HIS 101-02, 111-12, 135, 218, and 241-42
Reflective Paragraph Assignment

The Friendship Arch in Kyiv, Ukraine has a rather impressive, formal name: Friendship of Nations Arch (Арка Дружби Народів) aka the People's Friendship Arch. Created by Skoblikov and Ivanov and opened on 7 November 1982, this 50m high titanium arch had all kinds of significance when it opened: 7 November is the anniversary of he Russian Revolution; 1982 was sixty years since the founding of the Soviet Union, of which Ukraine was a part; 1982 was perhaps 1500 years since the traditional date of the founding of Kyiv. The arch was meant to to commemorate the "strong" bonds that existed between Ukraine and Russia, dating back to the 1654 treaty of Pereiaslav. Although the exact, formal terms of that treaty have been lost to history, the key provision seems to have been the cossacks of Ukraine agreeing to accept Russian suzerainty. While the treaty was initially intended to signify the break with Poland, what it instead brought for Ukraine was Russian domination over time.

Friendship Arch

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In this assignment, you are asked to reflect upon and assess your work in your course. I have a short video about the assignment that I originally created for HIS 112, but the same principles apply for the other HIS courses. You should write a long paragraph (about 3/4 of a page in length, double-spaced with one-inch margins, font size 10 or 12) in which you consider these points.

Your coverage of these topics does not have to be in the order listed, and you do not have to cover every single one of these topics. You may also personalize your writing of this assignment, i.e., it is OK to use "I."

Your assignment should be submitted on Canvas.