Ukrainian

The majority ethnic group living in Ukraine; there are minorities in Siberian Russia, Kazakhstan, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania. There are 40–45 million speakers of Ukrainian, a member of the East Slavonic branch of the Indo-European family, closely related to Russian. Ukrainian-speaking communities are also found in Canada and the USA.

The word ‘Ukraine’ is derived from a Slav word meaning ‘borderland’, and historically the region was ruled by Russians and Poles. It is sometimes referred to by Russians as Little Russia, although this is a description that Ukrainians generally do not find appropriate. In the Ukraine there are distinct Ukrainian communities in the west (Lemky), east (Verkhovyntsi), north (Volhynians), and southwest (Hutusuls).

Traditional festive dress for women includes a headdress decorated with ribbons and an embroidered cloth (plakhta) worn around the waist. Musicians play flutes, dulcimers, and stringed instruments known as bandura.