🍻 In the spirit of friendship

Learning the Ukrainian language taxes the mind AND the tongue — strained by pronouncing endless sequences of consonants. So, we loosen and lubricate them in the city center.

🌬️ A change in the air

I can sleep better this year, because there are fewer air raid alerts. And yet, the war continues and changes to become ever more violent elsewhere.

🧩 Escaping class

One of the bigger problems of language learning is the eventual plateauing — you stagnate. How do you shake things up, if your mind is barely bringing together one coherent sentence?

🎁 Presenting nations

The Netherlands and Ukraine do not share a lot of history, so I feel I have to make a good impression on behalf of the Netherlands. One way to do that is by bringing presents!

🔰 A fresh restart

We got our introduction program on Monday, and first classes on Tuesday. Some of the class mates and staff are familiar; many are new.

🏎️ Racing from lion to lion

Once again, I drove to the city of the lion, Lviv, by myself in my own car from the Netherlands — which has a lion in the coat of arms, although I've yet to spot one roaming there.

↩️ Alive and soon to be Lviving!

I'll be going back to Lviv in the summer of 2026! I was doubting for a while, but luckily, the universe conspired to show the errors of my ways...

💝 All good things...

That's it, folks! The Ukrainian language course in Lviv is officially over, and so my time in Lviv has ended. I'm looking back to the time of my life!

😎 Lviving the good life

Over the last week, I've truly had some very entertaining experiences — honey, chocolate, fighting on the streets, a fire-show, looking over the city from the city hall tower, and more!

🏭 Excursions through time and industry

We had two days of excursions in the first half of the course, mostly focused on ancient history and the environment. In the second half of the course, we visited various (old) sites with a bit more focus on local industry.

🍽️ From kitchen to cadet

Besides learning the Ukrainian language and culture, we also had a few opportunities to volunteer. As we volunteer, we learn more about the Ukrainian character.

📜 History of Ukraine

Ukraine has a very long but complicated history — closely intertwined with Austria-Hungary, Cossacks, Poles, the Golden Horde, and more recently through occupation by nazi-germany, russia and the soviet union.