Ukraine History

Very beautiful green city with fascinating history. The best time to go is April - May (chestnut tree blossoming time), summer or Seprember (the city turns golden). Food is fantastic even in some simple places.

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.

no nightlife :) local people are bit closed but lot of them honest poor transport, you can go by trAIN or private bus nice town with jevish history.

ATM machines are available throughout the city and at some of those it is possible to choose currency: hryvna, dollars or euros; but best to have some cash with you for emeregency cases as it is easy to find exchange points - at any bank. There are theaters in the city, although language is of course a problem; same goes about movie theaters; it is possible to visit a few museums, the most interesting is Historical Museum (Krajevedchesky Musei) as it tells about the history of the region;
there are restaurants mainly around the center of the city, but for the "spoiled" western traveler the choice is not so diverse; best suggestion for "real" local food (good quality and inexpensive) is to go to the small "restaurant" at the Krytyi Rynok (the market in the center), but best done around lunch time as this is the time when the main meal of the day is eaten; there is a 4-5 star hotel in the center Donbass Palace - it is very nice, but pricey; another one is Hotel Ukraine a bit further on the same street - Artjom street - it is good quality basic accomodation, but will get you through the night; there also many other hotels, mostly in the center or around train station; there is no need to bring too much with you as it is possible to buy almost everything - maybe not the exact brand you wish - in local stores and supermarkets; and the rpices are reasonable; public transportation works well, although it might take a it of investigation as to how it works: there are no readily available maps or guides; best os to aks a local to explain; there is no metro, but there are trams, trolley buses, busses, "marshrutka" - a cross between a bus and a taxi, and of course taxi is available and plenty; fastest and most convenient is taxi; to rent a car might be possible but this is still a novel service and I noticed this only at the airport the best way to learn about the city is with help of locals; at first glance one might decide there is not that much to the city, but with someone who knows what to see and where to go and can supplement this with stories and explanations the city can be seen in a completely different light women travellers should be in gerenral safe; it is of course best to be alert and not gullible, not to accept advances of complete strangers, etc. But I suppose these are universal rules, otherwise it is safe as there is no discrimination towards women

Ochakiv is a quiet paradise just on the shore of Black Sea. It has ancient history and is attractive for those who love good all-inclusive rest without fuss and high prices. If you choose Ochakiv or Pryboy boarding house, you will get a room, dinner and supper (breakfast is included as well but most of the time you won't get up for it)and a nice picturesque sandy beach within a 5-minute descentExcept sunbathing, swimming and chilling, activities may include visits to Sudkovskiy art museum, Schmidt museum (an apartment of a revolutionary who was executed in the beginning of 20th century), Adults and kids can engage in all kinds of water delights such as water skiing, slides and tube rides on the municipal beach. Ochakiv is ideal for sketching trip and family retreats