History — Ukraine blog

Caving in Ternopil Oblast

To spelunk is to live.

And to think that before I didn't even know what the word "spelunking" meant. (It's the exploration of caves a.k.a. caving.)

On our way back from our Easter celebrations in Lviv and Tulova, we stopped in the village Korolivka in the Ternopil Oblast.

I wasn't sure what to expect. My dad and I went into caves in Cuba about 10 years ago, and all I remember is I saw lots of bats and no crawling was required.

Well, as we pulled up into the parking lot of the start of the cave expedition, I was even less sure of what to expect.

Exploring UkraineKaitlin VittMay 2, 2018Ukraine, Caves, Tour, Ternopil, HistoryComment

Ukrainian-themed books and films

Ukraine is full of history, traditions, and folklore, which I began to get familiar with after starting to Ukraine dance 25 years ago. Dance got me interested in Ukrainian culture and had me wanting to learn more. That's where books and films come in.

This is less of an extensive entertainment guide and more of a short, not-detailed list, since I read/watched some of these films/books a while ago, and to be honest, I don't necessarily remember a whole lot about them. But what I do remember is my love of them, which is why I want to share them with you.

EntertainmentKaitlin VittApril 6, 2018Ukraine, Books, TV, History, Kyiv Comments

My time in Kyiv: An overview

Just as I was starting to feel comfortable in Kyiv, more into a routine, I moved. Two Sundays ago, my roommate and I sat on our couch to thank our apartment for the shelter it provided and the good times we had. (Kyrylo, someone helping organize our year in Ukraine, said it's a Ukrainian tradition to thank your home).

Though I was sad to leave, I am happy to be in Lviv, the city that made me fall in love with this country three years ago.

Chornobyl: Visiting the site of a disaster

The mystery around the Chernobyl disaster is fascinating.

The number of deaths linked to the April 26, 1986 explosion varies between sources. So does who's responsible.

Thirty-one people died from the explosion itself, but thousands of deaths are linked to its radiation.

Kyiv vs. Kiev, Ukraine vs. the Ukraine, Katya vs. Kaitlin

It's Kyiv.

OK, maybe it's not that straightforward.

In Ukrainian, it's Київ, or Kyiv. In Russian, it's Киев, or Kiev.

So using Kyiv separates Ukraine from Russia, though some say Kiev isn't necessarily Russian, but rather the English/international spelling.

LanguageKaitlin VittSeptember 7, 2017History, Ukrainian, Russian, GovernmentComment