Stories about Ukraine from July, 2011
Ukraine: Timoshenko Facing the Law
LEvko of Foreign Notes follows up on the trial against former Ukrainian Prime Minister, Yulia Timoshenko, and finds that – despite a weak case – the process is likely to end with a guilty verdict for a number of political reasons.
Ukraine: Survival of the Stolovaya
The Pickle Project discusses a visit at one of the few remaining public stolovayas – soviet style lunch canteens – in Crimean city of Yalta.
Ukraine: Collapse of Government Policies
Taras Kuzio posts a translation of Vitaliy Portnikov's article [ru], arguing that the policies of the Ukrainian President Yanukovich and the government are close to a political collapse.
Ukraine: Timoshenko Case Turning Sour
Levko of Foreign Notes argues that the trial against former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko is quickly becoming a liability for President Yanukovich, with mounting international and domestic critique, and the trial in itself giving an additional political platform for Timoshenko.
Ukraine: Parallels to Khodorkovsky Case
LevKo of Foreign Notes draws parallels between Russia's Khodorkovsky case and the current legal processes against former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko and Minister of the Interior, Yuri Lutsenko, against the background of a debate in the Financial Times.
Ukraine: History of a Building
Leigh Turner, British Ambassador to Ukraine, sketches the history of the building in Kiev where the embassy is located.
Ukraine: Revenge of the Oligarchs
LevKo of Foreign Notes discusses the trials against Ukraine's former Prime Minister, Yulia Timoshenko, and Interior Minister, Yuri Lutsenko, portrayed by Frankfurter Allgemeine as revenge by the business oligarchs of current President Viktor Yanukovich.
Ukraine: Odesa Film Festival
Leigh Turner, British Ambassador to Ukraine, writes about the Odesa Film Festival, set against the background of many famous films, not least Eisenstein's “Battleship Potemkin.”
Ukraine: Why Volunteer?
Linda Norris of The Uncataloged Museum discusses how Ukrainians do volunteer work and why.
Ukraine: Timoshenko trial worries
LevKo of Foreign Notes discusses his impressions that Ukrainians are becoming increasingly worried about the alleged show-trial against former Premier and opposition leader Yulia Timoshenko; worries that now arguably extend to an increasing number of President Yanukovich's supporters.
Ukraine joins EU-Battlegroups
British Ambassador to Ukraine, Leigh Turner, writes about Ukraine joining the EU-Battlegroups and deepening European-Ukrainian military cooperation.
Ukraine: History of Little Tatary
Leoš Tomíček of Austere Insomniac makes an historical argument about the origins of South-East Ukraine – Little Tatary – as part of Ukrainian statehood.
Ukraine: Tymoshenko's Courtroom Drama
Since late June 2011, former Prime Minister of Ukraine and one of the Orange Revolution's leaders, Yulia Tymoshenko, has been on trial in capital Kyiv for abuse of power regarding a natural gas contract with Russia. If found guilty she faces up to ten years in prison.
Ukraine: “Mouth-Watering” Market Photos
The Pickle Project posts “some mouth-watering photos from two Kyiv markets” as well as photos from a highway-side market in Donetsk region.
Ukraine: Hutsul Photo Archive Online
The Uncataloged Museum writes about Hutsul Images, an online collection of photos from the Hutsul regions of Ukraine, created and maintained by Volodymyr Kitselyuk, “an ordinary enthusiast from Hutsul region, a doctor by profession and an ethnographer by vocation.”
Ukraine, Belarus: Monuments to Holocaust Victims
Memory At War translates Andriy Portnov's text on post-Soviet monuments to Holocaust victims.
Ukraine: Pension Reform; Multiple Voting by MPs
Foreign Notes writes about Ukraine's pension reform, which was passed by the parliament yesterday, highlighting the “breathaking arrogance” and disrespect for law by the people who run the country: “248 deputies voted in support of today's [pension reform] motion even though it seems only 143 deputies were actually registered to...
Ukraine: Changes to Disability Laws
Odessablog writes about changes to Ukraine's legislation on the rights of people with disabilities and describes the current situation.
Ukraine: Education Ministry on Twitter, Cabinet of Ministers on Facebook
Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science, Youth and Sport is the country's first government institution to launch an official Twitter account (@monUkraine), Watcher.com.ua reports [uk], also noting that the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers has recently set up its official Facebook page [uk].
Ukraine: New twist to trial against politician
The trial against former Ukrainian interior minister, Yuri Lutsenko, has according to Foreign Notes taken a new twist. Allegations are now raised that the presiding judge is partial or has alterior motives, making Lutsenko demand his removal from the case.
