Ukraine (Ukrayina) is a country in Eastern Europe. It lies at the northwest end of the Black Sea, with Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland to the northwest, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, and Romania to the south west and south, with Moldova in between.
Most of the country (the central and eastern portions) was formerly a part of Russian Empire; after WWII, the entire country - known as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic - was a part of the Soviet Union. Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe.
Regions
; Administrative divisions : 24 oblasti (singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular - misto) with oblast' status**; Cherkas'ka (Cherkasy), Chernihivs'ka (Chernihiv), Chernivets'ka (Chernivtsi), Dnipropetrovs'ka (Dnipropetrovs'k), Donets'ka (Donets'k), Ivano-Frankivs'ka (Ivano-Frankivs'k), Kharkivs'ka (Kharkiv), Khersons'ka (Kherson), Khmel'nyts'ka (Khmel'nyts'kyy), Kirovohrads'ka (Kirovohrad), Kyiv**, Kyivs'ka Oblast (Kiev), Luhans'ka (Luhans'k), L'vivs'ka (L'viv), Mykolayivs'ka (Mykolayiv), Odes'ka (Odesa), Poltavs'ka (Poltava), Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Rivnens'ka (Rivne), Sevastopol'**, Sums'ka (Sumy), Ternopil's'ka (Ternopil'), Vinnyts'ka (Vinnytsya), Volyns'ka (Luts'k), Zakarpats'ka (Uzhhorod), Zaporiz'ka (Zaporizhzhya), Zhytomyrs'ka (Zhytomyr);
:note - when using a place name with an adjectival ending 's'ka' or 'z'ka,' the word Oblast' should be added to the place name
:note: oblasts have the administrative center name following in parentheses
Cities
Other destinations
Understand
In English, the country is sometimes referred to with the definite article, "The Ukraine", a grammatically peculiar term inherited from the Soviet era, when the country was known as "The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic". Since its establishment as an independent nation in 1991, the country is officially called simply "Ukraine", and this form is increasingly used in English worldwide.
History
Ukrainian history is long and proud, with the early dominance of Kievan (or Kyivan) Rus as arguably the most powerful state in 10th-century Europe. While this state did not last and Ukraine became part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth form the 14th until the 18th century, even modern Ukraine owes it a debt of sorts. A subsequent Ukrainian state was able to - in the face of pressure from the ascendant Muscovy - remain autonomous for more than a century, however the Russian Empire absorbed much of Ukraine in the 18th century.
Despite a brief flash of independence at the end of the czarist regime, Ukraine was incorporated into the new USSR after the Russian Civil War in 1922 and subject to two disastrous famines (1932-33 and 1946) as well as brutal fighting during World War II. Throughout the period of Soviet control, Ukraine was subjected to various levels of Russification programs; in the 1930's and particularly intense period during the Brezhnev era of the 1970's and 1980's. The 1986 Chernobyl accident was a further catastrophe for the country but also widely considered as an event which galvanized the population in national sentiment signaling an increased opposition to previous direct Soviet central control over domestic affairs.
Ukraine declared its sovereignty within the Soviet Union in July 1990 as a prelude to unfolding events in the year to come. The Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's Parliament) again declared its independence in early December 1991 following the results of referendum in November 1991 which indicated overwhelming popular support (92% in favour of independence). This declaration became a concrete reality as the Soviet Union formally ceased to exist on December 25, 1991. Initially, there were concerns that democracy did not really exist as former communist and oligarch rule prevailed in the early years following independence. The issues of cronyism, corruption, continued voting irregularities came to a head with the heavily-disputed 2004 Presidential election, where allegations of vote-rigging sparked what became known as the "Orange Revolution". This revolution resulted in the subsequent election of opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko as President.
Orange Revolution
While most of the world expected the U.S. Presidential election to be the most exciting election of the 2004 year, the Ukrainian Presidential election of 2004 turned out to be far more dramatic and played out like a novel with spying, large scale protests, poisoned candidates, and a (bloodless) revolution.
The election was primarily a battle between then prime minister Viktor Yanukovych and former prime minister Viktor Yushchenko. Yanukovych was viewed as a status quo candidate, who's electoral platform included strengthening Ukraine's ties with Russia, while Yushhenko was viewed as a progressive candidate, who ran on a platform to strengthen Ukraine's relations with the European Union, NATO, and western nations. For the most part the election went largely unnoticed by the world until several weeks before the October 31st election when Yushchenko fell violently ill after being poisoned with dioxin. Yushchenko has alleged that he was poisoned by someone at a dinner he had with Ukrainian government officials the day before he fell ill.
On November 21 the day of the initial run-off election wide scale voter fraud was observed by international election observers, who gave Yushchenko an 11% lead over Yanukovych, while official election results handed the election to Yanukovych by three percent. A few examples of the alleged fraud were some voters being given more than one ballot, ballot boxes disappearing, and voter turnout of twice the number of registered voters in a given district.
The next day large scale protests of upwards of a million people developed to protest the results as fraudulent and demanded a run-off election. Nearly every foreign government, with the exception of Russia, condemned the results and recommended another vote be held under more stringent observation to prevent similar fraud from taking place. On December 3 Ukraine's Supreme Court ordered the results of the initial run-off election invalid and another election was to be held on December 26. Under immense pressure from the European Union (EU), Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the United States, Poland, and international observers, the second run-off vote proved to be virtually free of any reported electoral fraud. On January 10, 2005 after three rounds of voting, large scale protests, sit-ins and strikes lasting over a month Yushchenko was sworn in as President. Viktor Yanukovych attempted to persuade the Ukrainian Supreme Court to invalidate the results of the second run-off, but the court dismissed Yanukovych's allegations.
Since taking office, Yushchenko dismissed several governors and members of ministerial administrations due to allegations of corruption. In late 2005, after Parliamentary elections, the ruling coalition collapsed following a vote of non-confidence and Yushchenko was forced to accept a coalition government headed by Viktor Yanukovych, his electoral opponent during the 2004 elections for President.
Get in
Visa requirements and customs
Tourist visas are no longer required for citizens of the European Union, USA, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Vatican, Monaco, Iceland, Norway, San Marino, Mongolia, Serbia, Montenegro and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (except Turkmenistan). This applies only for tourist travel lasting less than 90 days.
Visas are required for travel related to study or work, even if for less than 90 days, even for the aforementioned countries. For citizens of other countries obtaining a visa for travel to Ukraine may take up to 10 working days; an express option is available at a higher cost. More information is available at Ukraine's Embassy in your country and/or the Foreign service departments of your national governments (or their embassy websites here in Ukraine).
Always know how much currency you have with you. Customs officials will inquire about the amount being brought into the country. It is prohibited to bring large amounts of Ukrainian currency (hryvnia) unless it was declared upon leaving Ukraine.
It is advisable to check in advance the customs regulations (eg the Boryspol Airport website, which has an English version) as rules and regulations have the habit of changing at short and unannounced notice.
When entering the country you will be required to complete an immigration form - currently this is a simple white document with two parts that have more or less identical information. Both parts should be completed on arrival: the immigration officer will keep one part and you have to retain the second, which you will need to show to the emmigration officer on your departure from the country. It is not advisable to lose this easily lost scrap of paper, as you'll almost certainly have difficulties on leaving Ukraine (and likely incur a fine too)
By plane
The cheapest way to fly into Ukraine is through Kiev Borispol. The main international hubs for these flights are Frankfurt, Milan, Munich, Prague, London, Rome, Vienna and Warsaw with several flights a day of Austrian AUA, CSA Czech Airlines, LOT, Lufthansa, Alitalia, Air France, British Airways, KLM and MALEV; also Ukraine International, which code-shares on these routes with the respective carriers, and another Ukrainian carrier, AeroSvit. Special offers on flights come and go, depending on the whim of the carrier. The only low-cost carrier flying into Ukraine, as yet (February 2007), is AirBaltic, with flights routing through either Riga, Latvia, or Vilnius, Lithuania, although AeroSvit could be considered a somewhat low-cost carrier (considering there aren't many others.)
There are several airlines which offer direct flights to cities like Dnipropetrovsk (Lufthansa), Donetsk (Lufthansa, Austrian), Odessa (MALEV, LOT, Austrian, CSA Czech Airlines), Kharkiv and Lviv (LOT, Austrian Airlines), but they are more expensive.
To fly inside Ukraine, the most common airline is AeroSvit. Although this is the unofficial national airline, and its routes cover all of Ukraine's major destinations, the planes used on some routes are older Soviet aircraft. Ukraine International also recently introduced flights within the country from its hub in Kiev, mainly flying newer Boeing 737 aircraft.
By train
One can enter Ukraine by train from any land-bordering neighbour. When coming from Europe you should spend some time changing rail wheels in order to adapt to different rail distance standard. Generally, in Ukraine a railway travel is much cheaper than plane, and is comparable (but probably cheaper) to bus or car travel. It will take at most a whole day to ride across the country, so unless you are in hurry take a train. It's a good practice to take long-distance trains, which are much more comfortable. Avoid cheap third-class travels if you're cautious of local experiences.
By car
The main route into Ukraine from the West is via Poland - the only 24 hour customs post is in Lvivska Oblast at a place called Truskavetz, which as a 'place' is essentially just the customs post - and it's not marked on most maps either.
The nearest significant town on the Polish side is Przemyshl, and it's straightford to find by following route # 4 (which passes through Przemyshl), also known as the E40 in European terms.
When you arrive, the road is fairly narrow (no motorway/autobahn this) with a queue of trucks and vans parked to the right of the road; a hard-core parking area with cafe/bar to the left. Don't stop behind the goods vehicles, slip up the side of them and then feed into the customs area when the guy flags you forward (for courteous Europeans, you're not jumping the queue - commercial traffic goes through a different process).
If you're in an EU registered car then make for the EU-passports, passport control section. Thence to Ukrainian passport control and then Ukrainian customs and then you're through. It used to be a nightmare, with apocalyptic tales of 5-6+ hours at the border, but the Ukrainians have made great advances in efficiency and it takes about an hour to make the crossing (September 2005 - still true in Feb 2006).
Once through, just follow the main road towards Lviv on the E40 - this is the route right across Ukraine to Kyiv (and thence on to the East). Stick to this - the main towns on the way are Lviv, Rivne, Zhytomyr.
Watch out about 15-20 km inside Ukraine, I think the village is called Mostiska, as they have gone crazy about traffic calming measures here (speed bumps or sleeping policemen). They're like icebergs across the road, and very badly marked. And there are about four or five sets of them through the village. Other than that, take care on the road, which although the main East/West highway, and the main road route into the EU, still remains in a miserable condition (surface-wise). And you'll soon realise why Ukraine has such poor statistics in relation to driver and pedestrian fatalities and injuries. Drive defensively is the optimum advice re the roads, other road users and the walking, riding public.
by foot
You can walk across the 200 meter long bridge from Sighetul Marmatiei, Romania. But once you get to Slatina, Ukraine, it may be difficult to engage onward travel unless you came in a car. Bicycling is also a possibility in summer.
By bus
There are inexpensive direct bus services to Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk from Poland.
They usually offer a budget level of comfort and cost about 90 to 100 hyrvnia (20 US$)
By boat
There are some ferries from Istanbul, Georgia, Varna (Bulgaria) to Odessa or to Crimea.
Get around
The quickest way to get around big cities is the so-called marshrutka - the minibuses which follow routes much like the regular buses do. You can generally flag them down or ask them to stop at places other than the specified bus-stops. The fare is paid as soon as you get in, and is fixed no matter how far you want to go. This is the same for the conventional buses, tram, trolley-buses and the Metro. You tell the driver that you want to get off when you're approaching the destination.
Each city has an inter-city bus station from which you can go pretty much anywhere in Ukraine. Fares and quality of service vary widely.
By train
Trains in Ukraine are really cheap. For example: Simferopol to Lviv for 8 Euros ("platzkart") on overnight train with sleeping-car.
The problem is that trains are quite popular in Ukraine and you have to buy the tickets well in advance. There are always 3 kinds of ticket counters: 1 group for trains that go on the same day, 1 for trains that go within 7 days and 1 for trains that go within 45 days. Buying tickets for the same day is usually not such a big problem as long as they are still available. But tickets for trains that leave not on the same day you usually have to stand in line for a very long time. Sometimes up to 4 hours!
For buying tickets you have to present your passport. Also when getting on the train you will be asked to show it.
You might want to get the more expensive tickets ("SV" and "kupe"). Being a foreigner and traveling in "platzkart" (compartments without doors) is not so safe, especially if you are traveling alone. But if you keep your valuable objects somewhere inside your sleeping bag or close to your body you should not experience any problems.
A first class cabin is a very good deal. The cabin has (staple)beds for two persons and you have privacy and safety because you can lock the door. The price from Lviv to Odesa was in 2004 round 25 Euro p.p!
Every wagon has its own "provodnik", the conductor. Spend some time on building the relationship, that might make your journey more comfortable. The provodnik serves tea, and sometimes even protects you. We had an experience once in the Carpathian mountains, when train musicians became aggressive after not getting the desired hard currency. The provodnik speaks the language, and saved us with some harsh words.
By car
It is possible to get around in Ukraine by car, but one must be aware of certain particulars, and be prepared for pitfalls:
The signs are all in Ukrainian. Only a few signs (every 200km or so) are written in the Latin alphabet, and indicate main cities. It is recommended you have a good road map (those available are mainly in Ukrainian, but Latin alphabet maps are starting to appear), because place names aren't well posted on road signs.
You are strongly advised to respect the signs, especially speed limits. Be aware that unlike in Western countries, where limits are repeated several times, in Ukraine, an obligation or a prohibition is often indicated on a single sign, which you must not miss. The police are always there to remind you.
You should avoid conflicts with officials. Bribery is a common practice, but it is not at all advised to foreigners, and may get you into further trouble.
Speed in cities is limited to 60km/h (40mph).
Speed in "nationals" is limited to 90km/h (55mph).
Speed on highways is limited to 110-120km/h (75mph).
Fuel is no longer a problem in Ukraine, especially for those who remember travelling to Ukraine during the early 1990s, when gasoline was considered precious. Today, there are plenty service stations. There are varying types of fuel, such as diesel, unleaded 95 octane, and (more rarely) unleaded 98 octane; one finds also 80 and 76 octane. Note that if you choose to fill-up in a rural filling station, you will need to pay first, and in cash.
Fuel is much less expensive than in Western Europe (counting 4.1 hr for a litre of 95RON unleaded, which amounts to about 75 Euro cents, 5.2hr for 98). Quality of fuel equals Western European - and you'll not find leaded fuel.
The state of the roads is a huge subject:
The main roads are okay for all cars, as long as you don't go too fast. Numerous running repairs have created a patchwork road surface, and it will seriously test your suspension - even on the major dual carriageways.
Secondary roads are passable, but beware: certain zones can be full of potholes and you must treat them with extra care, or avoid them entirely. Roads between villages are often little more than dirt tracks and not metalled. Treat as inaccessible unless you're driving a 4x4.
Road works have been ongoing, but the quality of the roads is far shy of Western Europe...
Be careful when driving in towns or villages. Sometimes pets prefer to walk on the road, and they are a hazard for all drivers. You're likely to see plenty of animals hit by cars, so be prepared...
Bicycle traffic is not very common, but you will sometimes see an aged man transporting a sack of grass on an old road-bike or a cycling enthusiast in bright clothes riding a semi-professional racing bike. Those are even more likely to be met on well-maintained roads where the pavement is smooth. Also cyclists will use both lanes of the road in both directions equally ie you are just as likely to meet a cyclist coming towards you, riding on the verge, as you will travelling in your direction. And almost invariably without lights or bright clothing so be extra careful when driving at night and dawn/dusk.
Also, don't be surprised to see plenty of horse drawn carts - even on the dual carriageways.
By Bus
There are two major bus companies that run buses from all of the major cities to and from Kiev, they are Avtolux, and Gunsel. Prices run about 55-70 Hryvnia (11-13 USD) for service to Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv.
The major advantage that the bus service has, is that it leaves from Boryspil and stops in Kiev, so if your destination is not Kiev, its easier then taking a bus to the Central Train Station in Kiev.
They are standard coach buses, serve cold drinks and tea, show movies, and make a stop about every 3-4 hours.
They run every few hours.
By plane
Aerosvit offers some really cheap flights and prooved as a good, and time-saving, alternative to the hellishly slow train service. For example the flight Odessa-Kiev (One-Way) was 18 USD (including Tax & all fees) and took 1,5 hours. However, for the real cheapies you have to book early. Be prepared to find yourself seated in a rather historic airplane (AN-24 for example).
The flights can be booked online via www.aerosvit.ua comfortably in English.
By thumb
Hitchhiking in Ukraine is average. Drivers usually request money when they stop - it's a bit cheaper than public transportation (also cheap). But still it's possible to go by hitchhiking - usually cargo trucks will take you for free - but it's still worth to try stop personal cars as well. Good people are everywhere; you may be picked up in a Lada or a Lexus. (More usually the former.)
The usual hitchhiking gesture (also used to hail taxis and marshrutkas) is to face oncoming traffic and point at the road with a straight right arm held away from the body. Sometimes, for visibility, you may add a downward waving motion of the open right hand.
Talk
Ukrainian is the official language. Near the neighbouring countries, Russian, Romanian, Polish, and Hungarian are spoken. Russian is a close relative of Ukrainian and is most often the language of choice in the south and east of Ukraine. It is safe to assume that in large cities everyone would understand Russian (the post-Soviet heritage), however, beware that in central and especially western parts people may be reluctant to help you if you speak Russian, though as a 'foreigner' Ukrainian's will look more benignly on you than on their former imperial 'masters'. On the other hand, in eastern parts and especially Crimea, Russian is commonplace. It’s very common in central part of the country for people to use these two languages simultaneously (so called surzhyk – mix of the languages). It is also common for people to talk to others in their native language, irrespective of the interlocutor’s one, so you can be understood but will not understand using one of the languages.
Young people are more likely to speak a little English, as it is the most widely taught foreign language in school.
If you are traveling to Ukraine, learn either basic Ukrainian or basic Russian before hand (i.e. know your phrase book well) and/or have some means of access to a bi-lingual speaker - their mobile/cell/handy number (everyone has a mobile phone) can be a godsend. Virtually nobody in any official position (Train Stations, Police, Bus drivers, Information Desks, etc.) will be able to speak any language other than Russian or Ukrainian. If you already know another Slavic language you will be able to communicate sufficiently.
It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the Cyrillic alphabet; this will save you a lot of time and difficulty.
Buy
To shop you will most certainly need local currency (hryvnia). US Dollar, Euro and other currency exchange points are very common in cities, and the exchange rate is usually very fair. However, sometimes and in some banks there are problems with cash deposits (or that is the official version), so do not exchange too many dollars unless you're traveling to the more provincial areas. When doing person-to-person payments you might be able to pay in US dollars or Euros, as those are widely recognized, and you might in fact get better rates than in official exchange points. However, be careful, because it's not legal to make payments with foreign currency.
If you want to buy any kind of artwork (paintings, easter eggs) in Kiev, the place to visit is Andriivsky Uzviz (Андріївський узвіз in Ukrainian, Андреевский спуск in Russian).
BE AWARE THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO TAKE OUT OF THE COUNTRY ANY ITEMS OF HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE including badges, medals, icons, historical paintings, etc... This law is strictly enforced at all exit points of the country and one risks heavy fines and/or imprisonment.
1 UAH = 0.2 USD (1 USD = 5 UAH)
1 UAH = 0.165 EUR (1 EUR = 6.05 UAH)
Eat
Ukrainian cuisine is quite tasty, but just as other cuisines in the region uses a lot of fat ingredients, especially in the festive dishes. Traditional local food includes "salo" (salted lard) and soups like "borshch" (борщ in Ukr.) made of red beets or "solianka" (солянка in Ukr.) which is a delicious vegetable soup. The first, salo, is perhaps something you might not make yourself try - however is a delicious side dish, as for the soups being a must-have dish.
If you are outside a big city or in doubt about food, exercise caution and common sense about where you buy food. Try to buy groceries only in supermarkets or large grocery stores, always check the expiration date, and never buy meat or dairy products on the street (you can buy them on the market, but not near the market).
When choosing a restaurant at which to eat, you will find one that you like based on the menu posted by the entrance of every establishment. This may sound strange, but in most towns in Ukraine there are some very good restaurants, sometimes even luxurious ones, and these restaurants do serve properly made food. If you like traveling to more remote parts of the country and are in doubt about what to eat, remember that vegetables are always a safe choice.
Along the way you may find nice places to eat not by following the rare signs, but just by tracing the sky for the smoke of traditional wood fires. These are often places where they serve traditional Ukrainian food, including very tasty shashlyky (шашлики in Ukr.). Restauranteurs are very friendly, and more often than not you will be one of their first foreign visitors. Next to the "borshch" you might also ask for "varenyky" (вареники in Ukr. - dumplings filled with meat or vegetables) or "deruny" (деруни - potato pancakes). You have to try varenyky with with potatoes and cottage cheese in a sautéed onion and sourcream sauce - it's a fantastic dish. These are just starters, but ones that might fill you up quickly.
Drink
The Ukrainian specialty is horilka (the local name for vodka) with pepper. Other kinds of vodka are also quite popular - linden (tilia), honey, birch, wheat. Prices range from $1 to $10 (1-7€)/0,5 l. Souvenir bottles are available for higher prices (some bottles reach upwards of $50 (35€)/0.5 l). There is a great choice of wine, both domestic and imported. The domestic wines mostly originate in the south, in the Crimean region - known for wine making dating back to early Greek settlement over 2,000 years ago, although wines from the Carpathian region of Uzhorod are also quite tasty. Prices for local wine range between $2 to $50 (2-35€) per bottle of 0,75 l (avoid the cheapest wines, $1 or less, as these are sometimes bottled as house wines but sold as local vintages), however, one can find genuine Italian, French, Australian wines from $50 per bottle and more in big supermarkets and most restaurants. The price of imported wines dropped significantly over the last number of years and trends indicate further reductions in price.
There are a lot of beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Ukrainian beer is of very good quality. Beer from barrels or kegs (more common in cafes) is often watered down. Canned beer is not very common in Ukraine and sometimes not of the same quality as the same variety in sold in bottles. The best beers are brewed by Obolon and Sarmat. Imported beers are also widely available but more expensive – for instance, a bottle of Austrian Edelweiss can cost upwards of $2USD while average price of Ukrainian beer is 50¢. All told, Ukrainian beers are very tasty and gaining popularity elsewhere in Europe.
Of non-alcoholic beverages one should try kvas – a typically slavic drink made of rye or wheat. During the summer one can easily buy it from designated street vendors. It’s better to buy it in bottles due of unknown cleanness of the barrel. Dairy drinks, of all sorts, are also available, although mostly in supermarkets. Bottles of mineral water are available everywhere, as well as lemonades, beer, and strong drinks. When seeking to buy bottled water make sure to ask for "voda bez hazu" (water without gas) otherwise you are likely to be handed the carbonated drink.
WARNING. Never buy vodka or kognak (the local name for brandy) outside supermarkets or liquor stores, for there are a lot of fakes. Every year a few die as a result of methyl poisoning - a compound used to make fake vodkas.
Sleep
Hotels might be a traumatic experience for a westerner anywhere outside Kiev. The cheaper the hotel, the larger the chance of some quite unfortunate surprises, especially for those not familiar with the Soviet-style level of service which still remains in many places.
There are many mid- range (E 25-45) options outside Kiev. For instance in Ivano Frankivsk (near the Carpathians), the going rate is approximately 35 euro for a suite (bedroom and sitting room)in Hotel Nadia. Many hotels have the choice between renovated rooms/suites ("western style") and not renovated rooms (easteuropean style). The last choice is more than 50% cheaper and gives you a spacious old fashioned 2 room suite, basic but clean!
There is only 1 5 star hotel, is called the Premier, but very expensive.
Another option is to rent an apartment on the internet before you leave your country. There's many to choose from in Kiev and Odesa. Tip: Read Kiev in your pocket on internet!
What many people from ex-soviet countries do is to go to the railway station, where they try to find people who are willing to rent a room. Prices are usually much cheaper and if there are enough people offering the room you can make great deals (in Yalta people are almost fighting to be able to talk to you).
These deals are usually not legal and they will take you to a corner before negotiating. Make sure they have warm water, and don't be afraid to say it's not what you expected when seeing the room.
If they smell you're a foreigner prices will triple or quadruple.
Learn
There are a lot of foreign students in Ukrainian universities, but the level of education is lower every year. Bribery is huge, you can obtain a diploma here having attended just twice (the first and last days of study) if you have money (it's a hyperbole, of course, but the real life is not much different). Of course if one want to obtain good knowlege they will, but motivation in such a situation is low.
Stay safe
Many people will tell you that you can take a copy of your visa with you. Sadly, some people experience trouble over this. It's always better to carry your passport with you. A photocopy can be refused as proof of identity. A phone call to a local that can help you will often prove very effective to help you.
Get the details of your local embassy and/or consulates in advance and note their emergency numbers.
If you can it is useful to have a bi-lingual acquaintance who can be called in an emergency or if you encounter difficulties. If staying for any length of time it is advisable to get a local SIM card for your mobile for emergencies, and for cheaper local calls/texts. These are widely available, cheap and easy to 'top-up'
Crime Issues
As in any other country, using common sense when traveling in Ukraine will minimize any chances of being victim of petty crime and theft. Try not to publicize the fact that you're a foreigner or flaunt your wealth - by clothing or otherwise. With the exception of Kiev, Odessa and other large cities, foreign tourists are still quite rare. As in any country the possibility of petty theft exists. In Kiev make sure to guard your bags and person because pickpocketing is very common. Guides have told tourists to watch certain people because he heard them say, "They look like Americans, let's follow them for a while and see what we can get."
Opposite, if being arrested by police or other law enforcement - do your best to inform them that you're a foreign visitor. Not many police officials speak foreign languages freely, however many people are eager to assist in translation.
Don't drink alcohol in a company of unknown people (which may be suggested more freely than in the West). You don't know how much are they going to drink (and convince you to drink with them), and what conflicts may arise after that. Also, many Ukrainians, known for a penchant for a good drink, can sometimes consume such an amount of vodka that would be considered lethal for the average beer-accustomed Westerner.
Your Financial Security
Ukraine is a predominantly cash economy. The network of bank offices and ATMs is growing fast and has become sufficient in the large cities. So you can use your credit cards (mostly MasterCard, Visa) or cash travel checks easily. But avoid using your credit cards for payments at establishments in smaller towns as retailers are not trained and controlled enough to ensure your card privacy. Instead, it is widely acceptable to pay cash. Locals (especially businesspeople) sometimes carry, and pay in cash amounts considered unusually large in other countries. Don't suspect criminal activity in every such case.
Also, it is strongly recommended to avoid individual (street) currency exchangers as there are thieves among such exchangers, that may instead give you old, Soviet-era currency or also coupons that have been withdrawn from circulation since the mid 1990's. Use special exchange booths (widely available) and banks; also be wary of exchange rate tricks like 5.059/5.62 buy/sell instead of 5.59/5.62.
The US dollar is generally accepted as a form of currency, particularly in tourist areas. The Euro, while exchangeable, is generally not used as a form of currency, however gaining popularity. When it is used you'll be paying with it as though it was a dollar, which is not particularly favorable. If you want to bring spare cash, it is best to bring US dollars.
Racism Issues
The area around U.S. embassy in Kyiv is known for the provocateur groups targeting black people, and there have been reports of such attacks on Andriyivski, the main tourist street that runs from Mykhailivska down into Podil.
Anecdotal experience is that there is underlying racism in Ukraine, indeed much of the FSU. Blacks are sometimes referred to as Mavpa/Makaka - monkey in Ukrainian/Russian; migrants from Middle and Central Asia and gypsies receive much closer and frequent attention from the militsiya (police). Always have your passport (or a photocopy of the main pages if you're concerned about losing it or if you're staying in a hotel that is holding it) as foreigners are treated more favorably than others. This is not to say that it is unsafe or threatening, but it is better to be forewarned of the realities.
Accident Hazards
Ukraine is a country of stray/wild/homeless dogs - easily recognizable by their dirty look and cold temper. They just live on the streets and yards (mostly in the suburbs) and are not dangerous. Mostly you can step over the animal lying on the pavement without any hostile reaction. However, don't show excessive tender or panic towards these dogs: it may awake their well-oppressed instincts. Avoid lactating bitches and domestic dogs.
While there's a lot of swimming and diving attractions throughout Ukraine, local water rescue is tremendously underfunded. It is unlikely that you would be noticed while drowning, especially on the river. Use only officially established beaches.
Ukraine has some of the worst statistics for road related deaths and injuries in the world - so act accordingly. Take care when crossing the roads; walk and drive defensively - be aware that traffic overtakes on both the inside and outside. Sometimes you even need to take care when using the sidewalks, as in rush-hours the black, slab-sided Audi/BMW/Mercedes sometimes opt to avoid the traffic by using the wide sidewalks; pedestrians or not. Owners/drivers of expensive cars have been known, at times, to be more careless of the safety of pedestrians. Always watch out for your safety.
Also be warned that pavements suffer in the same way as the roads in terms of collapsing infrastructure. Take care when walking, especially in the dark and away from the downtown areas of the main cities (a torch/flashlight is a useful possession) as the streets are poorly lit, as are most of the entries/stairwells to buildings, and the street and sidewalk surfaces are often dangerously pot-holed. Don't step on man-hole covers, as these can 'tip' dropping your leg into the hole with all the potential injuries!
Stay healthy
There is radiation contamination in the northeast from the accident at Chornobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. However the effect is negligible unless you permanently live in Chornobyl area itself. There are even tours to the town of Prypyat' which is the closest to the station. The town is famous for the haunting scenery of blocks of apartment buildings abandoned in 1986, now standing out amid the vegetation which spawned from years of neglect.
Do not, under any circumstances, drink unboiled tap water. Cholera and other waterborne parasites occur frequently, especially in the south. Whenever possible buy bottled water, which is freely available and generally OK.
Respect
Ukraine is by no means a conservative country with respect to clothing, behaviour, overcharging you if they can get by with it, getting what you paid for (quality). It is very different from our western perspective in some of these cases.
Also, some Ukrainian women wear risque clothes. This does not always mean that the woman is a prostitute or "easy".
Contact
Inquire the locations of your country's embassy/consulates before traveling to Ukraine.
Ukraine (Україна, Ukraina, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north-east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the south-west, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The historic city of Kiev (Kyiv) is the country's capital.
From at least the ninth century, the territory of present-day Ukraine was a centre of medieval East Slavic civilization forming the state of Kievan Rus, and for the following several centuries the territory was divided between a number of regional powers. After a brief period of independence (1917–1921) following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Ukraine became one of the founding Soviet Republics in 1922. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic's territory was enlarged westward after the Second World War, and again in 1954 with the Crimea transfer. In 1945, Ukrainian SSR became one of the co-founder members of the United Nations. It became independent again after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.
History
Human settlement in the territory of Ukraine has been documented into distant prehistory. The late Neolithic Trypillian culture flourished from about 4500 BCE to 3000 BCE.
Early history of Ukraine (800 BCE–700 CE)
In antiquity, the southern and eastern parts of modern Ukraine were populated by nomads called Scythians (Iranian tribe). The Scythian Kingdom existed on this land between 700 BCE and 200 BCE. In the third century CE, the Goths arrived, calling their country Oium, and formed the Chernyakhov culture before moving on and defeating the Roman empire. In the seventh century, the territory of modern Ukraine was the core of the state of the Bulgars (often referred to as Great Bulgaria) who had their capital in the city of Phanagoria.
The majority of the Bulgar tribes migrated in several directions at the end of the seventh century and the remains of their state was swept by the Khazars, a semi-nomadic people from Central Asia. The Khazars founded the independent Khazar kingdom in the southeastern part of today's Europe, near the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus. In addition to western Kazakhstan, the Khazar kingdom also included territory in what is now eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, southern Russia, and Crimea.
Golden Age of Kiev (800–1100)
During the tenth and eleventh centuries the territory of Ukraine became the centre of a powerful and prestigious state in Europe, the Kievan Rus, laying the foundation for the national identity of Ukrainians, as well as other East Slavic nations, through subsequent centuries. Its capital was Kiev, the capital of modern Ukraine, wrestled from Khazars by Askold and Dir in about 860. According to the Primary Chronicle, the Kievan Rus' elite initially consisted of Varangians from Scandinavia. The Varangians later became assimilated into the local Slavic population and gave the Rus' its first powerful dynasty, the Rurik Dynasty.
Kievian Rus' was comprised from several principalities, ruled by the interrelated Rurikid Princes. The seat of Kiev, the most prestigious and influential of all principalities, became a subject of many rivalries between Rurikids as the most valuable prize in their quest for power, sometimes through intrigue but often through bloody conflicts. The Golden Age of Kievan Rus' falls on the years of Kiev being ruled by Vladimir the Great (Volodymyr, 980–1015) who turned Rus' towards the Byzantine Christianity and his son Yaroslav the Wise (1019–1054) during whose lengthy reign, Kievan Rus' reached a zenith of its cultural flowering and military power that was followed by the state's increasing fragmentation as the relative importance of regions rose again. After the one last resurgence under the rule of Vladimir Monomakh 1113–1125 and his son Mstislav (1125–1132) the Kievan Rus' finally disintegrated into the separate principalities following Mstislav's death. The thirteenth century Mongol invasion dealt Rus' a final blow from which it never recovered.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1300–1600)
On the Ukrainian territory, the state of Kievan Rus' was succeeded by the principalities of Halych and Volodymyr-Volynskyi, which were merged into the state of Halych-Volynia. In the mid-fourteenth century it was subjugated by Casimir IV of Poland while the heartland of Rus', including Kiev, fell under the Gediminids of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Following the 1386 marriage of Lithuania's Grand Duke Jagiello to Poland's King Jadwiga (her title was "King" even though she was a woman), most of the Ukrainian territory was controlled by the increasingly Ruthenized Lithuanian rulers as part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (the term Ruthenia and Ruthenians as the Latinized versions of "Rus'", became widely applied to the land and its people, respectively).
much of Ukraine was controlled by Lithuania (from the fourteenth century on) and since the Union of Lublin (1569) by Poland as seen at this outline of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as of 1619
By the 1569 Union of Lublin that formed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a significant part of Ukrainian territory was moved from largely Ruthenized Lithuanian rule to the Polish administration, as it was transferred to the Polish Crown. Under the cultural pressure of polonization much of the Ruthenian upper class converted to Catholicism (such transitions were beneficial for achieving political influence within the state), for example, King Michael of Poland, who reigned from 1669 to 1673, was of the Ruthenian Vishnevetsky Wiśniowiecki family. At the same time the common people, especially the peasants retained their old ways of especially, the allegiance to their historic Eastern Orthodox Church, which led to the increasing social tensions, visible in such events as the 1596 Union of Brest, created by Sigismund III Vasa, who attempted to bring the Orthodox population under the Catholicism through creation of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. This controversial move failed to achieve its goals. Resisted even by some Ruthenian magnates, otherwise loyal to the Polish kings (Ostrogskis being the most notable example), the new "intermediate" religion was unnecessary for the most of the upper class, much of whom increasingly turned directly towards Catholicism with each subsequent generation. Thus, the Ukrainian commoners, deprived of their native protectors among Ruthenian nobility, turned for protection to the Cossacks who remained fiercely Orthodox at all times.
From 1569 the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth suffered a series of Tatar invasions, the goal of which was to loot, pillage and capture slaves into jasyr. The borderland area to the south-east was in a state of semi-permanent warfare until the 18th century. Some researchers estimate that altogether more than 3 million people, predominantly Ukrainians but also Circassians, Russians, Belarusians and Poles, were captured and enslaved during the time of the Crimean Khanate.
Rise of the Cossacks (1600–1800)
In the mid of the seventeenth century, a Cossack state, the Zaporozhian Sich, was established by the Dnieper cossacks and the Ruthenian peasants fleeing Polish serfdom. Poland had little real control of this land in what is now central Ukraine, which became an autonomous military state, at times allied with the Commonwealth in the military campaigns. However, the enserfment of peasantry by the Polish nobility, overall emphasis of the Commonwealth's agricultural economy on the fierce exploitation of the unfree workforce, and, perhaps most importantly, the suppression of the Orthodox church pushed the allegiances of Cossacks away from Poland. Their aspiration was to have a representation in Polish Sejm, recognition of Orthodox traditions and the gradual expansion of the Cossack Registry, all being vehemently denied by the Polish kings. The cossacks turned toward Orthodox Russia, which was one reason for the later downfall of the Polish-Lithuanian state.
In 1648, Bohdan Khmelnytsky led the largest of the Cossack uprisings against the Commonwealth and the Polish king John II Casimir. This uprising finally led to a partition of Ukraine between Poland and Russia. Left-Bank Ukraine was eventually integrated into Russia as the Cossack Hetmanate, following the 1654 Treaty of Pereyaslav and the ensuing Russo-Polish War. After the partitions of Poland in the end of the eighteenth century by Prussia, Habsburg Austria, and Russia at the end of the eighteenth century, Western Ukrainian (Galicia) was taken over by Austria, while the rest of Ukraine was progressively incorporated into the Russian Empire. Despite the promises of Ukrainian autonomy given by the treaty of Pereyaslav, Ukrainians never received the freedoms they were hoping for from Imperial Russia. The Ukrainians played an important role in the frequent wars between East European monarchies and the Ottoman Empire. As a result of Russian successes in the wars against Ottoman Empire and Crimean Khanate of 1768–74 and 1787–1792, the territories along the Black Sea coast were annexed to the Russian Empire as well. Within the Empire Ukrainians frequently rose to the highest offices of Russian state (e.g., Aleksey Razumovsky, Alexander Bezborodko, Ivan Paskevich), and dominated the Russian Orthodox Church (e.g., Stephen Yavorsky, Feofan Prokopovich, Dimitry of Rostov). At a later period, the tsar regime was implementing a harsh policy of Russification, banning the use of the Ukrainian language in print, and in public.
World War I and Austro-Hungarian rule
During World War I Austro-Hungarian authorities subjected Ukrainians in Galicia who sympathized with Russia to repression. Over twenty thousand supporters of Russia were arrested and placed in an Austrian concentration camp in Talerhof, Styria, and in a fortress at Terezín (now in the Czech Republic).
Division and early Soviet years
With the Russian and Austrian empires' collapse following World War I and the Russian Revolution of 1917, Ukrainian national movement for self-determination emerged again. During 1917–20 several separate Ukrainian states briefly emerged: the Central Rada, the Hetmanate, the Directorate, the Ukrainian People's Republic and the West Ukrainian People's Republic. However, with the defeat of the latter in the Polish-Ukrainian War and the failure of the Polish Kiev Offensive (1920) of the Polish-Soviet War, the Peace of Riga concluded in March 1921 between the Poland and the Bolsheviks left Ukraine divided again. The western part of Ukraine had been incorporated into the newly organized Second Polish Republic, and the larger central and eastern part, established as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in March of 1919, later became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, when it was formed in December of 1922.
The Ukrainian national idea lived on during the early-Soviet years and the Ukrainian culture and language even enjoyed a revival as the Ukrainization became a local implementation of the Soviet-wide Korenization ("indigenization") policy whose gains were sharply reversed by the early-1930s policy changes.
Ukraine saw its share of the Soviet industrialization starting from the late 1920s and the republic's industrial output quadrupled in the 1930s. However, the industrialization had a heavy cost for the peasantry, demographically a backbone of the Ukrainian nation. To satisfy the state's need for increased food supplies and finance industrialization, Stalin instituted a program of collectivization of agriculture as the state combined the peasants' lands and animals into collective farms and enforcing the policies by the regular troops and secret police. Those who resisted were arrested and deported and the increased production quotas were placed on the peasantry. The collectivization had a devastating effect on agricultural productivity. As the members of the collective farms were not allowed to receive any grain until the unachievable quotas were met, the starvation became widespread. Millions starved to death in a famine, known as the Holodomor.
The times also coincided with the Soviet assault on the national political and cultural elite often accused in "nationalist deviations" as the Ukrainization. These policies were reversed at the turn of the decade. Two waves of purges (1929–1934 and 1936–1938) resulted in the elimination of four fifths of the Ukrainian cultural elite.
World War II
During World War II, some elements of the Ukrainian nationalist underground fought both Nazi and Soviet forces, forming the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in 1942, while other Ukrainians initially collaborated with the Nazis, having been ignored by all other powers. In 1941 the German invaders and their Axis allies initially advanced against desperate but unsuccessful efforts of the Red Army. In the encirclement battle of Kiev, the city was acclaimed by the Soviets as a "Hero City", for the fierce resistance of the Red Army and of the local population. More than 650,000 Soviet males between the ages of 15-50 were taken captive.
Initially, the Germans were received as liberators by many Ukrainians, especially in western Ukraine which had only been occupied by the Soviets in 1939. However, German rule in the occupied territories eventually aided the Soviet cause. Nazi administrators of conquered Soviet territories made little attempt to exploit the population of Ukrainian territories' dissatisfaction with Soviet political and economic policies. Instead, the Nazis preserved the collective-farm system, systematically carried out genocidal policies against Jews, deported others (mainly Ukrainians) to work in Germany, and began a systematic depopulation of Ukraine to prepare it for German colonization, which included a food blockade on Kiev. Under these circumstances, most people living on the occupied territory passively or actively opposed the Nazis.
Total civilian losses during the war and German occupation in Ukraine are estimated between five and eight million, including over half a million Jews killed by the Einsatzgruppen, sometimes with the help of local collaborators. Of the estimated 8.6 million Soviet troops who fell in battle against the Nazis, about a quarter (2.7 million) were ethnic Ukrainians. Ukraine is distinguished as one of the first nations to fight the Axis powers in Carpatho-Ukraine, and one that saw some of the greatest bloodshed during the war.
The republic was heavily damaged by the war, and it required significant efforts to recover. The situation was worsened by a man-made famine in 1946–47, when the Soviet authorities were forcibly confiscating grain crops in accordance with a preset plan, ignoring drought conditions of 1946. Collected grain was distributed to the other regions of Soviet Union, and on the top, 2.5 million tonnes were exported abroad. In Ukraine about one million people, predominantly in rural areas, died from the famine.
In the Western Ukraine, Ukrainians continued to resist Soviet rule, and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, formed in World War II to fight both Soviets and Nazis, continued to fight the USSR into the 1950s. Using guerilla war tactics, the insurgents were assassinating Soviet party leaders, NKVD and military officers. In particular, due to the resistance, the 1946-47 famine was much less severe in West Ukraine than in other Ukrainian regions.
Following the death of Stalin in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev became the new leader of USSR. Being the First Secretary of Communist Party of Ukrainian SSR in 1938-49, Khrushchev played a role in Stalin's repressions, the liberation of Ukraine from the Nazis, organization of the man-made famine in 1946-47 and suppression of resistance in West Ukraine. But after taking the power, he found it best to propagandize the friendship between the Ukrainian and Russian nations. In 1954, the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Pereyaslav was widely celebrated, and in particular, the Crimea was transferred from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR.
In the times of Khrushchev Thaw of 1960s, there were dissident movements in Ukraine by such prominent figures as Vyacheslav Chornovil, Vasyl Stus, Levko Lukyanenko. As in the other regions of USSR, the movements were quickly suppressed.
In the 1970s, the new Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhnev was gradually concentrating on power. In 1972, the First Secretary of Communist Party of Ukraine Petro Shelest lost his position, as he was seen as being "too independent" by the government in Moscow, and was replaced by Volodymyr Shcherbytsky.
The rule of Shcherbytsky was characterized by the expanded policies of Russification. At the same time he used his influence as the First Secretary of CPU, and a Politburo member for over 25 years, to advocate economic interests of Ukraine within the USSR.
Chernobyl disaster
On 26th April 1986, a nuclear reactor exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The disaster was the product of a flawed reactor design coupled with serious mistakes made by the plant operators in the context of a system where training was minimal. Large areas of Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and beyond were contaminated in varying degrees. Around 150,000 people were evacuated from the contaminated area, and 300,000–600,000 took part in the clean-up. By the year 2000, about 4000 cases of thyroid cancer had been diagnosed in exposed children.
After the accident a 30km exclusion zone was established around the power plant. A new city ,Slavutych, was built outside the exclusion zone to house and support the employees of the plant.
The Chernobyl facility includes four reactors. Unit 4 was destroyed in the accident. Units 1 and 2 were decommissioned. Unit 3 was upgraded to make it safe and continued to produce power supplying about 2% of Ukraine’s electrical power until 15 December 2000. At that time then-President Leonid Kuchma personally turned off Reactor 3 in an official ceremony, effectively shutting down the entire plant.
Independence
The wave of Gorbachev’s perestroika came to Ukraine only in 1988–89. It was hindered initially by Shcherbytsky and party nomenclature. Also, the economic slowdown and product shortages were initially not as severe in Ukraine as in the other regions of USSR.
In 1989, the national movement "People's Movement of Ukraine", known in short as Rukh was formed. In the elections to the parliament of republic, which were held in March of 1990, Rukh obtained overwhelming support in West Ukraine, as well as in the cities of Kiev and Kharkiv.
In January of 1990, hundreds of thousand Ukrainians organized a human chain for Ukrainian independence in memory of 1919 unification of Ukrainian People's Republic and West Ukrainian National Republic. Citizens came out to the streets and highways forming live chains by holding hands in support of unity. On July 16, 1990 the new parliament adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine. The declaration established the principles of the self-determination of Ukrainian nation, the democracy, the political and economic independence, and the priority of Ukrainian law on the Ukrainian territory over Soviet law. A month earlier, a similar declaration was adopted by the parliament of Russian SFSR. It opened a period of confrontation between the central Soviet, and new republican authorities.
In March of 1991, a referendum was organized by the central Soviet authorities, asking people to express the desire to live in "renewed" Soviet Union. The Ukrainian parliament added a second question, asking Ukrainian citizens the desire to live in the Soviet Union on the principles established in the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine. The citizens of Ukraine responded positively to both questions.
In August of 1991, the conservative Communist leaders of Soviet Union attempted a coup to remove Gorbachev and to restore Communist party power. After the attempt failed, on 22 August 1991 the Ukrainian parliament adopted the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine in which the parliament declared Ukraine as independent democratic state.
A referendum and the first presidential elections had been scheduled on December 1, 1991. That day, more than 90% of Ukrainians expressed their support for the Act of Independence, and they elected the chairman of the parliament, Leonid Kravchuk to serve as the first president of the country.
At the meetings in Brest (8 December) and Alma Ata (21 December) the leaders of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, formally dissolved the Soviet Union, and formed the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Modern history
Ukraine was initially viewed as a republic with favorable economic conditions in comparison to the other regions of the Soviet Union. However, the country experienced deeper economic slowdown than the other republics. Over the time of the recession Ukraine lost 60% of its GDP in the period of 1991-1999, and suffered five-digit inflation rates. Ever since 2000 Ukraine has enjoyed a steady economic growth averaging approximately 7% annually, which is one of the highest growth rates in Europe and the World.
Dissatisfied with the economic conditions, as well as crime and corruption, Ukrainians protested and went on strikes. In 1994 the President Kravchuk agreed to hold presidential elections ahead of schedule, in which he lost the presidential post to former Prime-Minister Leonid Kuchma.
Under Kuchma, who served two terms as the President, the Ukrainian economy stabilized by the end of 1990s, and started to grow in early 2000s. A new Constitution of Ukraine was adopted in 1996, which turned Ukraine into a semi-presidential republic, and established a stable political system. Kuchma was, however, criticized by opponents for concentrating too much of power in his office, corruption, transferring public property into hands of loyal oligarchs, discouraging free speech, and vote manipulations.
The first National Space Agency of Ukraine cosmonaut to enter space under the Ukrainian flag was Leonid K. Kadenyuk on 13 May 1997. Ukraine became an active participant in scientific space exploration and remote sensing missions. In a period from 1992 to 2007 Ukraine has launched 6 self made satellites and continues to further design future spacecrafts.
In 2004, Victor Yanukovich, then Prime Minister, was declared the winner of the presidential elections, which had been rigged, as many observers agreed. The results caused a public outcry in support of the opposition candidate, Victor Yuschenko, who challenged the results and led the peaceful Orange Revolution. The revolution brought Viktor Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko to power, while casting Viktor Yanukovych in opposition. The same year, Ukrainian pop-folk singer Ruslana won Eurovision Song Contest 2004 which allowed Ukraine to host Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kyiv. Ukrainian launch vehicles were launched 97 times since Independence and till present time.
In 2006 Verkhovna Rada elections took place in March, and three months later the official government was formed by the "Anti-Crisis Coalition" among the Party of Regions, Communist Party, and Socialist Party of Ukraine. The latter party switched from the "Orange Coalition" with Our Ukraine, and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. The new coalition nominated Viktor Yanukovych for the post of Prime Minister. Yanukovich once again became the Prime Minister, while the leader of Socialist Party, Oleksander Moroz, managed to secure the Chairman of parliament position.
On April 18, 2007 in Cardiff, Wales, Ukraine won a joint bid with Poland to host the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship which is the third largest sporting event in the world after the Olympics and the World Cup. This is the first time in Ukrainian history that the country got a chance to host an international event of such scale. Experts and politicians have noted that it will boost Ukrainian infrastructure development, tourist attractiveness and overall investments into the country. Among the most significant developments that will take place in the process of preparation are the road infrastructure improvement, expanding hotel networks in at least six major cities, in particular Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Odesa and Lviv, modernization of airports and construction of modern Football stadiums. One of the stadiums which is currently under construction is the Shakhtar Stadium in Donetsk which received a 5-star FIFA rating, meaning that it will be classified as one of the best in the world.
In late March of 2007 and early April the Ukrainian political system dealt with another constitutional crisis. President Viktor Yushchenko dissolved the Ukrainian parliament and ordered an early election to be held May 27, 2007. Crowds of about 70,000 gathered on Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the central square of Kiev, and supported the dismissal of parliament, with 20,000 supporting Yanukovych's plan to keep the parliament together. On April 3, 2007, President Yushchenko signed the bill into existence. Two hours later on Kiev's Maidan, it was announced to the crowds that Parliament no longer existed.
Immediately the Verkhovna Rada was called in emergency session and voted against Yuschenko's decree 255 to 0. Yushchenko then took his case to the Supreme Court of Ukraine. A political struggle ensued between the Parliamentary coalition and the opposition.
A compromise between Yushchenko and Yanukovych has been reached to reschedule parliamentary elections for September 30, 2007.
Government and politics
Ukraine is currently through a transition state after a substantial constitutional reform was introduced in the beginning of 2006. The amendments to the Constitution were meant to transform the Ukrainian state from a presidential republic to a mixed parliamentary-presidential republic. However, the amendments happened to be far from perfect and created a great opportunity for potential conflicts between the President on one side and the Parliamentary coalition on the other. The political life of Ukraine during the last 9 month could be characterized as a constant struggle between the President and the Prime-Minister for power (which is aggravated by the fact, that the President and the Prime-Minister represent the opposite parts of the political spectrum and have some very significant differences concerning the foreign and the internal policy).
This conflict has been accompanied by accusations from both parts. The President Yushchenko accuses the coalition of trying to usurp the power and take away even those powers, that he preserved after the reform. On the other hand, the coalition accuses the President of unwillingness to accept the consequences of the constitutional reform and trying to regain his former powers by all means possible.
According to the Constitution Ukraine is a republic under a mixed semi-parliamentary semi-presidential system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The main role in the formation of the executive branch (the Cabinet of Ministers) belongs to the Parliament (more precisely, the parliamentary coalition). However, the President of Ukraine retains some significant means to influence the political situation in the country.
The President (currently Viktor Yushchenko) is elected through direct universal popular vote for a five-year-term. He is the head of state and has the right to act in the name of the state. He is also officially considered to be the guarantor of the Constitution, the independence, security and unity of the state.
His functions include the following:
The President can also give decrees and executive orders obligatory on the whole territory of Ukraine, however, the decrees of the President must be in conformity with the Constitution and laws adopted by the Parliament (and some categories of the presidential decrees also require a counter-signature of the Prime-Minister and a minister responsible for the enforcement of such a decree; this concerns the decrees of four categories: appointment and dismissal of the Ukrainian ambassadors to foreign states and international organizations, enforcement of the decisions of the National Security and Defense Council, foundation of courts and the proclamation of the emergency situation). Lately, there have been a lot of debate between the presidential part and the part of the coalition on whether giving such counter-signatures is an obligation of the Prime-Minister (according to the point of view of the President) or not. The Law on the Cabinet of Ministers adopted by the Parliament lately (and which is not recognized as a legal document by the President, who claims it to be "gravely unconstitutional") states, that giving a counter-signature must precede the official publication of a decree, and the Prime-Minister or a responsible minister may refuse to give such a counter-signature,the consequence of the latter is that the respective presidential decree may not be officially publicized (and therefore may not come into force). However, the President usually ignores this article of the law, and enforces the respective decrees independently of the Cabinet, which in turn often refuses to recognize such decrees of the President.
The President also has some other minor functions determined by the Constitution.
The Prime Minister (currently Viktor Yanukovich) is appointed and dismissed by the 450-seat parliament, the unicameral Verkhovna Rada (the Supreme Council). The parliament also approves the members of the Cabinet of Ministers, that are appointed on a proposal of the Prime-Minister (excluding the Minister for the Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense, that are appointed on a proposal of the President, which has been a subject for a significant dispute lately between the parliamentary coalition and the President). According to the Constitution The Cabinet of Ministers is the highest institution of the executive branch. Within the limits of its competence the Cabinet of Ministers gives executive orders and decrees. The Cabinet is responsible before the Parliament and may be dismissed only of the Parliament passes a censure motion (this in turn may be done on a proposal of the President or a group of deputies). The President may not dismiss the Cabinet nor any of the ministers by himself (as it was done according to the previous edition of the Constitution), however, he takes part in the formation of the Cabinet, by formally nominating the Prime-Minister (whereas he nominates the candidate not at his own discretion, but on a proposal of the parliamentary coalition). He also nominates the Minister for the Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense. The heads of regional and district administrations are appointed by the President on a proposal of the Prime-Minister. This system virtually requires an agreement between the President and the Prime-Minister, however the President Yushchenko lately prefers to use a legally controversial way to evade this law by appointing not the actual governors or the heads of the local administrations, but the so called "temporarily acting" officers (in practice, there is no other big difference than the name), thus evading the need to seek for a compromise with the Prime-Minister in this aspect. This practice is very controversial and still has to be reviewed by the Constitutional Court.
Laws, acts of the parliament and the Cabinet, presidential decrees, and acts of the Crimean parliament (Autonomous Republic of Crimea) may be abrogated by the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, should the be found to violate the Constitution of Ukraine. Other normative acts are subject to judicial review. The Supreme Court of Ukraine is the main body in the system of courts of general jurisdiction.
Local self-government is officially guaranteed. Local councils and city mayors are popularly elected and exercise control over local budgets.
Ukraine has a large number of political parties, many of which have tiny memberships and are unknown to the general public. Small parties often join in multi-party coalitions (electoral blocks) for the purpose of participating in parliamentary elections.
The current parliamentary coalition is formed by the Party of Regions (of Viktor Yanukovich), the Socialist Party and the Communist Party (the latter mostly play the role of satellites of Viktor Yanukovich's party).
Military
After the collapse of Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited a one-million-man military force on its territory, equipped with the third largest nuclear weapon arsenal in the world. In May of 1992, Ukraine signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in which the country agreed to give up all nuclear weapons, and to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. Ukraine ratified the treaty in 1994, and by 1996 the country became free of nuclear weapons.
Ukraine also took consistent steps toward the reduction of conventional weapons. It signed the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which called for reduction of tanks, artillery, and armored vehicles. The army forces were reduced to 300,000 soldiers. The country plans to convert the current, mostly conscript, army into a professional army.
Following independence, Ukraine declared itself to be a neutral state. The country had limited military partnership with Russia and other CIS countries, as well as, since 1994, it established a partnership with NATO. In 2000s Ukraine was leaning toward NATO, and a deeper cooperation with the alliance was set by NATO-Ukraine Action Plan signed in 2002. As of 2006, this issue is a subject of extensive debates within Ukrainian society of whether the country should join NATO. In August of 2006, the leading political parties signed the Universal of National Unity, a non-binding document, in which they agreed that the question of joining NATO should be answered by a national referendum at some point in the future.
Oblasts and other administrative divisions
Ukraine is subdivided into twenty-four oblasts (provinces) and one autonomous republic (avtonomna respublika), Crimea. Additionally, two cities (misto), Kiev and Sevastopol, have a special legal status. The oblasts are subdivided into 494 raions (districts).
Geography
At 603,700 km² (233,074 mi²) and with a coastline of 2,782 km (1,729 sq mi) Ukraine is the world's 44th-largest country (after the Central African Republic], before [[Madagascar). It is the second largest country in Europe (after European part of Russia, before metropolitan France).
There is ongoing debate on where the geographical centre of Europe is, for instance, some claim the center is near the small town of Rakhiv, in western Ukraine;.
The Ukrainian landscape consists mostly of fertile plains, or steppes, and plateaus, crossed by rivers such as the Dnieper, Seversky Donets, Dniester and the Southern Buh as they flow south into the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. To the southwest the delta of the Danube forms the border with Romania. The country's only mountains are the Carpathian Mountains in the west, of which the highest is the Hora Hoverla at 2,061 m (6,762 ft), and those in the Crimean peninsula, in the extreme south along the coast.
Ukraine has a mostly temperate continental climate, though a more mediterranean climate is found on the southern Crimean coast. Precipitation is disproportionately distributed; it is highest in the west and north and lesser in the east and southeast. Winters vary from cool along the Black Sea to cold farther inland. Summers are warm across the greater part of the country, but generally hot in the south.
Economy
Ukraine is among the world's thirty largest economies. In the Soviet times, the economy of the republic was the second largest in the Soviet Union, being an important industrial and agricultural component of country's planned economy. With the collapse of Soviet system, the country progressed toward a market economy, but the move was somewhat longer and more painful than the proponents of shock therapy were to advise.
In 1991, the government liberalized most prices in order to combat widespread product shortages, and was successful in overcoming the problem. In the same time, the government continued to subside the government-owned industries and agriculture by uncovered monetary emission. The loose monetary policies of early 1990s pushed inflation to hyperinflationary levels. For the year 1993 Ukraine holds the world record for inflation in one calendar year. The prices stabilized only after the introduction of new currency, hryvnia in 1996.
The country was also slow in the implementation of structural reforms. Following independence, the government erected a legal framework for privatization. However, widespread resistance to reforms within the government and from a significant part of population soon stalled the reform efforts. A large number of governed-owned enterprises were exempt from the privatization process. In the meantime, by 1999, the output had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level, but recovered to slightly over the 100% mark by the end of 2006.
Since the late 1990s the government has pledged to reduce the number of government agencies, streamline the regulatory process, create a legal environment to encourage entrepreneurs, and enact a comprehensive tax overhaul. Outside institutions—particularly the IMF—have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms and have threatened to withdraw financial support. But reforms in some politically sensitive areas of structural reform and land privatizations are still lagging.
In early 2000s the economy showed strong export-based growth of 5% to 10%, with industrial production growing more than 10% per year. The growth was largely attributed to a surge in exports of metals and chemicals to China.
In 2005, the economic growth temporarily slowed down due to unfavorable changes in terms of trade, as world energy prices went up and metal prices went down. In 2006, the economy is again experiencing above 5% growth. The growth was undergirded by strong domestic demand and growing consumer and investor confidence.
The current Ukrainian economy is a typical example of a post-soviet era developing economy. The World Bank classifies Ukraine as a lower middle-income state. Some significant issues are underdeveloped infrastructure and transportation, corruption and bureaucracy, and a lack of modern-minded professionals - despite the large number of universities. But the rapidly growing Ukrainian economy has a very interesting emerging market with a relatively big population, and large profits associated with the high risks. The Ukrainian stock market grew up 10 times between 2000 and 2006, including the tremendous 341% growth in 2004, followed by 28% growth in 2005, and 24% growth in 2006. Growing sectors of the Ukrainian economy include the IT Outsourcing market, which has been growing at over 100% per annum.
The average nominal salary in Ukraine by the start of 2007 reached over 200 euro per month. Despite remaining much lower than in neighboring central European countries, the annual growth of average salary income is approximately 30% for several years in a row. For 2006, the Index of Economic Freedom of Ukraine was 3.24, rank 99 amongst 157 states.
The country imports most energy supplies, especially oil and natural gas, and to a large extent depends on Russia as an energy supplier. While 25% of the natural gas in Ukraine comes from its own sources, about 35 % comes from Russia and the remaining 30% come from Central Asia through the transit routes that Russia controls.
Ukraine produces nearly all types of transporting vehicles; automobiles, buses, trucks, ships, airplanes, space rockets, subway and railroad trains. During the last couple of years high technological production activated. Most of the industries have undergone significant modernization in the last five years, making ukrainian made vehicles more economically competitive, Antonov airplanes and KRAZ trucks are already exported to many countries worldwide.
Demographics
According to the Ukrainian Census of 2001, ethnic Ukrainians make up 77.8% of the population. Other significant ethnic groups are Russians (17.3%), Belarusians (0.6%), Moldovans (0.5%), Crimean Tatars (0.5%), Bulgarians (0.4%), Hungarians (0.3%), Romanians (0.3%), Poles (0.3%), Jews (0.2%), Armenians (0.2%), Greeks (0.2%) and Tatars (0.2%).
The industrial regions in the east and south-east are the most heavily populated, and about 67.2% of the population lives in urban areas.
Ukrainian is the only official state language. Russian, which was a de facto official language in the Soviet Union, is widely spoken, especially in eastern and southern Ukraine. According to the census, 67.5% of the population declared Ukrainian as their native language and 29.6% declared Russian.
It is sometimes difficult to determine the extent of the two languages, since many people use a Surzhyk (a mixture of Ukrainian and Russian where the vocabulary is often combined with Ukrainian grammar and pronunciation) while claiming in surveys that they speak Russian or Ukrainian (most of them are able to speak both literary languages though). Besides, some ethnic Ukrainians, while calling Ukrainian their 'native' language, use Russian more frequently in their daily lives.
These details result in a significant difference across different survey results, as even a small restating of a question switches responses of a significant group of people. Standard literary Ukrainian is mainly spoken in western and central Ukraine. In western Ukraine, Ukrainian is also the dominant language in cities (such as Lviv). In central Ukraine, Ukrainian and Russian are both equally used in cities, with Russian being more common in Kiev,
According to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea constitution, Ukrainian is the only state language of the republic. However, the republic's constitution specifically recognizes Russian as the language of the majority of its population and guarantees its usage 'in all spheres of public life'. Similarly, the Crimean Tatar language (the language of a sizeable 12% minority of the republic is guaranteed a special state protection as well as the 'languages of other ethnicities'. Russian speakers constitute an overwhelming majority of the Crimean population (77%), with Ukrainian speakers comprising 10.1%, and Crimean Tatar speakers 11.4%. But in everyday life the majority of Cimean Tatars and Ukrainians in Crimea use Russian.
Romanians and Moldavians are another significant minority in Ukraine, concentrated mainly in Chernivtsi, Odessa, Zakarpattia and Vinnytsia oblasts.
Jews played a very important role in Ukrainian cultural life, especially in the 19th and first half of the 20th century. Nowadays Yiddish, the Ukrainian Jews' traditional language, is only used by a small number of older people.
After independence, a significant change in the language of instruction in educational institutions took place. According to the Razumkov centre, while 49% of high school students in 1991/92 were receiving their education in Ukrainian, and 50% in Russian, 70% of students in 2000/01 attended Ukrainian schools (where Ukrainian is the primary language of instruction) while 29% were studying in Russian schools (both languages are studied in all schools in Ukraine, as part of the curriculum). This trend is opposite to the changes in the 1970s and 1980s, when the number of Russian schools was constantly being increased. The transition toward Ukrainian-language usage is taking a long time, and in some schools that had switched to Ukrainian from Russian, part or most of the instruction is still given in Russian.
In general, most of the population is bilingual, at least to some degree. Most of the Ukrainophone population is also fluent in Russian and many Russian native speakers in Ukraine are fluent in Ukrainian as well. An overwhelming majority has at least a reasonable command in Ukrainian even in primarily Russophone southern and eastern parts of the country.
Significant migration took place in the first years of Ukrainian independence. More than 1 million people moved into Ukraine in 1991-1992, mostly from the other former Soviet republics. In total, between 1991 and 2004, 2.2 million immigrated to Ukraine (among them, 2.0 million came from the other former Soviet Union states), and 2.5 million immigrated from Ukraine (among them, 1.9 million moved to the rest of former Soviet Union republics).
In the context of low salaries and unemployment within Ukraine, labor emigration became a mass phenomenon at the end of the 1990s. Although estimates vary, approximately two to three million Ukrainian citizens are currently working abroad, many illegally, in construction, service, housekeeping, and agriculture industries. Moreover, a significant number of women from Ukraine had been dragged into prostitution and sex slavery in foreign lands, mainly Western Europe and Turkey.
Religion
Christianity
Eastern Christianity
The dominant religion in Ukraine is Eastern Orthodox Christianity, which is currently split between three Church bodies; a distant second is the Eastern Rite Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which practices a similar liturgical and spiritual tradition as Eastern Orthodoxy, but is in communion with the See of Peter and recognizes the primacy of the Pope as head of the Church.
Roman Catholicism
There are 879 Catholic communities, an
