Food
- - During wedding celebrations, Korovai is the wedding bread of choice. It is a large circular sweet bread that is considered holy, and is decorated with symbolic ornaments shaped as pinecones (which symbolizes fertility) and doves etc.
- Kutia
- Kolach
- Meatless Borsch
- Stuffed Salmon
- Pickled Herring
- Meatless Holubtsi
- Varenyky
- Sauerkraut and Peas
- Mashed Beans
- Pidpenky and Gravy
- Compote
- Pampushky, Makiwnyk
- Ukraine having a heavy Eastern Orthodox religious background, have a very traditional view in terms of food. Another Ukraine tradition is the Christmas Eve supper: 12 different and special dishes in remembrance of the 12 disciples of Jesus:
- Kutia
- Ukraine is the world's largest producer of sunflower oil
- Major producer of grain and sugar as well as meat and dairy
- Largest producer of nuts
- Ukraine produces more natural honey than any other European country
- Ukraine has 30% of the worlds richest black soil, meaning its potential can be huge, but the farmland isn't privatized.
Borsch is a famous ukrainian soup. It is almost always made with a broth made of beets, potatoes, carrots, spinach and meat. This is the most well-known/popular dish in Ukraine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIXrZbGJwoY
Here is a recipe video on how to make Borsch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIXrZbGJwoY
Here is a recipe video on how to make Borsch.
Varenyky is a dumpling sort of dish that usually consists of either potatoes, mushrooms, cabbages, meats, or even sweet (cherry, strawberries, raspberry) fillings. Varenyky is so popular in the Ukraine (and Russia) that there is even a monument in Synky Village in Ukraine as tribute. (You wish you had a statue of yourself but you ain't no delicious dumpling).
Salo is a traditional Ukrainian food that consists of cured slabs of back fat. To put it into easier terms of how integral this food is to the Ukraine people, Salo is to Ukraine as Vodka is to the Russians.
The map on the left shows the fertile soil areas of Ukraine.
Infant Mortality Rate over the past 42 years from 1970-2012.
It has dropped drastically from around 30 to a mere 10 deaths per 1000 births.
It has dropped drastically from around 30 to a mere 10 deaths per 1000 births.
I found this quite interesting, seeing as how we use the internet almost everyday, and well it just seems like a normal thing to have access to. In the past 26 years on this graph, the number of people with personal computers (aged 20-39, which I would imagine is the main age group using computers) jumped from a mere 100,000 to over what seems 4-5 million. That's a 40% increase!!
Although kind of hard to see, it shows that over the past 50 so years, the population of Ukraine has been steadily moving into a more urban environment. By 2011, over half the population is living in urban areas (30,000,000 roughly), as opposed to, in 1960 where about 20,000,000 lived in urban areas.
These three graphs were meant to show the, mainly social change of the Ukrainian people over the past half century or so. From being a Soviet Satellite through the Cold War, to achieving sovereignty, the people of Ukraine seem to be doing just fine with out their old communist masters. They are having a steady growth towards an urban society, an increasing amount of Internet users (which is basically a gateway to knowledge in the 21st Century) and having a much lower infant mortality rate. The reasoning for the mortality chart was mainly to show the improvements in healthcare in the country as well as the responsibility of the families in Ukraine, all these trends are pointing towards positive social change. Now if they can just get into the E.U. and stop all the violence and move forward as a people, they could really flourish in the next couple of decades.
Ukrainian culture is a blend of Eastern and Western European Cultures that have a heavy Slavic influence as well as a very large influence from the Eastern-Orthodox Church. The 70 years of Soviet rule left a trace of history as well, most being not to pretty or fond.
Currently the Ukraine is going through a major social development throughout the country, with Riots in Kiev in protest for inclusion in the European Union (EU). The protest will and has already, changed the entire social climate of the country, and the future of Ukraine may well in fact hang in the balance.
Check the Politics page for more info on "Euromaiden" (The gathering of protesters in Kiev).
5 statistics that you may have known about Ukraine:
Currently the Ukraine is going through a major social development throughout the country, with Riots in Kiev in protest for inclusion in the European Union (EU). The protest will and has already, changed the entire social climate of the country, and the future of Ukraine may well in fact hang in the balance.
Check the Politics page for more info on "Euromaiden" (The gathering of protesters in Kiev).
5 statistics that you may have known about Ukraine:
- They have a GDP of roughly $331.6 billion U.S. which is 40th overall in the world. The oddity in this is that the GDP per capita is roughly only $7,300 U.S which is on the lower tier by world standards (137th).
- They have an unemployment rate of 7.5%, which granted is about 2% lower than the U.S. and 82nd overall in the world, but an already low income and an unstable government weaken the overall Ukrainian family as a whole.
- The Ukraine has the 2nd highest annual death rate (It surprised me too!) only behind South Africa (although this is one list I wouldn't want to be first in). They have roughly 15.75 deaths per 1000 people.
- The Ukraine spends roughly 2.77% of their annual GDP on military spending's, 27th worldwide, just behind South Korea in fact. (Which is in a constant state of war with their neighbors up North, so they are constantly spending millions on defense.)
- The Ukraine is still not part of the European Union (E.U), although earlier this year, there were talks of finally joining them, but when talks broke down and the President of Ukraine backed out, the people massed in the hundreds of thousands in Kiev and are protesting to this day. Aka. Euromaiden.
Religion in Ukraine
What is the history of the religions in your country? How and when did they start? How did they grow?
Ukraine, much like most European countries in the early turn of the first millennium, they were a pagan nation of idle worshippers" (Ukraine.com) In 988 AD, Prince Vladimir the Great accepted Orthodox Christianity and brought the whole of Ukraine under the influence of the Byzantine Empire. The growth was immediate, with mass baptisms of the Prince's subjects as the whole of the country was coming under the Christian influence. Over the course of the next 1000 years, there have been Golden Ages (The Golden Age of Kiev in the 12th and 13th century) and a constant struggle of invasion, war and oppression. At the turn of the mid 20th Century, Ukraine came under the control of the Soviet Union and was forced into a slightly altered version of their mainstay religion. Since their independence in 1991, Ukraine's main religion is still the Eastern Orthodoxy Church-Kiev Patriarchate, with a large number also following the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate. There are a number of other religions in the region (Protestant, Roman Catholic, Judaism) in Ukraine as well (Britannica).
What has been the role of religion in the social development or culture of your country?
At the turn of the 1st millennium, the introduction to the Byzantine Empire marked a whole new chapter for Ukraine, a period of great civil progress, unrest, and foreign rule. Slowly the country became more and more en-grained with the traditions of the Eastern Orthodoxy Church and even after 1000 years, over 70% of the Ukrainian population still claim to belong to this faith (Ukraine.com). One of the most astonishing accomplishments of the Orthodox Christians was that they converted scripture and liturgy into Slavonic, which allowed more accessibility to the people. Since the occupation of the Soviet Union, a sense of Communist atheism carried a strong effect on the people of Ukraine. The people believe there is a God, but is more readily found in other religious circles than their own. `
Religions have sacred places. Where are the sacred places for the religions in your country located? Are any inside your country?
There are a multitude of Cathedrals all around Ukraine, but there isn't a particularly 'sacred' place for the religion. There are a few neat cathedrals that act as historic landmarks. A good example is the St. Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kiev. It was built in honour of the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Kiev; it was also a battleground between opposing church bodies and their political supporters. Another is the Holy Sophia Cathedral, and it is a cathedral temple of Kiev Metropolis. Now it stands as an outstanding architectural monument of Kievan Rus' and now acts as a museum.
Are there any connections between the government and any religions in your country? How are they connected?
There are two main religious groups in Ukraine, that being the Ukranian Orthodox Church-Kiev Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (Britannica) which in a lot of countries around the world may cause turmoil, possibly even conflict. But in the Ukraine, neither of the Orthodox Church groups seem very dominant (Unlike in Russia where it seems the polar opposite of this situation). This results in religious stability and minor religious groups (such as the Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews and even the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church) rarely experience persecution. This presents the people of Ukraine with a favorable religious climate.
Source (For paragraphs): Encyclopedia Britannica Ukraine. (2014, Jan). Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine/275887/Languages
Religions and Churches in Ukraine. (2014 Mar 03). retrieved Mar 18 2014, from Ukraine.com Web Site: http://www.ukraine.com/religion/
What is the history of the religions in your country? How and when did they start? How did they grow?
Ukraine, much like most European countries in the early turn of the first millennium, they were a pagan nation of idle worshippers" (Ukraine.com) In 988 AD, Prince Vladimir the Great accepted Orthodox Christianity and brought the whole of Ukraine under the influence of the Byzantine Empire. The growth was immediate, with mass baptisms of the Prince's subjects as the whole of the country was coming under the Christian influence. Over the course of the next 1000 years, there have been Golden Ages (The Golden Age of Kiev in the 12th and 13th century) and a constant struggle of invasion, war and oppression. At the turn of the mid 20th Century, Ukraine came under the control of the Soviet Union and was forced into a slightly altered version of their mainstay religion. Since their independence in 1991, Ukraine's main religion is still the Eastern Orthodoxy Church-Kiev Patriarchate, with a large number also following the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate. There are a number of other religions in the region (Protestant, Roman Catholic, Judaism) in Ukraine as well (Britannica).
What has been the role of religion in the social development or culture of your country?
At the turn of the 1st millennium, the introduction to the Byzantine Empire marked a whole new chapter for Ukraine, a period of great civil progress, unrest, and foreign rule. Slowly the country became more and more en-grained with the traditions of the Eastern Orthodoxy Church and even after 1000 years, over 70% of the Ukrainian population still claim to belong to this faith (Ukraine.com). One of the most astonishing accomplishments of the Orthodox Christians was that they converted scripture and liturgy into Slavonic, which allowed more accessibility to the people. Since the occupation of the Soviet Union, a sense of Communist atheism carried a strong effect on the people of Ukraine. The people believe there is a God, but is more readily found in other religious circles than their own. `
Religions have sacred places. Where are the sacred places for the religions in your country located? Are any inside your country?
There are a multitude of Cathedrals all around Ukraine, but there isn't a particularly 'sacred' place for the religion. There are a few neat cathedrals that act as historic landmarks. A good example is the St. Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kiev. It was built in honour of the 900th anniversary of the Baptism of Kiev; it was also a battleground between opposing church bodies and their political supporters. Another is the Holy Sophia Cathedral, and it is a cathedral temple of Kiev Metropolis. Now it stands as an outstanding architectural monument of Kievan Rus' and now acts as a museum.
Are there any connections between the government and any religions in your country? How are they connected?
There are two main religious groups in Ukraine, that being the Ukranian Orthodox Church-Kiev Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (Britannica) which in a lot of countries around the world may cause turmoil, possibly even conflict. But in the Ukraine, neither of the Orthodox Church groups seem very dominant (Unlike in Russia where it seems the polar opposite of this situation). This results in religious stability and minor religious groups (such as the Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews and even the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church) rarely experience persecution. This presents the people of Ukraine with a favorable religious climate.
Source (For paragraphs): Encyclopedia Britannica Ukraine. (2014, Jan). Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine/275887/Languages
Religions and Churches in Ukraine. (2014 Mar 03). retrieved Mar 18 2014, from Ukraine.com Web Site: http://www.ukraine.com/religion/
The 8 main religions in Ukraine:
Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 50.4%
Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 26.1%
Ukrainian Greek Catholic 8%
Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 7.2%
other 3.2%
Roman Catholic 2.2%
Protestant 2.2%
Jewish 0.6%
Source: Ukraine. (2014 Mar 11). retrieved Mar 18 2014, from CIA World Factbook Web Site: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/up.html
Graph Maker:
(2014 Mar 11). retrieved Mar 18 2014, from Create A Graph Web Site: http://nces.ed.gov/NCESKIDS/createagraph/default.aspx
Ukrainian Orthodox - Kyiv Patriarchate 50.4%
Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 26.1%
Ukrainian Greek Catholic 8%
Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 7.2%
other 3.2%
Roman Catholic 2.2%
Protestant 2.2%
Jewish 0.6%
Source: Ukraine. (2014 Mar 11). retrieved Mar 18 2014, from CIA World Factbook Web Site: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/up.html
Graph Maker:
(2014 Mar 11). retrieved Mar 18 2014, from Create A Graph Web Site: http://nces.ed.gov/NCESKIDS/createagraph/default.aspx
Map of World Religions
Ukraine: Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
*Along with a lot of Eastern Europe and Russia
Source: http://maps.unomaha.edu/Peterson/geog1000/MapLinks/ReligionMaps_files/world-religions-map.gif
Ukraine: Eastern Orthodox Christianity.
*Along with a lot of Eastern Europe and Russia
Source: http://maps.unomaha.edu/Peterson/geog1000/MapLinks/ReligionMaps_files/world-religions-map.gif
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