Steretipes About Ukrainians

Slothful, catatonic, and dim-witted mate, who came to a foreign country only for the sake of profit. Or an overdressed busty peroxide blonde who will make any your wish come true only for a green card. Any idea, whom does this stereotype represent? And if I say that they have a ridiculous accent, have strange sense of humor and can’t imagine their life without salo. I think the picture is becoming clear. It’s a fictional archetype of Ukrainian, and I should confess not the most pleasant one.

Let’s have a look now at the most widespread and sometimes most ludicrous stereotypes about Ukrainians. The first and foremost is the thought that Ukraine is a part of Russia, and Ukrainians are nothing more than soviet people, who doesn’t have their own history, culture and language. For most Americans, not so long ago, Ukraine was completely unknown. In film “Transporter 3” the character of Devis Stetchem calls his companion as Russian, and gets a response “I'm Ukrainian, not Russian, we're different people "here and here" (points on her head and chest). In course of time Ukraine became taken as “something like Russia but a little bit better”.

The next stereotype states that Ukrainians are always gloomy, misanthropic, inert and egotistical people. They are sure that we often bicker and fight. Moreover, the most crazy and hair-rising Mafioso definitely has to be from Ukraine. Yet I still believe that the most frightening massacre one can find in the Ukrainian Parliament. Not without vanity can assure you that we are agreeable, vivacious, cooperative and benevolent.

And then there’s of course this idea, that Ukrainians are poor people that struggle for life and iconize dollar. I can’t say that we pour money down the drain, but we also don’t start a tussle for the last piece of cake.

So, the image of Ukrainians as the nation, judging b y the presentation of us in foreign films wasn’t the best role model. But after Ukrainians had shown the world, that they are forceful,...