The western world, into which we
proudly count ourselves, got already used to armed conflicts in Africa, the
Middle East or Asia. These problems are quite far from us and we began to see
them as a normal part of everyday world news, but when demonstrations, people
in streets and dead among both police officers and the dissenters move just a
thousand kilometers from our borders, we start to pay attention.
I went to Ukraine last summer, in
August 2013, with a group of friends. Understandably, it was not the top
tourist destination – we had to make a lot of preparations, to read quite a lot
about the country and still we were not sure what could wait for us there. Of
course, we knew about the political situation in Ukraine and the events that
happened there in past few years, but we were much more afraid of being robbed,
threatened or at the worst kidnapped. Frankly, we did not have to. How
surprised we would be if we went six months later!
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The Ukrainian-Russian problems are most visible in Crimea, the autonomous region on the peninsula of the same name, which is inhabited mostly by Russian speaking citizens. Above: statue in Stevastopol. Image credit: Jan Jakšič
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Ukraine is a very poor country, but
not everywhere. I can perfectly remember what feelings I had about Kiev. It is
a completely modern and rich city and it can be seen especially in the heart of
the city – along Khreshchatyk Street which leads to
the main square in Kiev, Maidan Nezalezhnosti. On the square we could buy cheap beer in small takeaways, people
were crowding in front of the McDonald’s situated in its upper part and greedy Ukrainian students were
dressed in heavy cartoon-figures
costumes and demanded money from foreign passers-by. Now they are the
people dying there.
The things happening in Ukraine in
these days are sad evidence that one can never be sure of what they can face in
any part of the world. Even the least important event can trigger a series of other events that can change many lives and
the situation in the whole world, but it does not have to be very far from us,
and we do not have to watch it only on TV.
-
Jan Jakšič
