The main differences between the Russian and Ukrainian people
Now days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have you ever thought what are the differences between Ukrainian people and Russian people, although Ukrainian and Russian ethnicities are similar in culture and language, but in fact they have more differences than similarities.
If we look at the history of Ukraine, we will see that it became part of the Russian state only in the middle of the seventeenth century, and by that time, the Ukrainian people were strongly influenced by Polish, Lithuanian and Turkish cultures and traditions, creating a unique and somewhat democratic society of "Cossack warriors", who They protected and defended Ukraine's borders, and all these factors shaped the Ukrainian national character and made its people more, liberated, and different from the Russian people. In fact, there are many differences between the Russian and Ukrainian people that we will highlight.
the language:
Ukrainian characters
It is known that the Ukrainian and Russian languages belong to the same group of East Slavic languages, they have a common alphabet and similar grammar, however, distinctive characteristics in the development of the cultures of the Ukrainian and Russian peoples have led to marked differences in the language of the two countries.
The Ukrainian language has a different alphabet, but it is linguistically close to Russian and is also close to Polish. For Russian speakers, it would be difficult to have a complete understanding of the spoken Ukrainian language, however many Russian speakers can understand the Ukrainian language in written form where the alphabet can sound The words are the same.
the food:
A dish from Ukrainian cuisine rich in fat, and another from Russia
Russia and Ukraine may share the same borders, but there are many differences in their food, for example, Russian cuisine is largely based around bread, where bread is a staple in most Russian homes, and seafood, especially fish such as cod, pollock and herring.
As for Ukrainian cuisine, one of the biggest differences between Russian and Ukrainian cuisine is the use of animal fats. Ukrainian chefs often add lard called “salo” to bring out the flavor of their meals, and Ukrainian cuisine centers around certain proteins, including ducks, geese, and pigs.
traditional clothes:
Ukrainian uniform (right), Russian uniform (left)
The roots of traditional Ukrainian clothing go back to the times of Kievan Rus, where traditional clothing for women relies on accessories such as belts, jewelry, headdresses decorated with ribbons and flowers, embroidered long skirts and shirts with embroidered sleeves. There are two main elements: a linen shirt and cloth pants, which have the type of embroidery. And they are very proud of their “Vishvanka” dress, which has become a national and international day celebrated by Ukrainians around the world.
While the most prominent dress in the wardrobe of Russian men in ancient times was the Kosovorotka shirt, a traditional Russian long-sleeved shirt that reached mid-thigh. The shirt had no buttons, only at the collar, and the sleeves and collar were often decorated with traditional embroideries.
As for traditional Russian women’s clothing, the main part of their wardrobe was the “sarafan” , a long dress that Russian women wore on a daily basis and on special occasions, and the most common colors for it were red, light blue, dark blue and dark red.
What distinguishes the daily costume from the festive costume, is that the design of the daily costume is simple and comfortable for work and movement, while the festive costume was made of expensive fabrics such as wool, velvet, brocade or silk.
Traditional Musical Instruments:
Kobza machine (right), Balalika machine (left)
The traditional musical instrument of Ukraine is known as “kupza” , from the “lute” family, a stringed instrument considered the national musical instrument of Ukraine, and it was played with fingertips or sometimes using feathers and consisted of one or two strings.
While the traditional musical instrument of Russia is known as the “balalika” , it consists of 3 strings and is similar to the lute, but what distinguishes it is its triangular shape.
Now that we have reviewed some of the differences between Ukrainian and Russian people, share with us in the comments other differences you have heard or read about.
Source:websites