Lisle Kauffman: My Fulbright Scholarship at EUNU-Luhansk, Ukraine

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Dnipropetrovs'k

I added some more photos to the entry about my visit to Dnipropetrovs'k.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

There are some things I miss. I miss Amy's pancakes, for instance. Oladi (Оладьи) Russian or Ukrainian pancakes are very good, but they are not same as American pancakes, so this morning I decided to try making some using what I can get here.

Of course, I can't read Ukrainian, so I ended up buying whole wheat flour. They turned out okay, though, and tasted pretty good, but they weren't as good as Amy's. Still, I enjoyed them.

Оладьи (Oladi) with сметана (sour cream)

My whole wheat pancakes

I didn't have maple syrup. I can't seem to find it here, so I made strawberry syrup from jam. It turned out fine and served its purpose.

My attempt at trying to find flour (and other things at the store) illustrates one of the great challenges in this part of the country. Nearly everyone speaks Russian, and business in the streets and markets is conducted in Russian, so I have to speak Russian to communicate and get things done, but so many products in the supermarket are written in Ukrainian. It gets confusing at times.

Whole Wheat Flour. This is written in Ukrainian.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

A Meeting with Teachers (Учителя)

This morning, I spoke at a meeting of teachers at the school for the deaf. Вау! Wow!

I spoke to them about deaf education in the United States and tried to be as positive as possible. I mentioned Gallaudet University and the opportunities offered to deaf and hard of hearing students who study there. I presented examples of successful deaf Americans, such as Marlee Matlin, among others. I talked a little bit about deaf culture - language, art, theater, dance, etc.

As a lead-in to a discussion about higher education, I talked about educational practices in the U.S. such as inclusion for students with disabilities and the IEP process. Then when I mentioned equal opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing students to attend institutions of higher education in the U.S., the meeting became noisy, and the teachers grew quite boisterous. Most of them do not believe that deaf and hard of hearing students can succeed in colleges and universities. The meeting became rather acrimonious at times, and Dr. Kresk stopped interpreting, and from the tone of her voice she appeared rather stern, herself. It was frustrating for me, because everyone was speaking very loudly and very fast in Russian, and all I could get were isolated words or phrases. I could tell the discussion was emotional, and I wanted to be able to respond effectively to the teachers’ comments, but Dr. Kresk had stopped interpreting, intentionally as I later learned, because she was responding very directly and “aggressively” as she put it. One person asked her what I was I expecting to get out of my time here in Luhans’k. What were my motives; what did I want? Apparently, some teachers are not trusting, a holdover from Soviet times, Dr. Kresk later informed me.

She told me that she had also rebuked the teachers for not doing enough to prepare the students for study at institutions of higher education and went so far as to tell them that it was poor teaching. She also said most of the teachers do not support admitting deaf and hard of hearing students to the university. Maybe 15% are supportive of her initiative. She said it is the same situation at V. Dahl EUNU. The Rector is supportive, as long as it does not cost money.

The students who attend the university absolutely must succeed. If they fail, then everyone will say, “See! Deaf and hard of hearing students can’t make it in higher education!” We have to make this work. This initiative has to be a success—for the future of all students with disabilities and for the future of Ukraine. I know it can be a success, though. Deaf and hard of hearing students are just as capable as anyone else. We just need to prepare the students and provide them with appropriate support and guidance, so they can excel. No, this will not be easy, and we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I know the students can succeed.

Friday, April 8, 2011

A visit to Lugansk Medical Lyceum 16

Wednesday, I enjoyed a visit with students at the Luhans'k Medical Lyceum 16 (medical high school). I had been invited to speak at several English classes. The school is located at the Luhans'k State Medical University and is actually a public boarding school. Most of the students have identified medicine as their future careers. I really enjoyed spending time with them, showing them photographs of Kansas City, answering their questions and getting to know them.

I gave their English program a book about Kansas, and they presented me with a journal in which many of them had written me letters, poems, stories, etc. It was a very touching gift, and I have enjoyed reading it. I also received a signed card from each class.

The students were very cheerful, pleasant and polite, and they seemed genuinely interested in my presentation. They were also extremely attentive and respectful. Their teacher said they are actually like this most of the time. Many of the kids here face similar economic challenges as my students in the urban core of Kansas City, Kansas, yet they so different.

Just a few of the students I met.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Kyiv: Day 7 (updated)

This was our last day together. The realization was hitting hard, and we were intent having the most enjoyable day possible.

Our day began with a satisfying and inexpensive breakfast at Rosie O'Grady's, an Irish pub (One can find anything in Kyiv). I asked Amy what she wanted to see, and she replied that she wanted to go to the World War II museum, or the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, as it is known here. In Russia and the former Soviet republics, World War II is called the Great Patriot War. For the Soviets, World War II was highly personal, as Hitler was doing everything he could to completely crush and annihilate the USSR and her people. The Great Patriotic War Museum tells the story of their struggle against Nazi Germany.

The exhibits are comprehensive, educational and moving, and Amy and I spent the entire afternoon at the museum.

Entrance to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War
The inscription reads:
"Their feats shall live forever; their names are immortal!"
Спасибо, Victor.

This sculpture and the ones below are at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War.

The Motherland statue at the Museum of the Great Patriotic
War. This is an enormous statue. To get an idea of the
vast scale of this monument, take a look at the tiny people
standing on the top of the base. They are just barely discernable.

Soviet Artillery located at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Soviet tank also at the musuem

Soviet tank

Museum of the Great Patriotic War

The Paton Bridge spanning the Dnieper River - commissioned in 1954
This photo was taken near the Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Amy with the Paton Bridge in the background.
This is the last photo I took of her before she returned to the U.S.

Dormition Monastery as seen from the Museum of the Great Patriotic War

I forgot to mention that during one of our Ukrainian meals, Amy and I were served (сало) salo with our borsch. Salo is raw, salt-cured pork fat, usually taken from the back of the animal, and is sometimes served with bread as a garnish with borsch. Salo is a very traditional Ukrainian food, and if you want to experience an authentic Ukrainian meal, then have some borsch and salo. Actually, the salo we had didn't taste bad (ours was smoked), but I don't think I'd make a habit of eating it. I didn't think to take a photo, but here is a photo taken by someone else: salo

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Kyiv: Day 6

Tuesday, Amy and I were becoming anxious as we realized that the end of our visit together was quickly approaching. Seven days is not enough. Fourteen days would have been far better and healthier. Unfortunately, Amy could not get any more days off from work. Despite her years of hard work and dependable service, her supervisors remain stubbornly rigid. I really wish she had been allowed to take more days off. We need to find an original sketch by Van Gogh at a garage sale.

I had been asked to lecture at a university in Kyiv Tuesday morning, so Amy used the time to get some much needed rest. I spoke to students and faculty at Dragomanov National Pedagogical University in Kyiv (Kiev). The topic of my lecture was Special Education in the United States: Foundations and Practices. The students and faculty were attentive and seemed very receptive to my ideas. Interestingly, the entire front row consisted of deaf and hard of hearing students enrolled at the university. I did not realize deaf and hard of hearing students were present until their interpreter arrived…30 minutes late.

Students in Ukraine tend to be very quiet and do not ask many questions. In contrast, some students in this group did ask a few questions. They wanted to know about educational opportunities for deaf students in the United States and if it was common for them to go to universities.

Following my lecture, one of the professors invited me to her office for tea, a common custom in Ukraine. We discussed her university’s current experiences with admitting deaf students. She was quite surprised that I am in Luhans’k, and perhaps even a bit disappointed. When I pressed her, she admitted that she believed I should be at Dragomanov, not V. Dahl EUNU. While I would love to live in Kyiv, I think it is more appropriate for me to be in Luhans’k. The need here is greater.

When I returned from my lecture, we went for a walk. Since there were exhibits at the historical museum we didn't get to see, we decided to go back. We arrived just as a motorcade of black Mercedes and passenger vans arrived, led by a police vehicle intent on using its siren. Three of the Ukrainian licensed Mercedes had state flags mounted on the front fenders: Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania. We were close enough to see the people exiting the vehicles. I didn't recognize the passenger in the Ukrainian flagged automobile. He definitely wasn't President Yanukovych. The security detail appeared rather light, so at the time, I was guessing that it was a relatively low level cultural or diplomatic delegation. Later I learned that legislative representatives (parliamentary law-makers) from Lithuania and Poland were in Ukraine that day for talks regarding Ukraine's integration into the European Union. My guess these people were participants at the meeting.

The people who had entered the museum were fairly low on the international political food chain, so I was rather annoyed that we were denied entry, especially since the museum was open and some individuals were lucky enough to gain entry before the politicians got out of their cars. If Amy and I had been several minutes earlier, we would have made it in, as well.

The National History Museum with the cars ferrying folks
from Poland and Lithuania. The officer in uniform on
the right is the fellow who not allow us to enter.

Following our failed attempt to visit the museum, I took Amy over to the historic Andreevsky Descent. The Andreevsky Descent is a very old part of Kyiv and the location of St. Andrew's Cathedral. Along the entire length of the Descent are venders selling souvenirs and handicrafts. It can get very busy and crowded with tourists during the summer.

Andreevsky Descent

The "Castle of Richard the Lionheart" (1902–1904).
This building is currently vacant.

Andreevsky Descent

Ukrainian National Hero Тарас Шевченко
(Taras Shevchenko) (1814-1861)

Grand Prince of Novgorad and Kyiv, Yaroslav the Wise (978-1054)

Friday, April 1, 2011

Kyiv: Days 4 and 5

During our fourth day together, Amy and I took a walk to St. Andrews and then visited the National History Museum, which is nearby. Construction on St. Andrew's began in 1749 and was completed in 1754. St. Andrew's is currently closed, as the foundation is unstable and in danger of collapse. While we were there, it appeared worked had begun on stabilizing the structure.

Monday, we walked over to St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral, which is next to our hotel. St. Michael's is actually a recreation of a church that was built in the same location in the 12th century. The original St. Michael's was a very beautiful and carefully preserved church that was torn down by the Soviets to make room for a wing of the government building that ultimately was never built. Historians attempted to remove and save the 12th century mosaics and art inside St. Michael's, but were unable to finish their work before demolition began. One historian, Mykola Makarenko, who protested the demolition of the church died in a Soviet prison. Demolition of St. Michaels began in 1934 and was completed in 1936. The current building was built from 1997 to 1999 and is a fairly close replication of the original church, but there is some question regarding the quality of materials used.

After visiting, St. Michael's we walked down to Independence Square. Independence Square, which Kyivites simply refer to as "Майдан" (the Maidan - meaning square), is a very historic and significant place in Kyiv. The Maidan is usually where most political protests and demonstrations begin. It is also the site of the Orange Revolution which began at the end of 2004. I thought Amy should see this part of Kyiv.

Underneath the Maidan is a large upscale shopping mall. There are also a couple of pedestrian underpasses that allow people to walk below the busy streets to cross safely to the other side. There are numerous shops and venders in these underpasses. Amy and I bought Belgian waffles at one of the underground kiosks. Yum! If you've never had a real Belgian waffle, you don't know what you're missing. I was thrilled to see these sold in Kyiv, as I had not enjoyed a genuine Belgian waffle since I was a college student in Leuven, Belgium. They are sold at kiosks in the streets of Brussels, Leuven, and other cities. Incidentally, Belgian waffles in the U.S. are not the real thing, not even close, and I think it is scandalous that American restaurants call their sad, pathetic imitations “Belgian” waffles.