Internally displaced persons in Ukraine [RUS]

As of February 2023, there were 4.8 million internally displaced persons officially registered in Ukraine - that means, those Ukrainian citizens who were forced to leave their homes because of the war, but did not leave the country but moved to safer regions. Assistance to internally displaced persons is the largest of the social benefits planned in the state budget for 2023.

More than half of Ukrainians in the Czech Republic work in jobs that do not correspond to their qualifications [CZ]

A large proportion of Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic work in unskilled jobs that are also associated with low financial compensation. The biggest obstacles for them to obtain better jobs are the poor economic situation and the difficult nostrification exams required for recognition of their foreign university degrees.

Electronic prescriptions [RUS]

Ukraine is reforming its pharmaceutical market. Since 1 April, electronic prescriptions for most medicines have been introduced in Ukraine. This is a fairly common thing in Western countries, but it came as a surprise to Ukrainians and the new measures caused panic. The list of medicines that are now available only on prescription contains thousands of items.

Part III. of the cycle “Ukrainians and Folk Culture in Ukraine”: Chata, pysanky and vyshyvanka. Material aspects of folk culture [CZ]

The paper provides an insight into the material folk culture in Ukraine, specifically introducing folk architecture, clothing and some examples of folk art.

Price rises in 2023 [RUS]

Ukraine is preparing for the summer season and fears another price increase. In autumn 2022, the government imposed a moratorium on utility tariffs increases during 2023. However, it does not apply to all services. The country will not be able to avoid the growth of tariffs this year. Moreover, experts do not expect inflation in Ukraine to slow substantially in 2023. All Ukrainians will feel the effects. Regardless of financial difficulties and rising prices, Ukrainians are getting ready to celebrate Easter. In the article you will find some economic data related to the celebration of this holiday in Ukraine.

Ukrainian children in Czech schools: most of them are educated with Czech peers [CZ]

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian children who fled the war are currently being educated in the Czech Republic. The Czech education system had to respond and create a long-term education system for them. Most of the children are currently enrolled in Czech schools, but the situation has been addressed differently according to the needs of the regions and the families.

"No one in the world does it as we do." Folk culture in Ukraine, Part II. Ethnographic groups or singular ethnicities? Poleshuks, Rusyns and other inhabitants of Ukraine [CZ]

This article characterizes the ethnographic groups in Ukraine, focusing on the Poleshuks from the Ukrainian-Belarusian-Polish borderlands and the Rusyns (Lemkos, Boykos and Hutsuls) from the Carpathian region, who are also considered a separate East Slavic nation. It briefly presents interesting facts about their culture, customs and folklore.

Compensation for damaged and destroyed housing as a result of the Russian invasion [RUS]

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is preparing for the second reading of the long-awaited Law No. 7198, which sets out the rules for the payment of compensation for housing damaged and destroyed as a result of the Russian invasion. The general principle set out in the document is that citizens must be compensated for both partially damaged and completely destroyed houses.

"Borshch runs through our veins." Ukrainians and Folk Culture in Ukraine, Part I. Concepts, contexts, ethnographic regions [CZ]

The article introduces the reader to the issue of folk culture as a phenomenon that develops primarily on a regional and local basis, characterizes Ukrainians and other inhabitants of Ukraine as a subject of study, defines and presents the ethnographic regionalization of the territory from a historical, geographical and dialectological point of view.

Unemployment benefit in Ukraine [RUS]

The maximum unemployment benefit is now equal to the official minimum wage in the country. The minimum unemployment benefit has been reduced. Neither the amount of the benefit nor the minimum wage will be revised during this year. You can find more about unemployment in Ukraine in our article.

Czechoslovaks in Ukraine and the Bolsheviks - Part 2. [CZ]

Czech compatriots were the second largest expatriate community in the Russian Empire before the outbreak of World War I. Read more about its functioning and organization in the early 20th century in our article.

The war in Ukraine from media perspective [CZ]

The information regarding the current situation in Ukraine has been regularly included in the list of the most important news of the world media since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Journalists from all over the world come to the war zone. Some of them lost their lives there. Ukrainian media are also trying to report on the war, but they are struggling with much more challenging conditions. Unlike foreign journalists, Ukrainian ones often have no background and no funding. Moreover, social media is used to gain information during the war in Ukraine, more than in any other conflict. This type of media can give direct testimony but also spread misinformation or reveal the location of soldiers.

Thousands of Russians fled the country due to partial mobilization. Putin is preparing for a long war [CZ]

This September, President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation of Russians, which did not provoke a positive response from the locals. Thousands of people have decided to flee Russia to avoid military service. The Kremlin was reportedly sending inexperienced and too old men to the front. Later, the local authorities admitted that the mobilisation had been accompanied by confusion and mismanagement.

Christmas and the church split in Ukraine [RUS]

This year will be a turning point for Ukrainian religious society. The country, where more than 70% of the population considers themselves religious (according to opinion polls), will celebrate Christmas alongside many Western Christian denominations for the first time - and at the same time, there is likely to be a major church split.

Current situation on the Ukrainian labour market [RUS]

The Russian invasion has virtually destroyed the Ukrainian labour market. According to official figures, almost 2.5 million people in Ukraine have lost their jobs over the past months.

No oil, gas or gold. What sanctions has the world imposed on Russia? [CZ]

The ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war conflict is having a negative impact on the whole world. Many countries around the world have condemned Putin's actions and imposed various sanctions on the country. The biggest challenge, especially for Europe, will be to cut off its energy dependence on Russia.

Most people have left their homes since the Second World War. Ukraine has one of the highest numbers of refugees in the world [CZ]

Ukraine has become one of the countries with the highest number of refugees due to the ongoing Russian military invasion. Most of them went to Poland, but also to other European countries such as Germany, Slovakia, Italy and the Czech Republic. The European Union grants refugees a protection status, which allows them to live a little more freely in the countries that have accepted them.

The war in Ukraine has deepened the food crisis. Poor countries are particularly at risk [CZ]

The world is facing grain shortages due to the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The cost of oilseeds and fertilisers is also increasing, which has a negative impact on food price rises and high inflation. Millions of people on the planet are thus threatened by famine, especially poor developing countries.

Current situation in education in Ukraine [RUS]

The school year in Ukraine is due to start on 1 September, but it is not yet clear what the actual education process will look like during the war. In the Ukrainian regions far from the areas of fighting, it will be possible to choose between full-time and distance education. For more information, see our article.

Ukrainian healthcare during the war [RUS]

What is the current situation regarding the availability of medicines in Ukraine for the local population? How much do they pay for medicine compared to the period before the conflict escalated? The answers to these questions you will find in our article.

Fuel shortage in Ukraine [RUS]

Soon after the Russian invasion was launched, there was a serious fuel shortage in Ukraine. Many kilometres queues began to form at petrol stations across the country. For more information regarding this topic, see our article.

Ukrainian grain export crisis [RUS]

One of the very serious economic problems associated with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which can affect literally the whole world, is the de facto Ukrainian grain exports cut-off.

Perhaps, people will keep helping refugees, humanitarian workers hope [CZ]

Three months ago, Vladimir Putin started a war that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, forced several million people to leave Ukraine. The refugees have received a wave of solidarity in the Czech Republic. The extraordinary material and financial support is unprecedented in the Czech history.

Ukraine shuts down some pro-Russian channels, including Yevheniy Murayev's NASH TV [CZ]

The National Security Council of Ukraine (NSCU) has imposed sanctions on some Ukrainian TV channels, including TV NASH of ex-deputy and founder of the same name political party Yevheniy Murayev. The Council's secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, made the announcement on 11 February 2022, just after the Council's meeting in Kharkiv. The sanctions imposed provide for the suspension of terrestrial and satellite broadcasting of the sanctioned stations for five years. The channels broadcast pro-Russian propaganda, some of them including Russian programmes that are banned in Ukraine. Murayev's NASH channel has previously been fined by Ukraine's National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting for spreading hate and anti-Ukrainian speech. Moreover, the sanctions come shortly after Muraev was identified by British intelligence as a possible future puppet president in the service of Moscow.

Information for Ukrainian and Czech citizens in the Czech Republic regarding the conflict in Ukraine

In our post you will find a clear summary of specific ways of helping Ukrainian refugees and links to useful information for incoming Ukrainian citizens.

Czechoslovaks in Ukraine and the Bolsheviks - Part I. [CZ]

Czech compatriots were the second largest expatriate community in the Russian Empire before the outbreak of World War I. Read more about its functioning and organization in the early 20th century in our article.

Ukraine and the "Great Construction" project [RUS]

The "Great Construction" project (in Ukrainian "Велике будівництво") is one of the key and image-making projects for President Zelensky and his team. In this context, a very controversial decision was made by the authorities in 2020. 35 billion hryvnias from the COVID-19 fund was redirected to road construction. Read more in our article.

Record wheat harvest in Ukraine and the price of bread is rising [RUS]

The price of bread in Ukraine rises despite the record wheat crop. Why is that? Read our article.

Pension reform in Ukraine [RU]

Since 1st July, pensions have increased in Ukraine. The government announced that the lives of retirees will improve now. However, the generally positive statements exclude the information that the average pension will increase by only 54 Ukrainian hryvnia (i.e. less than 2 euros).

Coronavirus and vaccination in Ukraine [RU]

Another strong wave of coronavirus will likely hit Ukraine. Experts warn that immediate action is needed, otherwise, the number of cases may increase sharply before the beginning of this autumn. Moreover, there is an urgent lack of vaccines in the country.

Czechs in the urban environment of southern Ukraine - part II [CZ]

The article continues exploring the presence of the Czech minority in Odessa in the 19th century. Besides the sphere of high culture, the brewing industry and education were other fields wherein Czechs in Odessa attracted attention of their contemporaries. Antonín Mikuláš Číla, a promoter of the “Sokol” movement and later a legionnaire commander, is highlighted as an example of an important Czech educator. The "Czecho-Slavic Tsarist Factory" owned by the Czech entrepreneur Josef Šediva, was a famous producer of musical instruments. During the Soviet era, the organized Czech compatriot life was interrupted, only to be restored in the 1990s in the already independent Ukraine. The history of the Czech minority in Odessa practically ended in 2015, when a collective migration of a significant part of Odessa Czechs to the Czech Republic (organized by the Czech state) took place.

Czechs in the urban environment of southern Ukraine - part I. [CZ]

Most 19th century Czech migrants to today’s Ukraine settled in the agriculturally potent western and southern regions. However, a large number of these migrants found employment also in the then developing urban centres. Odessa, now a port metropolis located in the southwestern part of Ukraine, was one of such cities wherein communities of Czech compatriots gradually established. The article considers the presence of the Czech minority in the city of Odessa, emphasizing a its communal and social life. The study also recalls probably the most important figure of Czech origin in the field of culture, the long-time chief conductor of the local city theatre orchestra and composer Josef Přibík.

Historical Reflections on Ukrainian Migration [CZ]

Migration is an important social phenomenon in Ukraine affecting the economy, interpersonal relations, science, and art. The article summarizes its history and describes four major waves of migration from the 19th century to the present. The text was largely based on the lecture of «Ukrainian Emigration» presented by Dr. Tereza Chlaňová, who works at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University in Prague.

Returns of Czech compatriots from Ukraine [CZ]

The text is based on field research provided by the author in the village of Bohemka and captures the history, life, and customs of Czech compatriots in this Ukrainian village. It contains the description of the “Bohemian” culture, which is influenced by both Czech traditions and the Ukrainian environment. The text clarifies the importance and role of expatriate associations in a foreign environment.