Ukraine
Ukraine Ukraina Eastern Europe AREA 233K mi2; 604K km2 ARABLE 56% POP 35.7M (153/mi2; 59/km2) GOV’T Semi-presidential republic CAPITAL Kyiv (3M) GDP/CAPITA $15,900 UNEMPLOYMENT 9.8% IN POVERTY 1.6% LIFE EXP 71 years MEDIAN AGE 45 yrs INFANT MORT 9/1K live births (141st) LITERACY 100% INTERNET USERS 79% LANGUAGES Ukrainian (official), Russian, other (Crimean Tatar, Moldovan/Romanian, Hungarian) RELIGIONS Ukrainian Orthodox (various) 63%, Ukrainian Greek Catholic 10%, Christian (unspecified) 8%, Protestant 4%, Roman Catholic 2%, Muslim, Jewish < 1% each, none 12% HEALTH 7.6% of GDP EDUCATION 5.4% of GDP (63rd) MILITARY since Russia's invasion in early 2022, defense spending has increased to more than 25% of GDP PCVs 1991–2022 CURRENT: 0, TTD: >3400 |  Ukraine This seasoned musician is playing a bandura, the traditional national Ukrainian stringed instrument. Described as a blend of lute and harp, the instrument has been called the "voice of Ukraine," and with good reason- its use dates back to the 6th century. Despite the Soviet government's attempts to wipe out all vestiges of Ukrainian culture during the decades when Ukraine was part of the former USSR, the bandura tradition survived. The persistence of the bandura in Ukrainian culture is a shining example of the indomitable Ukrainian spirit and resolve that we see in Ukraine's fight for survival today. Jim Schumaker © 2017 | PCV Sierra Leone 1970-1972 | Education |
Adult Books
By Oksana Masters
2023
Summary:
Born Oksana Alexandrovna Bondarchuk, the United States' most decorated winter Paralympic (Olympic) athlete tells how she overcame Chernobyl disaster-caused physical challenges through sheer determination and a drive to succeed to win the world's best in elite rowing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, and road cycling competitions. This story offers fine-grained details of the period short after Ukraine separated from the Soviet Union. This profile of the woman who put a spotlight on the state of affairs in Ukraine in the months leading up to the war with Russia (2022 to the present). The description of the woman who adopted Aksana further elaborated the tensions in Ukraine, pre-war, and the challenges an American faced in that milieu.
Awards:
A 2024 Christopher Award Winner
“A gut-wrenching, wildly inspiring story about overcoming the most daunting obstacles through steely tenacity, sheer will, and a great big dose of motherly love.” —Jeannette Walls, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle.
Kids' Books
By Maslo, Lina
Publisher: New York: Farrah Straus Giroux, 2024.
Format: unpaged; col illus.
ISBN: 978-0-374-39121-8
Age Range: 5-8 yrs.
Summary:
Threads is an inspiring picture book about a girl's survival of the 1930s Ukrainian Famine-Genocide, messaging hope, pride for one's heritage, and context for today's War in Ukraine.
Films
Film:My Thoughts Are Silent
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Antonio Luckich
Release Date: 2019
Language: Ukrainian
Run Time: 104 minutes
Synopsis:
Vadim is twenty-two. He's a sound engineer and a downer. He's going to Canada in three months. Forever. Before the departure he's assigned to record the voice of a very rare bird, which dwells only in the Transcarpathian mountains of Ukraine.—Antonio Luckich
The film examines the eternal problem of parents and children. The protagonist works as a sound engineer and musician, encounters a lot of problems and has many setbacks. The same crisis awaits him in his personal life. A Canadian company invites him to record the sounds of Ukrainian animals in Transcarpathia. He fulfills the assignment with enthusiasm and creativity, but his mother comes along and constantly disturbs and distracts him. If he manages to record the voice of a rare Rakhiv mallard, he may be able to leave "uncomfortable Ukraine" and travel to "attractive Canada."
