It's Just "Ukraine"

My fourth years ended their classwork with me before they could turn in their response letters to the American students who had written to them. I told them if they were interested in keeping in touch I would edit them and send them out.

I was editing one such letter from a student and took interst in her polite p.s., which noted that, by the way, you do not use the article "the" before Ukraine.

This is something that I have been guilty of myself as my entry announcing my placement is entitled "The Ukraine." This is how we are accustomed to hearing this country's name, but it is not correct. The "the" implies that Ukraine is a part of a larger whole (the Soviet Union, in this case). The idea is that like saying the South or the Northwest; referring to a territory instead of an independent nation, which Ukraine is.

I never knew what Ukrainians thought about this and so myself decided not to be nit picky about it when I heard the "the." Part of the Peace Corps's three main goals is to share the culture of our host country with Americans, and I always thought Ukraine or the Ukraine, at least now people I know would perhaps pay more attention when they hear it mentioned in the news or take an interest in finding out more about the country, so who cares!

But after reading her letter, I thought, well, good for her. Maybe it's time for me to bring it up politely too. So there you have it. It's Ukraine. Not the Ukraine.