3MinuteUkraine

  When we think of the identity of the United States, what do we think of? The flag, a bald eagle, maybe George Washington or the White House. Some might also say how this country is a melting pot of different cultures, yet we are all proud to be American. It is easy for us to come up with examples that unite the citizens of our country, but what about other countries? Ukraine has not had as much of a straight forward history as the United States. Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 (Ukraine Profile- Timeline, 2020), leaving the nation to question what it means to be Ukrainian, and what their national identity really is. To conceptualize what makes Ukraine’s identity unique, we must first understand what national identity really means. This is a complicated concept because everyone comes from an unique background and history. As Hobsbawn (1996) stated “The concept of a single , exclusive, and unchanging ethnic or cultural or other identity is a dangerous...

 This week I researched the background of Ukraine. I think that understanding more about the country's history and culture will help when discussing specific performances from Ukraine in Eurovision. 

Making their debut in 2003, Ukraine has been a fierce competitor in the Eurovision Song Contest every year since. They have had several show-stopping performances, and a few wins along the way too. In my blog I will be discussing the history of Ukraine and how the songs they preform are culturally and socially relevant to their country for my Eurovision class.  I am excited to learn more about the Eurovision Song Contest as well as the history of Ukraine. Previous to this class, I had a general idea of what Eurovision was but had never watched a performance or read how the competition works. I am also not familiar with the history of Ukraine other than the location and that it was apart of the Soviet Union until the 1990s.  I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I will enjoy writing about what I am learning during this class!