The US President Franklin Roosevelt studied Ukraine by reading books about Dykan'ka
Preparing to enter on the side of USSR in war with fascist Germany, the President of the USA Franklin
Roosevelt decided at first to study the future ally on Anti-Hitler coalition. The President came across the book «Russian Land» by the well-known American publicist writer Albert Williams, and it became his hand book.
After reading the works of our countryman Nikolai Gogol, Albert Williams was so struck and decided to learn history, way of life, folk customs and traditions of the overseas terra incognita. In autumn 1924 the writer arrives in Dykan'ka. The curious American lived there talking to different people, admiring nature, attending all the folk festivities for almost two months. The writer visited every house, had conversations with the hosts, wrote down everything, took pictures. Albert Williams was proud at most to have made merry the Ukrainian wedding for the whole week. At the end of the fête the American already sang the Ukrainian songs already, danced Hopak being crisscrossed with towels.
The everything seen and heard made Williams to be greatly delighted. Impressed by the things experienced, Albert Williams decided to make Dykan'ka famous in the world literature and wrote the book «Russian land» published 1928 in New York.
