December 25th Christmas in Kolomaya

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. 

This week we had +C temps and much of the snow has melted although on Dec. 25th it rained all day and today it's snowing with the forcast for more snow to fall this week and to be cooling off towards New Years eve, but only to minus 10C overnight.  This is the most difference in living in a climate like Ukraine's, here, we have passed the winter equinox and the weather apart from some snow still feels like fall.  Whereas in Canada there has usually been close to two months of cold snowy weather by now and one knows that winter has only just begun.

Last Saturday night Sviaty Mikoliy brought presents to all the good girls and boys and some grown-ups too. The next evening Kolomaya lit up it's evergreen in the centre of town. Here the decorated evergreen is  known as a New Years tree (probably decreed by the former regime) and not as a Christmas tree as in Canada.  People celebrating Christmas on the 24-5 th of Dec. often have a difficult time finding a tree in time but each year it is getting easier. 

December 25th is usually only celebrated by people from outside Ukraine and there is very little evidence of  any celebrations by the locals.  However, as many television commercials are being produced in the west for western companies, Coke being the best example, Ukraine is begining to be inundated with a western style holiday spirit.  Since gifts are usually given on Sviaty Mikoliy and on New Years advertizing on TV and radio is no different than in the west.  Stores are decorating their windows with Christmas scenes and western holiday music is becoming more noticable wherever one goes.  Each year more and more Christmas lights are seen decorating houses and outdoor trees.
A amusing aside involving the Christmas theme.  Lighting that we in Canada associate with Christmas can be seen throughout the year in resaurants and stores.  From time to time I have heard Christmas carols used as a ring tones for cell phones as well as Christmas music used in non-seasonal advertising.  for some reason this blog didn't get published, so sorry but better late than never.

Follow-up to yesterday

Todays news.
Party of Regions spokesperson Chechetov stood in front of TV cameras once again and declared that the Tymoshenko people themselves were responsible for the brawl by beating themselves up and then they had the audacity to claimed that this was done by Party of Regions members.  The TV cameras showed how the attack took place and it was brutal, with fists flying and beatings with chairs and stools.   A female reporter had the nerve to challenge him and call him a liar to his face.  The report quickly switched and we didn't hear his reply.  Yanukovych declared that all deputies should begin behaving like civilized people but nothing was said about disciplining or punishing the guilty. 

Some unrelated issues.

- During a talk show Putin claimed that Russia could have won the war against the Nazi's without any help by Ukraine.  He said that the Russian people were a brave powerful people and Ukraine didn't contribute anything to the victory over Hitler.
- While on a visit to Latvia, Yanukovych refused to visit a museum dedicated to Soviet Occupation.

The Battle of the Decade!

Last night Ukraine witnessed the event of the decade.  The result was five people hospitalized with broken bones, traumas to the head and numerous other injuries.  No, this was not the Klychko brothers gone wild but the "Party of Regions" maintaining order .  During the day "Block Tymoshenko" was blocking the podium in parliament protesting the charges being laid against Yulia.  In response to the blockade a spokesperson for Party Regions appeared on TV during the day, stating that their party was "too peaceful, composed and civilized" to interfere with the blockade.  After the session was closed for the day, the lights were shut off in the chambers and a "civilized" exchanged began.  The results were as I described, chairs broken over heads, arms twisted out of sockets and a variety of other injuries. Those sent to hospital were of "Block Tymoshenko" and the peaceful Party of Regions claiming they were provoked.
What's next guns in parlament?

Government Manipulations

Well, Yanukovych  is at it once again or should I say still at it.  He has deflated the business protests by giving into some of their demands and breaking up their camp by force.  It is commonly believed that the leaders of the protests are being harrassed and intimidated into silence.  There appears to be plans for a resumption of the protests after the new year.
In the 2011 budget his government has plans to increase his personal expense account from 947,000,000 Hr. in 2010 to 1,344,000,000 Hr. for 2011 which is almost double that of 2009.  In this same budget the government has allocated over 3 billion Hr. for a rehabilitation centre for themselves.  Yanukovych is also preparing to buy three new planes for himself.  
He was on TV the other day announcing that it was an injustice that the minimum pension was so low compared to the maximum pension which is over 6000 Hr.  He has decided to correct this appalling situation by raising the  mimimum pension by a whole 34 Hr. or 45 cents Canadian  to 740 Hr. per month.   At the current rate of exchange this amounts to a pension of about 100 CAD.
Back in the summer he anounced that he wanted to close all national TV and radio stations and create one National (presumably pro-Yahukovych) station and now has asked the courts to close the only independant news channels, TVI and Channel 5.   At present these are the only channels that provide more factual coverage of what is really happening in Ukraine. As an example, a major news channel "News 24" showed the removal of protesters from Independance square as peaceful and orderly while TVI showed the police destroying property and carting off protesters, the announcer speculated where the confiscated equipment would end up.
Yahukovych is trying to deflate his opposition by having his court system charge former Tymoshenko ministers with various crimes. At present there is a minister being held in the Czech republic awaiting extradition,  Lutsenko has been in and out of court for the last several months on charges that he stole 34,000 Hr. and now the government is going after another minister, Philipchuk, on similar charges and yesterday it was anounced that the courts are bringing charges against Yulia herself.
Recently there was an anouncement that the Mohyla Academy was under attack by the government for using the English language in it's curriculum. The government wants students who don't know English to have access to the accademy, which is commendable.  However, the academy provides students with training comparable to western institutes by English language instructors and thus many of the classes are in the English language, and students, if they wish, can continue their education in the west.
Another recent developement is that the government is allowing the Orthodox church under the Moscow patriarch to have a tax exemption.  However, no other religeous group has that privledge.

Communications, or what's available on TV



A Hutsul gate. Sadly, few are around these days. 




Weather this week has been sunny and warm with temps hovering around 0C and down to about -6 overnight. When the sun is out the snow keeps melting and then another cm or two falls again so we do have a little of the white stuff around.

In the photo, the round thing on the gate post is a recieving dish for satellite TV.  Because of the poor reception in the mountains most people here use satellite for their TV and radio. 
It's not only in the mountains that these dishes are used, as reception on the ordinary TV antenna's is often very poor, depending on the location.  Satellites offer a wide variety of channels to choose from around the world.  In some locations cable is also available.   We have over 2,000 TV and radio stations on our dish,  however, a large majority of them are blocked as Ukraine doesn't have an agreement in place to use "pay for view" channels.  This restricts us to watching such channels as CNN, BBC, Euronews and several other mostly news channels in English. A majority of the other channels are in a variety of languages such as German, French, Italian and Arabic as well as some Asian languages. 
There are close to 40 TV channels that are produced in Ukraine, but, a small number of channels use the Ukrainian language only occasionally.   A large percent of the programing is of Russian origin or Ukrainian programming trying to mimic the programs from their northern neighbor.  Ukrainian TV is in the same state as was Canadian TV back in the 1970's. Very little money is allocated by the government for cultural programs and there is still a preference for things Russian.  Recently, a movie was made about Taras Bulba and the producers choose to do it in Russian.  There is a law requiring all foreign language movies and programs be dubbed into Ukrainian but the present government has tried to recind the law and also ignores any violations. However, Homer Simpson sounds much better in Ukrainian. (аї карумба)
Pop radio programs in Ukraine are mostly produced in Kyiv and carried by local rebroadcasters and reflect Kyiv's musical preferences.   On satellite, CBC I, II and III are available as is BBC and a variety of US stations broadcasting in English. There is also a wide variety of music available from jazz to classical and ethnic on the satellite. A number of CBC style Ukrainian language stations broadcast political, cultural and music programs. These choices offer us the opportunity to be as immersed in the local culture and/or isolated from western culture as we want.

Carpathian Mts.




Yarusia and Nechai

  Today we had a nice spring-like day, +6C temp, no wind but also very little sun. Being that the weather was nice we decided to take a drive into the Carpathians mountains.  We drove south and east about 40kms. to Bukovetz where we crossed a mountain ridge at an elevation of 862 meters or 2600 feet and continuing on down to Krevorivne and Verxhovyna.

Along the way we decided to visit with a well known 'molfar' or hutsul sorcerer by the name of Michaylo Nechai who lives in the village of  Verxhney Yaseniv.  He is a well known practitioner of white or good magic and claims to be able to control the weather, heal the sick as well as remove spells cast by evil people.  There remains a strong belief among Ukrainians in various manifestations of evil such as the evil eye and spells cast for some form of gain such as money or property. People will search out a practitioner of evil, who for a sum of money, is prepared to casts a spell on a rival or enemy so as to eliminate them either by illness or other means. Nechai is one who can counter the evil these people do.

On the way home we stopped in Kosiv where we did some shopping and sightseeing. Kosiv is a large town of about 8,500 people and is the crafts and cultural centre of Hutsulschena. Every Saturday morning the renok or bazar is full of a wide variety of wood carvings, woolen garments and ceramic souvenirs.

Furs of Tysmenytsya

Today we drove to Tysmenytsya a town of about 10,000 people and home to a world class fur industry.
The town is just outside of Ivano-Frankivsk and about 50 kms from Kolomaya . Tysmanytsia was known throughout Europe for it's fur industry since before the 17th century and today has over 45 stores offering a variety of fur garments and accessories. We were there to help a friend find a fur coat for the winter.  Although the winters here are not that cold the humidity makes it feel much colder and thus the need for a warm fur coat.

Buses held up by Police.

Much of the news from Ukraine is being suppressed and a lot more is simply missed.
For a confirmation of some of the stories please read the article in
KyivPost from Nov.26  @ 00:25  "Tax protests intensify" by Kateryna Grushenko and Peter Byrne.

Kolomaya

I guess it's better late than never. I started writing this blog last Monday but my computer began giving me problems and only now have I gotten back to it. 
In Ukraine there is an adage that the first snow never stays and this year  has held up once again. Last Sat. morning the ground was covered in white but by early afternoon it was all gone.  And now a week later after a Thursday storm it look as though the snow is here to stay till spring. 
The city of Kolomaya is located along the north shore of the Prut river and the Carpathian Mountains are only about 20 minutes south of us.  The settlement began as a fort built in the mid 1100's as protection for a trade route from the city of Galicia (now the Romanian city of Galati) near the mouth of the Danube river to Lviv and beyond. This road was known as the "Berladsky Road".  Due to subsequent invasions and wars the city  was devastated and rebuilt several times.  In 1395 the town recieved it's coat of arms and in 1405 was given "Magdenburg Rights" which included administrative, judicial and civil rights.
Kolomaya is also known as the unofficial capital of the Hutsul culture and home to a large Husul museum displaying various aspects of their culture.

Protesters are hanging in!

  Sorry, I was away for a few days and without any access to decent news coverage.  However, very few news channels are covering the situation with any indepth coverage and the situation is not very clear. 
The protesters remain unmoved, but it appears that there is an effort to cause confusion in their ranks by some unofficial business representatives claiming to have held meetings with government officials and supposedly  coming to some agreement.  Yanukovich is also trying to deflate the protests by delaying any action and hoping that due to the weather,  false rumors and time, the protesters will lose steam and disappear.
 He has once again snubbed them by postponing his decision, claiming to be waiting for his experts to analize the new law, and only after that was he to respond to their demands. Unfortunately, on the day he was to meet with the protesters, he instead decided to arrange a new gas deal with Moscow. He returned to Kyiv with no new deal and it's anyone's guess as to what was  actually discussed.

Protests and more protests

One has to give Yanukovich credit for a job well done.
He has succeeded where both Yushchenko and Julia have failed.
He has been able to unite Ukrainians from east to west and north to south. 
Everyone is in opposition to him.
Today the protests continue in Independance square but because of the cool rainy weather the numbers were a lot fewer. During the day the police tried to carry out the order to remove them but tonight the people remain unmoved.

The Ukrainian TV Channel, TBI broadcasting from Independance square carried several hours of pictures and comentaries by ordinary people from around the country.
In contrast to most other rallies there were no political banners, only signs from various cities from around Ukraine describing their discontent with the taxation law. All speakers were in unison in there contempt of the government and for Victor Yanukovich in particular.
One elderly lady from Luhansk said that around the world most leaders are good people whereas in Ukraine the leaders "should all be lined up against the wall and shot".
A man from Donetsk said that "two years ago he would have fallen on his knees before Yanukovich and kissed his feet but today he would spit in his face". "Someone should set a bomb under them all and set it off" he said.  He also said that Russia has nothing for the people of Ukraine except more grief. 
A  woman from Donetsk said "Russia stay away we don't want you or your 'help'". 
A woman from Pavlohrad east of Dnipropetrovsk said that she voted for Yanukovich in the last two elections but was now "ashamed of what she had done and begged for Ukraine and the people of Ukraine to forgive her for what she had done. She ended her speech by thanking Azarov with a obscene gesture.
On Thursday Yankovich returns from Brussels to Kyiv and there are calls for everyone to greet him with demands that he veto the taxation laws and that the Azarov government resign. The organizers are expecting hundreds of thousands of protesters and are bringing six million signed petitions to back their demands.
Also.
The same TV channel is advertising the commemoration of the Holodomor and contrary to what Yanukovich has proclaimed earlier they are calling it a Genocide.

Protest Protest Protest. 140 buses detained

Today was another day of protests in most major cities throughout Ukraine. Small business owners are protesting  new laws on business taxation.   Earlier in today's news it was reported that 140 buses from around Ukraine were stopped by the police from entering Kyiv.  The passengers were on their way to a rally to protest the new laws and demand that Yanukovich veto the law before it could be implemented.  In another effort to stop the protests the Kyiv city government,(the new mayor is a Yanukovich appointee) requested the courts to implement a ban on all meetings/rallies in the city.  This hasn't detered the protesters as they have decided to ignore the ban and are planing to move their protest to take place in front of Yanukovich's offices. Police had set up baracades around government offices earlier in the day and were only allowing those who worked in the area to enter.
Kyiv was also the scene today of a large rally in Independance square held in honor of the 'Orange revolution' and the push for democracy. There was a noticable lack of political party banners and the participents were in no mood for any political interference.  At one point they physically removed a politican from the stage when he tried to express his parties point of view. (sorry, I don't know who he was)

About residency

Another fine fall day. the evenings are cooling off to about +5C but the days are still above 15C so all is well.
In the last blog I promised to give a report about my residency.  So this is it.

When a foreigner plans to live in Ukraine for some time they must register with the authorities every three month and pay a small fee each time. This is checked out at the border whenever you leave the country so don't try to bypass the system. 
After being  married  for two years to a Ukrainian citizen I was allowed to apply for a permanant temporary residency permit.  Upon paying the fees I recieved a residency card and a special stamp in my passport describing my status.  However, when renewing my Canadian passport the old stamp was no longer valid and I needed to get a new stamp in my new passport. 
When dealing with Ukrainian authorities there is an unwritten rule that helps to get the wheels of bureaucracy moving, that is, a good dolop of grease works wonders.  Unfortunately, quite often the lubricant outweighs the requirements.

I am hearing that some information about the area I live in would be appropreate.

I live in Kolomaya which is a small city of about 60-70,000 residents. We are located in the Ivano-Frankivske oblast (or province) in western Ukraine.
Kolomaya is 65 kms south east of Ivano-Frankivske and about 85 kms north west of Chernivtsi.  Just north of the 48th parallel.
The first written records mentioning the city date from 1241 so we will be 770 years old in 2011.
more later.

Marvelous Fall




My wife Yarusia our granddaughter and me.

  

 Great sunshine, warm 20C weather and light winds make for a beautful fall day again.  I spent the day spading over the garden and simply enjoying the day. We ate lunch in the outdoors, did some reading and Yarusia and I talked about our plans for a gazebo/pavillion for the backyard. Today I have to go into town to renew my residency but that will be for the next post.

Home.

Well I am home at last. The trip took close to 36 hours with almost 14 flying, 10 hours waiting between planes and 12 hours on the train.  My wife Yarusia met me with the biggist smile ever and a bouquet of roses. How can I not be glad to be home?
The weather here is warm with temps. in the high teen during the day and between 5 to 10 overnight. The day after I arrived it was 20C with beautiful sunshine and a prognosis of no end in sight for the warm weather.
Our neighbor was over last night for a visit and did you know that a person can be as contented as "a varenyk in a bowl of warm butter" or at least that is what she said.

Getting ready to go home.



Taras worn out from Saskatoon.

I will not miss the traffic and/or the fast pace of life here in Saskatoon.  Finally, a day without running from store to store and just some final visiting with friends and family. Tomorrow I go to Edmonton to visit with more family and than I get ready to go home.  I leave on Sunday, flying through Calgary to Frankfurt and on to Kyiv, only taking fourteen hours flying time about and four hours waiting in the airports. However, from Kyiv to Kolomaya I have six hours to wait for the train and about a twelve hour trip to Ivano-Frankivsk and a one hour drive home. I will be exhausted but will continue my writing about my adventure after I have recouperated.

Visiting my old home Saskatoon

Today I am in Saskatoon, where I came to visit my Canadian family and  friends. I spent the day preparing for my return home as I am leaving in six days and it was another gift buying day. The luggage is getting heavier by the day.  I am anxoius to see my wife Yaroslava, our daughter Christina, her husband Vitally and our granddaughter Veronika or Nika as we call her.
The last few days I spent shopping for gifts to take back with me. Parking in downtown Saskatoon is far different than in Kolomaya. There in the centre of the city it costs the equivalent of .13 cents per hour  to park compared to two dollars per hour in Saskatoon.  The renok or bazar continues to thrive in most towns and villages, selling everything from home grown vegetables(organic) to kitchen appliances (new and used) and the occational pig. While there are only a few larger electronics shops most clothing shops are quite small compared to Canadian standards. The selection of clothing comes from most of the world including the Asian countries as well as the finer fashion houses of Europe.  Recently Ukrainian goods have been slowly making their way onto shelves.