Why it would really help if foreigners learnt Ukrainian literature and culture.
Being a Ukrainian abroad is quite an adventure these days. The recent anxiety around my home seems to be creating a lot of interest, but also a lot of those hilariously tone-deaf remarks that go straight into my “national anecdotes” bag. Of course, in the years of my travels I’ve encountered my share of strange responses to me being Ukrainian, from traditional, like “Is it not in EU?”, “Is it not Russia?” (the last one is thankfully out of the picture) to a more exotic, “You are Ukrainian? But you don’t look like a prostitute” (to which I could only say, “must be the consequences of Chernobyl”, meaning the head of the man who asked me that). The fresh one I added after disembarking from the plane and being asked by the first three Brits I met about my country being invaded, was a note, “So there is a Ukrainian language, how strange”. Yes, many politicians in the Russian Empire of the 19th century would agree. But the weirdest remark, as we were laughing at a strange situation of me being away from my city now, was “aha, the poor little Ukraine attacked by the big scary neighbor”. Coming from someone from the country infinitely smaller, it sounded very patronizing. As if the big fishes eat small ones and that is just nature. As if we’re still in the Stone Age.
To my mind, no questions are bad questions, though But what would really help would be to take this whole trendy topic and actually learn about our culture a little, because it can teach anyone some good lessons.
For instance, you can start with some badass feminist writers from the 19th century, such as Lesya Ukrainka and Olha Kobylyanska (who might or might not have had a fling), and whose writing informed both my development as a human being, and the generations of women in my family.
Watch a light-hearted movie, like My Thoughts Are Silent.
Or, even — help local artisans and small businesses by buying something Ukrainian, from an Etsy store for example. We make some mean coats and upcycled clothes.
In any case, be positive and read more books))
