Ukrainian Society at the University of Bern

May 2022

May is usually the month of Eurovision, which is very popular in Ukraine. Eurovision 2022 will be held 10th-14th of May in Turin, Italy. To diversify this musically-oriented selection, we added some various interesting facts about Ukraine.

Kalush Orchestra will represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin (Italy) with the song 'Stefania'. Their song is a tribute to the lead singer's (Oleh) mother. Citation: "If I don't appreciate your kindness, I'm moving towards a dead-end. My love for you has no end."

____________________________________________________________________________________

Shum ("noise") is a song by Ukrainian electro-folk band Go-A, who represented Ukraine in Eurovision 2021 in Rotterdam and took 2nd place in the competition. Soon after success in Eurovision, "Shum" took the lead in the global Spotify Viral 50 daily list and Billboard Global 200. The lyrics is a variation of Ukrainian folk songs which were sung in spring, vesnianka.

____________________________________________________________________________________

After victory of Jamala, Eurovision 2017 was held in Kyiv, Ukraine. The interval act was performed by electro-folk band Onuka together with the National Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Ukraine. They performed a megamix of songs that impressed many people.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Jamala represented Ukraine at Eurovision 2016 and won the first place. The lyrics for "1944" concern the deportation of the Crimean Tatars, in the 1940s, by the Soviet Union at the hands of Joseph Stalin. The song was also released amid renewed repression of Crimean Tatars following the Russian annexation of Crimea, since most Crimean Tatars refuse to accept the annexation. Citation: "Where is your mind? Humanity cries. You think you are gods, but everyone dies".

One of the biggest deserts in Europe, Oleshkiv desert, is situated in Ukraine.

Oleshkiv sands consist with boundless barchans (local citizens call them “kuchugury”) with a height about 5 m with a rare vegetation. These sands are situated in Tsurupinsk region (old name of Tsurupinsk is Oleshky), in 30 km to the east from Kherson.  Dniprovsk sands exist from long since, but Oleshkiv desert in its present look appeared short time ago: because of grazing of huge sheep flocks in XIX century, which destroyed a grass, the sands were released, and wind erosion gave them an opportunity to extend.

Oleshkiv sands can be rather considered as semi-desert for its temperature regime and number of precipitation. In the summer sands heat up to 70 degrees.  Sometimes the sandstorms happen here.

In a desert in the deep 300-400 meters there is an underground lake with a very tasty water. But scientists explored that you cannot extract water from this place, because the water level then will drop, and woods, which are planted around desert, couldn’t restrain the sands. It is about 7 km to the nearest community.

One of the eldest educational establishment of East Europe is Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

It was founded by an influential Estearn Orthodox theologian, Petro Mohyla, in 1615 in Kyiv.

Nowadays, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is ranked amongst the best higher educational institutions in Ukraine. Despite the relatively small number of students there are a number of extracurricular activities on campus. Students are also known for their activism, which is also supported by the university administration. Notable among the student organizations on campus are: the Student Council, the Christian Students Union, Mohyla Intellectual Club, the Student Brotherhood, the ecological club Zelena Hvylya, and the Youth Center for Humanities.

Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is mentioned in a number of novels. portrayed on the postage stamp and on the 500 hryven' banknote.

The tube station “Arsenalna” in Kyiv is a deepest in the world. It goes 105 m underground. The station near the parliament was built in 1960 as one of the first.