There is always a steady stream of bad news about Ukraine in the media. Maybe it’s the darker side of human nature or the 24-hour news cycle, but news reports seem to focus on the most negative stories. The war in the East, Vladimir Putin’s insatiable longing for a new Soviet Union and the cynical corruption of Ukrainian bureaucrats and oligarchs scream at us from the headlines and offer little hope for a new, prosperous and globally accepted Ukraine.
So I decided to leave the bad news behind and search for inspiring stories about Ukraine and Ukrainians that offer a window on the many positive things that are happening. My first focus is on developments in Ukrainian technology driven by young entrepreneurs and the second is on people who are helping to shape a more favorable image for the country and its people.
“Made in Ukraine Tech Startup Edition”
“Made in Ukraine Tech Startup Edition” was launched in the spring of 2017 in conjunction with my article, “Ukrainian technology companies reach far beyond their national borders,” which was published in The Ukrainian Weekly on April 28. In the beginning there were only the four interviews with the young Ukrainian technology entrepreneurs whose companies were profiled in the article. There are now six podcast episodes posted with a new one planned each month.
Young Ukrainian millennial technology entrepreneurs are doing some very exciting and creative things as they bring their products to global markets. Their enthusiasm and can-do spirit is energizing and should be encouraged in every way.
You can listen to this podcast series here: https://soundcloud.com/ukrainetech.
“Krynytsya (The Well)” series
The logo for the “Krynytsya (The Well)” podcast.
“Krynytsya (The Well)” was launched in July 2017. There are now two podcast episodes online with a new one planned each month. The first episode is an interview with Mark Howansky, the president of the Organization for the Defense of Lemkivshchyna, the Lemko organization in the U.S. He talks about his efforts to revitalize this 84-year-old organization and why it is so important to develop new channels to tell the Lemko story and reach new, young members. In the second episode, Ron Kramer, a Ukrainian American and long-time resident of Primrose, Pa., discusses the early days of the local Ukrainian community and its annual event, Ukrainian Seminary Day, which has been held in Schuylkill County, Pa., since 1934.
Upcoming episodes include interviews with Yuri Zastavny, the founder of the innovative Lviv craft brewery Pravda Beer Theater, John Pihach, the author of the book “Ukrainian Genealogy,” which is the most important source for researching Ukrainian family history, and Matej Silecky, who is producing a documentary on post-World War II Ukrainian émigrés in the U.S who were displaced persons. Other new episodes are in the works.
You can listen to this podcast series here: https://soundcloud.com/krynytsya.
Video podcast on YouTube
During my recent trip to Lviv, I had the opportunity to visit the Hochu Rayu Design Bureau, an innovative office and product design firm founded and run by young Ukrainian millennials in an old, abandoned Soviet-era medical instruments factory. Their clients range from restaurants to businesses with office design needs and also companies that seek creative product packaging design. Many of their clients are in Ukraine, but some are also in Europe and elsewhere.
You can see my July video interview with Anastasia Yasevych, marketing manager, here: http://bit.ly/thewellhochurayu.
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Please check out all these podcast episodes and come back monthly for new ones. Let’s focus on the positive things that young Ukrainians are doing to ensure the future for a prosperous Ukraine that can become known globally for its creativity, innovation and intrepid spirit.
Mike Buryk has been a participant in and observer of the global technology industry for many years. He is a Ukrainian American writer whose research and articles have covered a wide variety of topics. You can reach him at [email protected].