Stahlke Adoption

Peeling an Onion, Part VIIb

(For "Peeling an Onion, Part VIIa" see Dec. 20, 2009.)

Russia or Ukraine? On Sept. 14, 2009 I wrote about matters of procedure, in which the pros and cons of the two countries balanced out. Jonathan and I therefore turned to other ways of deciding.

From a cultural angle, Russia's size today dwarfs that of Ukraine. As a world superpower, the arts in Russia--literature, dance, music--dominate other countries in eastern Europe. But historically, Ukraine has played a greater role. While Moscow was still a small village, Kyiv had already stood for centuries as a major world capitol. Much that is considered Russian today actually originated in Ukraine--the Orthodox faith (slavic version), Cossack dancing, borscht soup, and perhaps even vodka.

We noticed that adoption brochures from the two countries differed in their depictions of children. Most of the Russian orphanages portrayed the kids standing at attention, dutifully posing for the camera. Ukrainian photos, in contrast, usually featured action shots of children dancing, singing, or just playing. We heard from several sources that Ukraine is known among eastern European countries as the best in early childhood care. That appealed to us, as did their emphasis on cultural training.

to be continued

posted by Stahlkes @ 2:29 PM