Akhil Bakshi Ukraine

The intriguing book, rich in droll humour, is a readable account of Ukraine's troubled past and present. Walking the streets of Kyiv, we are introduced to Rus' kings, Cossack chiefs, and intellectuals who articulated a truly Ukrainian identity and planted the seeds of national consciousness. We visit cathedrals and monasteries whose ancient walls have witnessed the principal events in Ukraine's history and the recent split in Orthodox Christianity. We join Kyivians in Easter celebration; hear love stories and ghost tales; and sample street food. The book charts the litany of errors made by Tsarist Russia, the effects of which endure; and reveals the communist totalitarianism and repression that still reverberate through the minds of freedom-loving Ukrainians. In vigorous prose we get a ringside view of the Euromaidan revolution. The author describes the fascinating land and people with his usual unflinching eye and arresting detail.