· January, 2012

Stories about Ukraine from January, 2012

Ukraine: The Story of Anna Boiko's Life

  30 January 2012

"She is a cheerful, talented, strong person. A person who has been through a lot, who is full of knowledge and memories," writes Olya Suprun about her 75-year-old grandmother, whose memories she is sharing on the award-winning blog called "The Story of Anna Boiko's Life." Tetyana Bohdanova reports.

US, Russia: The Flying Balalaika Brothers Bridge Cultural Gaps in Texas

  30 January 2012

Like many of their compatriots, musicians Zhenya Kolykhanov and Sergey Vaschenko emigrated from Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and have since established themselves in Austin, Texas. Through their band, The Flying Balalaika Brothers, and a non-profit called Musical Connections, they work to bridge cultural gaps by exposing Texans to international art.

Ukraine: Tormenting Trial

  20 January 2012

LEvko of Foreign Notes criticizes the ongoing trial against former Ukrainian Interior Minister, Yuri Lutsenko, as procedures display an abnormal amount of legal irregularities.

Ukraine: Poisonous Politics

  19 January 2012

LEvko of Foreign Notes addresses how reports about the possible poisoning of jailed opposition politician and ex-PM, Yulia Timoshenko, proliferate and remind people of the scars poison left on former president president Yushchenko.

Ukraine: Trial By Jury Underway

  19 January 2012

Odessablog's Blog writes about an upcoming government bill on a new criminal procedure code for Ukraine, which would long overdue introduce the constitutionally guaranteed right to trial by jury into the country's legal system.

Ukraine: Bandera on the Move

  17 January 2012

Leoš Tomíček of Austere Insomniac draws attention to and criticizes an increasing popularity of historic Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera.

Ukraine-Russia: Gas Conflict Heats Up Again

  16 January 2012

Streetwise Professor speculates on whether there is a new gas war coming up between Ukraine and Russia or if Kiev finally will cede its pipelines to Gazprom to get a price-cut on gas deliveries.

Ukraine: Borscht (and Other Food)

  14 January 2012

Semkee/Seeds writes about the Ukrainian borscht experience: “How to prepare your borscht is a serious topic and not to be taken lightly. No, it is not just a bowl of soup. It is borscht! Respect your borscht! It is a concept!” More Ukrainian food-related posts – at The Pickle Project...

Ukraine: Gas and Budget

  13 January 2012

Odessablog's Blog discusses Ukraine's new state budget and how eventually what may be afforded for the country's public sector will be decided not by state incomes but by the price of Russian gas.

Ukraine: Blaming Instead of Renegotiating

  11 January 2012

LEvko of Foreign Notes argues that Ukraine's government has conveniently chosen to pass the blame on former Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko for the high gas prices the country has to pay, instead of trying to renegotiate prices with Russian gas company Gazprom, which allegedly was allowed by the gas contract...

Ukraine: “101 Reasons to Love Kiev”

  7 January 2012

101 Reasons to Love Kiev, from The Ukrainian Penguin. Here's #101 on this list: “Although they often complain, Ukrainians really love it when you remind them of all the reasons to love this place. […]”