The stained-glass windows of Podilske’s towering concrete cultural hall radiate the idealized vision of Ukraine’s Soviet past: bucolic scenes of bountiful wheat fields, agricultural mechanization and content families toiling the land for the greater good.
The modern reality is very different. Many of the village houses and farms are abandoned. The bus calls twice a day to take workers away to a nearby town, leaving behind pensioners, the unemployed, and schoolchildren.
Like many villages, Podilske’s future appears bleak. As Ukraine prepares to choose its next president in elections scheduled Sunday, one of the biggest challenges remains its sluggish economy. …read more
Source: Voice of America
