Major Languages
The official language is Ukrainian, a Slavic language written in the Cyrillic alphabet of 33 letters. During the Soviet period, Russian was also an official language. Russian is no longer as prominent, but it is still widely spoken and is the primary language of ethnic Russians and other ethnic groups.
Ukrainian is the official language and 67% of the population speaks it. Russian is a regional language and 24% of the population speaks it. The other 9%(includes small Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities.
Many Ukrainians in Kyiv (Kiev) and cities east of the Dnipro also speak Russian. In western Ukraine, feelings of nationalism are especially strong, and Ukrainian is the preferred language. People in this area may ignore or correct other Ukrainians who address them in Russian.
More than half of the population is bilingual, and many people use Surzhik (a combination of Russian and Ukrainian). In eastern Ukraine, many Polish words are part of the vocabulary.
Ukrainian is the official language and 67% of the population speaks it. Russian is a regional language and 24% of the population speaks it. The other 9%(includes small Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities.
Many Ukrainians in Kyiv (Kiev) and cities east of the Dnipro also speak Russian. In western Ukraine, feelings of nationalism are especially strong, and Ukrainian is the preferred language. People in this area may ignore or correct other Ukrainians who address them in Russian.
More than half of the population is bilingual, and many people use Surzhik (a combination of Russian and Ukrainian). In eastern Ukraine, many Polish words are part of the vocabulary.
Major Religions
Three major religions of Ukraine would include Ukrainian Orthodox, Greek Catholic (Uniate) and Roman Catholic. Ukrainian Orthodox is under the branch of Christianity. It was established by God when the Holy Spirit descended upon Apostle. The Greek Catholic Church combines Orthodox rituals with recognition of the Catholic Pope. The Roman Catholic Church has always been a part of Eastern version of Christianity.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has about 84% of Ukraine’s population following this religion. The Greek Catholic Church has about 8% of the population and The Roman Catholic Church has about 2% of the population.
One religious practice would be Easter. Many customs occurs preceding and following this holiday such as the Thursday before Easter is set aside for bathing (to wash away the sins) and cleaning the house. Also, the day before the holiday, all night services occur, in which the priest blesses the foods and wines. Also, the Ukranian Orthodox Church has two rites of Christianity which is Baptism and Confirmation. Overall, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church had the same beliefs as any other Christan Orthodox religion.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has about 84% of Ukraine’s population following this religion. The Greek Catholic Church has about 8% of the population and The Roman Catholic Church has about 2% of the population.
One religious practice would be Easter. Many customs occurs preceding and following this holiday such as the Thursday before Easter is set aside for bathing (to wash away the sins) and cleaning the house. Also, the day before the holiday, all night services occur, in which the priest blesses the foods and wines. Also, the Ukranian Orthodox Church has two rites of Christianity which is Baptism and Confirmation. Overall, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church had the same beliefs as any other Christan Orthodox religion.