All about Ukraine. Questions and answers

[beesley]

Some people are notably absent from this thread.

We've discussed areas within Ukraine, but what about individual cities - are they representative of their areas vis a vis current dividing lines (be that Russia stance, language and dialect, ethnicity), or are they more like microcosms of the wider country?

[😥]

Do you at all think that Russia is bluffing in terms of launching a full-scale war and invasion of Ukraine? (I mean besides the ongoing war in the Donbass and Crimea obviously).

As much as many people in NATO countries understandably do not want to go to war with Russia over Ukraine/start World War III, I have yet to see much credence give to the other side of this argument - namely, that Putin is also reluctant to risk a major military confrontation with NATO/the US, over Ukraine or otherwise. I could see him supporting a coup in Kyiv that installs a Kremlin stooge, but a massive military invasion? Less sure...

Would be interested in your thoughts on this.  And thank you for this thread, much appreciated.

To be honest, until recently, I thought Putin was really bluffing. But now, day by day, I am becoming more convinced that a large-scale invasion will take place.

Putin has made completely unacceptable demands that will not be approved by the West. And he knows they are unacceptable. Troops continue to be drawn to the border. As of now, according to Ukrainian intelligence, 122,000 Russian servicemen are within a radius of 200 km from the Ukrainian border, and another 143,000 are within a radius of 400 km from the Ukrainian border.

Recent statements that the US military in Donbass is preparing chemical weapons provocations indicate that Russia will again use its favorite provocative tactics (when the Russian military will itself use chemical weapons in this case and then will blame Ukraine and West and will introduce troops to "protect" the local population).

And the rhetoric on Russian television now boils down to the need to prepare for war.

Putin wants to restore the empire. And he will stop at nothing to do so. And his empire does not exist without Ukraine, so I expect that a large-scale invasion will take place, but the Ukrainians will resist and the capture of Ukraine will not be as easy as he thinks.

[😥]

Some people are notably absent from this thread.

We've discussed areas within Ukraine, but what about individual cities - are they representative of their areas vis a vis current dividing lines (be that Russia stance, language and dialect, ethnicity), or are they more like microcosms of the wider country?

As for cities, most cities in the West and in the center of Ukraine are representative of their regions. The vast majority of the inhabitants of these cities are Ukrainian-speaking, pro-EU and pro-NATO. While in the East and South of Ukraine, cities contrast sharply with rural areas. Rural areas are populated by Ukrainians and mostly Ukrainian-speaking, while cities have more ethnic Russians and more Russian language, as ethnic Ukrainians living in cities use Russian much more often than ethnic Ukrainians living in villages.

In general, in the West, North and in the center there is no sharp contrast in terms of population between cities and villages, and in the South and East there is.

[😥]

Kolyadka and shchedrivka

In honor of Christmas, I want to talk about Ukrainian Christmas traditions, namely ritual songs - kolyadky and shchedrivky.

Kolyadky are performed on Christmas Day on January 7th. The birth of Christ is celebrated in kolyadka. Children go from house to house singing these songs and getting sweets, nuts or money for it.

The most famous kolyadka is "Good evening to you, sir." Footage from an old movie, modern performance.

Shchedrivka, in turn, is performed on the eve of the old New Year - January 13. It wishes happiness and health to the owner, a good harvest and all the benefits.

Few people know, but this world-famous tune was written by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych, who was killed by Soviet special services

I will give a short description of what each of these songs is about, if you are interested. Maybe I can find a translation too

[😥]

Good tweets

https://twitter.com/mhmck/status/1472249030617047041?s=20

https://twitter.com/mhmck/status/1472319776802410497?s=20

https://twitter.com/mhmck/status/1472320679827623938?s=20

https://twitter.com/mhmck/status/1472321152492216321?s=20

https://twitter.com/mhmck/status/1472321453941002240?s=20

https://twitter.com/mhmck/status/1472321916165890050?s=20

https://twitter.com/mhmck/status/1472326950584737792?s=20

[sting in the rafters]

Why is their international hockey team so terrible? Ukraine has a much larger population than the European powerhouses of Finland/Sweden/Czech Republic/Slovakia so the larger talent pool should compensate for the relative dearth of resources. Is it a matter of most upper echelon players migrating to Russia, an issue with coaching, or something else altogether?

[Lord Halifax]

Why is their international hockey team so terrible? Ukraine has a much larger population than the European powerhouses of Finland/Sweden/Czech Republic/Slovakia so the larger talent pool should compensate for the relative dearth of resources. Is it a matter of most upper echelon players migrating to Russia, an issue with coaching, or something else altogether?

Ukraine is located on roughly the same latitude as France, it's not a natural winter sports country like Canada, Russia, Sweden and Finland; the Czech Republic is a bit of an outlier in hockey with a strong skating tradition and Slovakia isn't exactly a "powerhouse" anymore.

The number of registered hockey players per 1.000 inhabitants in Ukraine is on the level of Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Turkey, Greece, Spain and Portugal (0.01 to 0.1), below France, Italy, Germany, UK, Belarus and Lithuania (0.1 to 0.5). Russia is in the 0.5-1.0 tier (far higher in the north than the south obviously). Norway and Iceland make up the 1-5 tier. Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria, Latvia, Estonia and Sweden are in the in 5-10 tier, while the Czech Republic and Finland are the only European countries in the 10+ tier. Apart from a band of Central European winter sports countries the most important factor is how far north the country is located and Ukraine is a "southern" country. It's like asking why Alabama and Georgia aren't as good at ice hockey as Minnesota and Michigan.

[sting in the rafters]

Why is their international hockey team so terrible? Ukraine has a much larger population than the European powerhouses of Finland/Sweden/Czech Republic/Slovakia so the larger talent pool should compensate for the relative dearth of resources. Is it a matter of most upper echelon players migrating to Russia, an issue with coaching, or something else altogether?

Ukraine is located on roughly the same latitude as France, it's not a natural winter sports country like Canada, Russia, Sweden and Finland; the Czech Republic is a bit of an outlier in hockey with a strong skating tradition and Slovakia isn't exactly a "powerhouse" anymore.

The number of registered hockey players per 1.000 inhabitants in Ukraine is on the level of Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Turkey, Greece, Spain and Portugal (0.01 to 0.1), below France, Italy, Germany, UK, Belarus and Lithuania (0.1 to 0.5). Russia is in the 0.5-1.0 tier (far higher in the north than the south obviously). Norway and Iceland make up the 1-5 tier. Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria, Latvia, Estonia and Sweden are in the in 5-10 tier, while the Czech Republic and Finland are the only European countries in the 10+ tier. Apart from a band of Central European winter sports countries the most important factor is how far north the country is located and Ukraine is a "southern" country. It's like asking why Alabama and Georgia aren't as good at ice hockey as Minnesota and Michigan.

Good points, I assumed since Ukraine has a continental climate of winters mostly below freezing and is right next to Russia that'd be conducive to a large winter sports player base. FWIW Kiev on average sees colder winters than Buffalo or Detroit and only slightly warmer than Helsinki, though not nearly as much snowfall. Perhaps Ukraine being a much more arid country is a factor here.

[jaichind]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-lawmaker-says-prosecutor-seeking-arrest-former-pres-poroshenko-2021-12-24/

"Ukraine lawmaker says prosecutor seeks arrest of former president Poroshenko"

Poroshenko is being charged with treason for colluding with pro-Russian forces.

  This one I find hard to believe.  Is it more about Poroshenko poll ratings that have pulled ahead of Zelensky in internal polls or the local oligarchs have decided to switch their support from Zelensky to Poroshenko for the next election?

[😥]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-lawmaker-says-prosecutor-seeking-arrest-former-pres-poroshenko-2021-12-24/

"Ukraine lawmaker says prosecutor seeks arrest of former president Poroshenko"

Poroshenko is being charged with treason for colluding with pro-Russian forces.

  This one I find hard to believe.  Is it more about Poroshenko poll ratings that have pulled ahead of Zelensky in internal polls or the local oligarchs have decided to switch their support from Zelensky to Poroshenko for the next election?

Poroshenko, of course, like almost all other Ukrainian politicians, can be accused of corruption, but not treason. This criminal case is fabricated and aimed purely at persecuting the main opponent of the current government, the leader of the opposition.

Zelensky is doing this because he understands that Poroshenko is almost the only threat to his second term. Zelensky is also still under the influence of Kolomoisky, for whom revenge to Poroshenko is a personal goal.

[CumbrianLefty]

What is Yulia Tymoshenko doing these days?

[😥]

What is Yulia Tymoshenko doing these days?

She lost her last chance in 2019. Now she has almost no influence and will not have it in the future. Recent opinion polls show that while Razumkov and Poroshenko are beating Zelensky in the second round, Boyko and Tymoshenko losing to him.

Now she is a pure heroine of memes because of her unnecessary plastic surgeries, which make her look like a wax figure.

[Lechasseur]

What do you think of Odessa?

Also, is that traditionally considered "Western" or "Eastern" Ukraine?

If you had to pick one thing you like most about your homeland, what would it be?

[Lechasseur]

Also, what's your advice for winning a Ukrainian girl's heart? lol

[thebeloitmoderate]

Speaking of your diaspora where do you think Ukrainian Americans live the most?

[😥]

What do you think of Odessa?

Also, is that traditionally considered "Western" or "Eastern" Ukraine?

Odesa is quite a beautiful city with beautiful architecture. Odesa is considered the capital of humor, because the population of Odesa, especially the Jewish part of it, which makes up a significant proportion of overall population, is known for its sense of humor and jokes.

I have been to Odesa many times, but I prefer to rest in the Odesa suburbs. There is cleaner and warmer sea compared to Odesa.

Odesa is considered Eastern Ukraine. Although geographically it is better to refer to the West, because of its culture and Russian-speaking population (about 65-70%) it is attributed to the East.

Also, Odesa in the Ukrainian language is written with one "s", in contrast to Russian.

If you had to pick one thing you like most about your homeland, what would it be?

I would say that I like Ukrainian food the most. As for what will make the biggest impression on a foreigner, I think it would be Ukrainian culture in general and Ukrainian song as part of it.

Also, what's your advice for winning a Ukrainian girl's heart? lol

I would not say that there are any features or significant differences from other European countries. Of course, in ancient times there were various rites that had to be observed at marriage, but now they are almost non-existent.

[Sir Mohamed]

Do you think Poroshenko runs 4 prez again in 2024? And if so, what are his chances? I would assume not very high.

[😥]

Speaking of your diaspora where do you think Ukrainian Americans live the most?

The American states with the largest Ukrainian populations are as follows:

New York 148,700
Pennsylvania 122,291
California 83,125
New Jersey 73,809
Ohio 48,908
Illinois 47,623


Distribution of Ukrainian Americans, as a percentage of the population

But if I moved to the United States and could choose any point, I would choose a place with an ocean to swim in the summer and snow in the winter.

[CumbrianLefty]

You say that in a sense Odessa is "Eastern" Ukraine, and it is understandable why.

Does this perhaps also apply to Transcarpathia to a degree?

[😥]

You say that in a sense Odessa is "Eastern" Ukraine, and it is understandable why.

Does this perhaps also apply to Transcarpathia to a degree?

I don't think so.

In Transcarpathia, in contrast to the South and East of Ukraine, the Russian language is not widespread. There are also almost no ethnic Russians there. Some areas of Transcarpathia are mostly inhabited by ethnic Hungarians, among whom separatist sentiments are widespread, which are actively fueled by Orban. The culture of the local population (both Ukrainians, Hutsuls and Hungarians and other) is very different from the culture of the Russian and Ukrainian populations of the East and South.

The Transcarpathian region's vote for Yanukovych and Zelensky is explained by the fact that both Yushchenko and Poroshenko pursued a policy of Ukrainization, which the local Hungarians did not like.

Of course, it should also be noted that the Hungarian language is dominant only in 1 of the 6 districts of the Transcarpathian region (in the Beregovo district).


Resettlement of the largest national groups in Transcarpathian region


The most common language in the cities and villages of the Transcarpathian region

[😥]

Do you think Poroshenko runs 4 prez again in 2024? And if so, what are his chances? I would assume not very high.

Poroshenko will definitely run again. And I will enthusiastically vote for him again.

If a year ago, I would say that his chances are quite slim, now I would say that he has about 60% chance of defeating Zelensky. I am sure that due to Zelensky's incompetence and scandals, he will lose to almost anyone in 2024.

Recent opinion polls show that in the second round, Razumkov (former speaker of the Verkhovna Rada) and Poroshenko are defeating Zelensky, while Tymoshenko and pro-Russian Boyko are losing to him.

[😥]

https://twitter.com/Ukropo4kA/status/1477976602919280646?t=5R21t9mfOpesbVn8Lozko...

https://twitter.com/Ukropo4kA/status/1477978380129783810?t=qtmnTnFVESX-ETPSmuL0x...

[TML]

Some parts of Ukraine were part of Poland during the time period between the two World Wars. Today, is it easy or difficult to find Polish speakers in those areas?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

You mentioned that Odesa still has a large Jewish population, and iirc Zelensky is Jewish. Would you say that Jewish culture in Ukraine today is more vibrant than in Russia, Poland, and other neighboring countries? If so, what accounts for this?

[😥]

Some parts of Ukraine were part of Poland during the time period between the two World Wars. Today, is it easy or difficult to find Polish speakers in those areas?

This is very difficult to do. Of course, the Western dialect of the Ukrainian language contains some Polish words, but they are quite few and they are understandable to other Ukrainians, in contrast to, for example, the Hutsul dialect in the Carpathians.

The main reason for the non-spread of the Polish language in Western Ukraine is a completely different language policy in Poland, unlike in the USSR/Russian Empire. Polonization was less active and less harsh than russification; resettlement of Ukrainians was also less widespread.