From heartfelt "Ukrainian squabbles" to the nation's cultural codes: Maryna Starodubska's lecture covered what matters most

From heartfelt "Ukrainian squabbles" to the nation's cultural codes: Maryna Starodubska's lecture covered what matters most

An open lecture by Maryna Starodubska took place in Tallinn. She is the author of the book "How to Understand Ukrainians: A Cross-Cultural View", a cross-cultural consultant with 15 years of experience and a researcher of that very "Ukrainian code".

The event, organised by the Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia, was a real discovery for many – scientific, cultural and even emotional.

Ms Maryna started with the foundations of national culture: where our sense of "our own" comes from, why trust is such a fragile category in Ukrainian society, and how heated arguing has become a cultural phenomenon (yes, there was a whole analytical section on this – and it was brilliant!).

We talked about:

• the values and behavioural patterns of Ukrainians,
• hybrid corruption as an adaptive, not only criminal, mechanism,
• "warm" and "cold" cultures and what makes Ukraine so "hot" in this context,
•  how historical trauma, war and struggle are shaping a new national identity.

The audience asked questions, shared their own stories and looked for an answer to the main question: how can knowing ourselves help our shared victory? And one guest won a copy of "How to Understand Ukrainians: A Cross-Cultural View" for the most interesting question!

The Association's chairman Volodymyr Palamar thanked Ms Maryna for an excellent lecture and expressed the hope that the book will soon be translated into Estonian. As a memento, the lecturer received a tote bag and a T-shirt with "Druzi" merchandise – which is symbolic, as we will soon hear Maryna's interview on Radio "Druzi"! So everyone who missed the lecture will be able to learn more about how to understand Ukrainians – this time as a radio broadcast.

We are grateful to everyone who was with us.

And if after the lecture you want to understand Ukrainians better, start with the main thing: we are very different, but incredibly strong together.