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Ukraine

“The Bread Basket of Europe”

-Ukraine is in the continent of Europe.

-The population of Ukraine is about 45.8 million-GDP per capita is $7,233 (compared to $48k in US)- Ukrainians speak the official Ukrainian How to say Hello: Вітаю (Vitayu) - 40 languages are spoken in Ukraine , but mainly Ukrainian & Russian

Flag of Ukraine

The blue skies and the golden wheat fields

Alternate variations (1917-1921): Gold on top to represent the

domes of the Christian churches and blue on the bottom for the Dnieper river

Golden fire and blue water Coat of Arms adopted 19

February 1992 Depicts a Falcon or the Holy

Spirit

Main religion: Eastern Orthodox (celebrate Christmas, Holy Supper)

Saint Andrew’s Church of Kiev

Second in number of followers is Catholicism

62.5% claim they have no religion though

Religion

Easter is the most important holiday Known for decoration of eggs

(pysanky) Acrylic or oil painted hollow

egg shells Christmas is celebrated on January

7 Per the Julian calendar

Important Holidays

Borscht: a vegetable soup made out of beets, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, dill and the dish often includes meat

Varenyky: dumplings stuffed with fillings such as potato and cheese, often served boiled (Perogy)

Deruny: potato pancakes, usually served with rich servings of sour cream

Sausage: various kinds of smoked or boiled pork, beef, or chicken sausage

Paska: Easter bread Poppy seeds and bread items are popular

Ukrainian Cuisine

Traditional Clothing

Embroidery is very important in Ukrainian tradition

Believed to provide protection and Fertility

The Ivan Kupalo festival Kupalo was the god of love and

fertility Young men and women gather

around streams and ponds Send wreaths of flowers down the

stream If your wreath floats you will

find luck in love

Rites of Passage

Never shake hands (or offer anything) over a threshold: it’s considered really bad luck

Never let a young unmarried woman sit at the corner of the table

Always bring an odd number of flowers to a house

Drive on the right side of roadSome Rules to Remember in Ukraine

Semipresidentialism President and Prime Minister

both are active in day-to-day administration

Currently there are protests demanding a recount of votes

The Regions The Punch Party The Freedom Party

Type of Government

Chernobyl disaster on April 26, 1986 Became independent in 1991 when the

Soviet Union dissolved GDP dropped 20% from spring 2008 to

spring 2009 Third largest grain exporter

Interesting Facts

Famous Ukrainians

Igor Sikorsky. 1889-1972. Born in Kyiv. Inventor of the helicopter

George Gamow. 1904-1968. Born in Odesa, Ukraine. Physicist and popular science author. One of the earliest advocates of the Big Bang theory.

Liliya Podkopayeva (woman’s all around 1996)

45 gold, 21 silver and 14 bronze medals Yana Klochkova Oksana Baiul Maksim Chmerkovskiy Milla Jovovich