Welcome to Ukraine
Ukraine is a country situated in Eastern Europe . It covers a territory of 603,700 sq km. Ukraine borders on Belarus, Russia, Moldova, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania. In the south it is washed by the Black Sea and the sea of Azov. In Ukraine there are 24 administrative regions, the autonomous Republic of the Crimea and 2 municipalities. The capital of the state is Kyiv with its population of 2,645,000. More than 70 thousand rivers and streams intersect Ukraine , the most important of them being the Dnipro, the Dnister, the Southern Buh , the Desna , the Siverskyi Donets, the Prypyat. The third longest river in Europe , Dnipro is the main river in Ukraine on the banks of which a number of big industrial cities are located. The territory of the country is largerly flat (95%) and only a small part of it (5%) is mountainous. The largest mountain system is the Carpathian Mountains which extend for more than 270 km and have the highest peak Goveria (2061 m). Ukraine is a land of scenic beauty with broad expanses of seas and rivers, green carpets of fields and meadows, grassy rolling hills and wooded mountains. Ukraine enjoys generally a temperate continental climate. And only the southern coast of the Crimea(SCC) is a subtropical zone. The average January temperature varies from -7 C in the north-east to +4 C on the SCC, that of July, respectively, +19 C in the west and +24 C on the SCC. The annual precipitation, being 300-600 mm approximately, is distributed unevenly throughout the territory of Ukraine. The capital of Ukraine is Kyiv . One of the biggest cities of Europe , Kyiv has a population of 2,645,000. Its area covers over 700 sq km. Stretching along the picturesque banks of the legendary full-flowing Dnipro (the Dnieper River), it stands at the crossroads of major internal and transnational railroads, highways and air lines. Kyiv has two airports: for national and international flights. It is a big railroad junction and a river port on the Dnipro. From Kyiv you can make a non-stop voyage to the Mediterranean and to the Atlantic Ocean aboard "river-sea" ships. City transport includes metro (underground), buses, trolley buses/cars, cable cars or funicular and taxis. The core of a big branchy tree as Ukraine is, Kyiv has a history rooted deeply into ancient times. According to an old legend it was founded at the end of the 5th century by three brothers Kyi, Shchek, Khoriv and their sister Lybid who settled on the hills near the Dnipro and called their town-citadel Kyiv after the name of their brother Kyiv. Kyiv was the "mother of all Russian towns and cities", "the Promised land of Slavs, their Jerusalem , and the Dnipro - their Jordan River ". It was in Kyiv where in 988 Prince Volodymyr introduced Christianity into Rus as the official state religion. Ancient Kyiv has given us priceless frescoes and mosaics, a wealth of museum relics, a necklace of architectural monuments such as second-to-none Kyiv-Pecherska Lavra, founded in 1051, the Orthodox holy place and their Mecca, or a precious pearl of the llth century - St. Sophia Cathedral founded by Prince Yaroslav the Wise, the Golden Gate, one of the most remarkable fortifications of that time, St. Andrew's Church, the immortal creation of Rastrelli and the world beauty of the 18th century, and a great deal of other samples of exquisite architectual designs. Kyiv is famous for its greenery and is said to be the greenest city-capital in Europe looking like a city within a park. In the chain of major cities of Ukraine are such big industrial and administrative centers as Kharkiv (population - 1,598,600), the second city after Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk (1,175,600), Donetsk (1,113,500), Zaporizhzhya (894,700), Lviv (809,400), one of oldest and most beautiful and unique cities of Europe, Odessa (1,073,200), the main sea gates of the country, a charming city that is poetically called "a pearl by the seaside" and others. Several cities situated in the sunny Crimea are excellent health resorts and ideal places for rest and recreation. These are magic Yalta with its salubrius sea air, medical mud and abundance of greenery, mild Yevpatoriya with its warm caressing sea and sandy beaches Alushta, Alupka, Feodosiya, and many others. The official state language in the country is Ukrainian. But due to a long period of russification, Russian is still popular in some regions. Travel informationAIR IN UKRAINE Kyiv is linked with most major European cities, Canada and North America . Most international flights go to the Boryspil International Airport in Kyiv , about 40km (25mi) south-east of the centre. The airport at Lviv , about 8km (5mi) west of its centre, has connections with Warsaw , Vienna , Frankfurt and others. Odessa 's airport is about 12km (7mi) south-west of downtown, and has flights to and from Vienna , Moscow , Budapest and others. SEA IN UKRAINE You can travel by ship between Odessa or Yalta and various cities on the Black Sea and Mediterranean . The main year-round destinations are Haifa ( Israel ), Limassol ( Cyprus ), Piraeus ( Greece ) and Port Said ( Egypt ). The most frequent and reliable is the Odessa to Istanbul route. It's also possible to sail down the Danube River between Odessa and a number of Eastern European river ports. There's a car ferry running between Kerch , at the eastern tip of Crimea , and the Russian ports of Temryuk, Anapa and Novorossiysk. RAIL IN UKRAINE International trains enter Ukraine from seven countries at more than 10 locations. As long as you've got a visa, border crossings are pretty straightforward. Most major Ukrainian cities have daily services from Moscow ; it's 15 hours to Kyiv and 28 hours to Lviv. You can go between Kyiv and Berlin (26 hours) via Warsaw (16 hours) and Brest (10 hours). The station is on the western fringe of downtown Kyiv . Lviv has rail connections with most major Eastern European cities. VISAS IN UKRAINE Passport and Visa are required for entry into Ukraine . Visas should be obtained from the Consular Office of the Embassy of Ukraine. HEALTH REQUIREMENTS IN UKRAINE The health service does, in theory, provide free medical treatment for all citizens and travelers who become ill. However, as in most parts of the former Soviet Union , health care is a serious problem. For minor difficulties, visitors are advised to ask the management at their hotels for help or treat to private clinics. Travel insurance is, in fact, compulsory for all travelers. CURRENCY, MONEY, CREDIT CARDS IN UKRAINE The Ukrainian national currency is Hryvna (UAH). One hryvna = 100 kopecks. Money can be exchanged at banks, exchange desks at hotels, shops or licensed exchange windows. Passport is not required for exchange operations. Exchange rate might differ from the official NBU rate. USD and EURO are the most popular currencies in exchange booths. Other currencies are more difficult to exchange and have lower rates due to minor circulation in Ukraine. VISA, MasterCard / EuroCard/ AMEX are accepted in major hotels, restaurants, casinos, stores, ATM's Traveler's checks and credit cards can be cashed less out of a bank fee (which is 1-4% of the amount) at the majority of banks. Most popular Travelers checks in Ukraine are Thomas Cook and Visa. To cash travelers' checks, the receipt of purchase and passport of check owner is required. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS IN UKRAINE - New Year's Day (January 1)
- Orthodox Christmas (January 7)
- International Women's Day (March 8)
- Constitution Day (June 28)
- Independence Day (August 24)
FOOD AND DRINKS IN UKRAINE Ukrainian cuisine is closely linked to the customs, culture and way of life of the Ukrainian people. It is famous for its diversity and quality of flavor. The most popular Ukrainian meal is "borshch." This thick, hearty and delicious soup is prepared with a variety of ingredents including meat, mushrooms, beans, and even prunes. Mushroom soups, bean and pea soups, soups with dumplings and thick millet chowders are also popular. "Holubtsi ", or stuffed cabbage, is another favorite meal, as are "varenyky " (pierogis) filled with potatoes, meat, cheese, sauerkraut, or fruit such as blueberries or cherries. Varenyky are often mentioned in folk songs. Ukrainians like dairy products. Some samples: cottage cheese pancakes, "riazhanka " (fermented baked milk) and "nalysnyky " (usually cheese-filled crepes). There are no holidays without pies, "pampushky " (type of fritter), "baba "(a tall, cylindrical cake), honey cakes. Ukrainian sausage is very tasty. It is preserved in a special way - in porcelain vessels smothered in melted fat. Of course, every region of Ukraine has its own recipes and traditions.
TIME ZONE IN UKRAINE The time in Ukraine is set 2 hours ahead of GMT (3 hours ahead during day-light time). When it is 12:00 in Kyiv it is 11:00 in Warsaw and Berlin , 10:00 in London and 5:00 in New York . Clocks go forward one hour on the last Sunday in March and one hour back on the last Sunday of October.
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