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I’m Ukrainian but my first words were Russian. It’s a legacy we’ve spent our whole lives trying to escape
The Guardian ^ | 24th August 2024 | Olga Rudenko

Posted on 08/24/2024 1:40:36 PM PDT by Cronos

I believe there are few, if any, nations in the modern world where independence means as much today as it does in Ukraine. Ukraine’s fight for independence took centuries. And when we finally got it after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, its successor, Russia, soon tried to subjugate Ukraine again.

I’m Ukrainian but my first words were in Russian. In fact, all of my words were in Russian until I started school. Like many other Ukrainian families, mine used to be Ukrainian-speaking once, but was Russified over recent generations

The big bang that changed it all happened in 2014. Our country underwent a great awakening – the Euromaidan revolution, a popular uprising that ousted a corrupt pro-Russian president.

The revolution changed Ukraine’s relationship with Russia in an instant. Rejected by Ukraine, the former empire reacted with force. It occupied and annexed Ukraine’s peninsula of Crimea and started a war in eastern Ukraine.

The revolution and Russian aggression kickstarted a renaissance of Ukrainian identity.

It manifested on the first post-revolution independence day in August 2014 – the celebration was nothing like what it was before. The streets of Kyiv were flooded with people in vyshyvankas, Ukrainian traditional embroidered shirts that became a way to show patriotism.

It took a threat to our independence to start cherishing it

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Ukraine
KEYWORDS: olgarudenko; southernrussia; southernrussians; tempusmaximus; ukraine
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The funny thing is that Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2014 is what strengthened Ukrainian national identity. And his invasion in 2022 put that in high gear.

If he hadn't invaded in 2014 Ukraine would have slowly been absorbed into the Rossiski Mir (Muscowite world)

1 posted on 08/24/2024 1:40:36 PM PDT by Cronos
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To: Cronos

My Polish girlfriend and Czech friends all were forced to learn Russian when they were oppressed by the filthy commie USSR.


2 posted on 08/24/2024 1:45:18 PM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
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To: Cronos
The revolution and Russian aggression kickstarted a renaissance of Ukrainian identity.?

This piece documents the deep seated hatred the Ukrainian's have for the Russians.

This hatred gave rise to serious oppression and trademarked Eastern European style ethnic cleansing of ethnic Russian living in Ukrainian territory.- usually by Neo Nazi Ukrainian para military groups.

This aggression against ethnic Russians was at least a major pretext that kick started Russian intervention.

3 posted on 08/24/2024 1:48:20 PM PDT by rdcbn1
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To: rdcbn1

Sounds kind of like Gaelic in Ireland, most Irish don’t speak it.


4 posted on 08/24/2024 1:49:27 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Cronos
In the News/Activism forum, on a thread titled I’m Ukrainian but my first words were Russian. It’s a legacy we’ve spent our whole lives trying to escape, Cronos wrote:
The funny thing is that Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2014 is what strengthened Ukrainian national identity. And his invasion in 2022 put that in high gear.

If he hadn't invaded in 2014 Ukraine would have slowly been absorbed into the Rossiski Mir (Muscowite world)

The funny thing is Trump pointed out our State Department overthrew the Ukraine in 2014. How's that for 'national identity.' Our CIA head, Nuland, helped make it happen. The Ukraine has been owned and operated by NATO, primarily Biden, since that time. Right now, our deep state/Biden regime won't let the Ukraine negotiate peace even though they can't win, they have to just keep fighting and dying.

So Our CIA/State department worked with allies to build and equip a 600,000 troop army to provoke Putin into fighting back when they tried to park it on his border. He invaded and ever since then shills have been saying, 'poor defenseless Ukraine was minding it's own business, and WHAM all of a sudden Putin attacked'.

No. NATO wants regime change in Russia and sadly, the Ukraine is the tool they are destroying to try to make that happen.

The Soviet Union is dead - Putin doesn't want blood thirsty NATO to park people and weapons on his border.


5 posted on 08/24/2024 1:50:43 PM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
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To: rdcbn1

I think the Holodomor in the early 1930s had more to do with the deep-seated hatred the Ukrainian’s have for the Russians.

The Russians starved 3-5 million Ukrainians to death. 300,000 where forced to move to Kazakhstan.


6 posted on 08/24/2024 1:53:43 PM PDT by Alas Babylon! (Repeal the Patriot Act; Abolish the DHS; reform FBI top to bottom!)
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To: Cronos

Well, I’m not Ukrainian OR Russian.

Best of luck, but please stop trying to involve my country in your troubles. We have plenty of our own to deal with.


7 posted on 08/24/2024 1:56:48 PM PDT by Jim Noble (Assez de mensonges et de phrases)
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To: Cronos
Hows that globo-homo doing? kiev
8 posted on 08/24/2024 1:59:31 PM PDT by pigeoninthepark
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To: Cronos

Ukraine has not been a state for good reasons. Soon, it won’t be one again, this time for good.


9 posted on 08/24/2024 2:03:06 PM PDT by Trumpisourlastchance
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To: pigeoninthepark

Dunno, you seem to be pro homo.

I oppose Putin AND the pink agenda.

You support both, eh?


10 posted on 08/24/2024 2:03:35 PM PDT by Cronos
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To: Cronos
The funny thing is that Putin's invasion of Ukraine in 2014 is what strengthened Ukrainian national identity.

Eventually, Russia will need to save Europe for a third time. This time against the EU/Islam coalition. There's really nobody else in or around Europe who will do it.

11 posted on 08/24/2024 2:03:51 PM PDT by Right_Wing_Madman
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To: rdcbn1

Have you even read this?

Many Ukrainians including Zelensky were born native Russian speakers.

There are many patriotic Ukrainians who have Russia born parents.


12 posted on 08/24/2024 2:05:41 PM PDT by Cronos
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To: Cronos

Zelensky was a regular on Russian Television.


13 posted on 08/24/2024 2:06:04 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: ransomnote

Russia has bordered NATO since 1999.

That invalidates your entire argument


14 posted on 08/24/2024 2:06:22 PM PDT by Cronos
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To: Right_Wing_Madman

Russia has not “saved Europe “ even once, leave alone thrice.

World war 2 was started by the Russians with their nazi German allies when the two invaded Poland.


15 posted on 08/24/2024 2:08:20 PM PDT by Cronos
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To: Cronos

Your nation supports child molestation, while Russia bans “pride” parades

“Ukraine Distances Itself from Russia in Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality”

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/ukraine-distances-itself-russia-advancing-lgbtq-equality


16 posted on 08/24/2024 2:10:49 PM PDT by pigeoninthepark
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To: Cronos

Or 1949 with Norway and 1952 if you count the Soviet border with Turkey.

17 posted on 08/24/2024 2:14:08 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (7/13/2024:The day the Democrats and their SA chose assassination as their primary political tool.)
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To: Jim Noble

I agree with this.

I think it was wrong for Russia to invade Ukraine. Open warfare is very bad and the two should have tried more diplomacy. But I also think the Kivu Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda is wrong and should stop. 3,000+ dead so far in 2024! Most people haven’t even heard of it.

But I’m against the USA getting involved in either.


18 posted on 08/24/2024 2:15:23 PM PDT by Alas Babylon! (Repeal the Patriot Act; Abolish the DHS; reform FBI top to bottom!)
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To: Cronos

I know a Ukrainian family, arrived in the USA 20 years ago

Was recently at a gathering where a leftist / lib contact thought they could score some easy virtue signaling points by saying “Slava Uraini!”

The response from our Ukrainian friends were. “NO. We don’t say that. Please don’t say it again.”


19 posted on 08/24/2024 2:20:31 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: Organic Panic
My Polish girlfriend and Czech friends all were forced to learn Russian when they were oppressed by the filthy commie USSR.

I have a Polish friend who absolutely HATED that he was made to learn Russian in school.

I kind of laughed because a lot of the Polish words are recognizable as Russian cognates.

20 posted on 08/24/2024 2:25:03 PM PDT by kiryandil (Kraft durch Freude! - The Kamunist and The Walzrus )
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