How Americans imagine Ukraine vs reality that makes them want to stay
How Americans imagine Ukraine before arriving (photo: Getty Images)
American Michael Villena, who has been living in Ukraine for several years, admitted that before moving, he knew almost nothing about the country. But the reality did not meet his expectations, as he shared in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Kyiv turned out to be more modern than expected
"I was surprised that Ukraine is like many Western European countries. Kyiv turned out to be very beautiful architecturally and even more modern than I expected," he says.
Before moving, Michael assumed that Ukraine was a developing country. He compared it to cheaper countries, which are usually less modernized.
"Kyiv is cheaper than Vienna, and, in my experience, cheaper countries are not so modern. But here, there are beautiful cities, wonderful people, and I had very pleasant and positive impressions," he added.
Ukraine and Russia are two different countries
Before coming to Ukraine, Michael had visited Russia. This experience gave him a false impression that Ukraine would be similar. However, the difference was noticeable.
"I tried to avoid many stereotypes, but in 2018, I unfortunately was in Russia. I thought it would be the same experience. As an American, I didn't realize how big the difference between Ukraine and Russia would be," the American notes.
According to him, the biggest difference is the people.
"I didn't have the same positive experience and emotions there [in Russia] as I do in Ukraine. I felt some similarities, but I noticed that it's a different country, a different language. The main difference is in the mentality. It was very noticeable," he emphasized.
European style and post-Soviet influence
He also noted the unique combination of cultures in Ukraine.
"Ukraine is a blend of European style and post-Soviet influence. This affects Ukraine more than the cultures of other countries," Michael believes.
According to him, six years ago, he heard more Russian or Surzhyk (a mix of Ukrainian and Russian) than now. However, over time, he saw how the language situation and cultural environment were changing.
Earlier, we explained why school buses in the USA are only yellow.
