields and helmets that memorialized the fallen. Flowers, the color of blood, sat inside the cavern of the helmet. The space, once occupied by a human mind, was now an…
Christmas Spider: Ukrainian Legend
In some cultures, Christmas is closely tied to things that are spooky. Ukraine is no different, with its tradition of a Christmas spider. Even today it is considered good luck to find a spider in your tree. If you want to enhance your luck, you can get a spider ornament that will bring you a…
Ukrainians in America: Diaspora near Rhode Island
One of the best things about America is that it is a melting pot of cultures from all over the world. While no cities and towns are quite as international as New York, it is not unusual to see various cultures living and thriving together. Looking more into this made me realize that there are…
The Highest View in Kyiv, Ukraine: Iron Maiden
Please get the images of heavy metal devils out of your head this instant. Ukraine’s Iron Maiden has nothing to do with the band. Although anyone who has seen it in person will agree that it is pretty metal. A little bit of history: This statue is actually called Rodina Mat (Motherland). It sits on…
Are the Dogs in Chernobyl Radioactive?
Last December, my mom organized a trip for me and my husband Isaac to Chernobyl, Ukraine. We went with a tour group and had a great trip learning about the tragedy that almost wiped out the entire continent of Europe. Oh and I’d like to point out that we went there before the Hulu show…
Are the Dogs in Chernobyl Radioactive?
Last December, my mom organized a trip to Chernobyl, Ukraine, for my husband Isaac and me. We went with a tour group and had a great trip learning about the tragedy that almost wiped out the entire continent of Europe. Oh, and I’d like to point out that we went there before the HBO show…
Traditional Ukrainian Halloween: Veles Night
Ukrainian Halloween is all about Veles, the pagan god of art, music, poetry, beauty, talent, happiness and love.
Tourist in Pripyat – Visiting the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (Part 2)
You have to see it to believe it – Almost falling backwards in an attempt to get a good photo, my jaw dropped as the guide explained that for a while, conspiracy theorists thought that these Duga radar devices were used by the USSR as a means of weather and mind control.
Tourist in Pripyat – Visiting the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (Part 1)
I anxiously kept my eyes glued to Google Maps. What would it be like? What would the city be like, once a bustling Soviet metropolis of 50,000 people, now a wasteland – abandoned in a moment during the disaster in 1986?
5 Things You Need to Know Before Visiting Chernobyl
There are lots of homeless dogs living around the check points in Chernobyl and the general vicinity. These dogs are no more radioactive than the ones you’ll see around Kyiv.
Chernobyl Photos, Ukraine 2018
Only 10,000 people visit Chernobyl a year and I was one of them in 2018.
What’s it like to live in Ukraine?
Two expats talk about what it’s like to live in Ukraine and what they do or don’t like!
Is Kyiv, Ukraine Safe to Visit?
Kyiv is also not the only safe place to visit in Ukraine. There are dozens of safe and exciting places to see. The only reason I spend most of my trips to Ukraine exclusively in Kyiv is because that’s where my parent’s live.
Discovering Kyiv, Ukriane feat. Music by The Vinogrooves
Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine and it’s a great place to go on holiday if you wish to relax, have an adventure or learn some exciting history.
Being an (Ex) Prague Freedom Foundation Scholar
Four years ago I had the honor of participating in a Journalism Program that Prague Freedom Foundation sponsored. The program brought students from Kent State University and Anglo American University together to study journalism. After winning the Excellence Award for my piece on Abortion Laws in Ohio I went on to receive a grant from PFF to report on the war in Ukraine…
10 Signs That You Travel Too Much
This year I’ve been lucky enough to travel. A lot. I spent New Year’s Eve in Seoul during a long layover after visiting the USA already anticipating my trip to the Philippines and Indonesia for Chinese New Year. Between working full time and working on my blog and YouTube channel, I was excited to have…
48 Hours in Kiev, Ukraine – GoWonder City Guide
Kiev is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe and happens to be the 8th most populated city in Europe. Like many formerly communist countries, Ukraine has undergone extreme economic and social changes. Today, Kiev is a bustling cosmopolitan city combining historic architecture, modern cafes and a vibrant nightlife. In other words, it’s the perfect tourist destination!
Life With Autism in Ukraine
Tania needs help because she doesn’t know how to teach or engage her son Radomir. He needs to be taught elementary things that normal children know by themselves. However at the same time he is a good manipulator, he can recognize people’s weaknesses after meeting them just twice. She was 28-years-old when he was born….
Abandoned Factory Used as Azov Base May Fall Into the Wrong Hands
The short drive from the armed checkpoint to the assigned parking area reveals large abandoned buildings and sidewalks overgrown with grass. Several cars are parked in the area overlooking a training course, a fenced off area and large building with no windows. Another guarded checkpoint offers access to the living area. Soldiers, trainees and volunteers…
Afghan War Veterans – War in Ukraine
I spoke to Oleh Michnev, the head of the Afghan war veterans. He was very busy and was holding an important meeting, but Eduard who I wrote about in a previous article got me a few minutes with him. When I asked him what role the Afghan war veterans played at Maidan he said, “Roles…
Czechs Celebrate Independence Day by Protesting Rusia’s War on Ukraine
The greatest surprise came when we got to the castle. When we got to our destination there was a man wearing a large paper-mâché mask reassembling Russian president’s Vladimir Putin’s face. He was holding a puppet with Zeman’s face on it. The group stopped by the puppet while the group leader, wearing a Putler shirt, explained through a microphone that the group was pro-democratic and against Putin’s influence in the Czech Republic. The speaker was Czech like most of the organizers and attendees.
100th Anniversary of WWI – DOX Front Line Exhibition
Today many nations are suffering and thousands of people are being killed. The major current conflicts with headlines all over the media include Gaza, Syria, Iraq and Ukraine. While some conflicts remain mostly regional, others like Israel-Palestine and Ukraine-Russia are becoming a threat to global peace. Obsessing over protecting the economy and continuing harmful trade cycles keeps preventing the success of peace talks and finding concrete solutions. Now more than ever we can see that history repeats itself. This is why we need to refer to the past when building a better future. That is the reason that DOX organized this exhibition…
Prague LGBT Community Supports Ukraine 2014
As a Ukrainian citizen, I was extremely touched by the gesture. This meant a lot more to me than seeing foreigners supporting my country. Although the world is becoming increasingly more open toward the LGBT community, there is still a lot of legal and social discrimination. I was honored that the LGBT community decided to spend the one day a year dedicated to celebrating their own freedom by showing their support for the sovereignty of Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine 2014 – Life During Crisis
It was volunteers who did the most at the protest, but politicians were necessary too, especially to help get people out of jail. The politicians also offered the protesters organization and helped them raise their demands. But although some politicians tried, “politicians couldn’t lead the revolution.”
Guest column: Foreign Support in Ukraine
Since the peaceful protests that began on Nov. 21, 2013 turned violent three months later, the whole world has been watching Ukraine. There have been talks between European Union member states, NATO, the United States and Russia on how to help stabilize the situation, but there is still unrest in Ukraine. People from all over…
Photos from Maidan: Ukraine’s 2014 Revolution
Here are some pictures from the very center of Kiev. They show the power and determination of Ukrainian people but they also show the terrible conditions that people lived in, and some still do. They show flowers and candles brought by all those who mourn the dead. They show what happens when people are pushed to the edge and have to fight back. If the conflict in Crimea escalates, there will be barricades, fires, flowers and candles there too.
Beagles for Peace – War in Ukraine
Today was a long and emotional day for me at Maidan, so my first post about it will be a happy one. One of the first things I saw when I arrived in the square was a group of beagles with yellow-and-blue ribbons on their collars. Their owners were holding signs that read “Beagles for…
One Field Hospital – War in Ukraine
I spent several hours in one of the field hospitals in the very center of Maidan. I spoke to several nurses there, but mainly Iryna Zakharchenko and Olga Azzuz. They pointed out the nurse who was treating the first victim of the protests, the Armenian boy who died on January 22nd 2014. The hospital had…
Olga Azzuz – War in Ukraine
At the field hospital I spoke a lot to a woman called Olga Azzuz, who works there as a dentist. After her shift she took me around Maidan and told me how the protests started and how the situation escalated. She gave me insight on what the situation was like before the protests and how…
Kora Smirinova a Russian Ukrainian
Kora Smirinova posted a photo of herself on Facebook on March 12th, and it wasn’t just an ordinary photo. Many girls take selfies and post duck-face pictures showing off their cleavage, but Smirnova did something a little different. She’s a modern woman and definitely no damsel in distress…
February 18th Photos – War in Ukraine
These pictures are from February 18th, when a large number of people lost their lives. Tetiana Kagui was one of the many people who gathered to go up to Verkhovna Rada, Ukrainian parliament, to demand them to return to the 2004 Constitution. She was the one who took all these pictures. Going there everyone anticipated…
Parliamentary frustration in Ukraine – War in Ukraine
The deputies were all dressed professionally but not everyone acted the way they looked. Voices were raised, speeches were booed and disrespected and people talked over each other. This can be excused because we are all human and our emotions take over sometimes. But what really surprised me was the lack of initiative that spread…
Brotherhood – War in Ukraine
Brotherhood was a word that I heard a lot yesterday at Maidan. Everyone there came on their own free will explains Olga Azzyz, a volunteer at a hospital, “we meet and we are like family.” During my first 10 minutes in the square, I heard a woman speaking in Ukrainian on stage and she ended…
The Story of a Hero: Eduard Kryhov – War in Ukraine
Eduard Kryhov helped out a lot at one of the medical points, and one night, they were told that Berkut was about to storm them. He was had a knee problem at the time and knew he wasn’t able to help carry injured men out to safety. Instead he grabbed a hand-grenade and walked up to where the Berkut could see him. The 64-year-old man showed them what he was holding and said, “Look at me; I have seen all there is to see, I don’t care anymore, if you come in here, we will all die together.” The Berkut did not attack the medical point; Kryhov had saved several lives with his bravery. R.I.P.
Flag Parade Review – War in Ukraine
Today I was part of the Flag Parade, and it was a really amazing experience. We met and prepared our flags in Shevchenko park where I met a lot of interesting international people, some who even spoke Russian or Ukrainian. Everyone was mingling, having a great time and most importantly supporting Ukraine. Everyone in the world speaks about the “American Dream”, yet there were Americans who live in Kiev praising Ukraine and its people; saying that they were inspired by Ukrainians. There were short speeches in Ukrainian, Russian, English, German and French. Every speech ended in loud applause. The speaker who welcomed us on stage said, “we might not understand all the words, but support speaks for itself.”
Women at Maidan – War in Ukraine
Women have always played important roles in Ukrainian history. Whenever there was a conflict, women took up arms or found other ways to help their country. One of the active groups at Maidan were the Cossacks. They were mostly men but had a female Cossack group as well. Women who wanted to help but couldn’t…
Afghan War Veterans – War in Ukraine
Oleh Michney told me that protests started with students who were living below normal standards. When they were beaten for protesting, their parents and grandparents were angered and joined the protests. “We don’t support any political party,” Michnev said, “we stand between protesters and aggressors to avoid the spilling of blood, and we of all people understand the value of blood.”
Beagles for Peace: Puppy Protest
Today was a long and emotional day for me at Maidan so my first post about it will be a happy one. One of the first things I saw when I arrived in the square was a group of beagles with yellow-and-blue ribbons on their collars. Their owners were holding signs that read “Beagles for Peace” standing on the steps by the ‘Christmas tree’. Other beagle owners were coming from every direction and the cuteness was attracting a lot of attention from those passing by…
Flag Parade for Ukraine – War in Ukraine
“We support a united Ukraine, a complete Ukraine, including Crimea.” Tomorrow I will participate in a Flag Parade. This will be the 5th parade created by the international community living in Kiev and the goal of it is to “show support for ‘new’ Ukraine”. They wish to “draw media attention to disprove any lies regarding the…
Maidan Graffiti – War in Ukraine
Right now there are two places in Kiev where you can see what remains of Maidan. It is mostly left for tourists to get a feel of what happened and as a memorial to those who died. Yesterday I saw the smaller one. It was painful looking at how many flowers and candles people had…
Yanukovich’s House – War in Ukraine
Today I attempted to enter Yanukovych’s house even though it is indefinitely closed by the government. They want to investigate what was found there and make preparations to turn it into more of a museum for those interested. It took an hour to drive there and I spent twenty minutes trying to get let in. Other people also came and argued with the guards – even when we tried together, the answer was still ‘no’… Under the old government, you could do and get almost anywhere even if it was against the law. The most common ways were name-dropping, bribing and threatening.
The Right Sector – War in Ukraine
Today I spoke on the phone with Artem Skoropadsky, the spokesperson for the Right Sector in Ukraine. The party has been accused of igniting violence at the protests and its members have been called neo-Nazis. I was not present at the protests so I am in no position to agree or disagree with these accusations….
Parliamentary Frustration – War in Ukraine
The deputies were all dressed professionally but not everyone acted the way they looked. Voices were raised, speeches were booed and disrespected and people talked over each other. This can be excused because we are all human and our emotions take over sometimes. But what really surprised me was the lack of initiative that spread through the room as time passed like a common cold…
Hanna Herman – War in Ukraine
“It is clear that the deputies here today don’t want Ukraine to split apart, for half of Ukraine to fall away.” As I listened to the deputies in Verkhovna Rada, Hanna Mykolayivna Herman really stood out to me. She is a member of the Party of Regions and Vice Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee…
Waiting to Board – War in Ukraine
Several minutes before boarding and there are more people than I expected to see flying to Ukraine today. The English language TV briefly showed updates regarding the situation in Ukraine but very few people were paying attention. The people waiting around me are mostly Russian-speaking holders of the blue Ukrainian passport but there are also several Czechs….
February 18th, 2014 Witness – War in Ukraine
This evening I met with Galika Olena Ivanivna. This 62-year-old woman with the energy and spirit of a college student was standing in Mariinsky park on February 18th. That day she saw like-minded people of all ages being shot at and murdered right in front of her. She was helpless and couldn’t stop it. It’s been almost a month since and she had trouble keeping her voice steady as she spoke about what she saw. She hasn’t been back to the park or Maidan since.
Sharing Another Byline
Every time I go to a new place I try to learn something new and connect it to what I already know, then if given the chance I try and share it with others. I got a chance to do this during my exchange in Hawaii at University of Hawaii at Hilo, and I was…
Guest Column: Remember May 4th, Support Ukraine
“Shame and tragedy in America; the photographs accuse; the crime in Kent remains unpunished…” Originally published by Izvestia, a Soviet newspaper, I saw this quote at the May 4th memorial at Kent State. Being at the memorial and watching the video had a significant effect on me because my parents are currently in the middle…
TheTravelBugBite 