Ukrainian restaurant Oranta opens in the heart of Paris

PARIS – Devoid of the usual fanfare that accompanies the opening of a new business, Alina Wolf simply opened the door of her restaurant Oranta on July 1 and welcomed wandering visitors to try traditional Ukrainian borshch, varenyky and potato pancakes in the heart of the city.

Dealing with a devil

Officials from the United States and Russia met in Geneva on July 28 to discuss strategic nuclear stability, and to specifically find agreement on reducing their respective nuclear arsenals. Experts on the issue believe the two countries account for roughly 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons.

August 3, 1986

Thirty-five years ago, in the August 3, 1986, issue of The Ukrainian Weekly, readers were informed about Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s decision to withdraw six regiments (roughly 6 percent of the estimated 120,000 stationed troops: one tank regiment, two motorized rifle regiments, three anti-aircraft units and all of their equipment) from Afghanistan by the end of 1986.

Historical memory in a time of war

By profession I am a historian who was raised and educated in the United States, and who has taught the history of Ukraine for over four decades at the University of Toronto in Canada. I come to you, then, as someone who has developed a professional and personal love and appreciation for the rich cultural heritage that your ancestors created on this beautiful land called Ukraine.

Shumka underscores Ukrainian-First Nations interaction

In my last column I touched upon the extensive interaction between the Ukrainian pioneers and the First Nations of Canada, and noted that this is an aspect of history that is little known. Lately, however, the first steps have been taken to bring this issue to public awareness.

Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center marks 40th anniversary with virtual celebration

JENKINTOWN, Pa. – The Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center (UECC) in Jenkintown, Pa., marked its 40th anniversary with a virtual celebration posted on its webpage, YouTube and Facebook. The video paid particular tribute to the nine presidents of the UECC who led the numerous Boards of Directors in serving the Ukrainian-American community of the greater Philadelphia area over those 40 years.

Ukraine wins first medals at 2020 Summer Olympic Games

Bilodid earns Ukraine’s first medal
Not only was it Ukraine’s first medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but it was 20-year-old Daira Bilodid’s first ever Olympic medal and Ukraine’s first Olympic medal in women’s judo. In the women’s 48-kg competition, Bilodid defeated Serbia’s Milica Nikolic and Portugal’s Catarina Costa, was outpointed by Japan’s Funa Tonaki, and bounced back to win the bronze medal by besting Israel’s Shira Rishony on July 24.

Remembering a pair of Olympic gold medalists

The plan for covering the sports scene in 2020 certainly included Team Ukraine’s composition, performance and analysis at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Along came COVID-19 to put the world on hold for way too long. Ukraine’s elite athletes were granted an additional year of preparation for the Summer Games thanks to the pandemic.