Ukraine A-Z

K. The Klitchko Brothers (undisputed champions of the world)

A. Allo (алло). ‘ring…ring…алло! …MAma, privet!’
B. Beetroot and Borsch (Ukraine’s famous, tasty and much-loved contribution to global cuisine)
C. Corruption (the thorn in Ukraine’s side) and Crimea (the diamond in Ukraine’s crown)
D. Dnipro (the mighty river that brings life to Ukraine) and Devushki (the girls. There are lots of them and they are all wonderful, even the old babushkas who keep the country alive)
E. Euro (EURO 2012, euro-repair, euro-quality, euro-style… you can’t avoid euro-fanaticism in Ukraine)
F. Flowers & Fish (from the modern sushi to the old dried-fish-with-beer, Ukrainians love to eat aquatic animals. They also love flowers more than life itself)
G = H (Gary Potter, Gollywood, Gamburger etc)  …and gopniks (chavs)
H. High Heels.
I. Inquisitiveness. The curiosity and intrigue of Ukrainian’s means you’re likely to answer a lot of questions about a lot of things.
J . Jews and Jingoism (the two are not related)
K. The Klitchko Brothers (undisputed champions of the world) and Kitschy (the default national style)
L. Leopard skin patterns (on everything AND its still cool)
M. Marshrutkas and the Metro (small yellow minibuses and the metro/subway/underground)
N. Na kortochkah (squatting)
O. Oleg, Olga and the Oligarchy
P. Pedestrians vs Parking vs Pavements
Q. Queuing …the complete absence of. (Ukraine’s communists queued, Ukraine’s capitalists wouldn’t dream of it)
R. Remont (repair)
S. Smoking, Salo, Semki and Steppes
T. Taras Shevchenko (The poet and the 1 million things named after him)
U. Ukrop (Dill. They eat this like they breath air)
V. Vanity, vodka and Vkontake (Russian Facebook)
W. Wine. Much of it is impressively tasty and wonderfully inexpensive.
X. хорошо (horosho, its Russian for ‘ok’ and given the number of times you’ll hear this word – almost everything in Ukraine is ‘OK’)
Y.Yanukovych (the president), Yushchenko (the ex-president) and Yulia Tymoshenko (the wannabe president who the elected president doesn’t like).
Z. Zjtoni (little tokens for the metro)

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8 Comments

  1. Serge

    very kitchy article…really

  2. Serge

    very kitchy article…really

  3. Maxim

    most of it is a lie

  4. Maxim

    most of it is a lie

  5. Paul

    the author could’ve put a whole lot more sense of humor in it if he/she really knew what he/she’s talking about. just a piece of crap for those who don’t give a fuck anyway

  6. Paul

    the author could’ve put a whole lot more sense of humor in it if he/she really knew what he/she’s talking about. just a piece of crap for those who don’t give a fuck anyway

  7. Ilya

    I hate to be a smart-ass, but it’s gotta be done.
    While an inquisitiveness is a feat of character of some Ukrainians, in your case it’s just because you’re a foreigner. There’s a proverb “Моя хата з краю, нічого не знаю” (My hut’s on the other side of the village, I don’t know what you’re talking about), meaning “It’s not my business”. Ukrainians actually respect privacy of other or at least try not to stick a nose into someones private life too often, sometimes even to extent when they don’t care at all about no one but themselves. Foreigners on the other hand receive a great deal of attention, well, I guess that runs from the Soviet times, Iron Curtain and all.
    Kitschy? I mean, really? Have you been to any city in this country with the population less than a million?
    Leopard skin patterns – now there are two explanations, you either befriended a lot of 40-year-old women, or just well, kitschy 40-year-old-women.
    Crimea is no longer a diamond in the “crown” (oh, those cliches are just pish-posh), it’s a region with a foreign fleet of clearly not so friendly country anymore and Soviet-style service.
    And if you are using Russian, then the correct phonetic transcription would be “zh-eh-toh
    -ny” zhehtony, as there is no Ы sound in English and it has to be substituted with Y.

  8. Ilya

    I hate to be a smart-ass, but it’s gotta be done.
    While an inquisitiveness is a feat of character of some Ukrainians, in your case it’s just because you’re a foreigner. There’s a proverb “Моя хата з краю, нічого не знаю” (My hut’s on the other side of the village, I don’t know what you’re talking about), meaning “It’s not my business”. Ukrainians actually respect privacy of other or at least try not to stick a nose into someones private life too often, sometimes even to extent when they don’t care at all about no one but themselves. Foreigners on the other hand receive a great deal of attention, well, I guess that runs from the Soviet times, Iron Curtain and all.
    Kitschy? I mean, really? Have you been to any city in this country with the population less than a million?
    Leopard skin patterns – now there are two explanations, you either befriended a lot of 40-year-old women, or just well, kitschy 40-year-old-women.
    Crimea is no longer a diamond in the “crown” (oh, those cliches are just pish-posh), it’s a region with a foreign fleet of clearly not so friendly country anymore and Soviet-style service.
    And if you are using Russian, then the correct phonetic transcription would be “zh-eh-toh
    -ny” zhehtony, as there is no Ы sound in English and it has to be substituted with Y.

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