Europe

Ukrainian village

Over the next few months, we can expect to see the late Michael Jackson memorialised in many ways. Today’s Geo Quiz relates to one example of that.

We’re looking for a country in eastern Europe where a village may soon change its name to “Jackson.” The village’s current name is Oktyabrskoye. There’s a subtle clue in that name, even though the event to which it relates is ancient history now.

So, which country is the village in? Here’s a big clue to help you out: The country’s capital gives its name to a famous chicken dish...

Answer: The village is in Ukraine. Oktyabrskoye takes its current name from the October Revolution of 1917. You know — the one that gave birth to the Soviet Union.

The name was imposed on the village during the Soviet era, when Ukraine was ruled from Moscow. But a local lawmaker thinks changing the name makes good economic sense.

Oleg Kislitsyn says the villagers hope to create a Michael Jackson museum in an effort to attract tourists and “Jackson” is a lot easier to say than “Oktyabrskoye”.