The story starts off after the fall of the Soviet Union. My parents had emigrated from
Ukraine to Canada as the Fourth Wave of emigration. This wave began during the year of 1991
and is still present in today’s society. When the Soviet Union had collapsed, Eastern Europe did
as well. Citizens of Ukraine immigrated to different countries voluntarily. My parents were one
of the many couples who decided to explore the different countries in search of a better future.
Throughout their and their family’s lifetimes, the situation in Ukraine has been very unstable.
Politically Ukraine had many different dictators. When the Soviet Union broke up, citizens
escaped as quickly as possible in a questionable fear that another dictatorship would form before
they would escape. My parents lived in to America for some time since they had known some
friends and family who lived there. Eventually, my parents decided to move to Canada and have
been citizens here ever since. The reason of the departure from Ukraine was due to the fact that
the country was economically and politically unstable. Life in Canada is seen safer because there
are legitimate laws that people follow and there has been no dictatorship yet! Canada is a stable
and multicultural country with human freedom and rights that does not suppress the Ukrainian
identity.
One example of the Russians attempting to destroy the Ukrainian nation is
Holodomor. During the occupation of Ukraine, Russia had a plan to destroy the Ukrainian nation
as a political factor and social organism. The definition of Holodomor is death by forced
starvation. Holodomor was a man-made famine during the winter of 1932-1933 that was planned
by Joseph Stalin to undermine the nati...
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...for themselves and for me. The Soviet Union always
tried to destroy the Ukrainian nation, tradition and culture. They have been trying to do this
for over two hundred years. During the past few months, once again the Russian government
has been aiming to demolish the Ukrainian nation and devour the country to rebuild the USSR
Empire. Fortunately the Ukrainian people do not give up easily and will not let the tyrant, Putin,
invade Ukraine. After all, what have Ukrainians been fighting for more than two hundred years?
Here I am, four generations later and I am fighting against the corruption and dictatorship in
Ukraine! The above statements are all the reasons why my guardians chose to depart from their
homeland! I am fighting for almost all the exact same rights that my grandiose family has during
their time, for a free, democratic and safe Ukraine!
The Legacy of Russia and the Soviet Union - Authoritarian and Repressive Traditions that Refuse to Die
Holodomor is a Ukrainian word meaning “Genocide Famine” in English [holodomor.org]. The Holodomor ultimately began in 1928 when the then current leader of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin introduced a program which would lead to the collectivization of agriculture within the Soviet Union. In order to do this, farmers would have to give up privately owned farms, livestock and equipment. These farmers would have to join state owned collective farms as they would no longer have their own farms to run. These collective farms would need to produce large amounts of grain along with feeding their own workers. Ukrainian farmers refused to join these farms, as they considered it a returned to the serfdom of centuries past. In response, Stalin
The post-war time was a period where major changes were occurring. After being involved in two international conflicts, Canada was ready to reestablish their economy. During this time, Canada had started working on ways to become stronger and reputable. It is evident that Canada had matured through the post-war era. Canada’s economic progress left a positive impact on the growth of the country as consumerism became popular, and economic ties with America became stronger. Moreover, the removal of racial and ethical barriers contributed to Canadian social affairs such as the huge wave of immigration and the baby boom. The Canadian government also had become more aware and involved in issues impacting Canadian citizens. Canada as a whole started identifying itself as an independent nation and participating in events that brought a positive reputation amongst them. These economical, social, and legal changes helped Canada mature into the country it is today.
Canada is a country with a rich history and a strong political system. Its history and systems mirror the United States’ in many ways, but Canada is most definitely a country of its own. It was influenced by many different European countries over the years, through colonization and immigration, and the people speaking out through their political parties have shaped the country to become the Canada we know today.
"US 'to React' If Russia Crosses into Ukraine." - Europe. Aljazeera, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
During Stalin’s five year plan, he wanted to increase agriculture massively to feed the people working in industry as well as sell to strengthen the economy. Stalin began the genocide by annihilating “Ukraine’s cultural intelligentsia—not so much its engineers, doctors, and technicians, but its linguists, historians, artists, folk singers, and others whose work and professional lives suggested a separate cultural or historical identity for Ukraine” (History in Dispute). They had also included Ukrainian communists in the first objective. Stalin’s second objective was to destroy the economic and political relevance of individual peasant farmers. Most Ukrainian residents had their owns farms even when the serfs were in existence; prosperous on their own with the New Economic Policy from the 1920’s. Stalin’s plan would end the independent ways of living and prosperous peasantry.
In March of 2014 Russia invaded Ukraine, unleashing a maddening flurry of concern across the world. Originally the concern was how to defend Crimea Ukraine from Putin’s forces, however, the concern has since changed. Seemingly overnight, Putin managed to worm his troops into Crimea, and dominate part of Ukraine. But where does this expansion of power end? Trying to delegate and monitor a power-hungry politician is now the focus of nearly every government in the Western world. In an article written by The Guardian’s Ian Traynor, it states that Putin has declared that if he wanted to, “Russian forces could conquer Ukrainian capital in two weeks.” This amount of confidence is highly unnerving considering Russia’s track record on simply showing up and invading a country seemingly out of nowhere. That specific action and behavior has been associated with Russian leader Joseph Stalin during the Cold war, and now is a continuous and growing concern with Vladimir Putin.
There are many differences with Canada’s neighbour, the United States of America; some in which can be dated back to our ties with our English heritage. Canada is known as a constitutional monarchy; meaning that although they are independent from
Firstly, the Forty-Ninth parallel is the line at which Canada and America are separated, is surpassed by southern most part of Canada, Vancouver. This is a province that is full of history and atmosphere unknown to many. An English sailor, Captain James Cook, discovered the island of Vancouver in 1778. Originally, the island was a colony of Great Britain, and until immigration open the gates to the province in the nineteen-fifty's, eighty percent of the residents in Vancouver could trace back their ancestry to Britain. As that the colony was originally settled, as a stop over for British travelers on their way to England the majority of British people made Vancouver particularly pleasing. In the late eighteen-fifty's gold was found, and attracted some new inhabitants that displeased the residents of Vancouver, due to their low social status, and poor manners. Vancouver undeniably has an uncanny resemblance of Great Britain. The likeness in architecture of buildings, society, decisions and format of government is apparent within the island. This is shown with the almost mimic, gives Vancouver a rare atmosphere of a Britain on the Pacific Ocean. Of course in the 1982 Canada was given the power to amend and create their own constitution. They bec...
...h case the government will be more inclined to respond to it because of this (Robinson 1-2). With Crimea now part of Russia, perhaps the people of Ukraine can have some self-determined actions.
incredible opportunity, but one that was not free from hardship and oppression. The people of
States. In 1989, my life was changed when my family immigrated to a new country, hoping for a better
...y, and grief. This made me realize how significant it is because I am a Ukrainian too. I must have had a relative who is dead already that must have lived during that event. This made me explore more details of the close truth that is hidden behind the genocide of the 1930s in Ukraine. I recommend for others to read and learn of what has occurred when one country has and can control other countries beside it.
The Russo-Chechen war that ended in 1996 should have given the Russian government a feel of things to come when they decided to attack in late September of last year. Triggered by security challenges to the State, Russia decided that the democracy would be in danger if they didn’t act. Russia was in a politically unstable situation right now with the resignation of Yeltsin, and the current Presidential elections looming. Also looming on the political horizon was the concern over rampant corruption in the government. If they had done nothing Yeltsin’s party would have stood to lose, yet Putin, (Yeltsin’s successor) succeeded in focusing the medias attention on the war rather that the domestic corruption.
The Ukrainian crisis was a result of social upheaval against the former president, Mr. Yanukovich, who decided to pull out of the association with the European Union (BBC News, 2014). The upheaval that lasted for about two months resulted in more than 100 people killed (NY Times, 2014). In February 22 Mr. Yanukovich disappears and the opposition takes control over the government in Ukraine (BBC News, 2014). Upon learning that Mr. Yanukovich is currently residing in Kazakhstan, the new government of Ukraine requests from Kazakhstan the extradition of the overthrown president, who is accused of crime against the Ukrainian citizenry.