After the Revolution

While in a Russian-language bookstore on Chicago’s famously international Devon Avenue on Sunday, I met two Ukrainian immigrants, Michael Arov and his mother, Anna Arova.

Michael took a moment to speak with me about his cultural background, Russia and Kosovan independence.

Here is the interview:

http://kathryngrim.com/audio/InterviewArov.mp3

Below is the transcript:

KG: On Feb. 17 I met Michael (or Mihai) Arov and his mother, Anna Arova, in the Balalaika Russian bookstore on Devon Avenue.

MA: I am originally from New York, but I came for graduate school to Chicago.

KG: Did you move from Ukraine to New York?

MA: We moved from Ukraine to New York. I finished college there, and I moved for graduate school here. And my mom occasionally visits me.

KG: What year did you move?

MA: Oh, I was 16 when I moved from Ukraine, so I had just finished high school there.

KG: Did you speak English very well?

MA: Well, I was best English speaker in the family, but… Let’s put it this way.

KG: Ukraine gained its independence in 1991. I asked Michael what he remembered about that.

MA: While it was, must be good for people… to be independent because there was a lot of oppression from Russia. Historically we know that.

While on the other hand, they kind of did it too hastily and too carelessly. And a lot of people who were brought up as Russians, they felt disenfranchised from Ukrainian community.

I grew up… I’m Russian. I spoke Russian. They don’t mind being independent country, but why do we now have to forget Russian language, and why do we have to speak Ukrainian?

In fact my, our hometown was right on the border with Russia.

And our schools, they stopped teaching Russian history. They started to teach Ukrainian history. They started to do exams in Ukrainian. Well, it was not a foreign language, but like a second language. And that was not good.

KG: I asked Michael if he spent a lot of time in Ukrainian Village.

MA: I don’t really associate much with Ukrainians in Ukrainian Village. Main reasons we left from Ukraine was economic and you know, my studying, etc.

But we also didn’t quite like what was become with the country culturally. I’m not too crazy associate with Ukrainians. But I have a couple of Ukrainian friends.

KG: Finally I asked Michael why he thought Russia might oppose independence for Kosovo.

MA: When countries start to separate… It’s like if Texas would separate or California separate from United States. It would cause a lot of economical problems because of divisions of the countries. Now we have to pay additional tax declarations for border crossings and all the quabbles about infrastructure…

Also it would potentially cause lots of political and… even military pressure. It could be both. Insurgents from Texas coming to Oklahoma and trying to convince people to join New Texas State.

United we stand. Divided we fall. And Russia is very correct doing that.

But also… on the other side of the coin are really imperialistic, trying to be the mother of all human beings and trying to, you know, subjugate… all the small countries under themself.

So there are two sides of this argument.