My year in Ukraine in photos

One year ago I flew from Ukraine to Canada. I purposely don’t say “flew home” because I don’t necessarily see Canada as my home. Well, it is one of my homes — it’s just not the only one, and saying “I flew home” implies that Ukraine wasn’t my home, which it most certainly was.

When I moved to Ukraine, I’d get these flashes of feelings from Canada, the most common instigator being when I saw someone in Ukraine who looked like a Canadian friend.

Maybe I was still adjusting to being so far from what I had known as home for all my life, and so I was looking for something to bring me comfort. This lasted a month, maybe two. And before you knew it, I would see Ukrainians who looked like other Ukrainians I had met in the city before.

When I returned to Canada, every second person on the street looked like someone I met in Ukraine — a dancer who would work with us through difficult steps, the grocer who heard us speak English and insisted we go to the line with the cashier who spoke (three words of) English, the workers at the tattoo/piercing studio who were part-annoyed, part-intrigued, part-entertained by the four Canadians who seemed to never leave the shop.

And you know what? Every second person still looks like someone I met in Ukraine — it didn’t stop once I readjusted to Canadian life, because I don’t think I ever will totally readjust.

To quote the band The Apache Relay (and the many others who use a variation of this saying) — to quote them again, that is — “Home is not places; it is love.”

I can relate. Home is not a place, it’s love — love of Ukrainian culture.

To mark one year since I’ve been in Ukraine, here are some of my favourite photos I took while living there. And by some, I mean 27 — yes, I did intentionally put an odd number, thinking maybe the number of photos you post must also be odd, like the number of flowers in an arrangement.

And now since you’ve seen all my favourite pics, this is a great excuse to make my way there again, ASAP, so I have new photos to show and new stories to tell.

Kyiv

Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Ukraine is the central square in Kyiv. The 2013-14 Euromaidan started here.

Kyiv

The Trade Unions Building, today covered with the Freedom is Our Religion banner, was burned down during Euromaidan, also called the Revolution of Dignity.

Kyiv

We hosted the Virsky Studio dancers for Thanksgiving — 40 people fit into our two-bedroom apartment for a night full of food, including six pumpkin pies, and dancing.

Kyiv

The Petrivka Market is definitely a site to check out — here you’ll find plenty of books, music, and other odds and ends.

Kyiv

Pyrohiv, formally a village but now considered part of Kyiv, is an outdoor museum about the homes and lifestyles of Ukrainian people. Myroslav taught us about the tsymbaly instrument and played us a few tunes.

Kyiv

This wooden church is one of the many buildings you can explore at Pyrohiv.

At Pyrohiv, it feels like a true village, with interpreters and yard workers going about their days as you go from house to house.

Chornobyl

We went to the Chornobyl exclusion zone in October 2017 — it was fascinating, terrifying, and moving.

Lviv

Climb the 400+ stairs to the top of Lviv Town Hall for a view of the city. I went a couple times — it’s a sight that will never get old for me!

Zalavye

I visited my family’s village two times during my year — once with my sister and once on my own.

Tulova

We celebrated Christmas in the village Tulova. A family hosted us for dinner, with a side of carols.

Pistyn

During the Christmas tour, we stopped at various spots around the Carpathian Mountains, including this church in Pistyn.

Kryvorivnya

Kryvorivnya is famous for its Christmas celebrations and carolling.

Kryvorivnya

After the four-hour Christmas mass, everyone gathered outside to watch traditional carolling.

Yaremche

Yaremche, where we also visited during the Christmas season, is known for its market and waterfall. This lady had a stand at the market.

Lviv

Wet Monday takes place on Easter Monday. In Lviv, there was a giant organized water fight with fountains, bathtubs, and water bottles for all.

Tulova

I can’t feature some of my favourite photos of the year without mentioning these guys, Funcle (fun uncle) Vince and Tato Kyrylo — they made our year possible! This photo is from our Easter celebration in Tulova.

Chernivtsi

Chernivtsi was probably my favourite city to live in. It was quaint, it was quirky, and the people were oh-so welcoming.

Vashkivtsi

Malanka (Orthodox New Year’s) was my favourite holiday to celebrate in Ukraine. Along the way to the village, people dressed in costumes stopped us, we gave them money, they threw wheat in our car for good luck, and we carried on our way.

Vashkivtsi

We got to the village by 10:15 a.m., but the official Malanka celebrations didn't start until 11. There was still plenty to see, with people showing off their costumes and getting ready for the parade.

Vashkivtsi

The main attraction for the Malanka celebration was a parade, people having made elaborate costumes — including handmade masks — and floats, each one with a theme.

Khotyn Fortress

Ukrainian Hetman Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny, depicted by this monument, fought in the 1621 Battle of Khotyn .

Lutsk

Sculptor Mykola Golovan has been working on his home for more than 35 years, covering the outside, inside, and surrounding areas with sculptures.

Lutsk

The Volyn ensemble invited us backstage to watch a show. Here, a sister of one of the dancers comes on stage for congratulations. In Ukraine, it’s common for audience members to rush on stage after shows to give flowers to the performers.

Lokachi

We were lucky enough to see the Volyn ensemble perform multiple times — twice in Lutsk, once in Lokachi, and once in Kovel — during our two-month stay in the city.

Dykanka

While living in Poltava, we went to a pottery museum in Opishnya and stopped in Dykanka for lunch. The restaurant put on a full production — we were welcomed by live musicians and man riding horseback and carrying a Ukrainian flag, and we were treated to a performance of singing, acting, and kozak dancing.

Khortytsia

This island is home to the historical and cultural complex Zaporizhian Sich. Here you can tour buildings and watch kozak fighting demonstrations.