A glimpse inside Ukraine

A year on and Ukraine stands undefeated. 🇺🇦 It’s been a year of untold amounts of suffering, but also a year when the courage and determination of the Ukrainian people has continued to impress. It’s also made many of us more curious about our fellow European country in the east. We’re very excited to work with Ukraïner, a volunteer-led organisation with the aim to promote Ukraine to the world, to bring out Inside Ukraine: A portrait of a country and its people.

Inside Ukraine is an exploration of the real Ukraine, told through over 350 evocative images that provides a fascinating insight into this amazing country. Here are just some of the images, showcasing a fantastic landscape and rich culture.

Top image: Synevyr is the largest mountain lake in Ukraine, located at 989 metres above sea level in the Vnutrishni (Inner) Gorgany mountain range in the Carpathians.

The folk holiday of Malanka takes place on 13 January and the celebrations in the village of Osychky are absolutely authentic, as the people have managed to preserve their old traditions without interference from tourists or the media.

In summer, 70 per cent of the world‘s great white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) reside in the Danube Delta, between the territories of Ukraine and Romania.

A ‘lizhnyk’ is a blanket woven from sheep’s wool. They were traditionally made in the Hutsul village of Yavoriv and used in ceremonies and daily life.

The Mezyn National Nature Park covers over 31,000 hectares. More than 50 archaeological features are preserved here. The most famous is a Mezyn Palaeolithic site. There are a number of historical settlements around the park and nearby; these include buildings, temples and park complexes.

The villages of Savran, Osychky and Vilshanka are best known for their tradition of broom-making. People call them ‘environmentally friendly vacuum cleaners’. Children, teenagers, adults and elderly people alike are involved with broom weaving. For an experienced craftsperson, it takes only five minutes to finish one broom.

In the 1930s, the village of Kolochava was mentioned in the novel Nikola the Outlaw, by Czech author Ivan Olbracht, who had lived there for several years. The book made Kolochava village a popular destination for Czech tourists. Nowadays, Kolochava is home to many museums and an unforgettably picturesque road along the river leading to the village.

Discover more in Inside Ukraine by Ukraïner, out now!