Uki Life Abroad

This week we take a virtual trip to Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster and discuss the tourist appeal of the site and the exclusion zone. With President Zelennkyy's plan to vitalise the area into a tourist destination, we explore what draws visitors to the area and why its remains an iconic site to this day. 

In a recent interview, President Zelenskyy revealed the details of a failed covert operation to arrest 33 militants as their plane passed over Ukrainian airspace. The additional revelation of leaks to the Belarusian President Lukashenko caused protests in Kyiv calling the President Zelenskyy a 'traitor'. This week we discuss the details of this operation as well as the legal and political complexities surrounding aircraft travel, interceptions and extraditions. 

In the continually developing story of Russian escalation, a British warship was threatened by the Russian coastguard as it passed 12km off the coast of Crimea. This week we discuss the details of the situation and the possible reason behind this latest show of aggression. 

With news from Ukraine playing an essential role in awareness of the country and its events, the need for uncensored accurate journalism has existed for decades. This week we look at the past and present workings of Ukrainian news, starting with the 1970s Ukranian Herald underground news paper and the more recent changes to English Ukrainian news sources.

With covid-19 still and ever-present part of our lives, the importance of wellbeing and community ties online is as strong as ever. This week we speak with Chrestyna Kmetj the founder of the Art of Transformation project and discuss her work in maintaining ties and wellbeing within the community during this difficult time. 

In the world of aviation, the name Antonov is recognised for its technical achievements; however its famous Mryia has put Ukraine in the public spotlight for decades. This week we take a look at the company, its history, its founder and the details of its famous world record holding aircraft, Mryia. 

This week we have the opportunity to speak with the recent debutante group in Sydney. We discuss the process leading up to the ball, the night itself and what it meant to them.

With both Australia and Canada's census season approaching, we take a look at the results of the 2016 census in both countries. We also dive into the history of Ukrainian migration to both Canada and Australia. 

Whilst the majority of the world celebrates the end of WWII in Europe on May 8th, some countries celebrate this victory on the 9th. Find out why in this episode and how Ukraine is planning a transition from one date to the other. Additionally, Russia released a preliminary list of unfriendly nations and we explore the contenders for Russia's biggest enemy. 

This week we discuss the impact that Covid19 and other factors had on the quality of democracy in 2020. We also take a look into Ukraine's democracy, global and internet freedom scores.