“Jeffrey Wills inspired the idea to create the school. He was sure that it was necessary to start courses in the Ukrainian language, because foreigners want to visit and study our language. We started developing the first programs in 2002, and today we have an opportunity at whatever time of year to study the Ukrainian language online or in-person, in a group or individually, so that it will be convenient and available for students from various corners of the world,” said Nazar Danyliv, Director of the UCU School of Ukrainian Language and Culture.

The more than 20 years of teaching the Ukrainian language for foreigners at UCU has created a calibrated, tested by experience and innovative approach to education which other institutions don’t have. “We have textbooks at various levels, and we can offer students individual study programs, corresponding to their needs. We very often plan our syllabuses during the educational process and adapt them to the students’ interests and needs. We see the students as our partners in studying the Ukrainian language. The school has developed its own methodology with precise control of all processes, quality, and testing programs,” explained Nataliya Bahnyuk, Professor of the Department of Philology of the UCU Humanities Department and the UCU School of Ukrainian Language and Culture.

According to the organizers, there are two types of students at the UCU School of Ukrainian Language and Culture: those who have a Ukrainian background and want to master their native language and those who are great friends of Ukraine, interested in our culture, and, through studying the language, express their support.

“Students with various levels of knowledge come to us. For some, these courses are an opportunity to revive their knowledge of the language. Often their grandmother spoke to them in Ukrainian, but already their mother and father didn’t speak it. Our students remember songs that grandma sang and it’s very interesting to see how the words which they once knew but have forgotten come back to them. The second group of students are great friends of Ukraine who have been interested in us since before the start of the full-scale aggression. These are people who, because of their profession or a strong interest, want to learn more about Ukraine, and, for them, to study the language means to find the key to a deeper acquaintance with Ukrainian realities.” So Professor Nataliya Bahnyuk shared her observations.

Celebrating Ivana Kupala at the school

American Colby Fleming studies at the University of Illinois Chicago. He has been studying the Ukrainian language for two years now and is interested in Ukrainian culture and particularly fascinated by the Kozaks (Cossacks). He wants to improve his level of knowledge in order to better understand and converse with Ukrainians and overcome stereotypes about Ukraine: “Ukrainians have become very cool. They’re resilient. They’re strong and united. And this attracts and interests people. I consider Ukraine a very important country. I’m a doctoral student in sociology and plan to return to Lviv next year to research how ideals and ideas about masculinity have changed during the war. These changes are quicker than in an ordinary time.”

Alexander Hladiо came to Ukraine from Pennsylvania. He is from a family of Ukrainian immigrants; his grandmother was from western Ukraine. As a child, he sang Ukrainian songs in the church choir and performed folk dances. This year he graduated from university with a degree in music and traveled to Lviv to study Ukrainian culture.

“Where I live in America the Ukrainian community is small and only part of it has preserved traditions. Sometimes we get together as an ethnic group, but it’s the same familiar faces, almost like a family group. But in Ukraine, wherever I go I hear Ukrainian music, songs, dances; everywhere there’s good food. Here everyone is a culture bearer,” said the American. He was a little afraid because of the war, but he is sincerely fascinated by Ukrainians, resilient and strong people who try to live a normal life in extreme conditions.

“You can feel the war here. People don’t generally show this, but many of them are under stress and, clearly, over two years it has increased. All who come to class after an air raid at night are tired; it’s hard for them to concentrate. I can only imagine how these people survive in these conditions all the time,” said Hladio.

UCU’s courses in Ukrainian language and culture offer a busy and multi-faceted program acquainting students with Ukrainian traditions, folklore, and food. Students also have an opportunity to go on a number of trips; in particular, they visited the Tustan Fortress in the Carpathian Mountains.

“According to the schedule, in the morning the students have classes and after that we organize cultural events. Our students had excursions in Lviv. We visited the Lonsky Prison National Memorial Museum. We heard an interesting lecture on the history of Ukraine and felt the spirit of Ivana Kupala [celebrating the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist]. We tried to make the program colorful, add a historical part and also fun, to make it interesting for people,” recounted Khrystyna Popovych, Manager of the UCU School of Ukrainian Language and Culture for foreigners and manager of projects and programs at UCU.

“I was moved by the trip to the Lonsky Prison National Memorial Museum. It was very interesting. In Eastern Europe there are a number of museums that deal with the occupation of the communist regime. But in Ukraine, it’s about various regimes which used this very prison for their crimes. This information was very new to me.” Daan Verbaan, a student from the Netherlands, shared his impressions. This is now his seventh time in Ukraine.

“I converse a lot with Ukrainians at work. My work is connected with church activities, and we support a number of projects in Ukraine, so I come here two or three times a year. My main motivation to study the Ukrainian language was my desire to better understand the people and the culture, to have good conversational skills,” added Verbaan.

In their free time, the school’s participants are involved with work at volunteer centers. They worked at a volunteer soup kitchen in Lviv, which prepares food for soldiers and sends it to the front, and they wove camouflage nets. According to the organizers, in this way the students want to express their support and help Ukrainians.

During a master-class in making varenyky (dumplings)

Carsten Rückert and his wife came from Berlin. They sincerely support our country in its fight for freedom and want to understand Ukrainians better: “On weekends, when we have no lessons, my wife and I help at a volunteer center – we weave camouflage nets. Many people come there. They work together and sing Ukrainian songs. It’s very inspiring.”

The fight is difficult, he said, but he is sure that Ukraine will win, because they are on the side of right and good. Rückert said that Germany supports Ukraine and is hoping for a just peace for our country: “The Germans were aggressors in the past, and when I was young, people did not want to speak with Germans or hear the German language. I also think that it will be the same with the Russians. It’s not easy to forgive or to quickly correct mistakes. This takes time.”

David Wells from Idaho (USA) also came to Lviv to support Ukrainians. He calls upon Americans to help Ukraine more, in particular to provide air defense systems.

“On Sunday, I wrote a letter to my senator and state representative. I sent a few messages to the White House. I’m sure that a letter from here from an American will be more effective than if I wrote from Idaho, because I can describe what is happening here right now,” said Wells. He still can’t say much in Ukrainian, but he is passionate and wants to be involved in volunteer and charitable events in support of Ukraine.

In advance, the organizers acquainted the future students with safety rules in wartime. Only after this do foreigners make their final decision to visit Ukraine or not. A number of students were coming for the first time, so they had to get used to air raids and particularities of studies. In particular, at UCU classes do not stop during air raids: students go into the basement and continue lessons there.

“We developed a reference book with all the important information for the students to keep with themselves always. It talks about various ways to travel to Lviv. We also noted on the map where the open shelters are and how to go there during an air raid. Our students are living in the Collegium and know well the location of supermarkets, pharmacies, banks; everything is close-by, whatever they might need,” said Nazar Danylkiv, Director of the UCU School of Ukrainian Language and Culture.

“We weren’t sure that people would want to come in wartime. But we’re very grateful to the students, who are clearly showing their position of support for Ukraine. They came to UCU to study in wartime. This is very important for us,” added Khrystyna Popovych, Manager of the UCU School of Ukrainian Language and Culture.

After the summer course, the school’s students continue studies in various formats convenient for them and improve their conversational skills. Thanks to the course to study Ukrainian language and culture, Ukraine is gaining new ambassadors. These people love and feel for Ukraine and have something to say about it to the world.

Find out more about the School of Ukrainian Language and Culture:
https://studyukrainian.org.ua/

Text: Lesya Vladymyrenko