Matryoshka dolls, Gagarin and Russian cuisine: Turkish airline disgraced itself with a "guidebook" to Ukraine on board

The Turkish airline Pegasus Airlines has disgraced itself by simplistic objectification of Ukrainian culture in its "city guides" to Ukrainian cities. They are available on board via the airplane's Wi-Fi network.

According to the company, it turned out that our country is characterized by selling souvenir nesting dolls, eating allegedly Russian dishes, and wearing clothes with a print of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. OBOZ.UA has collected shameful statements in the "guidebook" that somehow make foreigners believe that Russians and Ukrainians are "one people."

According to the creators of the text guide, it is in Kherson that you can try "different flavors of Ukrainian and Russian cuisine." Among the dishes were borsch and cabbage soup, which were called "delicacies," although for us they are traditional food. Moreover, the Russians called the thick cabbage soup "theirs."

"Standing out for its cultural and artistic festivals and vibrant nightlife, Kherson is also one of the most attractive excursion routes for gastronomy lovers. In a city where you can taste different flavors of Ukrainian and Russian cuisine, borsch and cabbage soup, a world-famous Russian dish, are among the most famous delicacies. In Kherson, where meat, chicken, potatoes, and mushrooms predominate, you should also try dumplings, stuffed cabbage, Kyiv-style chicken, and Kyiv-style pilaf," the guidebook says.

The Turkish airline has also not yet deprived Odesa, written in Latin, of another letter "S". The name "Odessa" is still "flaunting" there, although the correct translation from Ukrainian (and not Russian, as the "S" is retained there) does not have the extra letter.

However, this is not the only mockery of this port city. According to the creators of the "guidebook," it was during the time of the so-called tsarist Russia that Odesa became a real city by the sea, where industrialization was in full swing.

"Odesa, which changed the face of the Black Sea during the time of Czarist Russia, was also known as the fourth largest city in the Russian Empire in the 20th century after Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Warsaw. With many features such as museums, architectural buildings, theaters and universities, Odesa is one of the most famous cultural centers in the country," the airline is trying to imprint in the minds of tourists.

It is worth noting that the description of the cities does not mention the heritage of Kyivan Rus, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Ukrainian People's Republic, or independence itself after 1991.

In Kharkiv, however, as indicated in the "guidebook," you can easily buy clothes with Russian figures and elements of their culture. Moreover, according to the Turks, vodka should be of interest to travelers in Ukrainian cities, as it was also mentioned in the section describing Kherson.

"The most popular goods available in Kharkiv are Ukrainian local clothes, national clothes, T-shirts with Yuri Gagarin's print, homemade vodka, jewelry, and souvenirs describing Ukraine and Kharkiv. In addition, wooden nesting dolls, which are part of Russian culture, are also among the goods that can be bought in Kharkiv," the text guide says.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that a native of Crimea, who was traveling from Russia to Georgia, said that Georgian border guards refused to allow her to enter the country because of her internal passport. According to her, Georgians are completely "out of control".

Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!