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I was born in the US from a Ukrainian/Russian family where theres a literal split between opinions on nationalistic matters. I spent my early childhood in Odessa, then grew up in the Bronx occassionally visiting my family in various parts of Ukraine. It is a sad sad sight. Its an African country both by mentality and actions of the local population. Despite being one of the richest places in the world in terms of agricultural and mineral potential, the locals are indifferent. They abide to the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" almost religiously. However, they also seem to ignore when things do actually break. The entire region has experienced bloodshed and misery so many times in its history, that they've developed a sense of false positivity. People will rather remember how bad it was compared to the present and will use that for comfort. Also, as an excuse to not strive for improvement.
That aside the region of Ukraine has a very distinct, varied, and beautiful nature. The steppes and mountains are like no other. If you ignore the plagued mentality of the locals and just enjoy the acts of stupidity and excessive hospitality, you will find your experience in Ukraine both hilarious and enjoyable.
>Tldr: My Ukrainian/Russian family traded a beautiful shithole for a not so beautiful one.