These books and other resources are a great starting point to learn
more about Ukraine and its culture. All are designed for English-language
speakers. Look for them in large bookstores (if not on the shelf they can
order for you at no extra charge) and gift shops and community centers
in Ukrainian neighborhoods in cities with large Ukrainian populations.
In association with Amazon.com, we have provided direct links to many of
these titles.
Encyclopedia of Ukraine, Volumes I through V, University of Toronto Press, 1984, 1993. This is the largest, most comprehensive and authoritative source of English-language information on everything Ukrainian ever published, the product of 20 years of research and collaboration by writers, scientists, and scholars from around the world. Items are alphabetically arranged; discussion is in-depth and illustrated with photos and maps. For more information, check out the Encyclopedia of Ukraine web site.
Ukraine: A Concise Encyclopedia, Vols. 1-2 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press 1963, 1971). This encyclopedia is a forerunner of the above. Amply illustrated with photos, drawings, and maps, the subject matter is topically rather than alphabetically arranged. The folk arts section is particularly strong.
Ukraine: A History, Orest Subtelny, University of Toronto Press, 1989, second edition 1994. third edition, 2000. If you can't find it online, any bookstore can order it for you. This in-depth examination of Ukrainian history from Kyivan Rus through modern times is highly readable. It was selected by Choice, a journal of reviews for college libraries in North America, as one of the "Outstanding Academic Books of 1989/90." The updates are valuable.
Borderland: A Journey through the History of Ukraine, Anna Reid, Westview Press, 1999. The author focusses on highlights of Ukrainian history as she examines the country's struggle to rebuild its national identity. Very fine reading.
The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation, Andrew Wilson, Yale University Press, 2000. Ukraine's progress as a nation over time, with special attention to the complex relationship to Russia and since independence in 1991, the continuing disputes over identity, culture, and religion. Very worthwhile, especially for those with an interest in history.
Dilemmas of Independence: Ukraine after Totalitarianism, Alexander J. Motyl, Council on Foreign Relations Press, New York, 1993. This examination of the obstacles to nation-building confronting an independent Ukraine is lucid and insightful and should be required reading for all State Department Eastern Europe specialists.
Assumptions and Misunderstandings: Memoir of an Unwitting Spy, Anne Bates Linden, Misto NV, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, Paperback with illustrations, 2006. A Peace Corps worker in western Ukraine not long after independence tells some fascinating stories. Reviewer Stepan Bandera, Journalist with News Channel:Time says "Anne Linden's assumptions upon arriving in post-Soviet Ukraine and the misunderstandings she encountered resulted in sometimes hilarious, sometimes frightening episodes. Her snapshot of Ukraine in the early 1990's provides a yardstick by which Ukraine's progress toward a more civil society can be measured. Anne's book will echo in the hearts and minds of anyone struggling with differences in language and culture. Her insights provide valuable lessons for those with dealings in Ukraine today."
Conscience Calls Roksolana Tymiak-Lonchyna, Vydavnytstvo “Ms” Publishers Lviv, Ukraine, 2005. This oversize hard cover book has 124 pages, profusely filled with fine photos by the author and her husband. Text alternates between English and Ukrainian. "Roksolana Tymiak-Lonchyna, a Chicago Ukrainian-American community activist, has written a highly-readable personal account of her experiences as an international election observer during this historic period for Ukrainians everywhere. She provides not only a fascinating account of what it was like to observe the elections in a difficult environment - the stronghold of Prime Minister Yanukovych - but also offers a glimpse into Ukainian life in three distinct Ukrainian cities - Lviv, Kyiv, and Donetsk. Her observations... and experiences ... throughout Ukraine provide interesting insights to life in Ukraine - the country of her parents' birth... Review by Orest Deychakivsky, Staff Advisor US Helsinki Commission
Return to Ukraine, Ania Savage, Texas A&M University Press, 2000.
An American journalist traces her roots in Ukraine and reflects on her family's history as she recounts
life in Ukraine about the time of indpendence. Masterfully written memoir, but the reader
should be aware that much has changed in Ukraine
since Savage's visit more than a dozen years ago.
| Language and Travel Guide to Ukraine, 4th Edition, Linda Hodges and George Chumak, Hippocrene, 2004. A combination travel guide and phrasebook with everything a traveler to Ukraine needs to know. Contains details on Ukrainian culture, modern life, major tourist cities and smaller towns of interest. Booklist says it is "unique and should be invested in," and Library Journal listed it as "highly recommended," but more important, we have received many comments and notes of appreciation from satisfied readers! Available at a discount from amazon.com. |
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Check for updates to this book.
Traditional Ukrainian Cookery, Savella Stechishin, Trident Press Ltd., Winnipeg. Written by a Ukrainian Canadian home economist who drew upon recipes from pre-WWII Ukrainian cookbooks, this book first appeared in 1957 and has gone through at least 15 editions. It combines interesting historical and cultural information with a solid knowledge of cuisine and cooking techniques. More than 500 recipes for every part of the meal make this the basic Ukrainian cookbook -- the one to own if own only one. However, the book is now out of print and used copies are rare and expensive. Try the Interlibrary Loan service.
Festive Ukrainian Cooking, Marta Pisetska Farley, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1990. The emphasis in this very nicely researched book is on food for important occasions, primarily Ukrainian religious holidays. Recipes are presented in historical and cultural context; though fairly sophisticated, the recipes are well-written with thoughtful instructions.
A Collection of Traditional and Contemporary Bilingual Ukrainian Folk Songs
, Carol Wookey, Julie Wookey, and Olga Walker, JRC Publications, Box 14, Cleardale, Alberta T0H 3Y0. If you'd like to learn to sing Ukrainian folk songs but don't know the language, this book is for you. It contains 76 popular Ukrainian songs with lyrics in Cyrillic, phonetic English transliterations, translations, the music, and some cultural notes.Ukrainian Folk Costume, World Federation of Ukrainian Women's Organizations, Toronto, Philadelphia, 1992. This well-thought-out study of traditional dress divides Ukraine into 17 regions, showing embroidery patterns and men's and women's costumes for each. Presented in handsome, coffee-table large-format, this bi-lingual book contains beautiful color illustrations, many interesting photos from the early 20th century, and a glossary of terms.
Folk Art Magazine, "Narodne Mystetsvo," is a beautiful publication of the National Union of Folk Art Masters of Ukraine, an organization comprised of some 800 master artists. Written in Ukrainian, the articles are summarized in English and lavishly illustrated. They cover a wide variety of folk arts including painting, pottery, woodcraft, pysanky, weaving and much more. Click to see the covers and to read the table of contents of the available issues. To order, contact Art Ukraine.
The Sky Unwashed, Irene Zabytko, 2000. A fictionalized
account of a family which experiences the
effect of the Chornobyl disaster. Wonderful background on Ukrainian culture and society
against this cataclysmic event. This novel has been highly praised by both critics and
readers. (Click above to see enthusiastic comments.)
Interested in learning the Ukrainian language? These language aids can help.
Software:
PARS/U, an automatic translation software program translates printed or typed material from English to Ukrainian Cyrillic or from Ukrainian into English. This is a Windows-based program, which according to the publisher "takes into account all the structural, morphological, syntatic and semantic differences existing between Ukrainian and English languages." The price is about $349 USD.
FineReader is designed to go with a scanner to read Ukrainian text directly into your computer. It also works for these other languages: English, French, German, Spanish, and Russian. A spellcheck function is included for all languages. Cost is approximately $399 USD.
Books:
Colloquial Ukrainian, Ian Press and Stefan Pugh, Routledge, London and New York, 1994. A very nice text designed for self-study that covers the rudiments of Ukrainian grammar using examples and vocabularly useful for travelers. Two 60-minute cassettes recorded by native Ukrainian speakers are available to accompany the book. You can purchase either just the book or both book with cassette tapes.
Everyday Ukrainian, Zirka Derlycia, Audio-Forum, 1993. Ten cassettes (10 hours) and a 342-page text emphasizes practical, spoken Ukrainian. Each lesson, with its grammar and vocabulary, focuses on a different topic of interest to visitors to Ukraine. Text includes exercise drills, grammar appendix and glossary; the recordings are by native speakers.
Modern Ukrainian, Assya Humesky, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, 1990. A very good college-level text for first-year Ukrainian as a foreign language. Detailed attention to grammar, syntax, and pronunciation, with many exercises and dialogues.
Ukrainian-English Dictionary, compiled by C.H. Andrusyshen and J.N. Krett, University of Toronto Press, 1981. This huge (1163 pp) paperback dictionary is unsurpassed for translating Ukrainian into English. It captures the richness and beauty of the Ukrainian language, and includes root words, idioms, and Ukrainian proverbs.
English-Ukrainian Dictionary, M.L. Podvesko and M.J. Balla, Collets UK, 1980, is the largest English-to-Ukrainian dictionary in existence with over 65,000 words. Hardcover. Originally published in Kyiv during the Soviet era, it reflects the influence of the Russian language in Ukraine.
Ukrainian-English English-Ukrainian Practical Dictionary, Leonid Hrabovsky, Hippocrene Books, 1994. Many new, smaller dictionaries are coming on the market. While not as comprehensive as some, this pocketbook-sized dictionary with its large print and bold-faced type is a good, quick reference for those who already have some knowledge of Ukrainian.
Tapes:
Pimsleur's Speak and Read Essential Ukrainian I teaches spoken Ukrainian
language
to English speakers
by means of audio cassettes.
The course consists of 32 30-minute lessons on 16 cassettes in a handy carrying case, and sells
for about $300. According to the publisher, Heinle & Heinle Enterprises, Inc., 30 Monument Square, #135, Concord, MA 01742, (508)369-7525,
the learner will achieve an Intermediate-High level of spoken proficiency
after completing the course at their own rate in a car, walkman, or on any cassette
player, and will be fluent enough to participate in most business situations
and in cultural experiences. (I've used this program and find it worthwhile. The lessons build
up and repeat vocabulary and phrases one would use in everyday
coversation in a way that reinforces memory without
relying on constant repetition and drill. A few, but not many, vocabulary words are outdated
-- apparently the tapes were made during the first years of Ukrainian independence.)
The program also provides a small booklet of short word lists that are pronounced by the tape's
speaker, allowing the learner to associate pronunciation with Cyrillic words. This may help
with recognizing street signs, names of buildings, and reading menus, but there's no drill in reading
and no writing in this Pimsleur course.
The Ukrainian Weekly, published by the Ukrainian National Association, Inc., 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054, was founded in 1933 to serve a new generation of Ukrainian-Americans who did not necessarily read Ukrainian. Yearly subscription rate is $50 ($40 for UNA members.) To obtain copies or to subscribe, write the Ukrainian Weekly, Subscription Department, address above.
Map Link, a map distributor at 25 East Mason Street, Santa Barbara, California, 93101, carries a very detailed map of Ukraine for $6.95 plus handling and shipping. Tel. (805) 965-4402; Fax: (800) 627-7768.
Ukrainian Power is a series of Ukrainian language children's videos modeled after the "Sesame Street" program. The videos use original puppets in promoting the Ukrainian language and culture.
Videos of Ukrainian performing musical groups, both traditional and modern, are numerous. Travel videos in English tend to make up with lively music and pretty scenery what they lack in detailed narration. Two travelogues that cover a wide area of the country are Ukrainian Journey, (Universe Productions Inc., 1995, Vancouver, B.C., Tel. (604) 331-2505) and From Kiev to the Crimea: Along the Dnipro and the Black Sea, (Volodymyr Kuzyk, 1995, Kyiv, Ukraine). Golden Kiev, from Ukrainian Media Centre, Toronto, Tel. (604) 250-7216 is an in-depth look at Ukraine's capital city. Videos cost about $30 each.
Yevshan Ukrainian Catalog is a wonderful source of books about Ukrainian culture and history, children's books, literature in Ukrainian and in English, cookbooks, as well as Ukrainian language learning aids, videos, music on cassettes and compact discs, and art. Yevshan Corporation, Box 325, Beaconsfield, Quebec, Canada, H9W 5T8. Tel. 1-800-265-9858.
Bartholomew World Travel Map of Ukraine and Moldova is
a detailed map of Ukraine from Bartholomew, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Here are some other web sites that are worth exploring:
Large Web Sites With Diverse Material
Special Interest Web Sites
Photography Web Sites
Official Government Web Sites