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romkablog

romkablog: what is it about?

This is a weblog about Ukraine. Many western people kept track of the „Orange Revolution“ that took place at the end of 2004 after the massive fraud at the presidential elections.

What’s now going on over there? What’s my passion about it?

I’m German, and I have been travelling to Ukraine regularly since 1990, when the end of the Soviet Union was not far off, and I witnessed student’s protests in Lviv against something that was going on in Kiev, or maybe Moscow. The picture of those young, determined boys and girls are in my head till today.

The next day, upset people showed us the Lenin monument which was just being torn off. The fundament appeared to be built out of gravestones: I read the German, Polish, Ukrainian, Jewish inscriptions. People recognized us as western tourists: „Take pictures! Show this scandal to the world! Lenin was standing on graves!“.

One symbolic moment; there where lots of them in these times. I started learning the Ukrainian language, and the exciting times changed to routine. Trekking tours to the Carpathians, trips to Odessa, Kiev. The birth of my godchild, Romka, 1995. Kindergarden, school, homework. Death of Grandparents, marriage of cousins.

In the nineties, I regularly thought about moving to Ukraine. I lacked courage. Maybe, it will come some day.

P.S.: In 1993, I lived in Uzhhorod for two months. The little girl I used to take home from school every day, stood on the Kiev Maidan some weeks ago, for the sake of her future.

P.P.S.: Yes, this is a German weblog. However, this message is for those people who find the way over here via trackbacks or comment links.

Jungs in Uschhorod „Aber zurück zu dem Bild, das mir nicht aus dem Kopf geht: der kleine Junge, versunken in die Betrachtung des Flusses. Da drüben beginnt die Neue Welt.“
(Jurij Andruchowytsch, Mein Europa)