What can Vasyl Velychkovsky’s life teach us in today’s troubled world? That’s a deeply meaningful question, — and one worthy of time, reflection, and many conversations under twine-strewn stars. We do live in troubled times. We hear the old boots of authoritarianism echoing down new hallways, polished with modern excuses and rationalizations. And yet, in […]
Category: Ukraine
After all that he endured in the Soviet Union—the interrogations, the years in prison and the gulag, the constant surveillance—Vasyl Velychkovsky’s final years in Canada offer a deeply moving chapter: a time of fragile recovery, quiet leadership, and enduring spiritual witness. The Turning Point: Release and Exile In 1969, after suffering a heart attack in […]
Let’s take a thoughtful turn into the life of Vasyl Velychkovsky. Vasyl Velychkovsky’s time in the Soviet gulag at Vorkuta stands as one of the most harrowing and powerful parts of his story. He had already endured interrogation, arrest, and sentencing for refusing to renounce his faith and his allegiance to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic […]
Today we look at the fascinating story of how a dissident Ukrainian Catholic priest ran a cathedral out of his small apartment in eastern Ukraine, and ended up in Winnipeg, Canada. Now considered a saint by the Catholic Church, Ukrainian priest Vasyl Velychkovsky was an amazing man. Among his accomplishments: Vasyl Velychkovsky’s life exemplifies steadfast […]
My Ukrainian ENGin buddy, and Friend of the BLOTT, has shared one of her favorite poems with us. Крилаby Lina Kostenko Kryla (Wings)by Lina Kostenko(Translated from Ukrainian by Elder G) А правда, крилатим ґрунту не треба. Землі немає, то буде небо. Немає поля, то буде воля. Немає пари, то будуть хмари. В цьому, напевно, правда […]
We continue our look at Bread Spreads, focusing on Salo (Ukraine’s national dish). Again, thanks to Elder KM for the suggestion. al Jazeera has a nice introduction to his pork product: Museum of Salo Apparently the Salo Museum is a popular destination for bachelorette parties. A Life of Luxury Salo – pig fat – has […]
We continue our look at Bread Spreads, focusing on Ikra (zucchini/bell pepper/eggplant spread). Again, thanks to Elder KM for the suggestion. To help my fellow central Texans relate, Ikra is a cross between Texas Caviar and Salsa. This recipe is inspired by the traditional dish Ikra, or “eggplant caviar,” a Russian and Ukrainian staple. Ikra […]
Elder KM provided the Ukrainian perspective on bread spreads…. Forshmak From the Jewish Food Society: You can read about the fascinating family history of Anna and her mother Rhoda here. She also shares her family recipes on this site. Our recipe for Forshmak comes from the web site Flavors of Diaspora, based partly on the […]
Jake Broe, friend of the BLOTT and fervent supporter of Ukraine, has recently posted an hour-long video. The video is his monthly Q&A. The questions are the top ranked entries from his viewers. Very democratic. In the video, which manly focuses on America’s downward spiral on the international stage, also touches on social media, and […]
Today we wish to honor a special person, Mark Tremont. Our condolences go out to Mr. Tremont’s family, friends, KM and the entire ENGin family. From the ENGin Facebook page: From Mark Tremont’s obituary: We would like to share some still images from Ukrainian filmmaker Yana Lagoda‘s story of Mark and his wife Jean.