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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

pop culture, adolescents, Ukraine, television

College

Humanities

Department

German and Russian

Abstract

The jumping off point for my research was in Kiev, Ukraine, where I had served a two year LDS mission two years previous. As I deplaned in Borispol (15 minutes outside of Kiev) I found myself almost giddy in anticipation of savoring a bowl of red Ukrainian borcshe, watching the gipsy children run around the center of the city harassing all those who were unlucky enough to be in their path, and just plain basking in the ambiance of the post-Soviet culture that I had learned to love while living in Ukraine two years previous. I did, however, prepare myself to be somewhat disappointed by the changes that had begun to inevitably take place in Kiev as they had in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other major cities throughout the former Soviet Union. But to my dismay, America had long before my arrival permeated Ukraine to a degree I’d never imagined. The sounds of Madonna blared from street side “kiosks” offering an unbelievable variety of American compact discs, young boys played a sloppy version of basketball in homemade jerseys carrying the names Jordan, Barkley, and O’Neil, and the second story restaurant where I was once able to enjoy a great traditional Ukrainian meal was now a look alike American cafe complete with southwestern fare and plastic cacti. These were the new sites I was greeted by and the setting for my research.

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