Post #421,622
12/7/17 3:44:37 PM
12/7/17 3:44:37 PM
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I must correct you. She was Ukrainian not Russian.
They called it Kievan Rus', but if it's Kiev it's Ukranian! Wiki: Saint Olga.Olga was one of the first people of Rus' to be proclaimed a saint for her efforts to spread Christianity throughout the country. Because of her proselytizing influence, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church, and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church call Saint Olga by the honorific Isapóstolos, "Equal to the Apostles". However, she failed to convert Svyatoslav, and it was left to Vladimir I, her grandson and pupil, to make Christianity the lasting state religion. The official conversion of Ukraine to Christianity was in the year 988. The church ladies group my mother belonged to used to wear Olga pins. The name for Ukraine, as such, came a couple centuries later. The name Ukraine, (said Ukraina in Ukranian). Ukraine name origin
The word “Ukraina” is first mentioned in Hypatian Codex in 1187 as the name of Pereyaslav and Galician, meaning “okraina” (outskirts).
There are several theories about “Ukraine” name origin. One of them says that the name originates from general Slavic “Ukraine”, “borderland”, which primarily referred to Kiev Rus border territories - Pereyaslav Principality. Later on “Ukraina” (eng. Ukraine) name referred to borderlands with Polish Kingdom and North-East Rus.
Alex
"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."
-- Isaac Asimov
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Post #421,630
12/7/17 10:11:34 PM
12/7/17 10:25:28 PM
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Yes, I was quite aware of that . . .
But she's a major saint in the Russian Orthodox Church, and I liked the picture. It works well for the Russian Winter program, as I mention in my invite heading, "In support of our theme, we present an icon of Saint Olga, who was easily as cold, cruel and treacherous as a Russian winter".
She is described as the "Least saintly of all the Saints". Her favorite modus was to lure people by treachery and murder them by burying them alive or burning them alive. She was extremely vindictive. Of course, much of this may be myth, but there is likely some truth under it.
Besides, as you point out, she couldn't be Ukrainian, as there was no Ukraine at the
time.
Of course, I could really, really offend you by calling it "Little Russia" like the Russians did.
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Post #421,633
12/8/17 12:12:07 AM
12/8/17 12:12:07 AM
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The modern name Russia did not come into use until 15th century.
The tsars and tsarinas had "Russification" programs in Ukraine to make them more Russian. According to my father, even our family name which originally ended in an "o" and was required to an end in an "a" to make it sound Russian. So, yeah. Saying Little Russia fits right in to that plan.
You can call the Basques Spaniards. But, the Basque culture is older. Alex
"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."
-- Isaac Asimov
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Post #421,638
12/8/17 3:25:37 PM
12/8/17 3:25:37 PM
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Belarus also suffered.
Also a former part of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, Belarus was subjected to an intense "de-Polanization" program.
During the Soviet era Belarusian cuisine was banned. Cooks were commanded to come up with a new Belarusian cuisine based only on the crudest peasant products. Today, some effort is being made to restore the old cuisine, but now it has to compete with Italian, Chinese and other cuisines the people are interested in.
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Post #421,654
12/9/17 2:51:31 PM
12/9/17 2:51:31 PM
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It's amazing how the Soviets succeeded.
I ran into a lady serving food samples at Costco in Charlotte a few years ago. The Russian sounding accent and flash of a stainless steel tooth made me ask her where she came from. It was Kazakhstan. So, I told her that originally I came from Ukraine. Well, she said, we're all the same people.
Back in July on a camping trip I was registering for a site a Colorado State Park. So, the college age park office attendant asks me "What kind of last is yours?" It's Ukranian I told him. "Wow", he said, "my parents and I used to live in Kiev and we're Ukranian!" But, then he told me his family only spoke Russian! As I left, he said goodbye in Russian and I smiled and replied goodbye in Ukranian. :) Alex
"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."
-- Isaac Asimov
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Post #421,655
12/9/17 3:56:05 PM
12/9/17 3:56:05 PM
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Yes, except in the Balkans.
Those folks will be slaughtering each other 'till the end of time.
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Post #421,662
12/9/17 11:14:20 PM
12/9/17 11:14:20 PM
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The religious differences are deeper.
Alex
"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."
-- Isaac Asimov
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Post #421,679
12/11/17 8:01:52 AM
12/11/17 8:01:52 AM
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The "foreign language" in Kiev for 4th class was Ukrainian. The "official" language was Russian.
bcnu,
Mikem
It's mourning in America again.
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