YouSaid · the spoken record

Oksana Markarova

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60
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2023-08-31
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2023-08-31
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  1. “But then again, my parents always made sure that we had something to eat, you know. And my mom did my clothes, you know, she would try to use her clothes to do some good, nice dresses for me. So it was very difficult. And now being an adult and being a mother, I understand how many sacrifices actually they all did in order for us to have a little bit more. Then most of my parents were chemical engineers, you know, so they were one job, hard work, very intellectual work, which would, in country like the United States, would generate pretty comfortable living for them, but not at that time in Soviet Union or in Ukraine.”

    2023-08-31 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 547 — Amb. Oksana Markarova · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  2. “And then after the independence, of course, difficult protection, you know, when there was shortage of everything, you know, the early 90s. I graduated from high school in 1993 and then went to study to Kiev, to Kiev Mahila. But before that, a couple of years have been really difficult, again, for the parents because as kids, I remember these long lines. I remember going with parents because they were given products. Only the certain amount per person. All parents had to take their kids with them if they wanted to get a little bit more meat. And it was difficult, but again, the parents made it, I don't remember, I remember when I read about it, so I remember the lines. I remember, you know, the hardship. I remember the little bit of loneliness, you know, when it was a bit scary to walk to school, you know, during this first years.”

    2023-08-31 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 547 — Amb. Oksana Markarova · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  3. “Speak what you want to say, to believe who you want to believe, to love who you want. That should be part of the, you know, normal person, dignity, freedom. But all of that, of course, again, I just have to tell you that during young years, you don't put too much attention to that. And then, of course, you know, I remember with my parents being at their, you know, chain where people were expressing their solidarity and all Ukrainians from west to east way in this one day standing in a chain holding hands expressing. And there were already some meetings to which parents would take us. So, you know, just glimpses of looking at and remembering this fight for independence.”

    2023-08-31 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 547 — Amb. Oksana Markarova · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  4. “Aggressive in school and not to be thrown out or something like this. I remember one of my close friends whose father was a priest. And we had, I still remember, it was a long time ago, but I remember how teachers found out that he wears a cross under the pioneer tie. And they put him in front of all the class and they tried to not even embarrass, but harass him actually for like believing they've been God who doesn't exist, you know. And, you know, it's all these little memories. Like I remember how, for example, I was Christian because it happened when I already was eight. And it happened when I was at my grandma's. So it's, you know, this something that when you think about it, you know, something that in societies like the US, you take it for granted. This is normal to live free.”

    2023-08-31 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 547 — Amb. Oksana Markarova · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  5. “It was very, very difficult, and I understand that parents, by recommending even to read something like this or give this self-printed books, you know, not like books, but something that their friend gave them to read, you know, and it was a bit of the risk. And they were trying to educate and inform us, but at the same time warn us from being so fighting and too.”

    2023-08-31 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 547 — Amb. Oksana Markarova · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  6. “Well, you know, it's, you know, you listen to all your teachers at school. And again, not all teachers were trying to brainwash you, of course. I loved math. I loved all the science classes, which were more free of the propaganda. But then, you know, of course, you know, during that time, they would try to teach the Russian literature as more interesting literature as compared to the Ukrainian literature, for example. And of course, I would come home and discuss it with parents. And especially during teenage years, your mom or your father tells you, well, you know, this is read this. This is great. But, you know, don't tell at school that we gave you to read this because there were still so many Ukrainian authors who were prohibited. And yes, it wasn't as horrible as it was just 10 years before that when people were jailed for doing that. But still, you know.”

    2023-08-31 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 547 — Amb. Oksana Markarova · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  7. “Not only that, you remember how you played and my summers at the farm, you know, that's a region with hard work as on any farm, but also lots of fun with your friends, you know, animals. But there was this always this divide between what is told in school and what you hear back home.”

    2023-08-31 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 547 — Amb. Oksana Markarova · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  8. “Well, there was, first of all, the end of the Soviet Union until 1991. It was a very interesting time when people back home already were talking about independence, craved independence. But then back in high school, there was still these pioneers and Kamsomo, you know, nonsense and lots of brainstorm. And again, specifically, I was born and raised in Rivne, which is northwestern Ukraine. And there was a lot of classes where the teachers, probably some of them were not completely free of the KGB ties, have been trying to feed us still all the Soviet propaganda as Soviet Union was getting to collapse. So it was a very interesting experience. I mean, of course, it's childhood. So you remember about your child.”

    2023-08-31 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 547 — Amb. Oksana Markarova · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  9. “Spoke beautiful Ukrainian in addition to all the languages that he knew. And of course, you know, during the Soviet times, everyone was forced to learn Russian. So we all, in addition to our native languages, also spoke Russian, especially in Ukraine, you know, the diversification, but equally so in Armenia and other places have been quite strong. Yes, the majority of my school years during the time when Ukraine was still under Soviet occupation.”

    2023-08-31 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 547 — Amb. Oksana Markarova · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

  10. “Yeah, that's correct. My mom is Ukrainian from southern Ukraine, from Odessa region. She grew up on a farm and then went ahead, graduated from university. My father, as he used to call him, is the Armenian son of Ukrainian nation. She graduated from university and actually in Baku. His family is from Mount Enios Karabakh. And then he also started his work in western Ukraine. That's where they met. So I was raised in a family which always was multinational from the one hand, but very patriotic Ukrainian on the other hand. And that included my father.”

    2023-08-31 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 547 — Amb. Oksana Markarova · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source