TOURISM IN UKRAINE
Kiev (Euro 2012)
Odessa
Sevastopol (Crimea)
Yalta (Crimea)
Simferopol (Crimea)
Apartments in Kiev
Apartments in Odessa
Apartments in Simferopol
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HISTORY
Ukrainians are deeply affected by the country's long history that predates the independent state by some 1,500 years. The march of successive civilizations from prehistoric times, the Scythians, theGreeks, and the Varaungian, Slavic, and Turk peoples have all left their mark. The birthplace of the Slavic state was Kievan Rus which flourished a thousand years ago.
There is an old legend which tells of three brothers who founded Kiev at the end of the fifth century. The brothers Kiy, Khoriv and Schek, along with their sister Lybid decided to name this newly founded land "Kiev" after their elder brother.
Kiev bloomed during the end of the ninth century as a political center inhabited by Eastern Slavs. Kiev had an advantageous trade route in the center of Europe which allowed it to maintain political and economic ties with the West.
In 988, Kiev's Prince Volodymyr the Great introduced Christianity to Kiev making it the official religion of Kievan-Rus. This move played an important role in Kiev's political development and itscultural relations with the European and Near Eastern countries.
In 1240, Kiev was invaded by the Mongols (Tartars) led by the grandson of Genghis Khan. The city was captured and its glory fell into decline during the period of Mongol rule which lasted almost a century.
For many centuries thereafter Ukraine was attacked and ruled by Poland and Lithuania in the Rzecz Pospolita Commonwealth, by Russia, by Germany and others. During this time Ukrainian Cossack armies were formed which were led by a Hetman (military leader). One of the most famous Hetman was Bohdan Khmelnytsky who inspired one of the greatest Cossack uprisings that led to the liberation of Kiev in 1648. He was considered by some a traitor after he signed the Treaty of Pereyaslav which authorized protection from the Russian Tsar. This treaty joined Ukraine and Russia into one country and led to a long period of domination by the Russian Empire and ultimately the Soviet Union.
After the revolution of 1917 Vladimir Illyich Lenin and his Bolshevik seized power and expanded their sphere of control into Ukraine.
Ukraine experienced a brief period of independence when on January 22, 1918, the Ukrainian Central Rada (Council) formally issued a proclamation for Ukraine's independence. But shortly thereafter in 1919, the Ukrainian Republic was defeated in a war against Polish expansionists and overrun once again.
Eventually, Bolshevik and Communist forces retook Ukrainian lands, and as a means to control the population, leader Josef Stalin caused the Great Famine of 1932-33 by forcibly collecting grain and deliberately starving to death nearly ten million people. Nazi Germany then began World War II and entered Kiev in September 1941 razing the city. In November 1943 Soviet forces retook the city in fierce fighting and began their final domination of Ukraine for almost the next fifty years.
Attention from the West turned to Ukraine after the nuclear meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in April 1986. Since then Ukrainians felt the decreased political power wielded by the Soviet Union's Communist leaders. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic proclaimed Ukraine's sovereignty in July 1990, but Ukrainians finally fulfilled their dream of independence during the failed Soviet coup of August 1991. In a referendum held on December 1, 1991 the people of Ukraine endorsed independence.
GEOGRAPHY
Ukraine's area is 233,088 square miles (603,700 sq. km). It is slightly larger than France or Germany. Ukraine is mainly a vast plain with no natural boundaries except the Carpathian Mountains in the southwest and the Black Sea in the south. The Dnieper River with its many tributaries unifies central Ukraine economically, connecting the Baltic coast countries with the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The mouth of the Danube River provides an outlet for Ukrainian trade with the Balkans, Austria, and Germany.
The territory of Ukraine is mostly plane, treeless plain, called "steppe". There are the Crimean Mountains in the Crimean peninsula and the Carpathians in the west, but they are not very high. Mixed forests of pine and fir-trees, beeches, limes, oaks and elms cover the mountains, but the thickest woods can still be found in the northern part of the country. Kiev and Cherkassy lie in the midst of the southernmost Ukrainian pine forest. The main Ukrainian river is the Dnieper. It is one of the longest European rivers and one of the main sources of hydroelectric power. The Dnieper and its tributary the Ross has been the cradle of the Ukrainian and Russian people since time immemorial.
Northern and Western Ukraine are hilly, forested areas with many picturesque mountain resorts. Enhancing the topography of Ukraine are two mountain ranges, the Carpathians on its western border where winter sports are very popular; and the Crimean range, which divides the Crimeanpeninsula, creating a semitropical area on its southernmost tip. The Crimea is a favorite destination not only for Ukrainian tourists, but also for citizens of other states of the former Soviet Union, as well as Western Europe
CLIMATE
The climate of the country is moderate. Winter is relatively mild, with no severe frosts but with regular snowfalls everywhere except the south. The rivers and lakes freeze in winter. The average winter temperature varies from around -20 Centigrade in the north to around -4C in the south. Summer is quite hot and dry, with occasional showers and thunderstorms. The fertile black soil is well watered in spring and autumn and gets plenty of sunshine in summer.
MONEY
You can easily change your euros, pounds, dollars or other hard currencies for Hryvnias in major banks and special exchange points. The estimated exchange rate for the Euro is about 10,50 UAH for 1 Euro. Changing Euros for Ukrainian Hryvnias or another currency is legal only at banks, currency exchange desks at hotels and at licensed exchange booths. There are a lot of such exchange points throughout cities. The "hard currency" stores only accept Hryvnias but almost all of them have a money exchange booth on the premises.
CREDIT CARDS
Ukraine is a cash economy. Travellers’ cheques and credit cards are gaining wider acceptance in larger cities. Use of credit cards is limited to the better hotels, Western-style restaurants, international airlines and select stores. American Express, MasterCard, and Visa are commonly accepted. A passport or diplomatic card may be required whenever a credit card is used. Customs regulations prohibit sending cash, traveler's checks, personal checks, credit cards or passports through the international mail system to Ukraine. These items are regularly confiscated as contraband by customs authorities
TIME
UTC/GMT + 2 hours
CUISINE
Ukrainian cuisine stems from peasant dishes based on grains and staple vegetables like potatoes, cabbage, beets and mushrooms. Meat is typically boiled, fried or stewed. Desserts are usually laden with honey and fruit, mainly cherries and plums, and often baked into sweet breads. While the small dumplings known as "pirogi" or "varenyky" are by far the most popular Ukrainian snack, the sacred dish is "salo" - special cooking pig fat. "Salo" consumption goes back centuries, and Ukrainians age and prize it as obsessively as the French do wine. "Borsch" originated in Ukraine and is still the national soup; the beet and mixed-vegetable broth is typically served with cream
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