I have always wondered if Ukraine is really two countries. For instance, in the West (west of Kyiv), Ukrainian is spoken, people there can certainly speak Russian but they don't like to and they proudly refer to themselves as Ukrainians--land of Gogol, Shevchenko, and the Cossacks. Ukrainian is the only "official" language of Ukraine, though a couple of years ago, The eastern Ukrainian city, Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine's 4th largest city and it's industrial heart, declared Russian as its official language. Similarly.
By contrast, in the East, many can't speak Ukrainian at all. Most refer to themselves as Russian. The West is agriculture; the East has mining and heavy industry and the Naval Base.
By contrast, in the East, many can't speak Ukrainian at all. Most refer to themselves as Russian. The West is agriculture; the East has mining and heavy industry and the Naval Base.