The Ukrainian Heights

The photo below belongs to a Russian/Ukranian Twitter user, Denis Sudilkovsky (who works in the Online Communications sphere). As I understand, it is made in the Ukraine where I've never been. But I should go: I am a quarter Ukrainian. This is perhaps one of the most interesting experiences I have taken from being and living in the UK: learning, knowing, and being aware of one's family. I became more appreciative of the fact that my great-great-grandmother had Mongolian facial traits; that my maternal grandfather was Ukranian; and that his distant ancestors were Czech and came from somewhere in Bohemia. The family name - Sokolik or Sokolyk - is now somewhat widespread in the States.

Once in my life I have already responded to the fact that the family had a lawyer: I nearly went to study Law myself, like my grandmother did after the end of the war. I guess with my natural ability to speak publicly and with the desire to share the knowledge and help people I am responding to another family fact: my paternal great grandfather was a priest. I am thinking about this as I look at the picture posted by Denis, and as I am sending my thoughts to my grandma who's fallen ill. For a brief period of time, following her marriage to my grandfather, she also lived in the Ukraine, in Lviv.