I've been a proud Ukrainian for all my 35 years and always wanted to see my country, my culture and my history being projected to the world. Quite unconsciously, I've also always known that our values as humans are in someway high and we could definitely make a little contribution to the virtuous evolution of humanity.
Sandwiched between historic and powerful empires, it was easy for Ukraine to be taken as a forgotten land, sometimes an extension of the country which is trying to erase us from the Earth, other times as a joke when people from distant lands could not point out when showed a world map. Nevertheless, we've never taken too seriously. Our self-awareness of what we really are always prevailed.
Among our values, I could say that we believe, above everything, in the force of generosity. This is something intrinsic to every Ukrainian and it's largely felt by our visitors as soon as they arrive in Ukrainian lands. When we are exercising our generosity, we are not expecting anything back. Some can even be offended if offered something in exchange: few things please us more than the pure act of helping someone and knowing we made a difference on someone else's life.
Of course there are citizens who brings us shame, but I'm talking about the ethos of the common Ukrainian. The state of mind and spirit of ninety-nine and something percent of the people.
Our generosity extends not only to those who we love, but to every person and every living being which includes our animals. We inherited from our ancestors a deep connection with the principles of Christianism and even those who doesn't regularly attend to a church, generally have in mind a strong idea of brotherly love.
"Love your neighbor as you love yourself" are not scattered words in Ukraine. They are taken as a foundational element of the society and no one needs to literally pronounce them. No needs even to be proud of them.
We are a people who act, not who say. We are not used to announce our qualities. We just help each other, we just offer what we have, we are just satisfied as humans when we know the next human being is away from a trouble we could positively interfere.
Maybe we are so unused to talk about our generosity that it was possibly never said before. However, there's no point on being ashamed of our qualities. On the contrary: everything we have been suffering may be an opportunity to sow a seed for a better world not only for Ukraine, but for the entire civilization.
And this seed is certainly the seed of our generosity. That one which makes every Ukrainian feels that he or she is not alone, specially in these hard times of war.
This is the same seed which every single Ukrainian express the gratitude for the immense support we've been receiving from all the friends in every corner of the planet.
Thank you.