Local Perspective: Generally speaking, Canadians have a positive impression of Ukrainians. Ukrainian people value the approach that most Canadians take when they go to Ukraine, that is, to share their experiences and expertise, and not to be directive, telling Ukrainians what to do. In some cases, foreigners will assume that Russian, Ukrainian, and in fact, east European cultures are similar. Maybe to North Americans, eastern European customs look the same. However, they are quite specific to each nationality and region. Canadians should refrain from drawing parallels between Ukrainian and other cultures and respect the unique historical and cultural elements that have made Ukraine unique and distinctive for over 1500 years.
Canadian Perspective: One common stereotype is that Ukrainians and Russians are the same and mostly speak Russian. The amount of Russian spoken in the country varies widely from region to region, however, Ukrainian has become more and more “popular” since the country was invaded by Russia. Ukraine was not a part of Russia, but a part of the Soviet Union which was led by Russia. This is a very difficult subject for Ukrainians and is not generally discussed between acquaintances. This is not to say that all Ukrainians support the westernization of the country.
There is also a perception that Ukrainians are generally unhappy and gloomy and never smile. While Ukrainians are not the most outwardly expressive people at first glance, once you get to know them, they do in fact smile, laugh and share emotions.
