UKRAINE 2014 --What Is It Like Today?

[AkMike]

Boe if you want to make such a big deal out of this you look up your own links about it. I trust my wife with facts about her city and it's names. I have a hunch that there are many cities that have hung themselves with nick names such as shown above. I doubt that there was a contest with voting for the title.
I've been thru Kaniv but never fished there at this time.

 TMD, It's  good sized city with good looking women in it. IMO the best part about it is that the women are good inside as well as pretty. Cuteness wears off after a while,  but the inner beauty can continue to grow.

[Boethius]

I won't be able to find a link because the assertion is inaccurate.


In my calls today, I asked 8 different relatives, 4 in Western Ukraine, 5 in Kyiv, if they ever heard that Cherkassy was the "city of brides" in Soviet times, and they laughed in my face.


The point is, most everyone in the Slavic parts, at least, knew Ivanovo as the city of brides.  I've now asked 9 people who grew up in the USSR, and not one heard of this.  So how could it be?


No, cities did not have "nicknames".  Cities were known for certain things - Ivano Frankvisk, as the place where people still spoke Ukrainian, Ternopil was known as the "sugar beet capital" of Ukraine (though not a nickname), Chernivtsi was known for its musicians, and so on. 

[AkMike]

Yet my wife who Ukrainian/Soviet born who lived there for most of her life says that it has been known that for many years. It may still be that it is a regional nick name. Just as others have commented on other towns also having this handle attached to them.

 It really doesn't matter who held that title does it?

 Myself and several others I've met,  have found out brides there, so for us in particular it fits. 

[Boethius]

Yet people less than 200 km away have never heard this, though they've heard of the same moniker for a city about 1200 km away?


Sorry, not buying it.


 

[Boethius]

On another note, Kyiv's gay rights parade was held, peacefully, yesterday.


http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/13/world/europe/ukraine-shields-gay-rights-parade-from-repeat-of-violence.html?ref=world

[dragonkid]

Be right back going to visit a city because apparently some boundaries means the women are magically hotter and more genuine

[AkMike]

  They are where you find them! 

[JayH]

IMO the best part about it is that the women are good inside as well as pretty. Cuteness wears off after a while,  but the inner beauty can continue to grow.

Forum has recently been fixated on appearance and physical features,age,beauty and sex appeal etc.
Mike just made THE most pointed comment above.
I love beautiful looking women as much as the next guy(probably more so) and it is easy to be glib and say it does not matter. Once past first impressions ( presuming basic ideas are met--eg in my case-not fat) personality and demeanour are far more important issues.

The recent talk of the size of mammaries smacks of the MOB catalogue type of selection-not exactly the formula to make lasting relationships.

[JayH]

Item of interest!

A short history of the Ukrainian greeting “Slava Ukrayini!”

Historians claim that the phrase “Slava Ukrayini!” (Glory to Ukraine!) first appeared in the Black Zaporozhtsi Cavalry Regiment, an armed unit of the UNR Army[1], which fought for the independence of Ukraine in 1918-1920.

At that time, Ukrainian partisans greeted each other with this slogan, but the response was different – “Kozakam Slava!” (Glory to the Kozaks!) During the Hetmanate period of Hetman Pavlo Skoropadsky[2], a similar greeting was used – “Slava Ukrayini!” “Hetmanu Slava!” (Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Hetman!)

Thus, “Slava Ukrayini!” remained as a greeting, but there were several responses. So, why and how did “Heroyam Slava!” (Glory to the Heroes) catch on?


http://euromaidanpress.com/2016/06/13/a-short-history-of-the-ukrainian-greeting-slava-ukrayini/

[Boethius]

Here is a translation of an interesting overview of the language wars in Ukraine.


http://euromaidanpress.com/2016/12/01/the-russian-world-and-the-kivalov-kolesnichenko-language-law-in-ukraine/

[Boethius]

Here is the opinion of a prominent Ukrainian writer on the language wars -

http://zbruc.eu/node/59539

and a translation of his article -

http://euromaidanpress.com/2016/12/10/language-as-enemy/

[JayH]

Here is the opinion of a prominent Ukrainian writer on the language wars -

http://zbruc.eu/node/59539

and a translation of his article -

http://euromaidanpress.com/2016/12/10/language-as-enemy/

It is a decent attempt at complex topics.

[JayH]

A video on some basics.
A couple of points --on tipping -- blogger comments it is not necessary. Please be aware -- waiting staff are often underpaid and rely on tips to make it worthwhile. If paying by credit card  --tip waiter/waitress with cash directly. Do not presume a tip will be distributed fairly or as you intended.
Do not go overboard on the amount -- but as pointed out in vid-- the exchange rate is in your favour.

On the exchange rate --one of the things I often chuckle to myself over is how I find myself comparing prices there ie one item against the next -- and still looking to save money!  As an example -- a bottle of mineral water at the supermarket is say   UAH 12 and  in street stall  UAH25 (about USD$1)  against say about $4-$5 or more western price .
The markets are fun for me -- the basics foods can be very well priced .Some things need a little thinking if you think you are looking at brands you know !

The guy does make some nice observations of Ukraine.

UKRAINE IS SOOOO


http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=wF1Mp3X_g1k

[rw_recruiter]

I will be in Ukraine in several days, thank you for posting this and bumping the thread JayH. Useful insight.