1. Muslims offering Christians space to perform service in their mosques? This is Ukraine.
2. Jews fraternizing with “right-wing radicals”? This is Ukraine.
3. Russian producers changing bar codes on their goods to non-Russian en masse? This is Ukraine.
4. Jews chanting “Allah Akbar!” walking past a Muslim culture center? This is Ukraine.
5. Russian diaspora supporting Ukrainians and Ukraine? This is Ukraine.
6. Young women raising money to buy batteries for APCs? This is Ukraine.
7. A Jewish oligarch fueling military vehicles at his own expense? This is Ukraine.
8. Civilians voluntarily raising money to restore their army? This is Ukraine.
9. Thousands of men enlist voluntarily instead of dodging draft? This is Ukraine.
10. The Western Ukrainian city of Lviv saving Russian-speaking Crimeans from Russian “liberators”? This is Ukraine.
11. A destitute people raising almost 7 million dollars in a week to support the Armed Forces? This is Ukraine.
12. A library put up amid bloody protests? This is Ukraine.
13. You can write to a minister or Prime Minister on Facebook and get an answer? This is Ukraine.
14. Protesters reading books and playing the piano on the barricades? This is Ukraine.
15. Football fans of every team unite to defend the people’s freedom and peace? This is Ukraine.
16. Singing the anthem when you don’t know what to do? This is Ukraine.
17. The protesters Renovating the Ukrainian House and the Bridge of Lovers damaged during assaults? This is Ukraine.
18. People putting up a modern field hospital in a couple of days? This is Ukraine.
19. You read the news of Berkut assaulting the Maidan and rush to the barricades, leaving your half-naked lover? This is Ukraine.
20. You learn of enemies on the border, leave your paramour and rush to the draft center? This is Ukraine.
21. Orthodox, Catholics, Buddhists, Muslims and Jews praying and holding services together? This is Ukraine.
22. Protesters get refuge in a cathedral and sleep on expensive carpets? This is Ukraine.
23. A suregery block opened in a monastery’s canteen? This is Ukraine.
24. Priets marching in front of rows of protesters in hard hats and carrying shields? This is Ukraine.
25. The wind always blows the tire smoke to the right side? This is Ukraine.
26. Russian occupants persuading a Ukrainian soldier to defect to their side and hear the response: “Russians never surrender!”? This is Ukraine.
27. Soldiers marching on armed enemies with nothing but flags and singing the anthem? This is Ukraine.
28. A small mine-sweeping vessel blocked by four sunk ships and surrounded by traitors and emeny vessels keeps trying to break through for days? This is Ukraine.
29. Yesterday you were a pacifist but today you have several soldiers among your friends on social networks, read military experts and post videos of military vehicles? This is Ukraine.
30. In less than a week amid occupation and sabotage the new government gathers a group of diplomats that manage to get the whole world on their side? This is Ukraine.
31. You speak of an event, say “It was so long ago!”, and then you realize that “long ago” is actually several days back? This is Ukraine…
32. A month ago everyone was telling a politician to go to hell but today everyone is praising him just as passionately? This is Ukraine.
33. Russia’s idee fixe? This is Ukraine.
34. You’ve learned to analyze the media on the fly and tell apart truth and misinformation? This is Ukraine.
35. Laughing so that you don’t cry? This is Ukraine…
36. Millions suddenly becoming patriots? This is Ukraine…
37. A national prophetic poet in ancient clothes suddenly comes to life and his works become topical? This is Ukraine.
38. You understand that the Chinese curse “May you live during a time of changes!” is not a curse anymore, but a good wish? This is Ukraine.
39. One of the first (if not THE first) constitutions in the world? This is Ukraine…
40. The people gathering a presidential candidate’s deposit in two days, no oligarch involved in paying the deposit? This is Ukraine.
41. Parents learning the anthem from their children and singing it in public places? This is Ukraine.
42. Russian, Jews, Moldavians, Hungarians, Poles, Georgians, Armenians, Crimean Tatars, Azerbaijani proudly say “I’m Ukrainian!”? This is Ukraine…
43. Children collecting tires, building barricades and playing Maidan? This is Ukraine.
44. Unarmed soldiers advancing at an armed enemy, singing the anthem they barely know, to protect their country’s pride? This is Ukraine.
45. Cadets at the “city of Russian glory” become a model for the army, taking their first ever voluntary decision and singing the Ukrainian anthem standing in the doors of their dormitory, while Russian occupants watch, mouths agape? This is Ukraine.
46. First raising money for gasoline to burn APCs, then – to fuel them? This is Ukraine.
47. A captive being tortured and paraded naked in the cold becomes a paragon of dignity for men and a sex-symbol for women, and then forgives his torturers? This is Ukraine…
48. Housewives leaving their hearths, students leaving their lovers, grandmas leaving their gossip and everyone rushing to the Maidan to pout Molotov cocktails and crush the pavement for projectiles? This is Ukraine.
49. Men that can’t fix a shelve in the bathroom for two months build a barricade in two hours? This is Ukraine.
50. The majority of the new government speaks fluent English, German, etc.? This is Ukraine…
51. Volunteer doctors going into the firing line to save the wounded, in peacetime? This is Ukraine.
52. Going to anti-government protests with national flags, singing the national anthem? This is Ukraine.
53. A grandma comes to a draft center to enlist, insisting she’s a nurse? This is Ukraine.
54. Foreign tourists greet border guards with “Glory to the heroes”? This is Ukraine!
55. The only country with a legitimately defected president? This is Ukraine.
56. Jews, Russians, Tatars and people of other ethnicities proudly calling themselves Ukrainian nationalists? This is Ukraine.
57. The church helping to arm the military? This is Ukraine.
58. Creating the UN volunteer hundred? This is Ukraine!
59. The people financing state zoos during a crisis? This is Ukraine!
60. An 82-year old standing for a few hours in a queue to volunteer into the military? This is Ukraine!
*****
Bonus:
61. The president, prime-minister or member of parliament seen by chance in a church without security guards? This is Ukraine.
62. The Slavic Ukrainians consider the Turkic Tatars their brethren? This is Ukraine.
Translated by Kirill Mikhailov
