Sometimes its hard to find good information about traveling in Eastern Ukraine. However, that is not to say there isn’t anything to write about. And don’t forget that half of the Euro 2012 games will be played in Easter Ukraine! The site below offers good information on Donetsk, one of the larger cities in the East, and the location of a brand-new soccer stadium for Euro 2012. Check it out!

http://www.directlytravel.com/donetsk-city-ukraine.html

By Scotty Colson
I was in Krasnodon as part of the Community Partner’s program.
Birmingham and Krasnodon were matched up.  Krasnodon is in the far east
of the country right on the border with Russia separated only by the
Donets (sp) river.   The city officials were taking us to a factory they
wanted to someday re-open and to get investment for.  The road up to the
factory was nice until we got a half mile from the factory and then the
road became an almost impassable trail.   After this bumpy ride I got
out of the car and asked; “Hey what happened to the road”.  I was
informed by the Chief of Police who was with us “Road Stolen.”   I did
not think I heard him right so I asked for a translations.  Sure enough
the road had been stolen!  The road was made of slabs of concrete and
someone had stolen about half a mile of concrete slabs.  I asked the
Chief how you report a stolen road.  Without missing a beat he said; “On
the incident report you give the address as the street formerly located
at…”
When we went into the factory it had been closed for about 8 years.  It
had been a word working factory.  All the old banners exhorting the
workers to strive for victory in the class struggle against the
imperialist capitalists were still hanging.   Everything was left just
like people had put their tools down and walked away.   Every surface
was covered in about an inch of dust.  Except one room.  This room had a
large generator.  It was perfectly clean and shiny and looked like it
was ready to fire up.   Next door was an office with a bed and furniture
and small stove.  The office was apparently a home now.  Outside the
window was a nice garden with chickens and goats and vegetables growing.
The lady living in the office came in to see what were doing there.  She
was thrilled to see people visiting the factory.  When the factory was
in operation she was in charge of the generator I mentioned earlier.
Since the factory had closed she had not been able to get other work and
had lost her home.  She moved into the factory 6 years before and made
her a home there and every day she cleaned the old generator in hopes
someone would come back and open the factory and give her back her old
job.  We went away from this factory realizing that patience is a virtue
that can be overdone.

For the beauty of Ukraine I paused,

I paused to contemplate.

I contemplate the land and its changing contours.

I think about the changes this land has seen and the changes it has endured.

But the land remains.

It remains ever present, ever enduring.

I contemplate the Ukrainian culture and all its diversity,

a diversity that I can never totally experience nor understand.

But I enjoy all those cultural aspects that I am blessed to receive.

For the culture endures.

It remains as a rock,

a solid foundation for Ukrainian people.

I contemplate a history that is both sad and inspiring.

Ukraine has seen its share of history;

Ukraine has been history.

Its history has defined it;

Its history has shaped it;

Its history has changed it.

But Ukraine endures.

Its history is indeed before it.

The past is merely prologue.

The enduring spirit of Ukraine demands as much.

I contemplate the character of Ukraine’s people.

God indeed must have decided to put the best of women in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian woman’s beauty is unsurpassed;

Her heart is exceedingly warm and exceptionally strong;

Her smile is a bright spring day;

Her intellect is Ukraine’s hidden strength.

Ukrainian men have been granted a country of beautiful women as a gift from God.

But God has exacted a heavy price from Ukrainian men.

Ukrainian men have died in tragic numbers and in tragic ways.

Yet, they are true patriots.

They are brave;

They are consummate hosts;

They endure.

They are many of my best friends.

I know that no better friend could any one man have but a Ukrainian.

I contemplate where Ukraine is going.

It matters not what I think however.

It only matters what Ukraine does.

But, Ukraine has history;

It has culture;

It has the land;

But, most importantly, it has its people.

I have seen its beautiful and irrefutably strong women;

I can call many of its men my friends.

I know Ukraine will endure.

It will do nothing less.

Rusty Brooks

October 2001

In most of the former Soviet Union, May 9 still marks Victory Day, a holiday commemorating the capitulation of the Nazis to the Soviet Union in World War II.  Since the fall of the USSR, this holiday has been adapted to align symbolically with new national holidays in many of the former Soviet republics.  In Lutsk, a town of about 206,000* people in Volynska Oblast in western Ukraine, Victory Day both venerates the city’s triumph over the Fascist occupation in World War II and celebrates the country’s independent status. The following photos portray how a Ukrainian nationalist part of the country honors Victory Day.

*Population statistic taken from (http://www.lutsk.ua/english/modern_city.html)

These photos were taken by Derek Hom, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Lutsk, Ukraine, from 2007 to 2009.  He is currently a MA candidate at the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies in the Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies.  Derek is studying Post-Soviet security affairs focusing on Ukrainian affairs and Black Sea Security.  This summer, Derek will study Russian language in Odessa, Ukraine, through a Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) award.

This photo journal is also featured in the Spring/Summer 2010 REECAS Newsletter published by the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies, Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies (http://depts.washington.edu/jsishelp/ellison/)

On April 26, 1986 the city of Chornobyl, Ukraine was transformed.  Chornobyl became infamous as the most serious nuclear disaster in history.  Due to both mechanical and human errors in the an uncontrollable surge of energy occur when a test was run on one of the reactors and caused several eruptions which relased  radioactive material into the envrionment and created a radiation cloud that spread over a large part of Europe.

43 people died as a direct result of the disaster and hundreds of thousands more were exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation.  Thyroid cancer has become infinitely more prevalent in the area and much of the plant and animal populations in the immediate area were adversely affected.

Today the atmospheric radiation around the Chornobyl Site has returned to the levels before the meltdown. The site has also been the destination for eco-tours as well as general curiosity. It can be an expensive trip, but clearly an interesting and important historical event to explore.

Watch here to see what its like:

http://www.rferl.org/video/7045.html

The environmental impact of the disaster remains and life of any form in the area will never be the same. Every year in Ukraine schools all over the country hold conferences to educate students on the tragic history of this nuclear facility.

For more information please visit:

U.N. Report

You might know them as pirogi, or dumplings, but I know these delicious bites as Varennyky! Varrenyky are a dish that any traveler in Ukraine needs to try. They are dumplings that are filled with a variety of things.  The most common fillings are potatoes, farmers cheese (similiar to cottage cheese), and meat, but it is not hard to find ones filled with mushrooms, cabbage, or fruit (usually served for dessert).

The Varennyky dough is cut into circles, filled, and then closed into a half-moon shape. Sometimes they are sauteed with salo (bacon bits) or with a mushroom sauce, and then served with sour cream.  If they are of the fruit variety they can be sprinkled with sugar. They are delicious!

To find the best Varrennyky I suggest you find your nearest babusya, but if you can’t make it to Ukraine today you can try making your own!

Heres a great recipe!  http://www.shesimmers.com/2010/04/best-vareniki-dough-recipe-from-valya.html

I arrived in the south of Odessa oblast,  the town of Kiliya,  in the late summer. The trees were vibrantly yellow; the sky brilliant blue…  the colors of the Ukrainian flag reflected in autumnal views. I strolled down tree-lined streets, and greeted new neighbors and town-mates. Here people saunter, smile, chat, push babies in strollers and make small shop purchases. Bushes and trees take over the sidewalks, and there are flowers in all the yards, gardens, and parks. This is a pleasant place to live.

My first impression of Kiliya was very positive, and has remained so through these past months of my life here. The town is comfortable in its own skin —usually quiet, relaxed,  easy to traverse.  As I got settled into my flat, found my way around the town’s shops and streets, and met new people, I was very favorable impressed with the friendliness of this town, and the willingness of people to help me learn about it. I visited the bazaar, the museum, the library, the remains of the old fortress and bell tower, and the churches. There have been visits to the neighboring towns of Vilkova and Izmail.  All of these sites have been interesting and pleasantly surprising: I had no idea of the historic nature of this region of the Danube, and the dramatic events of the past. There have been many struggles between countries and empires, yet people of a dozen or more ethnic groups live side by side here in what was once called  “Bessarabia”.  I have learned that Kiliya is on the list of the ten oldest towns in Ukraine…. 2700 years of history is claimed by this pleasant place, dating from the trade routes of the Greeks and Romans.

This place is ripe for more tourism, especially for those who want someplace out of the way, pleasant and relaxing, but interesting.  The town is about 200 km south of Odessa so it is a bit of a jaunt to get here – but once you are here, there is a feeling that I can only liken to an experience from my home in Hawaii. Of the millions who visit Maui, several a certain percentage of people will make a long, winding 3- or 4-hour drive to the tiny village of Hana in a remote corner of the island.  Sometimes it is the journey itself that attracts the visitor, or the novelty of the remote. And sometimes it is the quiet satisfaction and charm of Hana that captures their souls.    Perhaps Kiliya is Ukraine’s Hana. It takes a couple-few hours to get here, but the trip is well worth it!

Welcome, visitors: come and discover the charms of Kiliya, as I have!

Barbara Trecker, Peace Corps Volunteer, Ukraine

Kiliya Travel Brochure

Recently an American teacher had an experience similar to my own in Ukraine.  He was utterly impressed by the language skills of his Ukrainian students and all the things Ukraine had to offer.  After his trip, he felt he had gained far more from the experience then he could give.

American Teacher Travels to Lutsk, Ukraine

This year the Orthodox and Catholic calendars actually coincided, so Easter in both the US and Ukraine was this past Sunday, April 5. Most often, though, the Ukrainian Orthodox Easter falls later in the year than the American holiday.

In Ukraine, Easter is the biggest holiday of the year, for many families. Easter is three days long in Ukraine, although the biggest day is still Easter Sunday. The holiday starts on Saturday night. Everyone attends Church for a candle-lit ceremony through the night. In addition, all the church-goers bring their Easter baskets to be blessed. Inside are all the painted eggs (pysanky), sausage, and Easter Paska break (like coffee cake). This way, when the fast is broken after the church ceremony all the food can be considered holy.

If you sleep at all on Easter it is only for a few hours. In the morning on Sunday, the real celebration begins. There is a huge feast including all the food that was blessed the night before as well as a little vodka, and then a lot more food! The celebrating can continue (as with most holidays in Ukraine) for hours!

Usually Ukrainians spend the first day of Easter with their families, and the second and third paying visits to friends.

Ukrainian Easter in the Kyiv Post

Come Join Travel To Ukraine at this year’s National Cathedral Flower Mart in Washington, D.C.  Experience Ukrainian Culture, Food, and explore Travel opportunities! MAY 7-8!

You may not know it, but flowers are very important in Ukraine.  When you give someone flowers be careful, numbers and flowers mean something specific!  Never give flowers in even numbers, this is bad luck!

Here are some of the most popular Flowers of Ukraine

For more about the Flower Mart visit

http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/NCFlowerMart.htm

or

FLOWER MART