Wednesday 27 April 2011

The 25-th anniversary of nuclear tragedy in Chornobyl on April 26th, 2011...There were published so much articles in the newspapers and in the web and many TV-programmes were shown on the TV, that I'd prefer to write shortly about Chornobyl. Because it's also very sad Ukrainian event and because 1986 is a year of my birthday too. And I remember how some fool teachers named me and my schoolmates "Chornobyl children" only because of our birthday's year, though nobody from us was born in Chornobyl or nearby.
And in my opinion the biggest tragedy of Chornobyl disaster was cynical behaviour of the Soviet power after nuclear clash. Soviet power didn't say people the truth about dangerous Chornobyl situation on April 26, but a day after a soccer match was in Kyiv and on May 1 traditional parade was held in all Ukrainian cities! Can You believe in such power's cynism toward own citizens?
And how many boys arrived on the disaster's place from all sights of Ukraine "to save Chornobyl situation"! They didn't know certainly what happened there, they weren't saviours for their profession and they even knew nothing in the nuclear industry. These men were only a cannon-fodder for Soviet regime. But Soviet regime usually thought about people as about cannon-fodder and not as about human beings.
Nowadays the worst thing is the unknowledge about the true situation in the region after Chornobyl disaster. And though the URSS is in the past and Ukraine is an independent state now, but the Ukrainian power' style is like Soviet in all - the mainest is to show that "all is perfect" in the news, while there are growing huge problems in the country.

Monday 25 April 2011

Monday after Jesus Christ's Resurrection is called Light Monday in Ukraine. Orthodox and Greek Catholic believers traditionally visit the tombs of their relatives in the cemeteries on Light Monday. I visited too.
And this day Lviv's Armenians have also recollected all deads in the Armenian genocide, organized by Osman Empire's power in 1915. April, 24 is a date of the recollection of the first genocide in XX century, Armenian genocide of 1915, but this year all Christians celebrate Easter on April 24, so Lviv's Armenians decided to recollect the victims of their nation a day later, when Ukrainians usually recollect the dead relatives.
So vichna pam'yat' (eternal recollection) for all those deads, who everyone've recollected this day.

Sunday 24 April 2011

Today is the mainest Christian holiday - Resurrection of Jesus Christ. And this year all Christians celebrate Resurrection together. How it'll be beautiful when all Christians will celebrate always Easter together! I wish it so much. And I also want to congratulate everyone who celebrates Easter and to wish peace in the heart, love in the life and God's blessing in all deals.
And send hopes for peace around the world, especially in Libya, Syria, Yemen, where are terrible events now. Hopes for regulation of the difficult situation and also for peace in West Bank. Hopes for the fair power caring about own people in the majority of the countries of ex-USSR. Wishes of the happiness for the whole world. And all the best for You.

One of the ancient crosses in the Greek Catholic monastery in Univ, Lviv region, August, 28, 2010.

Monday 18 April 2011

How to make Ukrainian pysanka

Pysanka is one of the mainest symbols of Ukrainian tradition of Easter holiday's celebration. Ukrainian Christians paint pysanky and present them for their relatives, friends, fellows on the day of Resurrection of Jesus Christ, wishing all the best to those whom they love. And I want to tell and to show You, using my photos of self-made pysanky, how it's necessary to paint Ukrainian Easter egg - pysanka. 

It's time for master-class of pysanka's painting! :)
At first You must take white egg with smooth surface and without any cracks and to wash that egg in the room-temperature water. Then You do two parallel holes in the egg with an awl.

After that You blow an eggwhite and yolk in some plate, but be careful to avoid creating of any pysanka's cracks, so don't blow very strongly.

When You've already blown all possible from egg, You must wash egg inside several times. I wash egg 9-10 times, using medical syringe with room-temperature water, which I blow from egg every time to make my pysanka perfectly clean. After washing Your egg must be dry outside and inside, so I leave egg for a nice drying for a day.

A day before pysanka's painting it would be prepared all necessary stains. I use the aniline stains for wool textile because of their stable colours. I pour a package of such aniline stain of 5 g into half-liter glass can and pour half can with almost boiling water. Then I mix that stain till it finally dissolves and then cool a can with pysanka's colour in some cold place (but not in the refrigerator!), because stains must also have room temperature. And, of course, one can must be for one stain, don't mix all stains in the unique can. )))
When You've already prepared eggs and stains You can begin to paint pysanka! You must to have a wax, a candle and pysachok and to be in the fine spirits!!!!!! :)
I must say that pysachok is a special tool for pysanka, made with wood cane and metal triangle, attached to this wood cane. You can do pysachok by yourself, it's easy to do - try it!
It's necessary to warm pysachok above the candle light and to put pysachok in the wax and to warm pysanka's tool above the candle light again for having the melted wax.
On the beginning of the painting You have to cover two egg's holes with a wax.

Only then You start to create different beautiful lines and figures on the egg. Remember, if You paint something with wax on the white surface of egg, this line or symbol will be white on the pysanka.

When You painted all what You want to see white-coloured on Your pysanka, You may put down the egg in the first colour. The process of the colouring must be from lighter till darker colour, for example: yellow-orange-red-cherry-blue-violet-black, or yellow-orange-light green-dark green-brown or black. It may be various mixes of colours on the pysanka, excluding only mix of red and green. When You want to have these both colours on Your pysanka, You should colour Easter egg in such way. The first You put down pysanka in the can with yellow or orange colour (or after yellow and orange) and then You colour in green with a brush or "kvachyk" (Ukrainian denomination). Don't put down whole egg in the can with green colour! Oh, and You can also do kvachyk by yourself - it's just small cane with medical bandage. When You've painted some pattern in green with kvachyk, You cover that green pattern with wax and only then You can put down pysanka in the can with red or cherry colour.
On the photo below I put down my pysanka in the first orange colour.

Pysanka must be in every stain until You'll get necessary colour (during 15-25 minutes). Remember that blown egg has light weight, so You should hold pysanka a little bit in the can. I use the medical gloves for this deal :)
When You put out pysanka from the stain, You wipe it slightly with a soft rag.
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And then You continue to paint Ukrainian Easter egg. In my case I put out my pysanka from orange stain and paint some pattern on the orange egg's surface with a wax, so this pattern will be orange! 

When You painted Your pysanka in all prefered colours, You can remove wax from the egg.
For that deal You should hold pysanka very close to candle light, but it can't be any direct touch with candle, because pysanka may crack.

So You should hold pysanka near the candle for 4-5 seconds and then You wipe the melted wax from pysanka with another soft rag, and do it in turn many times - hold pysanka near the candle and wipe a melted wax from it. :)

And then, oh yes, finally You'll get Your pysanka, painted by yourself! Now You can give it some dear person for You on Easter, saying the best wishes.

Hope You'll enjoy the process of the creating Ukrainian pysanka. In the end of this photo-story here are my several pysanky with Ukrainian paska - traditional Easter baking in Ukraine. Bye!

Friday 15 April 2011

What a life...Why is it such life? Someone who knows about you much, who was close to you all the time, for whom you trusted many years...One day that someone just betrays you for those who practically hate you. It's just like a stroke of knife inside your heart...

Sunday 10 April 2011

Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and...Ukraine? Or Ukraine in the European Union? No, I can't just compare such different Ukrainian perspectives. How could it be even compared by someone? No doubt Ukraine is European state, but before its connecting to EU, economical and first of all juridical reforms must be done here in Ukraine. I suppose it will be done in the future. But why is Customs Union needed for Ukraine, a union with the countries where a man is nobody, but oligarchy's interests are the principal and where equal human rights for all citizens are only dreams? ...