RLOPCUkraineBlog: September 2016

There was "Day of the Jackal", "Day of the Locust" and there was even the "Day of the Dolphin". But none of these movie titles prepared me for "Day of the Deruny" (День Дерунів). Yes, this is the seventh year in a row where the city for Korosten (Коростень) in northern Ukraine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korosten) hosted the Festival of Deruny (https://discover-ukraine.info/events/central-ukraine/zhytomyr/2383) aka, potato pancakes, aka latkes. While I had heard whispers of this magic festival when I first returned to Ukraine last year, I did not dare to hope it was real. But as summer began to turn to autumn, the whispers became a deafening roar as more and more Zhytomyrites began shouting the praises of the impending pan-fried potato festival. I decided there was only one way to find out how wonderful...or not...this festival really was. This is what I found.....

As is always the case with long-distance traveling, my morning began with a trip to the bus station where I found my way on to a world-famous marshrutka for the ninety-minute trip to Коростень. Since I had heard of the festival's popularity, I thought I'd take an early marshrutka to avoid the crowd. Good idea as I actually got a seat! As the wheels began to roll on the maxi-bus I closed my eyes to be lulled asleep by the gentle roll of the wheels on the asphalt. Well, that was the thought, anyway. I did indeed close my eyes but that was to settle my stomach from the musty, greasy marshrutka smell. Any hope of totally falling asleep was soon dashed as the wheels thudded along the asphalt. I truly believe I was on the worst road in Ukraine. Yes, it was in one piece without any major potholes, but it was far from smooth. I was fortunate not to have eaten any tongue before getting my mitts on some deruny.

Fortunately, the trip was soon over and I arrived at a town...that was still setting up its festival. The festivities officially began at noon but when I got there at eleven, the vendors on the main street were still setting up their wares and the games and attractions were still being inflated/assembled. In hindsight, this was the perfect time to be there as it was still relatively quiet. So I wandered the main street until I came to the beautiful Sofiivska Park where the main festival was located. Here too, the vendors were setting up and cooking their deruny. I took the opportunity to sample a few of the pancakes. To be honest, once you have had one...or twenty, you get the main idea. But I did have a nice variant that was potatoes mixed with carrots and garlic. As I wandered the pathways, I admired the sounds and smells of delicious food being prepared. I must have wandered for quite some time for as I looked up, the park was getting quite full. And this was only the beginning! By the time I had walked the majority of the pathways, it was two o'clock and the music was starting and the crowds were pouring in. This is where my head began to swirl.

For someone who does not like crowds this was probably not the place to be. According to friends, last year's festival attracted over 25,000 people. Looking at the park on this day I had no doubt that the number was higher. In true Ukrainian fashion, people were wandering around and bumping into each other without so much as a thought. Luckily my time in New York City prepared me for this exact situation. But the sheer numbers of people, buoyed by alcohol and a punishing sun, made the situation a bit intolerable at the end. I think every single spot of grass or rock was taken up by a festival-goer. So in addition to having no place to walk, there was no place to sit. It was at this point, I decided to go home. Leaving on an earlier marshrutka was also a good idea. I was not jammed on with drunken deruny lovers, instead I got a nice seat for the bumpy ride home.

Overall, I was very happy to have attended the festival. The food was excellent and it was the perfect opportunity to see Ukrainians let loose and enjoy themselves. I saw many friends and students from the university and was able to enjoy the last of the summer weather. Some questions were left unanswered though; like, out of all the cities in Ukraine, why does Коростень host the festival? I'm pretty sure this was not the place where deruny first were created nor is there some international deruny cooking school in the city. I also wondered how they can keep holding this festival in this tiny park. It was way too small to hold such a large number of people. This was not helped by the Ukrainian tendency not to pay attention to where one sits or where one walks. I found I always had to be on my toes unless I wanted to get bowled over by an entire family. Finally, I wonder what will become of the festival in the future. I see some great possibilities for attracting an international audience. This would be one of those events that could be featured on a cooking/travel show. Perhaps there is something an enterprising Peace Corps Volunteer can do for this festival of deliciousness...I wonder who will answer the call?

Deruny with a Smile

Cookin' Up them Deruny

The Greasy Meat Boils

Even the Pumpkins are Dressed for the Festival

Healthy Potato Pancake Variant

As Advertised!

It has been quite a while since my last blog. Sorry, I have not be slacking off; rather, I have been traveling in Scandinavia, the Baltics, and around Ukraine (but more on that in another post). I also have a new computer (thanks Dad and Mom for the help!) so these updates should come much more frequently. As I begin my second, and final year as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer, I hope to be able to share more of this great country, its culture, and its people. So without further ado...

August 24th was a milestone day for the Ukrainian nation - it was the 25th anniversary of Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union. When I was here twenty years ago independence was still fresh and I did not sense the feeling of historical importance and immediacy. But with the war starting to bubble up in the Donbass and Russian accusations of Ukrainian sabotage in Crimea followed by a mass of Russian troops on the border, this years celebration of independence had a greater sense of patriotism, and uncertainty. I decided to leave my small city of Zhytomyr and head to the capital of Kyiv to witness the festivities. This is what I found:

It was a grayish, rainy day when I boarded my marshrutka for the two hour ride to Kyiv. I was up early enough that when I arrived in the city at 0900, the streets were kind of empty. I was expecting people to be up early, preparing for a day of celebration. Instead, I think most citizens were taking advantage of the day off to catch up on sleep. As a precaution against any type of anti-government violence, Peace Corps not only required me to get permission to come to the city (standard procedure) but requested that I stay away from crowds. This may sound disappointing to many but since I have an aversion to crowds and being unnecessarily bumped, this directive was very easy to follow. But what Peace Corps or I failed to anticipate was the "unanticipatable" (new word). I consciously avoided the main thoroughfare, Khreshchatyk (Хрещатик) and Maidan Nelzalezhnosti (Майдан Незалежності) and settled in the lower city of Podil (Поділ) to await my friend. But then it happened! Or shall I say They happened.

As I was standing next to a coffee shop I heard a rumble. It was slight and far off in the distance. But as the minutes passed the rumble became louder and louder until it became a near deafening roar. I though perhaps street cleaners were out, washing the streets before the festivities. But I was nowhere near the parade route. Then I noticed the crowds gathering along the streets. When I went over to investigate, I was met but the site of a battalion of tanks coming down the road. Despite the warning from Peace Corps to avoid crowds, said crowds and tanks came to me! Although I had seen tanks used as monuments in nearly every Ukrainian city, I had never seen an active tank, no less dozens of them. But there they were roaring down the street, positioning themselves for the parade which would take place at the top of the hill. The citizens were waving and taking pictures as the tanks turned the corner, only to be followed by light artillery and then heavy rocket launchers. I stood there stupefied. Part of me was in awe at the sight of these powerful machines and the strength they exemplified. Another part of me was frightened for the exact same reason. These were the machines that were helping keep the rebels and the Russians at bay but, at the same time, they were also indiscriminately killing people. I could see why the Ukrainian President wanted to display his country's might at this opportunity but it also made me worried. I'm used to seeing fireworks exploding harmlessly in the sky instead of watching armed machines rolling down civilian streets with men and women who might soon be called into battle. There seemed to be many contradictions on this most important of days. On another note, the amount of smoke that those things kicked out was overwhelming. I was left choking for air and had to stand back as I felt a little bit dizzy.

Thankfully, the day was not just about tanks and missiles. As the parade ended, Ukrainians began filling the streets and enjoying the day. The sun came out and more people appeared. Khreshchatyk was shut down and people were able to walk and take pictures and just enjoy themselves. There was a stage at the Maidan that was used as a viewing platform for the President and his honored guests. Now people were walking around it, taking pictures with the Ukrainian flag as a backdrop. I also walked around the hills behind the Maidan where much of the violence of the February 2014 Revolution took place. There were memorials of the fallen as well as flowers and even a small church. I even saw some bullet holes that still remain in street lamps. Makes Independence Day here feel all the more real. Further on down the street there was, for some unknown reason, a motor bike and drag racing exhibition. I'm not sure the connection to independence day but the smell arising from the burned rubber reminded me of the tank smell. It was best to move on. After walking all day, it was time to stop and have a bite to eat. A beer or two later and a fairly good hamburger was a nice way to end my time in Kyiv. As I arrived back in Zhytomyr around 2100, the party looked like it was just getting started. People were walking the streets, buskers were playing their tunes, and there was a concert going on in the main square. But it was time for me to head home and reflect on my day.

What did I get out of Ukraine's 25th Independence Day? I had many mixed feelings. I was excited to see that, despite the tensions from the Eastern part of the country and Russia breathing down its neck, Ukraine is soldiering on. There is a defiance in the air but it is also mixed with trepidation. I believe that the people feel the pressure from Moscow and they are worried about their larger, more belligerent neighbor. But they also want action from their own government. They would prefer not to be at war and to see the bodies arriving home. They are also tired of corruption and would rather have definitive answers to social and economic problems rather than tanks and patriotic slogans. Before Ukrainians can truly feel independent they need to feel secure both outside and inside of their borders.

Here is some information on the ceremonies: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-independence-idUSKCN10Z14T.

Please enjoy the pictures as well. Feel free to leave comments so I know you are out there reading and (hopefully) enjoying.