Friday, November 04, 2005

A year ago, I posted this entry, about how amazingly obscure Ukraine was, a reaction to a New York Times story on the U.S. allies in the war in Iraq: everyone seemed to have been mentioned but us, even Moldova with their 12 soldiers (while we had 1,650 deployed down there at the time).

I still feel it was something of a landmark entry: some three weeks later, Ukraine was all over the news; Kyiv was awash in foreign journalists; this blog suddenly had plenty of visitors; and I had an op-ed in the New York Times and a reprint in the Guardian.

All this publicity was as stunning as the recent obscurity.

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I do feel somewhat nostalgic for that time, a year ago, though I try to keep myself in check, to avoid turning into one of those pathetic individuals who are bent on spending the rest of their lives missing the Soviet Union...

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I'm leaving for Kyiv tonight - packing makes me nervous, and I'm sure I'll miss Moscow a lot, despite everything.

But I hope I won't go into labor too early and will have a chance to take pictures on the first anniversary of the beginning of the Kyiv protests. We'll see.

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For now, here are the links to my last year's Kyiv photos:

Oct. 31 (1) ... Oct. 31 (2) ... Oct. 31 (3) ... Oct. 31 (4) ... Nov. 2 ... Nov. 4 ... Nov. 6 ... Nov. 21 ... Nov. 22 ... Nov. 23 ... Nov. 25 ... Nov. 26 ... Nov. 28 ... Nov. 30 ... Dec. 22 (1) ... Dec. 22 (2) ... Dec. 22 (3) ... Dec. 25 ... Dec. 26 ... Dec. 27 (1) ... Dec. 27 (2)

7 comments:

  1. Oh gosh, it is one year ago now... where has this year gone? I'll be in Uzhhorod from next Wednesday on (somehow we seem to have the same rhythm in our visits ;-))

    I wish you the very best for all that lies before you! My warmest feelings for you and Mishah and the new Ukrainian girl accompany you.

    elya

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  2. Duje, duje dyakuyu, Elya! Ah, koly vje ya zmoju poyihaty do Ujhorodu?.. Abo prynaymni do Lvova... Chy do Odesy... Tak zavjdy: koly ne mojesh, hochet'sya shche bil'she...

    Yakshcho potrapyte do Kyyeva, dayte meni znaty: ya, mabut', shche budu transportabel'na :-)

    Vsyoho vam naikrashchoho,
    Neeka

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  3. All the very best to you all for the future!

    Sincerely,

    David

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  4. Thank you, David!

    I'm now in a totally pre-departure mood: nervous, dramatic, feeling like I'm parting with everyone for good, silly...

    And then suddenly I realize that for once there're many people who'll stay where they are, who'll neither disappear, nor get closer - people like you, David, the fellow bloggers, and other virtual friends. This feels so good, so unlike most of the previous departures and partings I've been through!

    All the best to you, too!

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  5. Veronica wrote:
    " to avoid turning into one of those pathetic individuals who are bent on spending the rest of their lives missing the Soviet Union... "

    Personally i find Organized crime and Skinheads vastly more pathetic, than someone who misses the past under a despairing present.

    Cynicism is mental poison.

    The old people wearing their uniforms and medals from the War, are they pathetic individuals?

    If people in Vladivostok spoke german , now that would be pathetic.

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  6. Augusto,

    I meant something else, I guess. I meant I wouldn't like to be stuck in the past, that's it.

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  7. Good luck, Veronica. Kiev will be a much nicer place with a new baby--lots of parks to go walking and friends and family to walk with.

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