Ukraine: The Far-Eastern Border of Europe - Research Paper Example

Section/# Ukraine – The Far Eastern Border of Europe Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Ukraine has existed as an independent country. It currently has a population of 40 million people and is slightly larger than the state of Texas (Johnstone 2011). The culture of Ukraine is described as quintessentially Eastern European. What is meant by this is that the culture, language, ethnicity, and religion have been clearly defined by Slavic culture combined with the religious influences of Orthodoxy. Figure 1.0 displays a map of Ukraine as it currently exists: Figure 1.0 The Ukrainian language was recently voted as the second most beautiful language in the entire world (second only to Italian) (Oneshkyvich, 2008). Ukrainian language is related to Russian (Kubicek 2008). However, grammatically, it more closely resembles Polish and Czech. Due to the fact that Ukraine has not been integrated with Europe for over 70 years (as a result of the Soviet Union), there are few English speakers available to an “English only” tourist (Risch 2011). As such, it would be a strong recommendation to obtain a tour guide and/or hire a native speaker who could act to guide the tourist as well as negotiate prices. The culture displays many nuances that a Westerner would not fully understand unless it was explained to him/her. For instance, like many Asian cultures, Ukrainians are very prone to remove their shoes prior to entering into a house or place of employment. Slippers are often provided for guests so that they can conveniently remove their shoes while still having something to cover their feet while moving around inside. Furthermore, whereas one might be tempted to put one’s feet up on the couch or rest them on a chair, such a practice is frowned upon in Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. Similar to many Mediterranean cultures, Ukrainians often express themselves using high levels of body language. Whereas those from a more Anglo-European background would find this waving of hands and other gestures to be out of the ordinary, even rude, they are used to great effect to convey meaning, levels of irritation, expressions of finality, and frustration with a given topic or person. Due to the effects of communism, many people are non-religious and/or atheist. However, the historical strength of the Orthodox Church is gaining in influence and it is difficult to go very far without seeing the onion domes of the Orthodox churches that dot the countryside. Although the exterior of these churches do not closely mirror those that a Western European or American might be familiar with, the theology of belief is very much similar to that of the Catholic Church from which the Orthodox Church originally derived. The Orthodox Church, or more specifically the Eastern Orthodox Church (to distinguish it from its Greek counterpart) was born from the schism that resulted from the sacking of Constantinople by the Romans during the 1st Crusade (Korostelina 2011). Resultantly, the church leaders in Constantinople (currently Istanbul) decided that they no longer wanted to be considered under the same religious umbrella that Rome placed over them. Consequently, the Orthodox Church was born into existence. It is hard to over-emphasize the importance of the Orthodox Church as it relates to Eastern Europe and specifically Ukraine. This can be understood for a number of reasons but mostly due to the fact that during the days of the Russian Empire (of which Ukraine was a part), the Orthodox Church was considered on equal place with the Tsar (Velychenko 2007). One may remember seeing the double headed eagle that represented Imperial Russia. The eagles’ heads represent the head of the state and the head of the church (metropolitan). These metropolitans were and are similar in nature to the position that is occupied by the Pope in Rome. As such, these religious leaders held a great deal of power over the nation and the laws that affected it up until the Bolshevik Revolution. An example of this continued power can be seen in the fact that Ukrainians celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January as opposed to the 25th of December. This is the direct result of the fact that the Orthodox Church never converted over to the Julian calendar. Another cultural divergence with that of the remainder of Europe is the way in which marriages are celebrated. Whereas marriage celebrations in the US and Europe take place over the course of a single afternoon, Ukrainian weddings can last for over 3 days and involve hundreds even thousands of local community members (Magocsi 2007). The marriage ceremony itself is relatively short; however, the lead up to it, the feasting, drinking, dancing, and traditions that are involved occupy the space of several days. Oftentimes, the groomsmen will “steal” the bride away from the groom and an elaborate game of hide and seek is played. Sometimes this game is played under the auspices that the bride is in some form of danger and a ransom is requested (usually something small such as a few bottles of vodka). Other traditions include taking the in-laws and throwing them into a nearby lake or river as a symbol of the fact that they do not hold sway over the actions of the married couple anymore. Additionally, traditional wedding gifts are uncommon as cash is principally given to the young married couple in lieu of household or personal items (Helbig 2009). All cultures have a litany of superstitions and the fact that Ukraine incorporates a multitude of ethnic and cultural groups ensures that it displays many such superstitions. One of these is concentric around the act of giving flowers to a loved one as it is important to remember not to give an even number of flowers due to the fact that even numbers symbolize death and funerals. Furthermore, it is considered unlucky to whistle indoors due to the fact that it is believed that those who do will not have any money. With respect to the food that is available, it can generally be described as continental; albeit somewhat bland. The food generally consists of a great deal of bread, soup, potatoes, grains, and porridge. As such, there are not many dishes that incorporate a great deal or variety of spices. What is interesting to note is a large number of the dishes that Ukraine is famous for (specifically Ukrainian borscht) rely heavily on the use of homegrown vegetables and the inclusion of garlic, onions, beets, and tomatoes. Most Ukrainians that do not dwell in the city, regardless of their financial situation, grow most of these ingredients in their own gardens. As such, planting, maintaining, and tending a garden can very much be considered a central facet of the Ukrainian lifestyle. Although much of Eastern Europe has struggled to recover from the effects of communism, some aspects of communism have left a powerfully positive effect on the culture and the people. The most prominent of these is the superior level of the educational system in Ukraine. Although Ukraine does not pour hundreds of millions of dollars into their educational system each and every year, as the United States does, the level of scholarship that the students are able to achieve is remarkable. English language is currently taught from the first grade and calculus is taught by 9th grade (Polese 2010). Consequently, the mathematical abilities of high school graduates far exceed those levels of the standard US college graduate. In this way, the educational system puts a high stress on preparing the students for specialized skills that they will learn during college without the need to cover many topics in a remedial fashion (Alberta 2008). The fact that the nation is so large makes it difficult to give out recommendations for what spots might mostly interest a potential tourist; however, the tourist has two distinct options with regards to what specific type of activities they would like to engage upon. Firstly, Ukraine offers a wide range of skiing opportunities during the winter in the Carpathian Mountains on its far western border with Poland/Romania/Slovenia. Likewise, if an individual is interested in a more historical trip, there is the resort city of Yalta where Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt met during the Second World War. Similarly, if one is interested in a historically religious trip, there are the many cathedrals and catacombs of the capital Kiev that can be visited where some of the saints of the church are displayed in their catacombs that date back as far as 1500 years. However, regardless of the season, a true must see list would doubtless include the penninsual of Crimea. With its mountains, varied coastline, clear blue waters and historical landmarks it holds perhaps the most attractions per square mile of any place in all of Ukraine. In short, the highlights of the nation cannot be adequately summed up in the space of a single statement as it depends on the interests of the prospective tourist to decide what activities would be best suited to their desires. References Alberta Education, L. (2008). Ukrainian Language and Culture: 9-Year Program Classroom Assessment Materials, Grade 4. Alberta Education. Helbig, A. (2009). Culture and customs of Ukraine. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. Johnstone, S. (2011). Ukraine. Footscray, Vic. London: Lonely Planet. Korostelina, K. (2011). Shaping unpredictable past: National identity and history education in Ukraine. National Identities, 13(1), 1-16. doi:10.1080/14608944.2010.508817 Kubicek, P. (2008). The history of Ukraine. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. Magocsi, P. (2007). Ukraine : an illustrated history. Seattle: University of Washington Press. Oneshkyvich, Z. (2009). Contemporary Ukraine on the cultural map of Europe. Armonk, N.Y: M.E. Sharpe, Inc. in cooperation with the Shevchenko Scientific Society. Polese, A. (2010). The Formal and the Informal: Exploring "Ukrainian" Education in Ukraine, Scenes from Odessa. Comparative Education, 46(1), 47-62. Risch, W. (2011). The Ukrainian West : culture and the fate of empire in Soviet Lviv. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. Velychenko, S. (2007). Ukraine, the EU and Russia : history, culture and international relations. 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