My Ukraine

I wrote this per the request of Ann Trombley and Lynn Gelinas who write the museum volunteer newsletter. I enjoyed writing it and thought all of you might enjoy the read! Thanks for the opportunity Ann and Lynn, it was fun!

There were 106 of us. Many had met over Facebook in the months leading up to our adventure to Ukraine, but here we were, all a little tired, all missing our families, and all excited for what the next 27 months would bring. After two days in DC we boarded a Lufthansa flight to Germany and onto Kiev, Ukraine. I will always remember the excited clapping and loud celebratory cheers that occurred when the wheels left US soil. Let the adventure begin!

My first sight of Ukraine was located at about 25000 feet above the ground from the small Airbus we were all crammed into. At first glance Ukraine was flat with barren trees and patches of snow and ice. Oops, it was cold and I was so not prepared for cold. Within minutes we were all herded into long customs lines and greeted by members of the Peace Corps staff. Trying to wrangle 106 dazed and confused Americans is quite a chore, but shortly we were all loaded onto buses and headed to Chernihiv, our new home for three months.

Ukraine has a classic mixed of old and new. There are old and graceful buildings that have an incredible story to tell standing next to a recently constructed apartment building. There are more cars then I expected, especially new and very worldly cars, but many, many Ladas. There are no curbs once you wander outside of the city center. The roads are in serious disrepair and the sidewalks are crumbling. As if, when the Soviet Union fell, many of the cosmetic needs of a community and country fell also. Overnight Ukraine went from a society where everything was taken care of to a society that now had to take care of itself. But, not to worry, every household in major cities has internet access and there are remote modems sold by every cell phone company for those in villages.

The Ukrainian people can often be seen with a brick face in public, but are a sweet and generous people behind closed doors. They love their ability to cook and pride themselves on their Ukrainian heritage. They are a people who has had land and connections taken from them many times over the past several hundred years, and yet they are a people of ingenious survival. By itself, Ukraine is a beautiful and historic country, but with its people, Ukraine becomes a country with a heart and soul that is unlike any other in the world.