Around Uzhgorod in the Carpathian Mountains, one may encounter the Rusyn people. One of the Rusyn clans, the Hutsuls, have their own traditional clothing. In Kyiv’s National Historical Museum, one display showcased a folkloric Hutsul vest. In Uzhgorod, I went to the ethnographic museum for a peek into rural life. […]
Uzhgorod, a small town lying twelve hours from Kyiv by train, has an offbeat history. At one point, the city formed part of the old Austro-Hungarian empire as evidenced by the statue to Maria Theresa. After World War I, Uzhgorod was incorporated into Czechoslovakia and near the town center there’s […]
From a cultural perspective, Lviv is considered to be one of the strongest centers of Ukrainian nationalism. To the outside observer, such local expressions of nationalism seem to range from the benign and folksy to the somewhat jarring. Embroidered dresses can be found for sale in the tourist center of […]
The western Ukrainian city of Lviv, which was formerly known as Lemberg when it formed part of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, feels more akin visually to central Europe. Lviv prides itself on its cosmopolitan coffee shops and chocolate. Art deco or art nouveau buildings peek out here and there.
How will people ever become aware of the political legacy of Nestor Makhno, an anarchist leader during the Ukrainian Civil War? Not by visiting Kyiv’s Museum of the Ukrainian Revolution, that’s for sure. As an attendant explained to me, the museum’s intention was to simply showcase the Ukrainian Republic as […]
One thing’s for sure, Ukrainian magnate Viktor Pinchuk never fails to disappoint. Hosted once again in the grand Kyiv Arsenal Museum, this year’s Yalta European Strategy (or YES) meeting featured the usual defense hawks and conservative commentators (for a rundown of last year’s YES conference, featuring my extensive commentary on […]
For some time, I’ve been slightly ambivalent toward graffiti though the idealist in me has always believed that in the long-run, reclaiming the urban environment might encourage the rise of a more radical political consciousness. As cities embrace gentrification and homogenization at an increasingly breakneck pace, the need to carve […]
In 2006, in the midst of the Chávez era, I toured Caracas and the surrounding area. At the time, the administration was touting its much-vaulted social programs or “missions.” In 2003, the government created “Misión Barrio Adentro” or “Inside the Neighborhood Mission,” a program to provide basic health care to […]
In many ways, Bushwick, Brooklyn resembles my recent trip to Berlin. Getting off the L train at Jefferson Street, you can’t miss the dynamic youth scene, wall murals and graffiti in the area. Inside a courtyard, people drink hipster beer amidst more wall murals. Wall murals cover surrounding streets. Like […]
In East Berlin, I visited the Stasi museum. Across town, tourist flock to Checkpoint Charlie, a traditional boundary between east and west. Above Checkpoint Charlie, I spotted a pro-Ukrainian banner which echoes earlier Cold War tensions. But will the United States stand by Germany or even Ukraine for that matter […]
