LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (09/25/05)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Let's get away from the negative

Dear Editor:

I am not Ukrainian, but I am married to a Ukrainian. I like Ukraine and I am always very surprised when letters in The Ukrainian Weekly, from people with Ukrainian names, say bad things about Ukraine. In the past month we have had letters bemoaning the "wilting of the orange blossoms" and saying that the women in Kyiv who wear rather revealing clothes are prostitutes, that no one in Kyiv speaks Ukrainian and that, in general, Ukraine is a terrible place to visit.

My wife and I just returned from a four-week research trip to Ukraine, where we had a wonderful time. I'd like to pick up on some of the points the previous letters raised.

Everyone we spoke to in Ukraine, from those in Kyiv to villagers, were much more realistic than we are in the West about the Orange Revolution. "Miracles cannot happen overnight," was the usual comment. What we did feel was an energy and enthusiasm that were not there during our last visit in 2001. I have been to Ukraine many times since my first visit in 1987. Perhaps because each visit was separated from the previous by a few years, I see dramatic changes for the better each time. People are increasingly able to make a living and are increasingly able to enjoy life.

To comment on clothing: My wife and I would often sit and drink a beer in a cafe on Vulytsia Industrialna (Industrial Street) on the way home to our apartment, or at a table on the maidan (Independence Square) and watch the "fashion show." Indeed, many of the outfits worn by the women were quite revealing, but I suspect that not all these women were prostitutes. Our very good female friend in Kyiv, a proper lady in her early 40s, will go out shopping wearing a fairly translucent pair of white pants (thong visible from the rear). This is topped with a gauzy blouse that shows her bra, lace upper portion fully visible. We, who actually know this person, realize that our friend has quite enough to do working in retail and in a clinic, and that her jobs bring in a good income which she would never consider supplementing in the way her outfit would imply to some people. As for the outfit - it happens to be contemporary Ukrainian fashion. Similar outfits were worn by the staff and the secretaries at the Academy of Sciences Institute, where we attended a conference.

Concerning the Ukrainian language: I have only had one year of Ukrainian language instruction so cannot comment in detail, but my wife assures me that in the buses, the metro, the kiosks and the stores in Kyiv, the predominant language is Ukrainian. Perhaps in the Hotel Dnipro and restaurants on the Khreshchatyk, Russian is preferred. We do not know. Ukrainian is the language of choice among the ordinary folk, the ones who live and work in the less affluent sections of Kyiv. Certainly, in the villages few people even understand Russian.

Let us get away from the negative aspects. Everywhere in the villages where we lived three weeks, we saw improvements in lifestyle and attitude. Many people have installed electric pumps on their wells. In Ploske, my wife interviewed a young man who had built a gym with his friends. It has equipment they made from old automobile parts. Their willingness to improvise like this shows laudatory initiative, in my opinion.

In Yavorivka, the 200-year-old church which was forcibly converted into a granary by the Soviets is being rescued by the villagers, with no outside help. We interviewed four very nice, very dedicated young priests. A village farmer who had a car in 2001 now has a tractor and a new car and just bought a computer for his children.

The people in Kyiv have time to sit at cafés and have a beer, rather than just trying to round up two more people to share a bottle of horilka, as in the past. While we were having our "brown bag" lunch of bread and cheese with a beer we bought on the maidan, the woman flower seller shared her lettuce with us, with a smile. The people are smiling, not leering.

I think the loosening up of the visa requirements for U.S. and Canadian citizens should encourage the diaspora to return to Ukraine for a visit.

Peter W. Holloway
Edmonton

The letter-writer is emeritus professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics at the University of Alberta.

Alumni proud of SUNY Potsdam

Dear Editor:

It was a great surprise that I read in the School of Education and Professional Studies Newsletter an article about Ukraine. I am a graduate of the State University of New York at Potsdam with B.S. and M.S degrees in education. The article stated that a $300,000 Freedom Grant from the U.S. Department of State was awarded to Dr. Ed Portugal, chair of the business administration department at SUNY Potsdam, and that John Nixon, professor of psychology at SUNY Canton, brought five faculty from Ukraine to campus for the 2004-2005 academic year.

The grant goals included creation of a new SUNY International Business Management Certificate program and development and implementation of a new Small Business Development and Resource Center for Southern Ukraine at Kherson. Exchange faculty and staff from all three campuses traveled between northern New York and southern Ukraine.

One component of the project came to fruition when the Ukrainian Studies Center, housed at Dunn Hall on the SUNY Potsdam campus, officially opened on March 24 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

During the fall semester Prof. Nixon and Dr. Portugal worked closely with Dr. Iryna Tsobrova, Dr. Nataliya Tyukhtenko and Leonid Zhryrov to advise and guide them in the right direction for reaching their goals while researching at SUNY Potsdam. Dr. Tyukhlenko and Mr. Zhyrov returned to Ukraine in December. Dr. Kira Baysha and Yaroslava Fedorova joined Dr. Tsobrova in January. During the spring semester, Prof. Nixon and Dr. Donna Mosier, associate professor and interim chair of business administration, continued to advise and facilitate the Ukraine faculty. Dr. Portugal, on leave from SUNY Potsdam, worked with faculty at Kherson State University for seven weeks during the semester.

Dr. Tsobrova worked as a translator and taught classes at SUNY Canton and SUNY Potsdam. Dr. Tyukhtenko, Mr. Zhyrov, Dr. Baysha and Ms. Fedorova worked on researching small business development while attending classes at SUNY Potsdam to facilitate their understanding of Potsdam's teaching practices and business course content. The group gave numerous on- and off-campus presentations on Ukraine's history and culture, and their activities at SUNY Potsdam.

My husband, William, and I were proud to see the Ukrainian Studies Center on the Potsdam campus.

Gloria Misnick
Corning, N.Y.

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