Ukrainian identity

Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else

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I’m having a wonderful time in Philly, visiting with Trillian Stars and the cats, meeting fabulous new creative people, getting better acquainted with the Ukrainian community here. The Ukrainian League of Philly used to be a jail complete with sniper windows and a mysterious bricked up archway in the basement! I’ll upload pics later tonight, but here’s one of the old freezer door:

Just got back from an amazing breakfast at Marrakesh, with Trillian Stars,  Alex, and Shveta (whom I will see again at WisCon, yay!). Now we’re off to my reading/signing at the Ukrainian League of Philadelphia, at the corner of 23rd and Brown Streets in Philadelphia, 2-3pm. You’re all invited if you’re in the neighborhood. There will be coffee and sweets following the reading.

This evening I will get to see Trillian Stars in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead at the Curio Theatre. Previews are tonight and the show runs through the middle of May. Go see it if you can. They sold out last night. For previews! It’s THAT good.


Dreams are the touchstones of our character

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This week is my father’s birthday. (Mnohaya Lita, Tato.)

When I was a child, my father was a policeman who decided to run for alderman to make a change in our neighborhood. He lost that election but later ran for Illinois Senate, and against the odds, he won. Family and friends spent hours going door to door, handing out fliers, working on a truly grassroots campaign. My father never had an easy election.  Each one was challenging and nerve-wracking, but again and again my father rallied people around him with his vision, integrity, and enthusiasm.

Coffee with my father, Walter. Winter 2010. (Photo by 8 Eyes Photography)

From my father, I learned that hard work can make amazing things happen, that it’s possible to honor where you come from while reaching for what people may deem impossible. The son of immigrants traveled around the world and met with world leaders. His adventures sparked in me an intense determination and a fierce optimism.

He’s retired from the Senate, but my father keeps dreaming big. In recent years he has talked about wanting to create a statue of a Ukrainian Kozak:

“During my travels to Ukraine over the years, I was never able to find a statue that depicted the true essence of what I perceived a true Ukrainian Kozak should look like. I would usually come across a caricature or a humorous depiction of either an intoxicated or overweight cossack that would ridicule instead of give an accurate portrayal of my proud heritage.

So, I collaborated with my son-in-law, Michael DiBartolo, who is a professional toy designer and came up with a line of realistic Kozak  statues that are truly worthy of status as Ukrainian Kozak warriors. Kozak Designs was created and we have just released our first statue titled ‘Taras.'” (Walter W. Dudycz)

Once again, my father saw an idea through from inspiration to creation. You can read more about the Kozak statue here. My father and brother-in-law plan to make several different statues, and they are also looking into creating bronze versions. The signed prototype was auctioned off last weekend at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art for $450.00. Interested parties can check out the ebay listing for Kozak Designs.

Taras Statue by Kozak Designs (Photo by 8 Eyes Photography)

Speaking of dreams, back to edits on the second book…

The Sticky Subject of Kutia a.k.a. Ukrainian “Porridge”

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This morning Neil Gaiman was in a NY cab and tweeted about his Ukrainian cab driver, who picked up Neil because he was a man and “if 1st fare is a woman is bad luck all day.”

I replied by explaining that this tradition is likely related to the Ukrainian superstition that a man should be the first one to enter a house (or even call a house) on New Year’s Day. I also shared the tradition of throwing kutia (porridge) onto the ceiling on Christmas Eve. If it sticks, it means good luck for the household, and the more kernels that stick, the greater the luck.

After tweeting:

What I have learned this morning: 1) Ukrainian Taxi drivers are superstitious 2) Ukrainians throw porridge at the ceiling for luck.

Neil apparently received quite a few tweets from Ukrainians in Ukraine who had not heard of this tradition. Some had not heard of the porridge.

After a few tweets redirected my way (thanks, Neil 😉 ), I decided to quickly write this post with a few highlights.

  • The Ukrainian “porridge” to which I was referring is kutia. Some people describe it is as a flummery. Neither is quite right, but they’re close.
  • Kutia is an ancient dish that was once eaten at the solstice and is now the first of the twelve dishes to be eaten on Christmas Eve dinner (called Sviata Vecheria)
  • A nice essay about the variation in Sviat Vechir traditions can be found here, by Orysia Tracz, who has written extensively about Ukrainian traditions.
  • There are several recipes online, and as many variations as there are for Irish oatmeal. Everyone has their own particular way of making it. Google “kutia recipe” for some ideas.
  • The basic recipe we use is to first sort & rinse the bulgur wheat, soak it overnight (6-8 hours), boil it for an hour or so (depends on how long you soaked it and how firm you like it), then rinse again. Add poppyseeds, raisins, crushed walnuts, and honey to taste. In my opinion, the key is in the honey. (Ukrainians have been beekeepers for generations, and Ukrainian honey was prized. Here’s a link for more information from Medyana Rosa.)
  • There is a tradition of throwing the kutia up to the ceiling on Sviat Vechir. My grandparents did this when my father was young, and it continued into my childhood. Our Ukrainian friends and family did this and exchanged stories about it.

The things that I find fascinating about this exchange is that many Ukrainians in Ukraine have not heard of the traditions, while Ukrainians in Diaspora (Canada, US, Australia, Argentina) have likely heard of it from parents or grandparents, even if they don’t still celebrate in the traditional ways.

A few weeks ago I was part of Zlukacamp, a conference with Ukrainian students studying in the US, and the subject of traditions came up. When I was growing up, I was taught (from my parents, grandparents, Ukrainian dancing and school, church) that because Ukraine was not free, it was up to us to learn the language, study the history and traditions, and keep them alive.

My grandparents came from Ukraine (via Germany and the Displaced Persons Camps) in the 1940s. The Ukraine I learned about was very much the Ukraine of the 1930s and 40s, the language of that time, the traditions of that time.

Now Ukraine is an Independent country, but some things have been lost, and other things have changed over time. Like any country and people, they have grown a great deal in the last several decades.

So I’m not really surprised that the tradition is lost, but I’m happy to have been able to share it with some people on Twitter, and I’m glad that I had the opportunity to learn about it as a child, to celebrate it as an adult, and even to write about it in my novel, The Silence of Trees (kutia and Sviat Vechir are a part of the story).

I look forward to someday seeing Ukraine of the 21st century, and I hope to be able to share with them and others some of the treasures from an older Ukraine, a Ukraine rich in folklore, fairy tales, and folk arts.