I knew of the Ukraine from a child when I enjoyed looking at maps, and saw the huge Soviet republic marked on a map; but it wasn’t until I was eighteen when I met someone whose parents were Ukrainian that I actually learnt anything about the county. We were students together and I remember someone asking him about his unusual name; he replied it was Ukrainian and the other student said ‘So where is Ukrainia?’
we became very close and although he had never been able to visit the country of his family, he was interested in it and often spoke about it, and I became interested too. So when the Ukraine finally became free and threw off Soviet rule, I was excited and keen to know how things progressed in the now free Republic. Over the years I met other people of Ukrainian heritage, and now I teach English conversation we have Ukrainian students, and I’ve often talked with them about the country, which sounds so fascinating.
In my latest novel, Radwinter, there is a Ukrainian connection, and the main character becomes fascinated by the country too, and even has a book to teach himself the language.
How terrible it is now to see the turmoil in Kiev, to hear the reports of unarmed people being killed, Ukrainian citizens being shot down and beaten for daring to demonstrate against their government.
Lois Elsden 
It looks a lot better today thankfully..
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