The Ukrainian Week Wins the Free Press of Eastern Europe 2012 Award

The official ceremony for the Gerd Bucerius Award, which are decided by the Zeit-Stiftung Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius foundation, together with the Fritt Ord Foundation (Free Word), took place in Hamburg City Hall on Thursday, 24 May 2012

Giving ‘em the Runaround

In the lead-up to Euro 2012, the Western media has been competing to paint the scariest possible picture of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Week looked into what foreigners fear and what they are actually likely to find challenging in Ukraine

Unspoken Visa Rules

The widespread attitude to Ukraine as a corrupt, failing and ever more authoritarian state is also transferred to its citizens

Vanity Fair

The dream residence of today’s Ukrainian nouveau riche resembles the kind of luxury restaurant craved by generations of soviet and post-soviet mobs

Hospitality Triumphs Over Greed

Many Ukrainians are willing to host foreign football fans at their homes for free

Kitsch vs Authenticity

Pseudo-Ukrainian souvenirs are flooding the Euro 2012 market. Below are some tips to help tourists find authentic products instead

There Once Was a Dog

Apart from the known dog torturers in the country, many Ukrainians actually drop their careers and sacrifice their health to help abandoned and crippled animals

A Maximum Security Country

Ukrainian prisons are nowhere near European standards

Hammer Into Anvil

Innocent people trapped in the grindstones of Ukraine’s law enforcement machine often have only two options: admit their guilt and end up behind bars, or spend a long time proving their innocence and get released as invalids

Rethinking Life

Marianna Kaat speaks about her attitude to the scandalous removal of her film Pit No.8 from a festival

Life Is Different There…

Documentaries about Donbas coalminers: social antagonism instead of regional patriotism

Being Yourself

A firm choice of the language in which to speak allows people to shape their environment rather than be shaped by it

Russification Via Bilingualism

Under the current circumstances in Ukraine, most bilingual people ultimately become Russian-speakers

Civil Society and Its Enemies

Forming a fully-fledged civil society in Ukraine is still a challenge because the numerous existing NGOs have failed to become its foundation

Actions Speak Loudly

Ukraine has more and more civic movements, the activities of which are not only directed towards ensuring the awareness of society and those in power of specific problems, but also their resolution

Fault Line Across Society

It is common knowledge that we most empathise with someone in whose place we might find ourselves. Rank and file citizens of Mykolaiv took to the streets in order to send a number of monsters who are the sons of influential parents behind bars.

Pre-Revolutionary Indifference

The people of Donbas already regret their political choice of the past decade and are more ready than ever to protest, even though they still lack a clear alternative to the current regime.

The Church Against the Government

The Church of England and Catholic Church condemn plans to allow gay marriages

Church Opposition

Metropolitan Sofroniy Dmytruk talks about the intrigue surrounding the election of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate

Dying Out?

Ukraine’s key demographic problem is a high mortality rate caused by the poor health of its population, a demographer says

What the Nation Needs…

More than anything else, over the 20 years of its independence, Ukrainian authorities have pretended to solve the nation’s demographics troubles

We Were 52 Million

Where did 6 million Ukrainians go?

To Heat or Not to Heat (Centrally)

Given the low quality of utility services, particularly heating, many Ukrainians are switching to autonomous heating. The Ukrainian Week has found, however, that this kind of independence is not always justified

Privatization Targets Culture

The Party of power us looking at museums, cultural heritage and “sects”

I Park Like an Idiot

They’re not waiting for the Ukrainian highway patrol to become honest or for drivers to start respecting the rules. Activists from the social movements “I Park Like an Idiot,” “Road Control” and “I Drive Well and Sober” promote ethical conduct among drivers

A Sense of Rocks and the Steppe

Petro Antyp speaks about the mentality of Donetsk, the color of Ukraine and the Horlivka School of Sculpture