Andrew Wyhinny
The opportunity to study at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy in Ukraine this summer has been a most exciting and rewarding experience. For five weeks, along with other students from around the world, I was able to study Ukraine’s language, culture, literature and history at the country’s leading university. Courses consisted of lectures from actual professors of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, and we had the privilege to meet these professors and other students at the university. The lessons we learned in class were complemented by excursions throughout Kyiv. These Ukrainian language courses supplemented my knowledge of Ukrainian, which previously consisted of the language course I took at Stanford and what I had learned in Ukrainian school. And although the classes at Kyiv Mohyla Academy were of excellent quality, the direct submersion and exposure to Ukrainian culture and daily life were most significant to my learning while in Ukraine.
The program facilitated our immersion by introducing us to many students at the university who also led us on our excursions throughout the city. It was an excellent opportunity not only to connect with other students, but also to learn about their perspectives. One such opportunity came when we took an excursion to Bykivnia forest, a mass grave of Ukrainians outside of Kyiv. Not only was it very moving to visit this historical site and witness an integral part of Ukrainian repression, but it also opened discussions between us and the Kyiv Mohyla students and professors. I personally find that an integral element to understanding a culture is to hear in person the ideas and outlooks of its denizen. For several hours we discussed the historical significance of Bykivnia, as well as the ideologies and hopes of Ukraine’s citizens regarding this mass grave.
Having been to Ukraine twice before, it was interesting to see how these opinions and hopes had changed among Ukrainians just over the past eight years. Although influences from the Soviet era are still present, in many cases, they are not as strong. Each evening we were free to explore Kyiv for ourselves, and I was happy and most proud to see a large increase in the number of speakers of Ukrainian in Kyiv. Despite being Ukraine’s capital, in the past Kyiv has primarily consisted of Russian-speakers or a mixture of both languages at best. The professors, like the students, were very accessible and open to our discussions; in fact, they were quite interested in initiating these debates to learn our perspective regarding domestic and international issues. The discussions were particularly relevant, because we were in Ukraine at a very important time for the nation. Not only were the Olympics underway, but in the latter part of our visit Russia invaded Georgia. The conflict between Russia and Georgia initiated a new political intensity and national fervor for Ukrainians. It was present among the students and professors as well as among Kyivites. Many citizens displayed Georgian flags outside their apartments and businesses, and in some cases on their cars. People were excited to stand for Ukraine because, like Georgia, the country has felt a constant threat from Russia in both the ideological and political sense.
We had the opportunity to travel to the Carpathian Mountains in our final week to experience an entirely different part of Ukrainian life and culture. We traveled among small villages learning about daily life, practicing our Ukrainian and exploring the beautiful region. We had the opportunity to spend several nights as guests of a family in the small town of Dybove. We learned about their lives in the Carpathians and even went on several hikes in the mountains with them. Experiencing traditional Ukrainian life was a wonderful culmination to our studies and our trip as whole.
I feel that I learned a great deal, made valuable contacts and friends, and had a unique opportunity to learn Ukrainian within the context of Ukrainian daily life and culture- something that cannot be experienced in a classroom. I am very fortunate to have had the help and encouragement from Lessia Jarboe and CREEES to partake in this summer program. I hope to return to Ukraine in the near future to learn more and to witness new changes that occur in Ukraine and its people.