If you’re on Facebook and part of the Ukrainian diaspora, you’ve no doubt come across a page called Forgotten Galicia. That account, and its primary website, ForgottenGalicia.com, is run by Areta Kovalska, my guest on today’s episode. A US expat living in Lviv, Ukraine, Areta had arrived roughly around the same time I was in the country but ended up staying much longer.

As war-torn as Ukraine is represented in the media, Areta talks about what it’s like to live in Lviv, which is located in the Western part of Ukraine, closer to Poland. As a part of the diaspora, Areta shares her story of how she has wanted to live in Ukraine for a very long time but it wasn’t until 2010 that she made the decision to make the move.

Areta runs a website ForgottenGalicia.com, on which she posts about the history, culture, language and people of what was the former Austrian Empire and is now Western Ukraine. I encourage you to take a look at what she has published as she provides a lot of information for people who may be interested in researching their ancestry. She has a few links on her website to people and services that can help you trace your lineage.

This is a shorter episode as it only runs a couple of hours so it should fit within a commute or two!

You can find Areta online at her website and follow her Facebook page for more info:

• https://forgottengalicia.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/forgottengalicia

Show notes at https://www.stevensirski.com/ssp26-areta-kovalska/