An ongoing series of reports, articles, and news items about the Arlington
Sister City Association's programs and activities, plus news from its Sister Cities
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Ukrainian Culture Magazine Created in the Heart of Arlington
by Yulia Kriskovets, based on interview with Inna Golovakha
Did you know that an Arlington resident has created and serves as Editor-in-Chief for a magazine about Ukraine? The Ivano-Frankivsk Committee of the Arlington Sister Cities Association (ASCA) recently learned about the magazine -
The Ukrainian: Life and Culture - and we wanted to learn more about its creator and the magazine itself.
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The new issue of
The Ukrainian arrived in the mailboxes of its subscribers in June of 2018.
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Inna Golovakha is a Ukrainian-American with a background in folklore studies, cultural studies and linguistics. She has had an impressive array of jobs and has worked for several organizations, including the Comprehensive Language Center; The Rylsky Institute for Art Studies, Folklore and Ethnology; and the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. She has been living in Arlington for over 20 years and divides her time between the two countries she loves. Her father Yevhenii Golovakha still lives in Ukraine, and she has a large number of friends also living in the country. She visits the country every year for at least three months at a time.
Inna continues to have a passion for Ukrainian culture, including the country's most notable food. When asked to name her favorite Ukrainian food, Inna proclaimed her love for
borscht, a famous beetroot soup, which she frequently cooks it at home. It should be noted that there are several opportunities to try this famous delicacy in the Washington, D.C. area. These include events organized by Ukrainians in the DC/VA/MD area such as the Ukrainian Festival in Silver Spring, Maryland and at Clarendon Day in Arlington where ASCA has had a "Taste of Ukraine" booth for the last couple of years, and served
borscht, as well as
varenyky.
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Inna Golovakha, Editor-in-Chief of
The Ukrainian: Life and Culture
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For many years, Ms. Golovakha realized that most people are unaware of Ukraine's cultural trends and achievements abroad. Many still think of Ukraine as a country of hay-roofed
hatas,
vyshyvankas, and
borscht. Too often Americans associate Ukraine with war and disparity because of the recent conflicts with Russia. In fact, few know anything of this European country of more than 40 million people and over 1500 years of history.
Inna Golovakha set out to change this lack of understanding and in the summer of 2017 decided to build another bridge between Ukraine and the United States by organizing a non-profit organization called Ukrainian Cultural Initiatives, Inc. Its main goal was to create and run a magazine titled
The Ukrainian: Life and Culture. She wanted to highlight the cultural renaissance that is occurring in the country today, despite the o
ngoing war and very difficult political and economic situation. The journal introduces Americans to the leading edge of Ukraine's contemporary culture and emphasizes Ukraine's deep European connections and its contributions to the world.
The new magazine hopes to convey accurate information about Ukraine and to create a positive image of the country - not as a former Soviet republic - but one as a part of contemporary European and global culture. The magazine is aimed at Americans who are interested in European affairs and cultural life, and to Ukrainian-Americans who value their culture and are interested in what is currently occurring in the country.
The Ukrainian: Life and Culture is a unique publication in that it is the first periodical to present this positive image of Ukraine and to make the country better known and understood in the world.
For instance, Americans are unaware of the large number of fast growing art centers, independent theaters, and various informal art exhibitions and festivals in Ukraine. Such cultural growth is quite overwhelming and it is occurring not only in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, but also in other large cities in both Western and Eastern Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Dnipro and Lviv. In addition, villages such as Kryvonvnya and Bukatinka, as well as the small towns of Chygyryn, Chernigiv, Subotin, Cherniwtsy, and Vinnyrsya have all developed as centers of ethnic tourism. Highlighting such cultural activities is a goals of
The Ukrainian: Life and Culture.
A subscription to this journal costs $68 - a small investment to be in the know about contemporary Ukrainian culture. To subscribe go to the magazine's website tulac.org.
For any questions about the magazine, please contact Inna Golovakha by email at [email protected].
Yulia Kriskovets is director of communications of the Arlington Sister City Association.
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The Arlington Sister City Association (ASCA) is a nonprofit organization established in 1993. ASCA works to enhance and promote Arlington's international profile and foster productive exchanges in education, commerce, culture, and the arts.
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