As an American living in Ukraine, one of my goals is to share with the world the beauty, traditions, and history that make this country so extraordinary. At the beginning of each gallery, you'll find the location and, where applicable, when it was founded, built, or first mentioned in historical records.
Click the first photo to view the full-size galleries
Khotyn Fortress, Khotyn, Chernivtsi Oblast, Ukraine • July 2025
First fort: 10th century
Stone fortress: 1375-1380
Expanded: 1430s-1450s
Ottoman fortifications: 1711-1718
Terebovlia Castle, 1632, Terebovlia, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine
Rufa Lake, Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine • March 2026
Malanka Festival, The Villages of Lucha & Bereziv, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine • January 2025
Origins: Pre-Christian (before the 10th century)
Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv, Ukraine • March 2024
Early 11th century (c. 1011–1018)
Shevchenkivske Lake, Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine • December 2025
Kolomyia Founded: 1240
Christmas (Різдво) Kryvorivnia, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine • December 25, 2024
Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos built: 1719
Hutsul Christmas traditions celebrated for centuries
Nyzhnii Bereziv, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine • March 2025
First mentioned: 1412
Shevchenkivske Lake, Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine • December 2025
Kolomyia Founded: 1240
The Train to Kharkiv, Ukraine • January 2025
Kyivan Rus (centered in Kyiv): Founded 882 AD
Ukraine (modern independent state): 1991
