9781422269794

U K R A I N I A N

FRench GERMAN IRISH UKRAINIAN

African Chinese GREEK INDIAN ITALIAN mexican MIDDLE EASTERN

U K R A I N I A N

Kathleen Tracy

MASON CREST MIAMI

Mason Crest PO Box 221876, Hollywood, FL 33022 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) • www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2024 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4842-3 ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4840-9 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-6979-4 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Tracy, Kathleen, author. Title: Ukrainian / Kathleen Tracy. Description: Hollywood, FL : Mason Crest, [2024] | Series: Customs, culture & cuisine | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2023018505 | ISBN 9781422248423 (hardback) | ISBN 9781422269794 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Ukraine--Description and travel. | Food habits--Ukraine. Classification: LCC DK508.2 .T733 2024 | DDC 914.77--dc23/eng/20230628 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023018505

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KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR: Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this book. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field. Research Project: Readers are pointed toward an area of further inquiry that relates to each book and encourages deeper research and analysis. Introduction............................................................. 6 Chapter 1: Northern Ukraine.................................... 9 Chapter 2: Southern Ukraine.................................. 21 Chapter 3: Eastern & East-Central Ukraine............... 35 Chapter 4: Western & West-Central Ukraine............. 51 Chapter 5: Ukrainian Food in America...................... 63 Research Project.................................................... 74 Glossary of Key Terms............................................. 75 Further Reading......................................................76 Internet Resources.................................................. 77 Index. .................................................................... 78 Author’s Biography & Credits................................... 80 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Thanks to archaeological findings, ancient records, and modern technology, the roots of most European countries can be traced back thousands of years. From the Gauls of France to the Mycenaeans of Greece, historians have been able to identify the ethnic ancestry and cultural evolution of many countries with long-established senses of nationality. Specific details about Ukraine’s origins are minimal, but according to accounts from Byzantine (Eastern Roman Empire) historians, beginning in the fifth century CE, a group called the Slavs began migrating from their homeland north of the Carpathian Mountains into what is now Western and North-Central Ukraine as well as parts of present-day Russia and other surrounding areas. The Ukrainian national identity began to emerge during the 800s when Vikings founded Kievan Rus, the first major Eastern Slavic kingdom. The Norsemen went on to conquer Kyiv, which became the capital of Kievan Rus because of its strategic location on the Dnieper River. The kingdom of Kievan Rus would eventually make up parts of Belarus, European Russia, and Ukraine. Ukraine as we know it today is considered the “baby” of the European continental family, having officially been established as part of the Soviet Union (controlled by Russia) in 1922, and an independent country in 1991. In February of 2022, Russia launched an attack against the sovereign nation of Ukraine in an attempt to gain control of the country once again. The war dragged on into 2023, and was ongoing at the time of this printing. Today, considering any territory in conflict with Russia to still be Ukraine, it is the largest country in Europe proper (although Russia is bigger, 75 percent of it is in Asia). About the size of Texas, Ukraine is bordered on the south by the Black Sea and is surrounded by other Slavic countries including Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Slovakia. Its terrain is mostly flat with fertile plains, called steppes, which are used to grow abundant amounts of wheat and other grains. Ukraine is comprised of regions called oblasts. Certain regions have developed their own unique subcultures, which include recipes and culinary traditions. Based on these, the Ukrainian regions visited in this book are grouped as follows:

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 North: Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy  South: Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Crimea, Zaporizhia  East & East-Central: Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk  West & West-Central: Lviv, Volyn, Rivne, Temopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Zakkarpattia, Khmelnytskyi, Kirovohrad Generally speaking, the western regions reflect a stronger Continental European influence, while a strong Russian influence is notable in the eastern side of the country. Southern Ukraine’s oblasts border the Black Sea and have developed ocean-related industries and food preferences, while the mountains of the northern oblasts are home to their own unique highlander cultures. Regardless of region, political differences, or local customs, throughout Ukraine food is a cultural touchstone, playing an integral part in social celebrations, holidays and holy days, time spent with friends, and family gatherings.

Zaporizhia

Introduction

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CHICKEN KYIV INGREDIENTS: chicken breast, butter, parsley,

garlic cloves, salt, pepper, egg, flour, breadcrumbs, and canola oil

Northern Ukraine CHAPTER

The main geographical feature of Northern Ukraine is the Dnieper River. The third longest river in Europe, the Dnieper starts in Belarus and flows down the center of Ukraine all the way to the Black Sea, a dividing mark between the eastern and western regions. Most of Ukraine is located on the East European Plain, the second-largest plain on the planet, behind only the Amazonian plain in South America. The steppes (dry, grassy plains) in Ukraine are not uniformly flat and include lowlands and highlands, especially around the numerous rivers of the north, which are part of the Dnieper basin. While the weather in the northern region is influenced by both the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean, the main climate driver is the network of rivers, which is the backbone of the area’s temperate climate. Summers are long and warm, winters are cold, and spring and autumn are mild. Kyiv Throughout Ukraine, most oblasts share the same name as their primary city, and that is true with Kyiv. Kyiv (kee EV) city is in the Kyiv oblast, one of the first five formed when Ukraine became a Russian state in the early twentieth century. The city, however, has

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The Independence Monument rises high above Independence Square in the center of Kyiv.

special self-governing status because as Ukraine’s capital city, it deals directly with the national, not regional, government. Home to many high-tech industries and more than a dozen universities, Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural center for both Eastern Europe generally and Ukraine specifically—there are more than two hundred museums and fifteen state museums dedicated to Kyiv and Ukrainian history. Kyiv is also a leading agricultural area, with more than a thousand farms that produce a variety of food, including sugar beets, sunflower seeds, potatoes, meat, eggs, and dairy. Research shows that most of the crops grown in Kyiv and other oblasts were introduced a few thousand years ago by settlers from Southwest Asia. Known as the Trypillia tribes, they were Ukraine’s original farmers, growing wheat, barley, and peas. Between the fertile soil, plentiful water supply, and a temperate climate conducive to agriculture, the northern region has historically enjoyed ample natural resources and crops to sustain population growth.

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The Kyiv oblast’s ability to grow enough food for its population was threatened in 1986, however, when the world’s worst nuclear disaster occurred after a nuclear reactor exploded in Chernobyl, a city eighty miles north of Kyiv. In addition to the fifty people who died of acute radiation exposure—mostly first responders who fought the ensuing fire and officials trying to stop the radiation leaking into the atmosphere—it’s estimated that as many as 10,000 people have died since then from cancers related to long-term radiation exposure. One thousand square miles of contaminated land is still in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Nature, however, is resilient, especially plants. Part of the land contaminated included the Polesia forest belt. Called Europe’s Amazon, the Polesia spans Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. Even though some areas have been damaged by mining and logging, much of it remains pure. Within three years of the accident, most

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone contains more than a thousand square miles of contaminated land.

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of the vegetation had recovered. Thirty-five years later, there were wolves, boars, bears, and even lynx and bison in the forest again. However, in 2020, studies found that crops grown in the regions near Chernobyl were still contaminated with Strontium-90 radioactive waste and posed a continued health threat to humans. Nobody knows for sure when that land will be safe again for agriculture. Nuclear Fallout Famous for its natural beauty, two-thirds of the Zhytomyr oblast is covered by lush forests that provide a habitat for many rare plants, animals, and insects. While the forest is old, it is kept rejuvenated by a tradition of planting new seedlings every spring to ensure the forest remains beautiful and healthy. There was a time when Zhytomyr had thriving agriculture throughout the oblast, but due to its close proximity to the Kyiv

A suspended pedestrian bridge stretches across the Teteriv River with a scenic view of Zhytomyr as a backdrop.

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oblast on its western border, many villages and towns in the north and east of Zhytomyr were made uninhabitable after the Chernobyl event. These places became part of the Chernobyl Zone, where crops still cannot be grown. Where agriculture is still possible in the oblast, a variety of crops are grown, including cereal grains, sugar beets, chicory, hops, and flax. Zhytomyr’s other main industries are manufacturing (producing goods like machinery, furniture, and medical supplies) and mining stone, such as quartz and granite, for construction purposes. Chernihiv The city of Chernihiv was established during the Kievan Rus period and was the second most important city behind Kyiv during that time.

SUPERNATURAL NATURE

Even though Ukraine is a modern country, its people are still open to the mystical. Located in Zhytomyr is the Kaminne Selo nature reserve, known for huge moss-covered boulders that are shaped like buildings. Locally, the reserve is called the Stone Village. Many Ukrainians believe that the boulders represent the battle between good and evil and claim that on some boulders you can see both God’s footprints and the devil’s claw marks. Scientists suggest another explanation: the boulders are remnants from ancient glaciers that moved through the area. There is also a local legend that an ancient oak tree near the village of Vyshpil can heal any disease.

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Like the other northern oblasts, Chernihiv has ample forestlands of oak, alder, birch, and pine trees. Unlike its neighbors, however, agriculture has never been an economic pillar there, partly because there are fewer resources for it and also because the topography isn’t as conducive for farming. So, even though more than 1.1 million people live in the Chernihiv oblast, it has a very low population density. Many young people move elsewhere to find employment, and there is also a slow birth rate among those who stay. Newcomer The Sumy oblast was only founded in 1939, making it one of the younger oblasts, which is ironic considering archaeologists have determined that the area has been inhabited for fifteen thousand

The Sumy oblast saw heavy fighting and destruction at the beginning of the Russian invasion. The Ukrainians prevailed in the Battle of Sumy, driving out Russian forces after six weeks of battles.

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years, and its capital city (Sumy) was founded back in 1652. It is an example of how Ukrainians have created a modern country without having to destroy the landscape or forget its cultural and historical past. In the Sumy oblast’s forests, the natural landscape—the oblast has 165 rivers running through it—and historical sites make it a popular tourist destination. So do the examples of baroque-style architecture, such as the Voskresenskaya Church, which was built in 1702. The Sumy oblast’s economy, however, is driven by agriculture (sugar, sunflower seeds, grains, potatoes, and meat) as well as a variety of industries, from paper mills and cloth factories to electronics and mining. The Cuisine Ukraine’s flat topography made it a popular route over the centuries for migrants, merchants, and warriors looking for people and land to conquer. Today, its population includes around 130 nationalities. Among the indigenous people, Ukrainians make up almost 80 percent of the population, followed by Crimean Tatars, Karaites, Krymchaks, and the Gagauzes of Odesa. Ukrainians in the north still embrace traditions and folk culture from the original Slavs who

Potatoes are a staple in Ukrainian cuisine, especially in the popular deruny .

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settled in the area. This includes music, traditional clothing during celebrations, and traditional dishes. Popular Potatoes Northern Ukrainian farms can produce a variety of crops, which also enables them to provide a sustainable meat supply. This is why the region’s cuisine leans toward traditional recipes with “bone-sticking” ingredients, like starchy vegetables and meats that are both filling and savory. Potatoes grow particularly well in this region and show up in many favored recipes.

STYLISH SHIRT

The vyshyvanka is a traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt— which dates back to the Scythians in the ninth century BCE—that has become a popular fashion statement, especially among younger Ukrainians, who commonly wear the shirt with jeans. In 2006, a flash mob at Chernivtsi National University initiated Vyshyvanka Day, which has now become a national event celebrated on the third Thursday of May. During the pandemic in May 2020, Google gave a shout out to Vyshyvanka Day with a Google doodle, noting: “Embroidery has been a part of Ukrainian culture since long before the country itself was established. Over 250 distinct embroidery stitches can be used to form the vyshyvanka’s signature coded symbols. These typically fall into three categories: floral ornamentation, zoomorphic figures, and geometric shapes.” Wearing a vyshyvanka is done to honor Ukrainian identity, traditions, and national unity—and is also really comfortable.

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