the Russian gaze

[Maryna Vinarska]

Dear Alina,

I would like to remind you that the starting point of this thread was the article on the net and the comment of a list member that _some_ Russians don't want to accept the fact that Ukrainians are a legitimate ethnic group having their own language, culture in general and _their own territory_. Do you have anything against this?

My comments were about what I myself know about the russification of Eastern Ukraine. BTW, one of my own grandfathers got the Russian ending added to his Ukrainian last name, my own parents didn't speak Ukrainian living in Ukraine, and I myself, as a child, was often told at school (in Ukraine!): "Govori normal'no!", meaning in Russian. I spent my summer breaks in the part of Ukraine where only Ukrainian was spoken, and I have always been quick in picking up any language. So when I automatically said smth in Ukrainian at school or anywhere, I was reminded at once that it was not 'normal'... The only effect it had with me, to tell the truth, was that I tried harder to master my Ukrainian at least for myself. Actually, I can say much more on the topic, but will spare that on you. And BTW, my past experiences don't stop me from doing all my best to promote both languages, Russian and Ukrainian.

As to the example you found on the Internet and presented here,  I can't treat it seriously at all, but only as a joke from the perspective of those who programmed that computer too. Besides, what are elections in other countries?..

Now you suddenly jump to a very strange parallel...  For me it is again "v ogorodi buzyna, a v Kyevi diad'ko..."

However, as a result of this your posting I myself am having a sense of 'deja vu' too. Mine is from 2001 and named "The Czechs prosecute political views" (I will keep that thread in my mailbox forever...). I would say that such comments of yours are very good for _silencing_ people, but not for promoting any discussions. And now try to imagine how it will look if everybody starts to use the same tricks...


Best regards,
Maryna Vinarska


Alina Israeli <aisrael at AMERICAN.EDU> wrote: Maryna Vinarska  wrote:

>.......................Thanks. If it really was like that, the only thing
>I can say is... well done!!! Pity that I was not there at that time.

When I was 9 years old a classmate came up to me after watching a war film
called "Devjatyj krug"  on TV ('9th circle' - we didn't even know what
exactly it meant) where there were scenes where Jews were hanged and said,
that he was sorry he wasn't there; he would have hanged me with pleasure
(ja by tebja s udovol'stviem povesil). The irony of it was (which I also
understood much later) that his father was a Soviet officer at that time,
and needless to say it was the nazi who were doing the hanging in the film.

Now, I am having a sense of deja vu.

__________________________
 Alina Israeli
 LFS, American University
 4400 Mass. Ave., NW
 Washington, DC 20016

 phone:    (202) 885-2387
 fax:      (202) 885-1076 

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