Ukraine People & Culture

Kharkiv is a very interesting city. Close to Russian border, people there are very friendly and open. Driving through the city though, is a real challenge :-) Very good markets for clothes and shoes and some nice restaurants with typical local menu.

Instead of going to the typical tourist places like Yalta, where you pay over the odds for everything, try learning to read Russian (so you can read menus!!) and go to the smaller, much cheaper villages which are full of lively friendly people!Be prepared to indulge in a few vodka's and try the Champagne from Novy Svet!!Sudak, Simeiz, can both be recommended!!Good luck. Take a train overnight from Odessa to Simferopol, 1st class and its part of the holiday!!Enjoy.

It's a small city in south eastern Ukraine- Donetsk Oblast. Factory town. In its hay day in the 1960's, the main factory employed more than 10,000 people- steel fabrication mill. With the fall of communism, the plant has had to re-invent itself. In the process, thousands of workers were layed off in the early 1990's. Employment was down to about 60% in Kramatorsk- but it's back up to about 85% now. Very pretty area- in the DonBas River basin. Lots of "tourbasa" health resorts and old monasteries less than an hours drive away.

Be carefull for people you don' t knoe who aproach you with some unexpected arguments like "I found some money, is it yours, let' s share this", etc. This is trap for burglary..

It might get very cold in wintertime so do not get surprised seeing people starting their morning with couple of shots of vodka

Kiev, is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. As of April 2007, official municipal estimates placed the population of Kiev at about 2.7 million inhabitants.

Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural centre of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kiev Metro.
The name Kiev is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of four legendary founders of the city (brothers Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and sister Lybid'). During its history, Kiev, one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, passed through several stages of great prominence and relative obscurity. The city is believed to have been founded in the 5th century as a trading post in the land of Early East Slavs. It gradually acquired eminence as the centre of the East Slavic civilization, becoming in the tenth to twelfth centuries a political and cultural capital of Rus', a medieval East Slavic state. Completely destroyed during the Mongol invasion in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come. It was a provincial capital of marginal importance in the outskirts of the territories controlled by its powerful neighbors: first the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, followed by Poland and Russia. The city prospered again during the Russian industrial revolution in the late 19th century. After the turbulent period following the Russian Revolution of 1917, from 1921 onwards Kiev was an important city of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, and, from 1934, its capital. During World War II, the city again suffered significant damage, but quickly recovered in the post-war years remaining the third largest city of USSR. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian independence of 1991, Kiev remained the capital of Ukraine.

Gorgeous architecture and interesting monuments/statues, lots to see and photograph, bright friendly people with distinct humour known around former USSR, lots of eateries and clubs, beaches and salt lakes, catacombes (underground caves built by partisans during WWII), cargo and passenger sea ports, good choice of arts and music events. Hotels were not impressive and hardly luxurous as of 1998, but I hear they've caught up by now. Dangers include pickpockets, bag snatchers, and similar. Transport isn't a breeze but taxis are plentiful. Medical services will be available in abundance but rip-offs are a possibility.

Beautifull and cheep place to state in the ares of Crimea. Warm. By the sea. Many turists. Locals are just waiting for you. You can by lots of planned excursions over there including diving, fishing in open sea. Accomodation is best to find in bus station - locals are waiting for newcomers.

If you like hitch-hiking be careful in Ukraine, Crimea. Ukraine people (even taxi-drivers) like to drive really fast and you may think you'll die :)

Never buy Hrivna in Poland, it's a ripp-off

Kharkiv is a very interesting city. Close to Russian border, people there are very friendly and open. Driving through the city though, is a real challenge :-) Very good markets for clothes and shoes and some nice restaurants with typical local menu.

It's the town where Leonid Brezhnev, the General Secretary of the USSR was born.

Instead of going to the typical tourist places like Yalta, where you pay over the odds for everything, try learning to read Russian (so you can read menus!!) and go to the smaller, much cheaper villages which are full of lively friendly people!Be prepared to indulge in a few vodka's and try the Champagne from Novy Svet!!Sudak, Simeiz, can both be recommended!!Good luck. Take a train overnight from Odessa to Simferopol, 1st class and its part of the holiday!!Enjoy.

Unique Point de chute pour les vols internes Ukrainiens sur la Crimee,de la possibilitees de jolies excurssions par bus aux alentours....Sebastopol, Yalta (en ete) avec sa vie de nuit intense ... Les demoiselles une plus belles que les autres...