Thomas Randolph Shkrabuik is a technology and business reporter who also happens to get a lot of questions about his last name. Well, it’s Ukrainian in origin and that’s a perfect segue into this latest article. Thomas Shkrabuik reports that while Ukraine has been a fixture in the recent news cycle, it’s important to give coverage to other breaking news from that country of a decidedly more positive nature.
The world might be facing new geopolitical tensions but life goes on in Ukraine. With thousands of years of culture and history, Ukraine continues to grow, improve, and take its place on the world stage. Thomas Randolph Shkrabuik points out that with the Olympics in play, now’s the chance for Ukraine to show off and stand out from the crowd.
Ukraine continues to strengthen its cultural legacy thanks to help from the United States. Meanwhile, new laws are intended to make Ukrainian the official national language and Ukrainian athletes prepare to win big at the Beijing Olympics.
Thomas Randolph Shkrabuik now takes a look at some of the news coming out of the country and discusses how the nation is preparing for the rest of 2022.
Ukrainian Becomes the Official National Language in Print Media
A new law passed in 2019 came into effect this past month requiring all print media to be written in Ukrainian. The new law is intended to make Ukrainian the official national language and drive out Russian influences from the nation’s lexicon. However, some critics view the measure as overly harsh.
According to analysts, the critics’ complaints are largely overblown, though, as Russian publications are not actually banned. Instead, publishers must provide both a Ukrainian and Russian version to meet the new law’s requirements. Furthermore, the new law comes after previous enforcements required radio and television media to be presented entirely in Ukrainian.
Thomas Randolph Shkrabuik says that this push towards making Ukrainian the official language makes Ukraine the 27th European nation to have an official language. Others include:
- Germany
- Switzerland
- France
- Italy
- United Kingdom
- Belgium
- Netherlands
- Russia
Although the full list is much longer, this move shows a significant push from Ukraine to set itself apart as culturally different from its regional neighbors.
Ukrainian Athletes Prepare and Perform at the Beijing Olympics
Thomas Randolph Shkrabuik reports that the Beijing Winter Olympics kicked off this past week with over 3,000 athletes from around the world convening in the Chinese capital. Among that 3,000, Ukraine has sent a delegation of 45 athletes to compete in bobsledding, luge, snowboarding, ski jumping, figure skating, alpine and cross-country skiing, biathlon, skeleton, and several other sports.
This marks an uptick in recent years with 12 more athletes than Ukraine previously sent to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Ukrainians are hopeful that their representatives will come home more victorious than in previous years. During the 2018 games, Ukraine walked away with only 1 gold medal in freestyle skiing thanks to Oleksandr Abramenko’s concerted efforts.
This year also marks a historic first for Ukrainian bobsledding according to Thomas Randolph Shkrabuik. Lydia Gunko has become the first woman to join the Ukrainian bobsledding team, noting that it’s “extremely important … for the development of this sport in Ukraine.” Women’s bobsledding is set to start February 11 through the 19th, so be sure to watch her perform.
The U.S. Helps Ukraine Restores its Historic Landmarks
Like many European nations, Ukraine has thousands of years of history on display in its buildings, schools, churches, and national landmarks. However, in recent times, Thomas Randolph Shkrabuik reports that these landmarks have fallen into disrepair, putting that history at risk of being lost or destroyed. Fortunately, investments from the U.S. are helping to restore these landmarks to their former glory.
According to the U.S. Embassy of Georgia, the United States has invested nearly $2 million into restoring Ukrainian heritage sites. This investment is intended to strengthen cultural ties between the two nations and reinforce Ukrainian cultural significance in the region.
Thomas Shkrabuik says some of the sites that have undergone renovation include:
- The Old Academic Building in Kyiv, built in the 17th century
- The Lviv History Museum, built in the 16th century
- Vyshnivetsky Palace, first built in the 14th century
- St. Sophia Cathedral, build in the 11th century
Many of these investments have gone towards strengthening foundations, restoring murals, and repairing fire damage. The investments are expected to continue over the next decade as the U.S. and Ukraine deepen their diplomatic relationship.
Closing Thoughts
Thomas Randolph Shkrabuik explains that the Olympics may have only just started but mark this as a potential turning point for Ukraine. As it continues to assert its cultural and linguistic identity in the region, it’s sure to stand out as a powerful nation in Eastern Europe.
For more information on Ukraine, check in with us again. We will have all the latest news on Ukraine’s performance in the Olympics as well as upcoming updates on their cultural heritage, efforts to stand out on the world stage, and major changes in global politics.
