Section
Culture & History
Food, music, literature and crafts: Ukrainian culture and the history behind it.
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2,820 km from the Arctic Ocean, Ending at a Village on the Danube Delta ── The Struve Geodetic Arc
The Struve Geodetic Arc measured a meridian of over 2,820 kilometres, from a northern cape in Norway to a village near the Danube delta close to the Black Sea, using a chain of triangles. This article covers the purpose of the survey carried out between 1816 and 1855, and the markers at the four points in Ukraine among the 34 points inscribed as a World Heritage site of ten countries in 2005.
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Ukrainian Personal Names — Latin-Alphabet Spelling, Patronymics, and Forms of Address
The first stumbling block when working or reporting alongside people from Ukraine is the name itself. The Latin-alphabet spelling is fixed by the transliteration table of Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 55, but a person may use a different spelling of their own. This article works through giving priority to the person's own spelling, the patronymic, the forms a name takes when used to address someone, and what happens in input forms — a procedure for not getting a name wrong.
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Ukraine’s Language Situation | Differences from Russian, and How to Translate into Ukrainian
In Ukraine, both Ukrainian and Russian are used, reflecting the country’s historical background. When visiting Ukraine for business or communicating with Ukrainians, knowing even a little Ukrainian can make it easier to build a good relationship. This article explains Ukraine’s language situation, its differences from Russian, and how to translate from Japanese into Ukrainian. It also introduces some Ukrainian greetings, so please use them when communicating. The History of Ukraine’s Language Before independence, the Supreme Council (Verkhovna Rada) of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic adopted a language law in October…
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7 Films Connected to Ukraine, and Their Directors and Actors
This article was published in October 2024. The different things the phrase “Ukrainian film” can mean (country of production, setting, and who made it) are covered in “Ukrainian Film” Means Five Different Things — Country of Production, Setting, and Who Made It. 20 Days in Mariupol, winner of the Best Documentary Feature at the 2024 Academy Awards; Atlantis, winner of the Best Film award in the Orizzonti section at the 2019 Venice Film Festival; and the family animated film Stolen Princess: Ruslan and Ludmila. This article covers seven films connected…
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Ukrainian Greetings and Thank-Yous — How to Look Up 20 Words, and the Distinctions Kana Erases
In kana, both и and і become just “i.” In Latin transliteration, the soft sign and apostrophe disappear. Dictionaries don't tell you whether добрий день or доброго дня is more natural. This article covers the order to look up 20 words of greeting and thanks, and where the stumbling points are. None of the 20 words has yet been checked by a native speaker.
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“Ukrainian Film” Means Five Different Things — Country of Production, Setting, and Who Made It
The phrase “Ukrainian film” refers to at least five different things: a film produced in Ukraine, a film with Ukraine as one of its co-producing countries, a film made by another country but set in Ukraine, a film made abroad by a filmmaker from Ukraine, and a film made in the former Soviet era. Using films whose stated country of production can be checked, this article shows how to sort them out and how to check.
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What Kind of Country Is Ukraine? A 3-Minute Refresher on Its Culture and History
How much do you know about Ukraine?This article brings together basic facts about Ukraine along with its culture and history. Let’s deepen our understanding of Ukraine. What Kind of Country Is Ukraine? Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe with a rich culture and history.Here we explain it in terms of the following three points. Ukraine’s Land and Population Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe.It borders Belarus, Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova. It’s one of the larger countries by land area, at about 600,000 square kilometers —…
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The Causes of the Chornobyl (Chernobyl) Nuclear Disaster, and Where Things Stand Today
On April 26, 1986, the world’s worst nuclear accident occurred at the Chornobyl (Chernobyl) Nuclear Power Plant. A huge quantity of radioactive material was released into the atmosphere, and residents nearby were forced to evacuate. This article explains the background to the Chornobyl disaster, its effects on the natural environment and on people, and the situation there today. If you want to know about Chornobyl today, or want to compare it with the Fukushima nuclear accident, please use this as a reference. Where Is Ukraine’s Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant? The…
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The 2019 Orthography Became a “State Language Standard” Seven Years Later
Writing "project" in Ukrainian as проєкт follows a rule from the orthography reformed in 2019. That orthography was ruled invalid at first instance in 2021, then upheld on appeal and by the Supreme Court in 2024. In March 2026, in place of a Cabinet resolution, it became a "state language standard" under the State Language Law. This article summarizes the rules that changed, and the seven years in between.
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The Advisory Body Recommended “Deferral” ── The Residence of the Metropolitans of Chernivtsi
The main building of Chernivtsi University was built between 1864 and 1882 as the residence of the Orthodox metropolitans of Bukovina and Dalmatia. In 2011, UNESCO's advisory body recommended deferring its World Heritage listing, but the World Heritage Committee decided to inscribe it anyway. This article covers the architect Hlávka, how the residence became a university, and where the assessments diverged.