As a recently independent country, it’s not surprising that a number of myths or misconceptions about Ukraine still persist. Long under the yoke of its giant neighbor Russia, Ukrainians have struggled through the centuries to maintain their distinct identity, traditions and culture. Ukrainians have largely succeeded in doing so, but there are still a few misapprehensions about the country.
1. Ukraine is cold and snowy much of the year
Ukraine has a continental climate, with winters that are colder than in Western Europe but summers that are usually hotter. The capital Kyiv is practically on the same latitude as London in the United Kingdom, and the southern portions of the country have a climate well-suited to growing grapes, while Crimea’s climate is sub-tropical. The weather is changeable and heavy thunderstorms are common in the summer months, but the climate is far more temperate than in Siberia or most of Canada.
2. Much of Ukraine has been contaminated by Chornobyl radioactivity
The dreadful Chornobyl disaster of April 26, 1986 has left a long shadow on the country, and rendered the area around the stricken plant uninhabitable for perhaps centuries. However, the vast majority of the country was unaffected by the radioactive fallout from the reactor explosion, and Ukrainian food and water are regularly checked for radioactivity. While Ukrainians remember the disaster with grief, radioactivity in the country barely registers among their everyday concerns.
3. Patriotic Ukrainians are extreme nationalists
This new myth has emerged since Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea and its war in the Donbas. Stepan Bandera, a Ukrainian nationalist who lived from 1909 to 1959, who fought with and against both the Soviets and the German Nazis during World War II, is a controversial figure in Ukraine, and by no means the sole figurehead of the Ukrainian independence movement. Ukrainian politics has become more overtly patriotic and nationalistic since the Kremlin launched its war, but election results show that most Ukrainians are social democrats, favoring left-of-center politics.
Face-painted patriots march from Shevchenko Park to European Square
4. Ukraine has little in common with West
The perception of Ukraine as an exotic, Eastern country has its roots in old stereotypes about the Soviet Union that persist to this day. But geographically, the center of Europe lies within Ukraine’s borders, and there is much about Ukrainian culture and traditions that immediately strike Westerners as familiar. In western Ukraine, in particular, there are areas that have been incorporated in other European states, such as the Austro-Hungarian empire, and which bear the hallmark of this Central European influence to this day.
5. Unemotional Ukrainians
This myth has appeared because it is not the Ukrainian habit to be open and smiling with strangers – but they are no more “cold and unemotional” than any northern European would be. Once you get to know them better, Ukrainians express their feeling and emotions much more openly, and can then strike their guests as being more straightforward and sincere than some Westerners.
6. Easy women in Ukraine
Even in Soviet times, Ukrainian women (especially in the capital Kyiv), were famed for their beauty. This reputation carried over into the years of independence, and Kyiv was a favorite destination for rich Western men looking for a “mail-order bride.” Many have been disappointed: not by the beauty of Ukrainian women, but by the fact that Ukrainian women are apt to demand respect from men, and their favors cannot simply be bought by a man offering a new home in a far-off Western country. While Ukrainian women can be loving and faithful wives, and caring mothers, winning their affection is not easy, and will demand sincere effort from any man.
7. Ukrainians eat a lot
Anyone who has attended a Ukrainian birthday party or other family celebration will have encountered a table groaning with huge amounts of food, and one might get the impression Ukrainians always overindulge at mealtimes. In fact, the Ukrainian diet is rather healthy and modest, which is borne out by the country’s obesity rate: At around 20 percent, it is not even in the top 30 in the world, and is far below most Western countries’ rates, and Russia’s as well.
8. Ukrainians eat a lot of salo (lard, or pig fat)
It is true that the majority of Ukrainians like salo and eat it quite often. However, the average Ukrainian eats no more than 18 kilograms of pork a year, which is a third of the amount eaten by the average German. Still, Ukrainians’ fondness for pork fat is evident in its trade statistics – Ukraine annually imports up to 70,000 tons of lard from Germany, Hungary and Poland. So this myth is pretty close to reality.
9. Ukrainians drink a lot
While the availability of cheap alcohol does cause problems with alcoholism in Ukraine, according to the World Health Organization the level of alcohol consumption in Ukraine is the same as in Italy, at 22nd place in the world. Drinking habits are different here than in France, for instance, where having a glass or two of beer or wine during dinner every day is the norm: Ukrainians tend not to drink at every meal. Social drinking is much more ritualized, however, with the tradition of liberally toasting friends, family and guests with Ukrainian vodka on special occasions leading to the impression that overconsumption of alcohol is common. In reality, it is not.
10. Service is bad
Another hangover from Soviet times is the perception among foreigners that the service in Ukrainian hotels, bars and restaurants is universally bad. In fact, Ukrainian service, especially in the larger cities, has improved immensely over the past two decades or so. That’s mainly been due to the competition for jobs in the service industries that emerged due to job shortages in the nascent market economy – now, those who want to get a job in a top bar or restaurant have to have good service skills. And while it’s not usual to tip in Ukraine, if you do leave something for your server, you will be practically guaranteed a warm welcome and attentive service next time you visit.
11. Ukrainians rip off unsuspecting tourists
It used to be quite common to see signs at the entry to tourist sights in Ukraine with separate prices for Ukrainians and foreigners – the prices for foreigners being higher. But that is hardly ever the case now. If a bar or restaurant favored by foreigners has high prices, Ukrainians have to pay them as well, and indeed, relatively speaking, such places are more expensive for most Ukrainians to visit, so tourists often actually get quite a good deal, especially in comparison to prices in other countries. Despite the war in the east, Ukraine is still a great destination for tourists, with more than 10 million people visiting in 2017.
You can destroy the myths and verify the facts by yourself on exciting Ukraine tours by 4Utours !
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