Inspired and informed by the author's own experiences in Ukraine, this is a history of a politically and culturally rich collection of borderlands. The word "Ukraine" means "borderland" and, for most of its history, the lands that make up Ukraine have been a collection of other countries' borders. Split between Russia and Poland in the 18th century, between Austria and Russia in the 19th century and between Russia, Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia between World War I and II, before being swallowed whole by the Soviet ...
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Inspired and informed by the author's own experiences in Ukraine, this is a history of a politically and culturally rich collection of borderlands. The word "Ukraine" means "borderland" and, for most of its history, the lands that make up Ukraine have been a collection of other countries' borders. Split between Russia and Poland in the 18th century, between Austria and Russia in the 19th century and between Russia, Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia between World War I and II, before being swallowed whole by the Soviet Union in 1945, Ukrainians have never, until 1991, known anything approaching a state of their own. Until the depradations of Stalin and Naziism, Ukraine was ethnically diverse: Russians, Poles and Jews lived in the cities; Crimea belonged to Muslim tartars, Greeks and Armenians; Boyks, Lemks and Hutsuls farmed the Ukrainian Carpathians. Their ghosts linger on in literature (Gogol, Bulgakov), language and in an architecture quite distincitve from that of Russia. Combining history, her own adventures in Ukraine and personal interviews, Anna Reid charts the tragic past of this land and the troubles inflicted upon it, and considers how a country builds itself up from scratch and creates a sense of national identity.
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This engaging, intelligent narrative is a wonderful introduction to the history and background of modern Ukrain, the borderland between east and west, Catholic and Orthodox, Jew and Christian, Tatar, Pole, and Russian peoples and cultures. The author is honest about the violent and often cruel history of what is now the new nation of Ukraine, yet maintains her sympathy and admiration for the struggles of all the Ukrainian peoples -- the ethnic Ukranians and other Slavs as well as the important minority groups (Jews, Poles, Tatars and others). I read her book after a brief visit to Ukraine to see my son, who is serving in the Peace Corps there. The author gave me a perspective in depth on the Ukrainian peoples and cultures. I recommend it highly.
avidreader45
Jun 28, 2007
A unexpected nice suprise!
I'm picky on books,more a fictional reader,too. However, have family in Ukraine,and visited and found this book wonderful in explaining the changing boundaries,history and doing a great job piecing it all together for me.. I actually bought it for my brother-in-law,but had to get him another copy as I could not quit reading this one.Not only did I read it through once, but found myself re-reading sections. It's also easy to pick it up at bedtime and reread a page or two again, as I seemed to understand more each time. Lots of changing of hands of Ukraine.Then I had to buy a third as my 18 and 21 year girls kept "borowing" my copy. Did not find it a" dry read "either asthere are person conversations of locals included.Highly recommend. Strangely,as new people walk by it in the house,they are drawn to pickig it up and taking a look.
