Back to School with “The Day of Knowledge”
Each year on September 1st, Ukrainian primary schools celebrate “the day of knowledge.” A soviet tradition, it is…
Tights for Beauty and Tights for Onions
I remember wearing my favorite skirts all year round. When I was a young lady, the skirts hid…
The Lost Kopiykas of the Ukrainian Supermarkets
I like shopping in foreign supermarkets. Much like eating at McDonalds, it is a standardized experience, unconnected to…
Schengen, a New Wall
Schengen.” In Western Europe the word belongs to the jargon Made in EU and is rarely heard out…
My Ukrainian Name: “Alexander Gelmutovich Goedde”
I am used to my name changing abroad. My last name, ‘Gödde’, has one of the German ‘Umlaute’…
Gas, Water, Electric: The masters of the “central heating”
When I moved into my first apartment here in Ukraine, I was told that it had “central heating”.…
Ukraine … in Europe
Every Ukrainian knows that the center of Europe is in Ukraine, and you will often be told that.…
Two Steps Backward, Two Steps Forward
There are a lot of things that are unusual when you first come to a new country. Every…
Bath of the Orthodox Epiphany: Between Tradition and Religion
“For me, it is more a tradition than a religious celebration, though I am a believer.” Yura is…
Gas, Water, and Electric: Ideological Heating
It is often overlooked how much technology can be an expression of ideology. Take the heating of my…