Publication

The op-ed by Martin Lukáč, intern of the Institute of World Policy, student of Comenius University (Bratislava, Slovakia) for Glavcom.I am from the westernmost part of Slovakia and I have never been to Kiev, or even Ukraine, before. Well, it is quite odd if you travel as much as I do. In my defence I must say that it’s quite far away. However, this summer is different. My feet reached Ukrainian soil by the beginning of this month and every step brought new amazements since then. To be honest, the portrait of the eastern countries is not very attractive in Europe, nevertheless also not very truthful and quite distant from the reality.Besides, Ukraine itself is very interesting forother reasons for me, but I will come to that later. As I finally took courage to compare Ukraine and Slovakia, I have found out that it’s quite obvious that we had had a same starting point more than twenty years ago when the mighty hand of the Soviet empire suffered a defeat. However, each country somehow took the different road.
Slovakia’s closer location to Europe in relation to its European orientation brought an instant dose of capitalism very shortly after the famous revolution. In some cases yes, I hold a brief for western democratic and liberal institutions, but on the other hand, and what truly most people don’t see, also the mentality changed. Slovaks changed, following the west. More or less, the society became more individualist and reserved. Well, probably it is not as bad as it might sound. But, certainly, in comparison to the Ukraine, it’s different.
I have been warned! So many times, that it honestly nearly scared me. I have been warned of people, by Slovaks and also by the natives.However, I still don’t get it. I am afraid I have been warned of the evil of the humankind, instead of Ukrainians. My experience up to now involves very kind-hearted and helpful Ukrainians. Even though I speak very little Russian and till now I met very little people who spoke English, I never had a problem to communicate with them. Nevertheless, I’m more than certain that there are bad people somewhere out there, but truthfully, where aren’t?
Anyway, it’s quite hard to explain what I mean, but people here in ordinary daily life are different, are better in my opinion. I write in ordinary daily life, because in some aspects, the behaviour is quite opposite. What I have been told, especially between young people, mercy and kindness is considered a weakness. To be honest, I haven’t experienced yet, only heard. Thing I have experienced with a goose bump on my back was driving in Kiev. The most interesting thing is that there are several sets of rules – those respected when a policeman stands nearby, those respected by small cars and finally those respected by big cars. The latter excludes the former. An ownership of a big car means quite a lot here. Well, although they don’t usually respect normal traffic rules and park wherever they want, it is not contrary to what I have said – people here are really merciful.
Let me come to the point. I came to spend one month of my summer holiday here. The purpose of my stay was not just touristicin connection to a desperate need of relax, but also quite academic. During my studies, several topics fascinated me quite deeply, but most of all the Eastern Partnership, project of the European Union for its eastern vicinity, grabbed my hearth. As I finish my bachelor studies, I decided to bind the topic of my thesis with my joy. After a short misery I have found and successfully contacted suitable institution for my internship. It was the Institute of World Policy, in my opinion, great place to spend time. I believe that my stay here will provide me with useful information about the situation east from the European Union and might be also fairly motivational.
Naturally, there are certain aspects that do not really please my eye, or let’s say my nose. Alas, smoking is obviously quite popular in Ukraine, from what I have seen, or rather smelled. Not only man, also women smoke in the streets, restaurants and cafés. To be honest, and let’s try to look at smoking as an unhealthy bad habit after all, I am very thankful for the European anti-smoking legislation and its whole heading. In comparison to Europe the prices of tobacco products are very low, although as we have seen from many practical cases, it is not as much about money, rather about the realization of the risks of such habit. I think it still needs some time, but the non-smoking trend is inevitably approaching.
One of the biggest differences I have noticed since my arrival is the social inequality. I have noticed this aspect soon after I came here and many people confirmed this fact additionally. Average salary is much lower in comparison to Slovakia and incomparably low to Western Europe, although the prices of some products are the same. Notwithstanding that Ukrainians are an example, and what I undoubtedly appreciate, that the exaggerated European consumerism is something fundamentally excessive and redundant – that our “new” values of life are based on unstable pillars of an effort to live luxuriously. The traditional moral values are rooted and endure very deeply in Ukrainian society. Maybe for this reason I find people much kinder.
Anyway, the misery of the Ukrainian nation comes from its inner core. This sorrow is called corruption. Never seen, but omnipresent. Everyone knows it is there, but it is hard to make a first step to stand against it. It is more than hard for me to evaluate this aspect of the Ukrainian society. Well, we must admit that corruption is everywhere, but it depends to what extent does it negatively influence or impoverish the society. Truly, in my perception, the corruption suits people who hold a position of whom areeligible to profit from corruption. Actually, the corruption is just another wave of cash flow and whether a person profits, is just a surplus. The fact is that the corruption impoverishes people that do not have such job and have to pay for everything with no side income. The corruption here is just a way to pay for a service, howsoever illegal and unofficial. The saddest thing certainly is that the most associated institution with corruption is police.
The point is that I do not care if police annoys me as a tourist in a foreign country, let’s call it “normal”, because I am not acquaint with everything here. But it is absolutely different and unreasonable situation if police exploits its status to enrich at the expenses of the domestic inhabitants. Those people I mentioned above that suffer from the corruption and those people that hardly earn just for their fair living. On the top of this, that money does not flow to the state repository, but to pockets of skilful policemen. This is a part of Ukraine that does not really attract me and irritates me the most.
I would like to end with something grateful. Therefore, I must say that Ukrainian cuisine and gastronomy, generally, is at very high level. Needless to say, the beauty and charm of local womankind is an unknown treasure, and hopefully so will remain for a very long time soever. On the whole, Ukraine became one of my favourite places and, hopefully, will remain, even with its beauties and ugliness.