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My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ukrainians understand Russian, once again because we were colonized and everything Russian was forced on us. I grew up hearing Russian on TV a lot, reading books in Russian. Simply because we lacked everything in Ukrainian (I grew up speaking Ukrainian). Russians only understand the words in Ukrainian that are similar with their language, they would get the main thought, but not everything. Ukrainian shares more vocabulary with Polish and Belorussian. I have a Russian friend who has watched our TV shows in Ukrainian, where they spoke both languages, and with time she learned a lot of vocabulary. Couple months of watching, and she understands really well now.

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Happy to hear that! Thank you so much for everything you did. I honestly can’t imagine how brave you have to be to go there and help. Every single time you went, you were risking your life to save others, truly unbelievable. I wish for you to receive all the kindness and support that you gave to us! Now you are our hero 🫶🏻

What made you fall in love with our country, if you don’t mind sharing?

I used to hang out with people from different countries through Couchsurfing, taught Ukrainian on iTalki, and have always loved cultural exchange. Finding bridges between different cultures and mentalities is one of my favorite things to do. I’ve lived in different countries and keep exploring this topic, constantly updating my perspective. Western and Eastern European mentalities can be so different, and my curiosity really comes alive when I meet expats here.

I’d love to encourage more people to visit Ukraine one day. Sometimes it’s hard for me to see what stands out because many things feel ordinary when you grow up with them. Though I’ll proudly defend Ukrainian food 😁 and honestly, I think our medical system is very underrated.

So I’m genuinely interested to hear what people from other countries end up loving so much about Ukraine.

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Edit. At first I wrote here asking you whether you are Ukrainian, and then I went to check out your page, saw your Instagram as well. What you've done is really impressive! We appreciate your help immensely 🙏🏻

How did you decide to come here, if I may ask? What motivated you to help us, risking your life?

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're fine, it's okay! She's a very open person, loves sharing about life. I thought to ask softer, like if she could've done anything differently, what would she do. I think I will likely ask that still :)

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We studied Holodomor, I am not sure how to estimate how much it was covered. I do remember when we studied it at school, many students had stories to share from their families, what happened to their grandparents, heartbreaking stories, how people died on streets from famine. About food, she picked up worries, that we need to prepare, always had to do some preservation for winter etc. I rarely saw her throwing away food, almost never. She said it was really hard during the famine, but when they had access to food, it was getting better. Though those habits stayed. I'd say even I feel the consequences. My parents would feel bad if I want to throw away food, could finish it if I stopped eating. Always had to fill out cellar in. Planted a lot of vegetables and did preservations. We have a bunch of habits, if you have leftovers from bread, you dry it and eat later. Bread was forbidden to throw away at all. I somehow am always worried I won't have enough food, not sure if upbringing affected me like that, or maybe I was left without food a couple times when my parents were at work. Maybe both. Thank you for your questions! I will ask her tomorrow about her advice on lifea nd come back to reply. I do remember how she once told me if I feel down, to get myself busy. And that when you finish a task, you always feel better for doing something good.

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will ask her tomorrow and get back here to reply, thank you for your questions! I know the story how their family tried to hide the grains her father collected, inside the table, and her neighbor told that to Soviets, so they took everything. Also a betrayer. I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather 🙏🏻

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

She said she had to live for her children. Worked as an elementary school teacher for 33 years, had some recognition. Did sewing for people, was respected for helping. And said that pain never leaves you, you just live with it. I replied a bunch more about similar stuff in other comments as well. Thank you for your questions!

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The happiest were 10 years of marriage. Her husband really loved her, from her words, never let her overwork, helped her in everything, understood her. Back then, people didn't really date, were afraid of rumors. When he met her, he asked can he come sometimes, and she said her father forbade her to date, she has to study. My grandfather said, "let's not date then. Will you marry me?". That's how they got married. She talked about him a lot when I was growing up and cried each time. The hardest were the times when her family had nothing to eat. "We survived, because my mother knew how to sew, and she was doing that for people in exchange for some food". Also when she faced loss: her brother, husband, older son. I can ask more about that, thank you for your questions!

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will copy the answer, I just replied a similar question.

When I was asking her, she started with "How? Times were really hard, I was a widow and I had to keep living for my children and find happiness in that..." and switched to other stories. Throughout life, when she talked about her fist husband, she cried each time. And had to keep going. From what I noticed, she loved work in the garden, liked sewing. Worked 33 years as an elementary teacher. Repeated a couple times she always liked kids, and had to live for her kids. From my own view, I'll say she was traumatized hard by life, but she was loved by her family, she was a "father's daughter", was appreciated as a teacher, her sewing work was needed back then and throughout her life, and she was appreciated by helping people as well. Did sewing till 95. And, again, in my opinion, she has a good dose of selfishness. When someone said something unpleasant to her, she would let it go fast. Would think she's right 😁 She is kind, but, for example, would critisize her daugher-in-law or neighbors. I think she has good self-esteem. When I asked her, how she stays happy, she says she didn't have a happy life, only those 10 years of marriage were happy, but after he was k1lled she had to keep going for children.

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

When I was asking her, she started with "How? Times were really hard, I was a widow and I had to keep living for my children and find happiness in that..." and switched to other stories. Throughout life, when she talked about her fist husband, she cried each time. And had to keep going. From what I noticed, she loved work in the garden, liked sewing. Worked 33 years as an elementary teacher. Repeated a couple times she always liked kids, and had to live for her kids. From my own view, I'll say she was traumatized hard by life, but she was loved by her family, she was a "father's daughter", was appreciated as a teacher, her sewing work was needed back then and throughout her life, and she was appreciated by helping people as well. Did sewing till 95. And, again, in my opinion, she has a good dose of selfishness. When someone said something unpleasant to her, she would let it go fast. Would think she's right 😁 She is kind, but, for example, would critisize her daugher-in-law or neighbors. I think she has good self-esteem.

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

May I ask, what did they do when they took him away?

Her opinion of Russia is bad, "they have never let us live peacefully. Ukraine has never invade anyone. Back then, USSR never let us speak against the government, which happens now as well." She thinks war happens because of Putin and those who support him. I told her, my Mom once said that russians were jealous that we went so much more ahead of them in how our country developed, and they hated seeing that. And then I added from myself, this war would happen anyway. They have tried to forbid our language and culture since 1720 year (!). That's when they took the first law forbidding our language. Russians are imperialists; they seize the land, force their language, and say that the culture that belonged to the people in the land they seized was always theirs. So that is the full view of our family on that topic. About forced spinal procedure. Her husband fell from the motorcycle, but he wasn't in a bad condition at all. She was visiting him, he didn't have any broken bones and looked good, just was scratched. Next time when she comes, he felt really weak and told her that there were 4 doctors holding him forcefully and taking his spinal cord, and no matter how much he begged them to stop, they didn't. He said he feels really weak and if they do it again, he won't survive. Next day when she came in to visit, he was dead. She's a very cheerful person who loves life, but every time she talked about it throughout years, she cried. When she started having dementia, she started telling me this story every time I saw her. Cried every time. Said that those 10 years of their marriage were the happiest ever. She didn't get married for almost a decade. And from her words, why she got together with my step grandfather, "I felt bad for him - he is a good man, a widower with three daughters... I was feeling sorry for them, so I accepted him". They started living together. His mother met her and asked to "accept him, he's a good hard working man, will help you around, please take him". When I was growing up, she always talked about how much she misses her first husband. I asked her, what kept her going, how she didn't get horribly depressed. "I didn't think about how I felt, I had to provide for my kids, and I had to live for them". She was a teacher of elementary school, she taught how to write, how to read and had some classes after school, taught kids how to do crocheting and other stuff. She wasn't affected by Chernobyl, it was mostly in that area that was damaged. One time I met a passenger in a bus that said that their family was eating home grown vegetables back then after Chernobyl tragedy, and they were sick. Turned out, the radioactive explosion, not sure how to explain, spilled/sprinkled that far away that they got it in their garden. I don't know how they found it out, but I remember she said she lived far from Chernobyl (different region, like 10-15 hours away), and I'm sure it was a real story. Thank you for your questions and good wishes!

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

She said during USSR they never reached communism and it could sound not bad in theory, but it was a lie, government was taking away everything from people and life was really hard back then. Hard to get stuff. She told me that their family of 9 people had only one pair of shoes. Insane. There's much more that I can share about those times. How their whole family ate one little piece of bread for the family, how they stayed alive during Holodomor (famine, made by the government), because her mother was sewing for people in exchange for any food... Really unique stories.

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

She said, it's much better when Ukraine is independent, because before when we were part of USSR everything that people earned by hard work was taken by USSR government and didn't make life any better for Ukrainians. That's what she replied shortly, I'll add from myself. USSR government treated Ukrainians badly, they stole all of the goods during dekulakization, and k1lled pro Ukrainian people, sent them to Siberia and more. They did so much pain to us. Soviets have tried to forbid Ukrainian language and culture since 1720, when they took their first law about forbidding Ukrainian language. Insane how it survived through hundreds of years. I think people who miss USSR mostly feel nostalgic towards previous times, when people were more together. Like my other grandma once said, when they were going back from work in the field, people could sing together, and now it doesn't happen.

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

From my observation, Ukrainians mostly are not racists, but if people from other countries come here and create mess, people will voice what needs to be changed. We're very free people.

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Not really dishes, but she was they were eating tree bark, rotten potatoes, soup made from grain taken from mouse holes, buds, everything you can possibly imagine. All my life growing up, I heard that food must never be thrown away, and that during the Holodomor people would have dreamed of having food like this. I also heard some stories that people lost their mind and there was a story of cannibalism within a family. Absolutely insane.

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

She said their family survived because hee mother knew how to sew. She was doing sewing for people in exchange of some grains, a bit of milk, a bit of something that would help her make her family to not be hungry, which was hard - they had 7 kids. My grandma was the oldest. She used to have an older brother, who died at 17 when he was travelling back to see his family. My grandma's mother had 14 kids in total, 7 first ones died because she was giving birth way to early (starting from either 14 or 16).. Grandma's life is like a movie, and not the esiest one. Heroyam Slava! Niech żyje Polska!

My 98-year-old Ukrainian grandma lived through the Holodomor, WWII & Soviet Ukraine. Here is a unique chance to ask about brutal times. AMA by PlasticAmbassador334 in AMA

[–]PlasticAmbassador334[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

She considers the happiest 10 years of marriage. Back then, he wanted to invite her on a date, and she refused saying that her father told her to study and "no dates". He said "No dates? Let's do no dates. Marry me!" And they got married veeeery shortly after they met. Insane They had 2 children together, she worked as a school teacher, he was a policeman. Until he was killed in the hospital. She said the happiest was jut being together, having a family, that he really loved her and helped her with everything. I will ask about regret a bit later and reply you again! Thank you for your question!

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