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In 2017, for the first time ever in my life, I wondered why I couldn’t name a single Ukrainian writer other than Taras Shevchenko. I have, after all, lived in Kyiv for five years in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s and have read “Russian literature” (in English translation) on and off since I was 14. I am not a literature or arts major — my working day is used up by the sciences — but I do have more than a passing interest in fiction, essays, books, poetry. So this gap in my awareness was puzzling and newly worrisome to me. I am also an eternal fan of all kinds of music and, while I knew a number of Ukrainian folk songs, I found I couldn’t hum a single Ukrainian pop song or Ukrainian rock.

Trying to get to the bottom of this, I came to terms with the fact that, innocently and involuntarily, I too have known and loved Ukraine all these years mostly through a colonizer’s language; an imperialist’s vision for the land I once lived on; the deliberately uncomplicated pictures created by its past Soviet affiliation; its misunderstood history, itself sometimes studied only in terms of reactions to a powerful neighbor. I consider myself politically aware, not naive about colonialism and language imperialism. Yet, I too didn’t dig deeper to look behind the seemingly-calm surface.

I began on a deliberate pathway to try and correct this unfinished education for my own joy and interests at first. Almost just at a personal level. But the Russian war on Ukraine has made it not only urgent but also a collective interest. A handful of friends, colleagues and acquaintances are similarly interested, although to different degrees. This newsletter is my attempt at sharing my own personal journey of learning more about all things Ukrainian with friends and strangers alike. This is my way of keeping Ukraine on the map, on my mind, in my thoughts and in my heart.

Join me in this journey of learning about a sovereign nation, its peoples, cultures, language, writings, arts and music.

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