Ukrainian success at the Australian Open!

[Max_the_Highlander]

OK, very interesting video… but I have even more interesting piece. This is clip from the BBC site for recent TV show and it has eloquent and hilarious title “The Poles are coming!”

BBC - White Season - The Poles are Coming!

Horror? Oh no that’s only about illegal and legal working immigration from Poland to UK.

But the comments are directly related to Euro 2012.

The Polish city of Gdansk wants its workers back. Its shipyards are struggling without them and there aren't enough men to build the football stadium ready for Euro 2012. This prompts Gdansk's leaders to visit Peterborough to plead for the return of their workers.<>


The final shift in perspective came with a trip to Poland. In Gdansk, Samuels discovered a worrying shortage of men – not least to build the Baltic Arena Stadium needed to host football matches during Euro 2012. In his biggest intervention of the night, he invited the chairman of the city council, Bogdan Oleszek, to come to Peterborough and ask the Poles to return home. Unfortunately, their consensus was that Poland wouldn’t be in a fit economic state for another 10 years. “That’s impossible,” replied Bogdan, his initial confidence visibly evaporating. “In 10 years there’ll be nobody left.”

The shocking truth – Poland is not able to build large stadiums for Euro 2012 because the flow-out of working power is too massive. To perform such enormous amount of work, they’ll need to engage the external resources, most likely Ukrainian builders. Well guys, that’s really amazing – Ukrainians will build the large stadiums and hotels in Ukraine but wait, there is more, they also will build the large stadiums and hotels in Poland.

Gobsmacked!

[Zbyszek]

[quote=Max_the_Highlander;89838]...
Well guys, that’s really amazing – Ukrainians will build the large stadiums and hotels in Ukraine but wait, there is more, they also will build the large stadiums and hotels in Poland. We live in Europe and we are neighbours.

...QUOTE]

Poor Max, your suggestion, although given in negative context, is not any embarrasment on Poland's part in fact.

Now, bear in mind that illegal UKRAINIAN workforce immigration to Poland is enormous while we hear nothing the other way round.

Not any real problem for me because I do like Ukrainian people - but you would blush - would not you?

[Max_the_Highlander]

Originally Posted by Zbyszek

Now, bear in mind that illegal UKRAINIAN workforce immigration to Poland is enormous while we hear nothing the other way round.

Do I refuse that? Yes, there is flow of Ukrainian working power too but it's not very exhausting for us and is being reduced.

However, Ukrainians just occupy the places of Poles who leave the families and move solely out the country in searches of good job and wealthy life. And I bet flow-out of Poles is much, much bigger then flow-in of Ukrainians.

Do you see the demographic after-effects? They are clear. Poles become Ukrainians. The story of your nation soon will be finished.

As about building the large stadiums in Poland... I really wonder how will you handle that without experienced workers who all came to "Pity Borrow".

[Zbyszek]

Originally Posted by Max_the_Highlander

And I bet flow-out of Poles is much, much bigger then flow-in of Ukrainians.

Do you see the demographic after-effects? They are clear. Poles become Ukrainians. The story of your nation soon will be finished.

Heard of the growing reverse trend? I bet you did not. Then you lag behind.The UK is no longer a magnet for my countrymen. Their number decreases every month.


Maybe all national stories will soon be finished.

[Max_the_Highlander]

Originally Posted by Zbyszek

Heard of the growing reverse trend? I bet you did not. Then you lag behind.The UK is no longer a magnet for my countrymen. Their number decreases every month.

British sources actually inform about growth but let it be. If not UK so it will be any other Western country of EU. If borders are open no one can really prevent the flow-out.

Bogdan Oleszek, the chairman of the Gdansk city council, is not so optimistic and predicts total working power desert till 2018.

Now as I read in comments it's hard to fing a plumber in Gdansk. I really can't figure out how you guys expect to buid and rebuild those mega stadiums as Baltic Arena Stadium and others. This requires thousands and thousands of experienced working hands.

[Serhii]

Hi Albatross,

It seems we were talking sports here but suddenly it turned to politics and other things. I am so sorry for being absent for such a long time. Hope you’ll find my response.

A few words about sport first. Last week Ukrainian trainer on artistic gymnastics, world wide known Irina Deriugina was sacked from all positions in International artistic gymnastics organization. They prohibited her even to go to Peking. So Ukrainian team will be without any support. We expected for gold medals in gymnastics Who is behind it ? A big battle for Olympic medals has started. Where is dividing line between sports and politics then ?

I do not know what is your occupation, but those who sell cars have golden time in Ukraine. Every month 50 thousands new cars are sold. In Kyiv live about 3 mln people and they own about 1 mln cars. Approximately the same proportion is in Dnipro, Kharkiv… Terrible situation and it is getting even worse . One day traffic will stop and it will be very soon. Those big cities attract people from all country and abroad. They become more and more overcrowded .

I concluded that you watch Kyiv often . I don’t like to go there now. Do you ?

Zbyszek wrote about your previous posts here . I want to find and read them as well.

My best.

[Albatross]

Hi Serhii,

I was absent myself, just got back from travelling in Ukraine actually. On TV i noticed there were many announcements for the Dynamo-Shakhtar game, but i didn't get to see it. I also missed the news about Irina Deriugina, but seem to remember that she was implicated in some kind of jury scandal in the past. In general when politics mixes with sport, the results are not good.

The traffic situation in and around the Kyiv is just horrible. But i understand from a collegue who recently visited Moscow that it still can get a lot worse!! I'm not in the car sales business, so i have no reason to like it.

I enjoy calmer towns much more. Last week we spent some time in L'viv, Yzhgorad and the Carpathians. When visiting L'viv, it was orthodox easter and the churches were totally packed with people attending the service. A wonderful experience! Yzhgorad is also nice, smaller but pleasant, and it just has a very different feel from cities in central or southern Ukraine. But best of all i liked the Carpathians. Early May is just a wonderful season to get out of town in Ukraine. How did you spend your easter?

Just a brief annecdote to make a full circle back to sport. Upon returning to Kyiv by car yesterday, i was stopped by the police for speeding, and a cheerfull militiaman asked me why i "was being a Xylixan" I'm just smiling because the word sounded so funny to me. It's of course a sad thing that Ukraine now also has to deal with this phenomenon. Unfortunately not all modern developments are progress.

With best regards