I know, I know, this may seem to be a cliché, but I really think that Ukrainian heritage is a hidden treasure that is awaiting to be discovered.
The bitter irony is that Ukrainian culture and language were hidden from us, Ukrainians, in the first place, and it is for us to discover them and make them shine.
I recently recalled my first conscious encounter with the Ukrainian language. I was 5 (!). And I had a fantastic costume of Red Hat. I put it on and was so happy and felt myself so beautiful. Suddenly, I heard something that made me cry. I heard a lady call me BLACK hat. But why? I wore a RED dress and a lovely RED cape. Nothing black! I was humiliated and angry.
But you know, nobody wanted me any harm. The lady was speaking in Ukrainian! She called me a Lovely Little Red Riding Hood (harna Chervona Shapochka), and I messed the Ukrainian word CHERVONA (red) with the Russian word CHERNAYA (black), which sounded similar to my child’s single-lingual mind. Russian word for red sounds completely different – KRASNAYA (it is by the way great illustration that russian and ukrainian is not the same language)!
The misunderstanding was resolved very soon, but the moment itself was one of many little steps that taught me to know and love my heritage.
The situation was terribly wrong – I am Ukrainian, and all this happened in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. But I didn’t realize the Ukrainian language existed as a separate language until I was 5! That was the grim reality of Soviet life. Our language and culture were marginalized to the extent that you may hardly hear it in the very capital of the country.
The Ukrainian language was primarily spoken in the countryside and by those who lacked access to formal education. Russian was the language of science, culture, and everyday life in most of the country. I’m glad that now it has changed.
And take Ukrainian traditional costume, which now has its renaissance. As a child, I was sure that it was dull and unattractive. Until I met a fantastic teacher, who was in love with Ukrainian culture. But that, as they say, is a story for another time.
Korostenka 