Kyiv (known also as Kiev), is a beautiful and romantic location to spend time with the girls of your choice. Kiev is a scenic city with almost 3 million people and it is situated by the Dnipro River. Kiev is the capital of Ukraine and most of your chosen ladies will enjoy showing you around. Ancient Kievan Rus, was historically the centre of trade routes between the Baltic and the Mediterranean Sea, which reached its finest period of ascendancy during the 11th and 12th centuries. The Kyiv city and the power of Kievan Rus were destroyed in 1240 by Mongol invaders and the lands of Kievan Rus were divided into principalities located to the west and north: Galicia, Volynia, Muscovy and later, Poland, Lithuania, and Russia. Kiev was once a powerful force on the European scene. The fate of the Ukraine in modern times has been decided in far-away capitals. Modern Ukrainian history, resultantly, has been defined by occupation by foreigners.
Kyiv suffered badly during World War II, leaving many widowed women. Many irreplaceable architectural and aesthetic art treasures were totally destroyed. Previously in the 1930's the Russian authorities systematically destroyed numerous churches. Restoration has been extensive which has revived much of Kiev's historic city. Kiev hit the main headlines in April 1986, when the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl exploded, affecting the lives of many young girls, boys, men and women. Scientists generally agree that it is now safe from radiation effects (www.fco.gov.uk).
Despite political turmoil, repressions, suffering, and the terrible ecological disasters, the spirit of Ukraine's girls and boys, men and women, and their national identity are very strong. On August 24, 1991, after the failed coup in Moscow, Ukraine proclaimed independence. As of 1994, Ukraine has diplomatic relations with at least 135 countries and almost 60 diplomatic missions have been established in Kyiv. News correspondents, business representatives, and students from all over the world reside in Kyiv. The flow of foreign tourists and official delegations is heavy all year round. The resident American community consists of Embassy personnel, correspondents, business representatives, clergy, students and professors.
The remaining art and architecture of Kyiv are amongst the world treasures. With your chosen women, you may like to visit the Cathedral of St. Sophia, which has outstanding mosaics and frescoes dating back to the 11th century. This beautiful cathedral is where the princes of Kyiv were crowned in the years of Kiev's grandeur. Overlooking the old section of Kyiv, Podol, stands the Ukrainian Baroque church of St. Andrew, much loved by Ukrainians. The Percherska Lavra, the Monastery of the Caves, a short trolley ride from the centre of town, has two 11th-century cathedrals on its grounds, in addition to its world-famous catacombs, bell tower, and museum collections. Close to the centre of town stands the Golden Gate, a structure which dates back to 1037. The recently reconstructed remains of the former fortified wall of the city defined the limits of the city in centuries past. Several blocks away, stands the magnificent 19th-century Cathedral of St. Volodymyr. Ask your chosen girls to show you around these beautiful locations, it is a great and interesting way to spend time with your date and establish if you would like her to be your bride.
Ukrainians have made a spirited effort to preserve their cultural traditions and customs. There are many things to see and places to visit. We have listed many of them below!
|
ART GALLERIES
|
| Art Salon |
Andriyivsky Uzviz 3 (Tel: 416-1237).
Open: Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, lunch break 2-3pm. |
| Khudozhniy Salon |
Vul. Chervonoarmiyska 47 (Tel: 227-3730).
Open: Tues-Sat 9am-6pm, lunch break 2-3pm. |
Vul. Entuziastiv 17. (Tel: 555-3994).
Open: Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, lunch break 2-3 pm. |
| Tsentralny Khudozhniy Salon |
Vul. Khmelnytskoho 27. (Tel: 224-1660).
Open Mon-Fri 10 am to 7 pm; Sat 10 am to 6 pm, lunch break 2-3pm. |
| Gallery at Taras Shevshenko- Museum |
12 Taras Shevchenko Blvd. Open Tues-Sat. 10 A.M.-5:00 P.M.
Good colection of contemporary artists. |
THEATERS AND CONCERT HALLS
Concert Hall
"Ukrainian Palace" |
Vul. Chervonoarmiyska 23 (Tel: 268-1584) |
| Conservatory |
Vul. Karla Marxa 1/3. |
| House of Organ and Chamber Music |
Vul. Chervonoarmiyska 77. (Tel: 268-5678) |
| Ivan Franko Ukrainian Drama Theater |
Ploshcha Franka 3. (Tel: 229-5991) Performances in this theater are mainly works by popular Ukrainian writers and playwrights such as Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Franko, I. Karpenko-Kariy. |
| Lesia Ukrainka Russian Drama Theater |
Vul. Bohdana Khmelnytskoho 5. (Tel: 224-9063/4223) |
| Philharmonic Society |
Vul. Volodymyrska Uzviz 2. |
| Puppet Theater |
Vul. Shota Rustaveli 13. (Tel: 220-9065). Going to the puppet theater is not only fun for the children, but entertaining for adult as well. |
| Sports Palace |
Sportyvna Ploshcha 1.(Tel: 221-5793) |
| Taras Shevchenko National Opera and Ballet Theatre |
Vul. Volodymyrska 50. (Tel: 224-7165, 229-1169).
The National Opera of Ukraine was built in 1919 and has since been beautifully restored. During the opera season many classics are performed - from the traditional Ukrainian opera "Taras Bulba" to Verdi's "La Traviata". The National Opera is home to a very good opera company, a ballet company of considerable talent, and expansive repertoire. Prices average 250,000 per ticket, so it's well worth your time. |
VISTIT MUSEUMS, RECREATION SITES, MONASTERIES WITH YOUR CHOSEN GIRLS
Ukrainian contemporary art includes painting and sculpture in a wide range of experimental and traditional styles. Icons and folk art are displayed in museums purchased in galleries and shops. There are several art museums with collections of Ukrainian and European art. There are also museums with good collections of archaeology, geology, botany, zoology and aerospace.
CENTRAL BOTANICAL GARDEN
Timiryazevska 1. (Tel: 295-4527). Walk with your date. Hours: 10am-8pm Mon-Sun. Founded in 1936 the gardens offer a glimpse of a collection comprising nearly 13,000 varieties of trees, bushes, and grass from five different continents. The 11th century Vydubychi monastery is still open to the public on the garden's grounds.
CENTRAL PARK
Volodymyrska Uzviz 2. (Tel: 228-3092). Visit this park with your women. It stretches throughout the centre of the city and houses a number of parks and historical complexes including the Mariyinsky Palace, Askold Grave, and the monument to Prince Volodymyr. A breathtaking view of the Dnipro River can be seen from the park's terraces.
HYDROPARK
Peredimska Sloboda 10. (Tel: 517-1492). Over 900 acres stretch along this riverside park with sandy beaches along the Dnipro River banks. You and your girl can enjoy swimming, volleyball, tennis, badminton, sun bathing, or sailing on a rental boat. There is an open-air theater, coffee shop, restaurant, and beer bar. Also, there is no entrance fee.
MUSEUM OF UKRAINIAN FINE ARTS
Vul. Hrushevskoho 6. (Tel: 228-6429). Hours: 10am-5pm, closed Friday. Spend an afternoon dating your lady discovering Ukrainian folklore and tradition through art. One can get a glimpse of a valuable collection of ancient Ukrainian icons, paintings, and sculpture.
PECHERSKA LAVRA MONASTERY AND CATACOMBS
Vul. Sichnevoho Povstannya 21. (Tel: 290-7349). Hours: 10am-6pm, closed Tue. Established in 1051, this monastery is one of the oldest and most interesting in Kyiv. On the premises you and your date can visit the caves where monks had been living and many other churches and museums. The miniatures museum and the Scythian gold collection are fascinating sights while you are building your relationships. For a beautiful view of the city climb up the stairs of the tallest belfry in Ukraine (315 ft.), and show your girls that you are fitter than you look
REPUBLICAN CENTER OF EXHIBITIONS AND FAIRS
Prospekt Akademika Hlushkova 1. (Tel: 261-7365). Hours: 10am-6pm, break 1-2pm, closed Sunday and Monday. Located in a big cosy park the centre is the main site for major exhibitions and fairs taking place in Kyiv. The lovely tree covered grounds is a nice place to take a romantic stroll and chat with your date especially in summer when a variety of flowers are in bloom.
REPUBLICAN STADIUM
Vul. Chervonoarmiyska 55. (Tel: 221-5775). With a capacity of 100,000, this stadium is the largest in Ukraine, which includes a soccer field, running tracks, indoor stadium, gymnasium, an artificial surface ski-jump, swimming pool, tennis courts, and a sauna.
ST. SOPHIA CATHEDRAL
Vul. Volodymyrska 24. (Tel: 228-6152). The museum has been closed for one year because of political problems. To enter museum, you must go with a tour guide. It was built by Prince Yaroslav the Wise in 1037. This church was established to glorify the wisdom of Christianity. One of the most interesting sights is the collection of romantic frescoes and mosaics inside the cathedral.
UKRAINIAN MUSEUM OF FOLK ARCHITECTURE AND PEASANT HOMES
Pyrohovo Village. (Tel: 266-2416). Open daily 10am-5pm; closed Wed. Entrance fee $1.00; $10.00 per person for English-speaking guide. Located in the outskirts of Kyiv, this open air museum takes you through Ukraine's history as you walk through the original homes of the past which have been moved here from all corners of Ukraine and restored. Traditional Ukrainian costume and ceramics are on exhibit.
THE ZOO
Prospect Peremohy 32. (Tel: 274-6054). Hours: 9am-6pm, closed Monday. You can easily spend a day at the zoo with one of your girls. Founded in 1908, Kiev's zoo is one of the largest in Eastern Europe. One can see over 3,500 specimens of animals and birds here. Amusement park and snack-bar.
Your chosen girls would all like to be taken to the theatre or the opera and ballet. Theatre enthusiasts will find a great deal of choice to share endless time with your lady. Most performances are in Ukrainian or Russian but many of the girls will be able to translate the gist of the plot, if not take your interpreter on your date with you. The recently renovated Kyiv Opera House presents very good opera as well as a broad repertoire of ballets. The Kyiv Young Theatre is very popular with girls and it stages innovative plays in Ukrainian or Russian. The Ivan Franko Theatre is the centre of Ukrainian drama, comedy, and musicals and many of the girls in Ukraine aspire to perform there. This repertoire has just opened its 75th season that includes brilliant versions of Aeneid and Teve Tevel, the original and famous version of the Fiddler on the Roof.
The modern centres with surviving parts of the old city are on the hilly west, or right bank, of the Dnipro River. The main street, Khreshchatik, runs between two steep hills, and you will be astounded when you see all the beautiful girls going about their work in the many interesting places. About half a kilometre west, is vulytsya Volodymyrska, the main street of the Old Kyiv area (Staryj Kyiv) and it is a lovely place to walk with your date. From the north end of Khreshchatik, vulytsya Hrushevskoho rises southeast along a ridge always to the Caves Monastery at Perchersk. Woodlands and parklands cover most of the steep right-bank slopes. The capital's newest areas stretch out on the flat left bank which is characterized by large housing developments, shops, and industrialized neighbourhoods.
Many Ukrainian girls like shopping and they are adept embroidery, and handicrafts. These, including pottery are available throughout the city, particularly in shops on Andrievsky Uzviz, at Percherska Lavra, and St. Sophia's church. Quality varies from shop to shop. Many stores stock Western food, alcoholic beverages, clothing, and electrical appliances. Most prices, in hard-currency stores, are higher than those in the West, and availability of stock is unpredictable.
President Hotel "Kyivsky".
Reception: 220-4144, 227-9554.
Built in 1980, this 735-room hotel is one of the most comfortable and most expensive hotels in the city. There are three restaurants, Congress hall, Fitness Centre, transportation services, three hard currency bars, a hard currency casino, a cafe, hairdresser, sauna etc.
www.president-hotel.kiev.ua
Hotel Rus
Hospitalna 4. Reception: 380(44) 294-30-20. Email: post@hotelrus.kiev.ua.
This hotel was built in 1979 is decorated with mosaics and decorative sculpture. Breakfast buffet is included. Rooms cost start from approximately $117. Reservations are available from the Hotel's website. Hotel has 385 rooms, 2 restaurants, 2 banquet halls, 3 bars, and Conference hall.
www.dnipro.com.ua
Hotel Dnipro
Vul. Khreshchatyk 1/2. Reception: 229-8287.
This three star 180-room hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the city. It is a popular hotel where you may relax to a variety of complimentary classical music in the bar area, or with the beautiful girls topless dancing in the upstairs bar. Breakfast included. Room reservations-$5.
www.dnipro.com.ua
Hotel Khreshchatyk
Vul. Khreshchatyk 14. Reception: 229-7193.
Hotel Khreshchatyk is located in the centre of the town and it offers comfortable rooms. The hotel offers a bar, two restaurants, a sauna, as well as the airline offices for LOT (Polish) and Lufthansa, CSA (Czech), Air France and Finnair.
Hotel Kiev
Hrushevskoho 26/1. Reception: 293-0155.
Hotel Kiev is situated in the historical district, Pechersk, not far from the Ukrainian Parliament. It has 327 rooms. Bar large restaurant, banquet halls, and shops.
Hotel Lybid
Ploshcha Peremohy 3. Reception: 221-7522, 274-0063.
This 17-story hotel built in 1970 numbers 280 rooms. There are three restaurants in the hotel, bars, a dance club and an American sports bar, Playoffs International, and a sporting goods store, Mizuno. The hotel is not far from the centre of the city and close to the Central railway station.
Hotel Ukraina
Reception: 229 - 2807.
Hotel Salyut
Reception: 290 - 6130.
Airport Information:
| Boryspil Airport |
296-7243; 296-7609; 225-2252 |
| Zhuliany Airport |
271-2633; 276-2034 |
Other Phone Numbers:
| Air Tickets With Delivery |
056 |
| Train Tickets With Delivery |
050 |
| Train Schedule Information |
005 |
| Central Railway Station |
223-1111 |
Telephone System
The Ukrainian telephone system is extremely archaic and at times very difficult to deal with. Do not be surprised if the phones do not work or if they require frequent re-dialling. It may be easier to purchase a Ukrainian sim card for your mobile phone, if you are planning on a long trip or frequent trips. If you use your UK mobile it will be expensive. Don't allow your date to use your mobile phone.
Telephone - 24-hour service. Rate for 1 minute: Western Europe - US$1.00, the U.S.A. - US$2.50 (payable in Hryvnias). You might need operator assistance to make a call outside of Kyiv. Foreign language speaking operators can be reached at the following numbers:
| French | 8-191 |
| English | 8-192 |
| German | 8-193 |
| Ukrainian/Russian | 8-194 |
| Spanish | 8-195 |
*NOTE: To place a direct long-distance (outside Kyiv), dial (8), wait for the dial tone, then dial the rest of the number. To make an international call dial (8), wait for the tone, then 10 followed by the country code, city code and number. For the U.S. dial 8+10+(country code=1)+(area code)+ #.
ATT Operator: dial 8-100-11
MCI Operator: dial 8-100-13
PUBLIC PHONE BOOTHS - Placing a call through a telephone booth is free. It is not surprising to find that some telephones do not work at all. Poor connections are frequent as well as disconnections from the party with whom you are talking. Just take a breath and dial again.
| Fire | 01 |
| Police | 02 |
| Emergency aid/Ambulance service | 03 |
| |
| Ukraine Country Code | 380 |
| Kyiv area code | 44 |
| Moscow area code | 095 |
| Information about hospitalized patients | 003 |
| Directory Assistance | 09 |
| Weather forecast | 001 |
| Time | 060 |
| Taxi service | 058 |
| | |
| Train schedule info | 005 |
| Train Tickets bureau | 050 |
| Air service agency | 056 |
| Airline tickets bureau | 062 |
| Bus station | 265-0430 |
| Borispil Airport | 295-6701 |
| Zhuliany Airport | 272-1201 |
| Lost and Found | 229-7844 |
| River Port | 416-1268 |
| CIS telephone operator/Inter-city calls | 071 |
| Outside CIS operator | 072, 078 |
| Outside CIS operator for diplomats | 224-3937 |
|
Currency Exchange
Exchange points are located all over the city, in the markets, in the import stores. Usually the signs are in Cyrillic and English. (Obmin Valut or Currency Exchange). You can convert dollars to Koupons easily, but the U.S. bills will be scrutinized for date, rips, etc. and often will not be accepted...so have some "back-up" bills just in case!
Here is a list of some Ukrainian banks and foreign representatives.
| AVAL |
9 Leskova st., |
tel: 294 9691,
fax: 295 3231 |
Processing Visa cards |
| 51/1 Vyshgorodska st. |
tel: 430 4115, fax: 430 8012 |
| 7 Dniprovska Naberezhna st. |
tel: 550 2310, fax: 553 7521 |
| Banker's House |
36a Yaroslaviv Val st. |
tel: 212 1472 |
| Banque Nationale de Paris |
9a Mala Zhytomyrska st. |
tel: 228 0082 |
Ukrainian Representative |
| Berliner Bank AG |
#51, 9/2 Chervonoarmiyska st. |
tel: 220 8302 |
Ukrainian Representative |
| Commerzbank AG |
34 Pushkinska st. |
tel: 224 0393 |
Ukrainian Representative |
| Credit Lyonnais Ukraine |
2 Khreschatyk st. |
tel: 229 5400 |
Ukrainian Representative |
| DENDI |
48 Chervonoarmiyska st. |
tel: 227 3204 |
| 35 Chervonoarmiyska st. |
tel: 227 4194 |
| 12 Konstantynivska st. |
tel: 416 0519 |
| 3b B. Khmelnytskoho st. |
tel: 228 6595 |
| Deuche Bank AG |
26 Shovkovychna st. |
tel: 293 1298 |
Ukrainian Representative |
| Drezdner Bank |
12 Hospitalna st. |
tel: 228 0082 |
Ukrainian Representative |
| ENERGOBANK |
9/9 Lyuteranska st., |
tel: 221 4968, fax: 228 3954 |
| European Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
5 Lypska st.,
Hotel National, #507, 4th floor |
>tel: 291 8845, 291 8977; fax: 291 6246 |
Ukrainian Representative |
| First Ukrainian International Bank |
8 Prorizna st. |
tel: 224 2187 |
Cashing Visa, American Express cards, Travellers Cheques |
| GRADOBANK |
7 Kudriavskiy Uzviz |
tel: 212 1221 |
| INCO |
10/2 Mechnikova st. |
tel: 290 7130, 294 9219, 432 4566;
fax: 227 1191, 294 8790 |
Visa cards, personal cheques |
| National Bank of Ukraine |
9 Instytutska st. |
tel: 293 5973 |
| Prominvestbank |
12 T. Shevchenka prov. |
tel: 226 2032 |
| 64 Balzaka st. |
tel: 530 2549 |
| 29a Chervonoarmiyska st. |
tel: 5594840 |
| 28 Perova blvd. |
tel: 514 3683, fax: 514 4196 |
| Savings Bank of Ukraine |
7 Nauky pros. |
tel: 265 3140 |
| State Export-Import Bank of Ukraine |
8 Khreschatyk st. |
tel: 226 2745, fax: 228 7475 |
| UKRAINE |
10 M. Rylskoho prov. |
tel: 244 1506 |
| Cashing Personal or Government Check |
| AGROPROMBANK "UKRAINA" |
Institutska 12. Room 2. Tel: 293-2832; 293-6941.
Hours: 9:30 - 12:30
Commission: 5.0% |
| "BROCKBUSINESSBANK" |
Shosta Rustaveli 3. Tel: 227-6573
Hours: 9:30 - 12:30
Commission: 5.0% |
| Electronic Banking Transfers |
| "AGIO" | Leskova 9. Tel: 294 - 8219
Hours: 9:30 - 12:30
Commission: 2.5% |
| Cashing Travellers Checks |
| AGROPROMBANK "UKRAINA" |
Commission: 3.0% |
Take your check to the bank, along with identification (your passport is best), and ask your date or interpreter to help you complete the appropriate documentation. You may pick up the money after the check has cleared, which normally takes two or more weeks for Government checks, and three or more weeks for personal checks. The money can be paid out in a variety of currencies, including U.S. dollars and Ukrainian coupons. U.S. bills older than 1985, or bills that are worn or with small tears are usually not accepted throughout the city. Traveller's checks and currency can be cashed and exchanged into U.S. dollars or karbovantsi at major hotels including the following: INTOURIST, LYBID, DNIPRO, and RUS. Further information and a full listing of other locations, telephone numbers and banking hours can be found at the American Citizen Services section.
Church Services in Kiev
Religious Services - Many girls in Kiev are religious. Services are held regularly in the churches that have always been open in Kyiv. The Ukrainian Otocephalies Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Catholic Church hold regular services in Kyiv. Catholics of the Byzantine rite hold Divine Liturgy at two outdoor locations in the city. Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated in Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and English in two churches downtown. The Baptist community and a synagogue in the Podil neighbourhood also hold religious services.
| Ukrainian Orthodox |
Church of St. Nicholas Pritisk - (In Podil), Vul. Georgi Liver and Vul. Khoryv 5-a.
Divine liturgy - Sunday 10:00 am |
St. Nicholas Naberezhny Church - Corner of Vul. Pochaininska and Vul. Grigori Skovoroda (Tel: 416-4228).
Divine liturgy - Sunday 10:00 am |
St. Vladimir's Cathedral - (between Vul. Leontovich and Vul. Ivan Franko.), Blvd. Tarasa Shevchenka (Tel: 225-0362)
Divine liturgy - Sunday 10:00 am |
Vydubychi Monastery (St. Michael's Cathedral) - South of Paton Bridge along Dnipro River on the Botanical Garden grounds.
Divine liturgy - Sunday 10:00 am |
| Catholic |
St. Alexander's - (The church with the scaffolding near the Ukraine House.),
Vul. Kostel'na 17.
English - 6:00 pm Sunday
Polish - 8:00 am, 12:00 noon
Ukrainian - 9:30 am, 7:00 pm
Russian - 5:00 pm |
St. Nicholas - (Sunday)
Vul. Chervonoarmiyska 77. (Tel: 269-5678)
Ukrainian - 9:00 am, 3:00 |
Central Post Office - Vul. Khreshchatyk 22, tel: 065
International Express Mail (IEM)
This service enables mail to be delivered to 36 countries within 3-4 days. Parcels and printed matter are also accepted.
tel: 228-1603
Telex - The domestic and international electronic communication office works every day 9am - 6pm.
Telefax (facsimile service) - For information dial 228-1291
|
DEPARTMENT STORES
|
|
Brooklyn-Kiev
|
Vul. Khreshchatyk 15, Passazh.
(Tel: 229-4274). Hours: 10am-9pm, break 1-2pm. Hard currency store offering
fashionable clothing and accessories.
|
|
Budynok
Odyahu (House of Clothing)
|
Vul. Artema at Lvivska Ploshcha.
Hours: 9am-8pm, closed Sunday. Local products.
|
|
Dim
Torgivliy
|
House of Trade at Lvovska Ploshcha
(the modern-looking glass building). Good selection of foreign appliances on
the top floor, reasonable selection of Ukrainian-made clothing.
|
|
Slovene
Mall
|
On Kontraktova Square in Podil.
This is the closest thing you'll find in Kyiv to a western-style mall. There
are several different types of stores ranging from groceries to shoes.
|
|
Tsum
Department Store
|
Vul. Khmelnytskoho 2 (on the
corner of Vul. Khreshchatyk and Vul. Khmelnytskoho). (Tel: 224-9505). Hours:
9am-8pm, closed Sunday. Local products. Great fun to explore in this store
|
|
Ukrayina
Department Store
|
Ploshcha Peremohy. (Tel:
274-6017). Hours: 9am-8pm, closed Sunday. A local department store where
Kievans shop for consumer goods. Good selections of party goods, favors for
kids
|
|
Argo
Passazh
|
Vul. Khreshchatyk 15. (Tel:
229-5761); a wide choice of denim wear.
|
|
Brooklyn-Kiev
|
Vul. Khreshchatyk 15. (Tel:
229-4274); fashionable clothing and accessories.
|
|
ELECTRONICS
|
|
Computerland
|
Vul. Menzhinskoho. North of
Victory Square (Ploshcha Peremohy). Computers, parts, etc.
|
|
Music
Store
|
Vul. Khreshchatyk. Next door to
main Post Office on Independence Square. Instruments, sheet music,
metronomes, etc.
|
|
GASTRONOM/GROCERY STORES
|
|
|
|
7-24
Store
|
Behind Besarabska Market on
Baseynaya. As per the name, open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Snack
food, beer.
|
|
Emelia
|
German "grocery" store,
on Vul. Baseynaya, just south of intersection with Vul. Kubisheva, on west
side. Some canned goods, booze, furniture, etc.
|
|
Golden
Gate Store
|
Fondly called "the Shop
Rite" store, this is found on the small side street across from the main
gate of the Golden Gate and it carries a variety of Shop Rite brand items, usually
a ggod source for cereals, milk, juice, wine, beer.
|
|
Iranian
Store
|
Vul. Chervonoarmiyska, on east
side just south of the Ukrainian Souvenir Store. Wide variety of manufactured
goods and foodstuffs produced in Iran.
|
|
Italian
Grocery Store
|
Kontraktova Square, southeast
corner, kitty corner from Hostinniy Dvir. Offers assortment of Italian baking
goods.
|
|
Kviti
Ukraini
|
Vul. Artema, next to the Croatian
Embassy (second floor) between Hoholivska and Nekrasovska. Mostly Israeli
products, including turkey franks, cheese, and dressings.
|
|
L.A.
Express
|
Vul. Dmitrova, east off Vul.
Chervonoarmiyska, on south side about 3/4 down the block. Corner grocery
store atmosphere. Reasonable prices.
|
|
La
Fourchette
|
Several blocks north of the
Crimean Wine Store on Naberezhnoye Shosse. Grocery store with British
products such as coffee, candy, and cookies.
|
|
Lyudmila
Grocery Store
|
On Saksaganskoho, north side, just
around the corner from the intersection with Vul. Chervonoarmiyska.
|
|
Lyudmila
Grocery Store
|
On Shevchenko Pereulok or Vul.
Sofiskaya, south side, near Maydan Nezalezhnosti. All imported Italian
products, shoelaces, q-tips, etc. One of the closest shops resembling a
western supermarket in town, including groceries, deli, beauty and medical
supplies, hardware section, etc. Run the same people who run the Diplomat
grocery store. Dollar prices.
|
|
Slavuta
Market
|
Vul. Gorkoho, south of Tolstoho.
Inside Slavuta restaurant. Canned goods, caviar, crab, etc.
|
|
Supermarket
|
Vul. Parkhomenko, near Spanish
Embassy. Good selection of meats, cheese, candy, and alcoholic beverages.
|
|
Tesco
|
Grocery store of Tesco products in
the basement of a building on the east side of an unnamed street (parallel to
Karla Marksa, off of Zankovetska - right around the corner from the Parrot
Pool Hall, going towards Ivana Frankivsk Park). Selection of Tesco products
as well as the most inexpensive dry dog food our survey specialists can
determine.
|
|
Arc
de Triomphe
|
Aka "the French Store",
located at the bottom of Gorky Street, just north of Dzerzhinskiy Square on
east side of street. Great cheeses, french wines, junk food, frozen food, wet
and dry dog food.
|
|
Canadian
Store
|
At the top (northeast end) of
Pereulok Krylova, parallel to Melnikova. Meats, candy, booze, toilet paper,
frozen vegetables. Reasonable dollar prices.
|
|
Della
Vita
|
On Prospekt Peremohy, in the first
floor of the Medical University (beyond the Zoo). Good selection of foreign
products.
|
|
Diplomat
|
On Chervonoarmiyska opposite
Maculan complex, another dollar store with assorted Italian goods, including
frozen calamari and shrimp.
|
|
Diplomatic
Store
|
Vul. Ivana Franka 24A. Hard
currency store that carries a variety of foodstuffs.
|
|
German
Dollar Store
|
(Duty-free) west of the city.
Drive out Borchahovskaya, turn right on Harmatnaya (right after you drive
over industrialnaya), then take your first real right turn (on a street). The
store will be at the end of that street on the left, in a small garage-like
building between and behind two apartment buildings at the end of the street
to your left.
|
|
Grocery
Store
|
On Chkalova, west side, north of
construction area near the German Embassy. Limited assortment of western
products, including cream cheese. Dollars.
|
|
Jindo
|
Vul. Khreshchatyk 1/2. (Tel:
229-8741); fur and leather goods.
|
|
Kashtan
|
Blvd. Lesya Ukrayinka 24/26. (Tel:
295-6127) A wide variety of imported goods: food, clothing, footwear,
souvenirs, audio/video equipment; prices are slightly higher than in other
similar shops.
|
|
Kashtan
|
Blvd. Tarasa Shevchenka 1. (Tel:
224-7053). Hours: 10am-7pm, closed Sunday and Monday. Hard currency store
that carries western foodstuffs, alcohol, some consumer goods, and souvenirs.
|
|
King
Store
|
On the north side of the
Besarabska building, facing the side street (entrance from outside).
Primarily Arab groceries and products.
|
|
Mekos
Mini Market
|
Vul. Artema 22; (also a store on
Karla Marksa, next to the Seagrams Store.) Diapers, cereals, frozen meat,
canned goods, candy, feta cheese.
|
|
Mizuno
|
Ploshcha Peremohy, Lybid Hotel.
(Tel: 269-1995). Athletic shoes and sportswear from Japan.
|
|
Mria
Grocery Store
|
Vul. Artema 16. On the corner of
Vul. Artema and Vul. Observatorna. Good selection of German products.
|
|
Nika
(the "Swiss Store")
|
Blvd. Tarasa Shevchenka 2. (Tel:
225-0271). Hours: Mon-Thur 10am-8pm, Fri-Sat 10am-9pm, Sunday 10am-7pm.
Large, clean hard currency store that carries imported food, alcohol, fresh
fruits and vegetables and some paper products. Other small shops in this
complex sell leather goods, watches, perfume, office equipment, jewelry, and
electrical appliances.
|
|
Passage
Grocery
|
Right next to the Apollo in the
Passazh, has a nice selection of foreign products.
|
|
Ricco
|
On the north end of Independence
Square; clothing and accessories, at expensive dollar prices.
|
|
Supermarket
|
On Blvd. Lesya Ukrayinka, about a
1/4 kilometer north of Kashtan, on the same side of the street. Appears to be
modern and well-stocked.
|
|
Suvorova
Shopping Centre
|
Reportedly two good hard currency
shops on Suvorova, near the
|
Ukraine's area is 233,088 square miles (603,700 sq. km). It's slightly larger than France. Ukraine is mainly a vast plain with no natural boundaries except the Carpathian Mountains in the southwest and the Black Sea in the south. The Dnipro River with its many tributaries unifies central Ukraine economically, connecting the Baltic coast countries with the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The mouth of the Danube River provides an outlet for Ukrainian trade with the Balkans, Austria, and Germany.
Ukraine has a complex geology with a rich variety of scenery and impressive contrasts in topography. Central and southern Ukraine is primarily steppe (prairie), with fertile black soil exceptionally well-suited for grain farming. In the east is the industrial heartland containing large reserves of mineral deposits known as the Greater Donbas or Donetsk Basin.
Northern and western Ukraine are hilly, forested areas with many picturesque mountain resorts. Enhancing the topography of Ukraine are two mountain ranges, the Carpathian on its western border where winter sports are very popular; and the Crimean range, which divides the Crimean peninsular, creating a semitropical area on its southernmost tip. The Crimea is a favourite destination not only for Ukrainian tourists, but also for citizens of other states of the former Soviet Union, as well as the eastern and the Western Europe.
CLIMATE - The climate in Ukraine is similar to the wheat-producing regions of Canada and is characterized by abundant precipitation and cloudy skies, especially in fall and winter. The mean temperature in summer is 67oF (19oC) and in winter 21oF (-6oC). Although the summers tend to be short, the temperature can rise into the 90's making it uncomfortable, since most buildings have no central cooling systems. The winters are long and cold, with cloudy skies a norm.
A list of Web pages providing weather forecasts for Ukraine can be found at "Global Ukraine'.
POPULATION
The population of Ukraine is approximately 52 million, of which 73% is Ukrainian and 22% Russian. The remaining population is made up of many minorities, the largest of which is Jewish (1.35%), followed by Byelorussians, Moldovans, Poles, Armenians, Greeks, Bulgarians, and others. Ukrainian population is only 64% urban.
UKRAINIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM
The Ukrainian Political system has a popularly-elected President, a 450-person single chamber national parliament (Verkhovna Rada), and a Prime Minister, nominated by the President subject to approval by the Rada. The new post-Soviet Constitution was adopted by Verkhovna Rada on June 28, 1996.
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
Politically, Ukraine has made tremendous strides toward establishing a stable, tolerant and open democratic society in its 3 years of independence. Ukraine achieved independent statehood when its citizens approved the December 1, 1991 independence referendum and the Soviet Union ceased to exist on December 31, 1991.
The years since have been difficult for Ukraine. As the country begins its fourth year much remains to be done to solidify democratic reforms and to create a functioning market economy. After centuries of Soviet and Tsarist repression, Ukraine today has a largely free press, freedom of religion, and elections that recently led to the first peaceful, democratic change of leaders in Ukrainian history. While Ukrainians today are freer than they have ever been, the public is impatient for a visible improvement in the standard of living.
Ukraine held its first presidential elections as an independent country in June and July 1994. In those elections, former Prime Minister Leonid Kuchma defeated Ukraine's first president, Leonid Kravchuk. The democratic transfer of power that followed was the first in Ukraine's history and a crucial milestone for the entire region. Among the key issues facing President Kuchma are the rapid implementation of crucial economic reforms, the resolution of disputes over the status of Crimea and the Russian naval bases there, language and cultural issues related to Ukraine's large (approx. 25 percent) ethnic Russian minority, relations with Moscow in general, including both economic and political concerns, and relations with the West.
Elections to Ukraine's unicameral, 450-seat Parliament (the Supreme Council, or Verkhovna Rada) were held in March 1994. A series of runoff and second-round elections followed throughout the course of the year. Socialist Party leader Oleksandr Moroz was elected Chairman of the Parliament on the basis of a strong showing by leftist parties. The Socialists, Communists, and Agrarians collectively received about a third of the seats in the Rada, making their faction the largest single bloc and giving them substantial operational control. Second round elections later in the year decreased this proportion somewhat, as newly elected deputies tended to align themselves more toward the center. Nationalist parties and factions now have the support of about 20 percent of the deputies, with about half the Parliament either non-aligned or grouped in centrist factions.
ARTS, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
Ukrainians have made a spirited effort to preserve their cultural traditions and customs. There are several outdoor museum villages displaying buildings, crafts, and living conditions of the last century. Folk dancing and music festivals are often held with traditional, regional music and costumes.
The theatre scene is lively. Performances are usually in Ukrainian or Russian. The Kyiv Opera House is home to a very good opera company and a ballet company of considerable talent and expansive repertoire. Government subsidies make opera and theatre tickets inexpensive.
The Kyiv Philharmonic concert hall, a 19th century church with a fine organ, and the opera have a scheduled program of concerts, including concerts by the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra.
Ukrainian contemporary art includes painting and sculpture in a wide range of experimental and traditional styles. Icons and folk art are displayed in museums, and contemporary versions are skilfully done and can be purchased in galleries and shops. There are several art museums with collections of Ukrainian and European art. There are house museums in Kyiv as well as a museum of the history of Kyiv. The former Lenin Museum, now called The Ukrainian National House, uses its exhibition space to display numerous small exhibits of current Ukrainian art. In addition, there are museums with good collections of archaeology, geology, botany, zoology, and aerospace.
Educational policy favours the study of science and technology. At present, education is compulsory for ages 7-16. University-level education is open to anyone who can pass an admission test.
Kyiv is rich in universities and institutes of higher learning. Chief among the universities is Taras Schevchenko. Higher levels of technology are taught at Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Mohylo Academy is a private liberal arts university recently chartered on the site of Ukraine's first university founded in the 17th century. Among the new facilities is a School of Law with courses that are taught both in Ukrainian and English. There are many Americans at the graduate student level conducting research in Ukraine using grants administered by the International Research and Exchange Board (IREX) program. American professors conduct courses at universities in American literature and other subjects under the Fulbright program. Other American students in Ukraine pursue academic work under the auspices of other foundations and privately funded programs.
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Once called the "Breadbasket of Europe," Ukraine is rich in natural resources. This includes excellent agricultural land and a substantial industrial base consisting of coal and mineral resources, and aerospace and chemical industries. Despite this wealth of resources, the Ukrainian economy has suffered badly since the nation's independence in 1991. All sectors of industry have experienced major production declines. Despite fuel shortages and shortages of fertilizers and pesticides, the 1993 harvest was significantly better than the previous few years, but a hard winter and severe droughts have cut the harvest for 1994 by about 20 percent. Fuel supplies continue to be limited.
Small-scale privatization has begun in several cities, including Lviv, Khmelnitsky, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhyia, and State housing privatization has begun in every oblast of the country. However, there has been little medium- or large-scale privatization in Ukraine.
Market-oriented reforms were introduced in 1992 and 1993 in a tentative manner. Ukrainian officials appear determined to move toward a more efficient economy without creating social upheaval, even if this includes temporary reliance on administrative planning, of the "third way." This policy has caused a decrease in industrial production in most sectors, spiralling inflation, little privatization, and overall gridlock in the economy. The former government attempted to stabilize the economy in late 1992 and early 1993. However, these attempts met with only initial success, and were soon overwhelmed by the weight of collapsing production, ruptured trade links with the former Soviet Union, and, above all, lack of the necessary political will within then-President Kravchuk's administration, the Parliament, and Cabinet of Ministers.
In September 1993 President Kravchuk directed the economic activities of the government and set privatization and combating inflation as its priorities. The newly created Economic Reform Committee contained few reformers, but President Kravchuk initiated a few reform measures, including a presidential decree on privatization of uncompleted construction sites, including the land beneath them.
The Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) provides assistance and information to U.S. companies seeking trade and investment opportunities in Ukraine. FCS has opened an American Business Centre, which offers a range of practical services, including phone, fax, and photocopying services. FCS also hosts delegations of U.S. business interests in Ukraine, and travels throughout the country cataloguing investment opportunities for U.S. business. The Commerce Office provides information to Ukrainian enterprises and helps them contact U.S. companies.
Kyiv is a major industrial centre that includes companies specializing in electronics, engineering, aviation, food and chemical production, etc. Kiev's economic development has been enriched by its advantageous location along the Dnipro River, which links Kyiv to the Black Sea.
USEFUL TIPS FOR FOREIGNERS ABOUT UKRAINE
COUNTRY DESCRIPTION - Ukraine is a newly independent nation undergoing profound political and economic change, still in the process of stabilizing its relations with neighbouring countries. Tourist facilities are not highly developed, and many of the goods and services taken for granted in other countries are not yet available. Travel within Ukraine is unrestricted. Though fuel shortages are generally no longer a problem, internal travel can be difficult and flight and train schedules can be irregular.
LANGUAGE - Ukrainian became the official language only in 1990, replacing Russian. Most of the population in eastern Ukraine and in Kyiv speak Russian as a first language, while Ukrainian is the first language in western Ukraine. Although those in the political world and the local media use both languages, official documents are now in Ukrainian. The two languages share almost the same Cyrillic alphabet, and if you arrive unfamiliar with either language a phrase book or interpreter is almost essential. Not much English is spoken here.
INTERNATIONAL TIME - Ukraine has two time zones (two hours after Greenwich Mean Time in 24 oblasts and three in the Republic of Crimea). Daylight savings time is observed from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October when you will need to advance your clocks by one hour.
PUBLIC RESTROOMS - It is always a good idea to have a packet of tissues on hand, for it is a rare occasion when one finds toilet paper supplied in a public restroom. While any public restroom can be unsanitary, relatively clean toilets can be found in large department stores, restaurants and some hotels.
BUSINESS HOURS - An eight-hour day is considered a normal work day, Monday through Friday. A lunch break is taken between the hours of 1:00pm and 2:00pm. Most banks are open without breaks, Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 1:00pm.
FLOORS - In official buildings the entrance hall is considered the 'ground floor'. The next flight up takes you to the 'first floor'. This floor numbering system is the same as the European system. For the private apartments the first floor is actually the 'first'.
TIPS - Restaurant bills normally include a 5% service charge; however, you'll often find that a few extra hryvnias (10% suggested) can make your dining experience a lot more pleasurable.
WATER - Tap water in Kyiv is chemically safe but may contain elevated levels of lead from the pipes. This problem is remedied by letting the tap run for 10 seconds before collecting the water. There is also no detectable radiation in the water.
You should be aware that hot water is typically turned off for a month during the summer so the pipes can be cleaned.
RADIATION AND FOOD - Radiation is a constant concern because of the 1986 catastrophe at the Chernobyl nuclear power station some 60 miles northwest of Kyiv. The level of background radiation in Kyiv is considered safe. Kiev's food supply has been tested for radiation and thus far no elevated levels of radiation have been detected. It is suggested to avoid wild mushrooms, berries, and game, for they are considered to retain radiation.
TAILORING AND DRESSMAKING - Service varies from place to place and it is best to frequent shops or dressmakers recommended by others with similar tastes. Tailoring can be quite expensive, relative to UK / U.S. prices. The choice of fabrics available is limited but improving.
ELECTRICITY - 220 volts, 50Hz is the standard electrical voltage throughout Ukraine. To use electrical appliances you will need a converter as well as an Eastern-European plug adapter.
ALCOHOL - Throughout Ukraine alcohol is quite inexpensive and easily accessible. Ukraine is a zero tolerance country, so do not drink and drive. The fines are substantial and you are never sure what may happen in such incidences with the militia.
|
Ukrainian Words And Phrases
|
|
ENGLISH
|
TRANSLITERATION
|
|
Hello
|
Pryveet, Veetayuh
|
|
Good morning
|
Dobroho ranky
|
|
Good afternoon
|
Dobry dehn
|
|
Good evening
|
Dobry vehchir
|
|
Goodbye
|
Doh pobachehnyah
|
|
Yes, No
|
Tahk, Nee
|
|
Please
|
Buhd laskah
|
|
Thank you
|
Dyakuyuh
|
|
Excuse me
|
Probachteh
|
|
My name is ...
|
Mehneh zvuht ...
|
|
Men's restroom
|
Choloveechy tualeht
|
|
Women's restroom
|
Zheenochy tualeht
|
|
Where, when, who
|
Deh, koly, khtoh
|
|
How much does it cost?
|
Skeelky tseh Koshtuyeh?
|
| Ukrainian Numbers |
| NUMBER |
ENGLISH |
TRANSLITERATION |
| 1 |
one |
oh-dyn |
| 2 |
two |
dvah |
| 3 |
three |
try |
| 4 |
four |
cho-ty-ry |
| 5 |
five |
pyaht |
| 6 |
six |
sheest |
| 7 |
seven |
seem |
| 8 |
eight |
vee-seem |
| 9 |
nine |
deh-vyat |
| 10 |
ten |
deh-syat |
| 11 |
eleven |
oh-dy-nahd-tsyat |
| 12 |
twelve |
dvah-nahd-tsyat |
| 13 |
thirteen |
try-nahd-tsyat |
| 14 |
fourteen |
cho-tyr-nahd-tsyat |
| 20 |
twenty |
dvahd-tsyat |
| 21 |
twenty-one |
dvahd-tsyat oh-dyn |
| 30 |
thirty |
tryd-tsyat |
| 40 |
forty |
soh-rohk |
| 50 |
fifty |
pyat-deh-syat |
| 60 |
sixty |
sheest-deh-syat |
| 70 |
seventy |
seem-deh-syat |
| 80 |
eighty |
vee-seem-deh-syat |
| 90 |
ninety |
deh-vya-noh-stoh |
| 100 |
one hundred |
stoh |
| 200 |
two hunred |
dwisti |
| 1,000 |
one thousand |
tyh-syacha |
| 2,000 |
two thousands |
dwi tyh-syachi |
|
WOMEN'S
SHOES
|
|
U.S.
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
|
Ukrainian
|
35
|
36
|
37
|
38
|
39
|
40
|
|
|
MEN'S
SHOES
|
|
U.S.
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
|
Ukrainian
|
39
|
40
|
41
|
42
|
43
|
44
|
|
|
WOMEN'S
DRESSES AND SUITS
|
|
U.S.
|
8
|
10
|
12
|
14
|
16
|
|
Ukrainian
|
40
|
42
|
44
|
46
|
48
|
|
|
MEN'S
OVERCOATS AND SUITS
|
|
U.S.
|
36
|
38
|
40
|
42
|
44
|
|
Ukrainian
|
46
|
48
|
50
|
52
|
54
|
|
|
Ukrainian Official Holidays for
the Year 1999
|
|
Holiday
|
Date
|
|
New Year's Day
|
January 1
|
|
Orthodox Christmas
|
January 7*
|
|
Women's Day
|
March 8
|
|
Orthodox Easter
|
April 11*
|
|
Labor Day
|
May 1, 2
|
|
Victory Day
|
May 9
|
|
Holy Trinity Day
|
May 30*
|
|
Constitution Day
|
June 28
|
|
Independence Day
|
August 24
|
TRANSPORTATION
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - Public transportation in Kyiv is efficient and inexpensive, but crowded. The city's network of buses, trolley buses, streetcars and the subway (Metro) covers almost the entire city. Riders should be ready to contend with a good deal of pushing and shoving during the morning and evening rush hours.
TAXIS - There are taxi stands at some busy corners in central Kyiv. Hailing a taxi can be a frustrating and time consuming experience. Many taxis often refuse fares, the main reason being the destination desired by the traveller being different than the route the taxi driver is taking. After a taxi stops, the required destination should be stated; if the driver agrees, a price should be negotiated before entering the vehicle. Extra precaution should be taken in the evenings, when it is advisable to use only a clearly marked taxi rather than a private vehicle.
DRIVING - Roads in Ukraine are in generally poor condition. Travel between cities at night and in the winter can be particularly treacherous. Gasoline and diesel fuel supplies may be difficult to find in outlying areas. Carjacking of Western-made or foreign- registered cars is on the rise. There has been an increase in the number of documented reports of criminal acts occurring on trains, including gassings and robberies.
Traffic regulations and procedures in Ukraine differ significantly from those in the UK / U.S. and drivers new to Ukraine should be aware of these rules and procedures. A valid international driver's license is all that is necessary to drive in Ukraine.
Spare parts for American cars are difficult to locate in Kyiv. Spare parts for standard European models and some Japanese models, when available, are priced substantially higher than in the U.S. This may change as more car dealerships open in Kyiv. There is at present a Ford dealership, and Toyota and Mazda have recently opened service stations here. Spare parts for the Ukrainian "Zaporozhets" and the Russian "Lada" are generally available.
Winters in Ukraine are dark and cold with sheets of ice common along the city streets. Front-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicles provide the best handling, as only the main streets of Kyiv are plowed regularly.
For vehicles that use diesel fuel, a note stating "diesel only" should be attached to the ignition key. Diesel is available locally, but is not of high quality. Additives must be added to diesel fuel in winter. Unleaded fuel is only available at certain stations in Kyiv. Catalytic converters may be removed from vehicles that are brought in from the states.
As of late 1994, the Ukrainian government did not require that cars be covered by third-party liability insurance. But many U.S. citizens, however have chosen to purchase such policies. Insurance is available through a number of local companies such as Ometa Inster, which insures both official and private vehicles against theft, accidents and provides third-party insurance. The annual fee is approximately 6% of the value of the automobile and payment is in local currency.
Although the road system in Ukraine provides access to all cities, towns, and most villages, most are in deplorable condition. The traveller must plan trips carefully since information, food, lodging, and fuel are often not available along the highways. One should always travel with food, water and ample fuel necessary to arrive at the planned destination.
Kyiv has two airports: BORISPIL airport serves both international and domestic flights and KYIV (ZHULIANY) serves domestic flights only.
BORISPIL airport is located 24 miles from Kyiv. Travellers can take either a taxi or rental car to the air port, but should plan at least 40 minutes to get there from the centre of Kyiv. The trip from Borispil by rental sedan costs $15, by rental van $20, and by taxi-no more than $30. Negotiate on a price before taking the taxi. There is a taxi service at the airport. Travellers can also order rental cars by dialling 220-6729. Cars usually arrive within 30 minutes.
4. Customs. Complete your customs declaration accurately. Declare all money, travellers' checks, and valuables in your possession. Include all personal jewellery, such as wedding rings and watches. It is advised, however, not to bring such valuables to avoid complications. Customs forms are available at point of entry. Have your customs declaration stamped by the authorities and keep it with you until you leave the country. Keep your exchange receipts in order to account for your expenditures. Without these records, customs officials could confiscate your cash and valuables upon departure.
DEPARTURE PROCEDURES
All passengers should arrive at the airport at least two hours before flight takeoff. Passengers must go through several checkpoints:
1. CUSTOMS
2. FLIGHT REGISTRATION: this checkpoint closes one hour before flight departure.
EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT TRAIN TRAVEL IN UKRAINE
Much domestic travel in Ukraine is best accomplished by train, almost all of it overnight. Trains are cheap, usually punctual and rarely break down. Inter-city cars do not have seats -- they have beds on which you sit during the evening and morning and on which you sleep at night. Intercity trains have seats, but are rarely used by Embassy personnel.
Train cars are divided into four classes. First-class cars ("SV" pronounced as "es veh" - spalny vahon, or sleeper) are best, with two persons to a compartment, working reading lamps, nicer bedding, extra mirrors, less-worn carpeting and a less raucous ambiance. Certain East German models of first-class trains have three-person compartments, with the middle bunk folding down for sleeping and folding away during the daytime. Some of these wagons also have sinks with running water in the individual compartments! Second-class cars (kupe) feature four-person compartments and provide similar, but shabbier, accommodation. Third-class cars (platz-kartny) have no separations between sleeping bunks, are frequently very dirty, smelly, and noisy. Fourth-class cars (zahalny vahon) available only on some routes, offer only seating space.
Your ticket will specify the class of travel, the originating city and the destination, the number of the train and the number of the car. This is important to pass on if you have someone meeting you.
At Kiev's train station, look for the platform number to be posted on the big departure board in the main hall and listen for announcements in case of last-minute changes. If you don't have much experience on trains, allow about 15 minutes at the station to find the platform and car to which you are assigned. Show your ticket (and if necessary, passport) to the conductor at the foot of the stairs of your car and climb aboard! Persons carrying bags are permitted to board the trains and will usually be given enough notice to leave the train before it moves away.
SAFETY TIPS
1. LOCK THE BOLT NEAR THE HANDLE AND, IF AVAILABLE, LOWER THE METAL FLAP that helps ensure that your door cannot be opened from the outside. Some passengers force a hanger into the lock to prevent any entry. Others tie a string or belt around the handle and the opposite clothes hook. Sleep with your valuables either in a pouch that you wear inside your clothes, in a pouch or small pack under your pillow, or in another place where someone cannot reach them without disturbing you. Try not to carry lots of cash. If you must, keep it separate and secure.
2. SOLO TRAVEL IS A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE. The Embassy almost always provides its staff with completely private accommodations -- either first- or second-class. Train conductors and anyone else who wishes to find out will learn that you, a foreigner, are in the compartment all alone. The Embassy has documented several cases of passengers being gassed in compartments, usually when they were solo. If you feel up to exchanging some privacy for possibly increased safety and definitely increased socializing, consider travelling in four-person compartments where you are sure to have the company of natives. Follow the rules of train etiquette if you are with others: bring something to eat and drink to share, wear as nearly as possible what you plan to sleep in, exit the compartment when passengers of the opposite sex start preparing for bed, and come to a consensus on having the window and door open or closed during the night and how loud you want the radio, if it's been turned on. Windows are either sealed shut permanently or opened with a special key kept by the conductor. A simple request to have her unlock the window is usually all it takes to open it, although you may be in for a lecture about the hazards of drafts.
TRAIN PROCEDURES
1. Shortly after departure, the conductor will appear in your compartment to take your ticket for the night. She (most often, although increasingly men are breaking through this job barrier) is the one who scrutinized you and your ticket as you boarded. The conductor then collects money for the sheets. Each set of sheets, which also includes a small towel, costs less than $2.50. If you are alone and the conductor demands money for all the beds in your compartment, don't waste your breath pointing out that you'll only be sleeping on one -- just pay for all of them. Try to give exact change, or graciously tell the conductor to keep the change. Make your own bed unless you're lucky enough to be in a first-class compartment where this service has already been provided. If you don't find a blanket in your compartment, ask for one. In winter, trains often become very warm over the course of a night, but initially may be chilly. In some trains, the conductor returns in about an hour to offer tea, available for pennies.
2. HYGIENE: Toilet facilities sometimes leave much to be desired, so consider visiting a restroom before boarding. Often the sinks do not have running water. Bring toilet paper, Kleenex, water and moist towelettes.
3. MORNING WAKE-UP: The conductor will usually knock on your door with that special window key a good hour before arrival. She wants to be sure to give you plenty of time to rise and shine, to drink tea if it's available and to fold up your blanket and return the sheets to her in her compartment by the toilet.
Below is some more condensed information
1
Taxis
In Kiev you don't need to rely only on official taxis. Just stretch your hand out at any car as lots of drivers will give you a ride if it's on their way.
Most taxis don't use taxameter and they will try to rip you off especially at night, in the city center and of course because you're a foreigner.
If you need a decent car and a receipt, call Autosvit. They use the meter, give you a receipt and send new vehicles. Order in advance, it often happens that they say they don't have a car available in your area if you call at the last moment.
Prices differ, in the city center pay from 10 to 15 UAH for a ride, 20 UAH at night. For longer journeys call a cab, they're cheaper.
To get to Borispol Airport expect to pay from 70 to 100 UAH
Autosvit : 234 4444
Bonus-Taxi : 233-1103
Delta Taxi : 238-8284
Elite Taxi : 238-8238
Euro Taxi : 249-4040
Express Taxi : 239-1515
Grand Taxi : 237-3000
Lux Taxi : 243-9394
Lux Taxi : SV 237-3999
Partner Taxi : 247-0000
Radio Taxi : 249-6249
Super Taxi : 248-0606
Swift Taxi : 459-0439
Taxi (State): 059, 054
Taxi : 237-2525
Taxi Blues : 295-1444
Taxis : 295-9508
Tvoye Taxi : 237-2575
2
About Ukraine
Background: Ukraine was the center of the first Slavic state, Kievan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kievan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kievan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. The new government presents its citizens with hope that the country may at last attain true freedom and prosperity.
Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland, Romania, and Moldova in the west and Russia in the east
Geographic coordinates: 49 00 N, 32 00 E
Map references: Asia, Europe
Area: total: 603,700 sq km
land: 603,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries: total: 4,663 km
border countries: Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km, Poland 526 km, Romania (south) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia 1,576 km, Slovakia 97 km
Coastline: 2,782 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m or to the depth of exploitation
Climate: temperate continental; Mediterranean only on the southern Crimean coast; precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and north, lesser in 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, hot in the south
Terrain: most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus, mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Hora Hoverla 2,061 m
Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land
Land use: arable land: 56.21%
permanent crops: 1.61%
other: 42.18% (2001)
Irrigated land: 24,540 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; air and water pollution; deforestation; radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Geography - note: strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second-largest country in Europe
People
Population: 47,425,336 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.6% (male 3,783,725/female 3,619,754)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 15,619,989/female 16,992,628)
65 years and over: 15.6% (male 2,497,851/female 4,911,389) (2005 est.)
Median age: total: 38.22 years
male: 34.91 years
female: 41.21 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.63% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 10.49 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 16.42 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 20.34 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.55 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 66.85 years
male: 61.6 years
female: 72.38 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.4% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 360,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 20,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: Ukrainian(s)
adjective: Ukrainian
Ethnic groups: Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%, Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%, Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish 0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8% (2001 census)
Religions: Ukrainian Orthodox - Kiev Patriarchate 19%, Orthodox (no particular jurisdiction) 16%, Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate 9%, Ukrainian Greek Catholic 6%, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox 1.7%, Protestant, Jewish, none 38% (2004 est.)
Languages: Ukrainian (official) 67%, Russian 24%; small Romanian-, Polish-, and Hungarian-speaking minorities
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.6% (2003 est.)
People - note: the sex trafficking of Ukrainian women is a serious problem that has only recently been addressed
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ukraine
local long form: none
local short form: Ukrayina
former: Ukrainian National Republic, Ukrainian State, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type: republic
Capital: Kiev (Kyyiv)
Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtonomna respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Crimea or Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Dnipropetrovs'k, Donets'k, Ivano-Frankivs'k, Kharkiv, Kherson, Khmel'nyts'kyy, Kirovohrad, Kiev (Kyyiv)**, Kyyiv, Luhans'k, L'viv, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Sevastopol'**, Sumy, Ternopil', Vinnytsya, Volyn' (Luts'k), Zakarpattya (Uzhhorod), Zaporizhzhya, Zhytomyr
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence: 24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 August (1991); the date of 22 January (1918), the day Ukraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia), is now celebrated as Unity Day
Constitution: adopted 28 June 1996
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Economy
Economy - overview: After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Ukraine depends on imports of energy, especially natural gas, to meet some 85% of its annual energy requirements. Shortly after independence in December 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% of the 1991 level. Loose monetary policies pushed inflation to hyperinflationary levels in late 1993. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. Ukrainian government officials have taken some steps to reform the country's Byzantine tax code, such as the implementation of lower tax rates aimed at bringing more economic activity out of Ukraine's large shadow economy, but more improvements are needed, including closing tax loopholes and eliminating tax privileges and exemptions. Reforms in the more politically sensitive areas of structural reform and land privatization are still lagging. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms. GDP in 2000 showed strong export-based growth of 6% - the first growth since independence - and industrial production grew 12.9%. The economy continued to expand in 2001 as real GDP rose 9% and industrial output grew by over 14%. Growth of 4.6% in 2002 was more moderate, in part a reflection of faltering growth in the developed world. In general, growth has been undergirded by strong domestic demand, low inflation, and solid consumer and investor confidence. Growth was a sturdy 9.3% in 2003 and a remarkable 12% in 2004, despite a loss of momentum in needed economic reforms.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $299.1 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 12% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18%
industry: 45.1%
services: 36.9% (2004 est.)
Labor force: 21.11 million (2004 est.)
Labour force - by occupation: agriculture 24%, industry 32%, services 44% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 3.5% officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers; the International Labor Organization calculates that Ukraine's real unemployment level is around 9-10 percent (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line: 29% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7%
highest 10%: 23.2% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 29 (1999)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 18.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues: $13.57 billion
expenditures: $12.26 billion, including capital expenditures of NA; note - these estimates probably do not include the government's doubling of pensions in September of 2004 (2004 est.)
Public debt: 24.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products: grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk
Industries: coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing (especially sugar)
Industrial production growth rate: 16.5% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production: 180 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - consumption: 132 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: 1.2 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 72,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption: 303,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Oil - proved reserves: 395 million bbl (9 November 2004)
Natural gas - production: 19.6 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 79.86 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 5.8 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 60.4 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 560.7 billion cu m (9 November 2004)
Current account balance: $4.584 billion (2004 est.)
Exports: $32.91 billion (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, food products
Exports - partners: Russia 17.4%, Turkey 7.1%, Italy 5.7% (2004)
Imports: $31.45 billion (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: energy, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners: Russia 31.9%, Germany 11.9%, Turkmenistan 5.8%, Italy 4.5% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $11.33 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $16.37 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $637.7 million (1995); IMF Extended Funds Facility $2.2 billion (1998)
Currency (code): hryvnia (UAH)
Exchange rates: hryvnia per US dollar - 5.3192 (2004), 5.3327 (2003), 5.3266 (2002), 5.3722 (2001), 5.4402 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 10,833,300 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 4.2 million (2002)
Telephone system: general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development plan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile cellular system
domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair; more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be satisfied; telephone density is now rising slowly and the domestic trunk system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system is expanding at a high rate
international: country code - 380; two new domestic trunk lines are a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL) project that connects 18 countries; additional international service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and by earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems
Radio broadcast stations: AM 134, FM 289, shortwave 4 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: at least 33 (plus 21 repeaters that relay broadcasts from Russia) (1997)
Internet country code: .ua
Internet hosts: 94,345 (2004)
Internet users: 3.8 million (2003)
Transportation
Railways: total: 22,473 km
broad gauge: 22,473 km 1.524-m gauge (9,250 km electrified) (2004)
Highways: total: 169,679 km
paved: 164,249 km
unpaved: 5,430 km (2002)
Waterways: 1,672 km (most on Dnieper River) (2004)
Pipelines: gas 20,069 km; oil 4,540 km; refined products 4,169 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Berdyans'k, Feodosiya, Illichivs'k, Izmayil, Kerch, Kherson, Kiev (Kyyiv), Kiliya, Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Reni, Sevastopol', Yalta, Yuzhnyy
Merchant marine: total: 201 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 675,904 GRT/709,802 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 148, container 4, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 7, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Russia 1)
registered in other countries: 113 (2005)
Airports: 656 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 174
over 3,047 m: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 57
1,524 to 2,437 m: 30
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 70 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 482
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 34
under 914 m: 428 (2004 est.)
Heliports: 8 (2004 est.)
Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces (Viyskovo-Povitryani Syly), Air Defense Forces (2002)
Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18-27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months for Army and Air Force, 24 months for Navy (2004)
Military manpower - availability: males age 18-49: 11,067,239 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 18-49: 7,114,337 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 378,176 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $617.9 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY02)
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Travel, Tourism and Holidays Specialists to Kiev, Around Ukraine and Crimea
If you are travelling to other cities around Ukraine and Crimea whether it be on business or on holiday then Ukraine Connections will very happily organise your apartment rental for you, as well as organise your travel arrangements, whether it be by air, coach or bus, train or private car hire.
Other Ukrainian Cities
Odessa | Dnepropetrovsk | Kharkov | Kherson | Krivoy Rog | Nikolaev | Lugansk | Lviv | Mariupol | Poltava | Sumy | Vinnitsa | Donetsk | Zaporozhye
Crimea
Yalta | Simferopol | Sevastopol | Balaklava
Please kindly contact us if you would like further information on apartment rental in any of the above cities as we have many lovely apartments on our books
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Major cities
KIEV
Population: 2.63 mln
Kiev Area: 827 km2
Year of foundation: 482 A.D.
Population in region: 1,938,000
Region area: 28,900 km2
KHARKOV
city population: 1.521 mln
distance to Kiev: 487 km
regional area: 31,400 km2
regional population: 3.02 mln
region's urban population: 78.8%
This heavily Russified city is just 40 kilometers from the Russian border, located at the confluence of the Kharkiv, Lopan, and Uda Rivers. Founded in 1659 as a cossak outpost, it was one of the largest Ukraine's commercial centers in the late 17th century. It was the capital of Soviet Ukraine from 1919 to 1934. The Ukrainian cultural renaissance commenced here in the years 1920-1930. The first wave of repression of the Ukrainian intelligentsia began in Kharkov.
Among the places to see would be Pokrovskiy and Uspenskiy cathedrals, built in the 17th-18th centuries. Today the city is known for its heavy machine-building, chemical and pharmaceutical plants.
Main Post Office:
6 Kirova vul.
tel. (0572) 21-15-55
Central bus station:
22 Haharina prosp.
tel. (0572) 21-65-04
Railway station:
1 Pryvokzalna pl.
tel. (0572) 24-22-53
Airport:
tel. (0572) 51-64-08
ticket booking: (0572) 21-84-41
Taxi reservation:
tel. (0572) 27-46-36
DNIPROPETROVSK
city population: 1.122 mln
distance to Kiev: 479 km
regional area: 31,900 km2
regional population: 3.8 mln
region's urban population: 83.6%
The largest industrial city in the country is located on the Dnipro River. Dnipropetrovsk boasts extensive Soviet-era machine-building, metallurgical (especially, iron and steel), chemical and oil-refining complexes. At the same time, the expanses of black earth outside the city represent some of the richest farm land in the country accounting for 6 percent of national agricultural production (wheat trade). Dnipropetrovsk is a big railway junction and is the site of several institutes of higher education and many cultural institutions.
The city was founded by Prince H. Potyomkin in 1776 and named Katerynoslav in honor of Empress Catherine II. It was renamed into Novorosiysk by Pavel I (1796-1802) later on. The intensive development of the city began in the 1870s when a railroad line was built linking the town with the Kryvy Rih and Donets Basin.
Main Post Office:
62 Marksa prosp.
tel. (0562) 45-40-23
Central Bus station:
10 Kurchatova vul.
tel. (0562) 42-31-79
information service: (0562) 008
ticket booking: (056) 778-40-90
Railway station:
1 Petrovskoho pl.
information service: (0562) 009;
(0562) 42-28-70
ticket booking: (0562) 33-62-53
Airport:
tel. (0562) 39-52-54
ticket booking: (0562) 34-11-34
River port:
tel. (0562) 42-26-69
Taxi reservation:
tel. (0562) 002
DONETSK
city population: 1.065 mln
distance to Kiev: 729 km
regional area: 26,500 km2
regional population: 5.06 mln
region's urban population: 90.2%
This southeastern city is the historical capital of Donbass, Ukraine's famous coal mining and industrial region. Founded in 1869 as Yuzivka after the Englishman D. Yuz, it rapidly developed, after a number of factories and mining complexes were built to exploit the local coal supply.
Most of city's population is Russian, and it traces its origin to the workforce brought in to develop the mines and factories during the tsarist and Soviet periods. In 1924-1961 the city's name was Stalino.
Modern Donetsk remains one of the largest metallurgical centers of Ukraine.
Hotels >>
Main Post Office:
72 Artema vul.
tel. (0622) 93-58-48
Central bus station:
Pivdenna bus station
Zahyblyh Komunariv pl.
tel. (0622) 66-41-23
Railway station:
Pryvokzalna pl.
tel. (0622) 51-22-53
information service: (0622) 005,
tel. (0622) 93-40-59
ticket booking: (0622) 055
Airport:
information service:
tel. (0622) 55-80-13; (0622) 006
ticket booking: (062) 381-0481
Taxi reservation:
tel. (0622) 058, (0622) 53-01-60
tel. (0622) 59-99-11
ODESSA
city population: 1.027 mln
distance to Kiev: 480 km
regional area: 33,300 km2
regional population: 2.55 mln
region's urban population: 65.8%
Odessa is not only Ukraine's most important port - in many ways it has more local character than any other city in the country. Founded in 1794 by Catherine the Great, Odesa became wealthy in the 19th and early 20th centuries on the grain trade, shipping, and smuggling. To this day Odesans are renowned for their sharp wit and canny trading abilities which were shaped due to the culture mix.
Within a short period of time the city, with its beautiful harbor on the Black Sea, has become Ukraine's southern window to Europe and an important cultural center. The city is constantly hosting exhibits, symposia, and conferences. It is the site of consulates and trade missions of many countries; many cultural exchange societies are active in the city.
Every year, approximately 100,000 tourists visit Odessa attracted by its boulevards and Prymorsky Stairs, the marine railway and beautiful beaches, numerous new structures, and the unusual architecture of old Odessa
Odessa Photo Gallery
Main Post Office:
10 Sadova vul.
tel. (0482) 26-74-93
tel. (0482) 26-64-67
Central bus station:
58 Kolontayivskoyi vul.
tel. (048) 732-56-93
information service: (0482) 004
Railway station:
2 Pryvokzalna pl.
tel. (0482) 27-42-42
information service: (0482) 005
ticket booking: (0482) 083
Odesa State International Airport:
information service: (0482) 39-33-12
Marine port:
6 Prymorska vul.
tel. (0482) 22-32-11
Taxi reservation:
tel. (0482) 088, (048) 731-03-10
ZAPORIZHZHYA
city population: 0.863 mln
distance to Kiev: 568 km
regional area: 27,200 km2
regional population: 2.04 mln
region's urban population: 76.5%
Founded in 1770 on the site of the famous Cossak camp, Zaporizhzhya has a special place in Ukrainian national folklore. For nearly two centuries Zaporizhzhya Sich used to be the only example of people's democracy in Medieval Europe.
Today, the city is a heavy industrial zone. Its rapid development started after the Dnipro hydroelectric station was put into operation in early 1930s. The biggest nuclear power plant in Europe is located in Zaporizhzhya region. A huge motor-car manufacturer is located in the city as well.
The most interesting sights are ancient settlements dating from 4000-2000 B.C., as well as cossaks' fortresses of 15th-18th centuries.
Main Post Office:
133 Lenina prosp.
tel. (0612) 33-20-72
information service: 33-12-06
Central bus station:
22 Lenina prosp.
tel. (0612) 64-26-57
Railway station:
2 Pryvokzalna vul.
tel. (0612) 69-12-53
ticket booking: (0612) 005
information service: (0612) 33-25-55
Airport:
information service:
tel. (0612) 64-25-65
Taxi reservation:
tel. (0612) 058
LVIV
city population: 0.794 mln
distance to Kiev: 544 km
regional area: 21,800 km2
regional population: 2.74 mln
region's urban population: 60.8%
Lviv is Ukraine's most western city both historically and culturally, having spent most of its nearly nine centuries of existence first as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and later as an important city in independent Poland. The city was founded in the 13th century at the European Divide - a trade route crossroads 600 km from the Baltic and Black Seas.
Lviv is an outstanding architectural reserve. In the 17th century, wealthy merchants invited architects and artists from all over Europe to turn Lviv into a real pearl of Europe. In November 1998 Lviv City was officially included in the UNESCO list of World Architectural Monuments.
The city is also an important transportation and industrial center. Manufacturing includes electronic equipment, motor vehicles, agricultural machinery, and chemicals.
Main Post Office:
1 Slovatskoho vul.
tel. (0322) 97-03-28
Central bus station:
189 Stryiska vul.
tel. (0322) 63-25-31
Railway station:
1 Dvirtseva pl.
tel. (0322) 35-43-01
information service: (0322) 005,
tel.:(0322) 35-25-79
ticket booking: (0322) 39-00-51
Airport:
information service:
tel. (0322) 69-21-12
ticket booking: (0322) 69 -20-48
Taxi reservation:
tel. (0322) 004, 083
tel. (0322) 36-34-34
YALTA
Yalta is an administrative and resort centre in Crimea, on the coast of the Black Sea. You can reach the city by car, bus, train or boat or you can fly to Simferopol and then take a taxi or bus to Yalta. The place is known for the 1945 Yalta conference, sometimes also called Crimean conference attended by President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and Generalissimo Stalin. Aside from that it is the most popular summer destination.
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Currency and Exchange Rates for Ukraine
In Ukraine there are one hundred kopiykas for one hryvnia (UAH). Hryvnia,
was introduced on the 2nd of September, 1996, is the main legal tender
in Ukraine today.
There are bills for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 hryvnias.
Coins are for 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kopiykas.
Hryvnia can be easily converted to hard currency in any authorized bank
of Ukraine or in numerous currency exchange offices. Please note that they
do not exchange coins in Ukraine, so only banknotes are convertible.
US$ are also very much accepted in most places.
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Ukraine Visitor Information
Customs
When entering or leaving Ukraine, you may proceed either through Green or Red custom line. Save all documents you receive and fill out going through customs - you will need these to leave the country.
Green Line - for people who do not have any goods to declare.
Currency of Ukraine - 3000 hryvnas (except coins made of precious metals)
Foreign Currency - 3000 US dollars in cash and/or in cheques (or equivalent in any other foreign currency).
Spirits - 1 litre
Wine - 2 litre
Beer - 5 litres
Tobacco products - 200 cigarettes (or 200 grams of tobacco)
Food-stuffs for personal use - for the sum of 50 Euro (except meat products)
* explosives and weapons (except gas and hunting weapons officially approved by Ukrainian authorities), drugs, artwork and antiques, luggage sent separately.
Immigration
Entering and Leaving Ukraine
To enter Ukraine, a visa is needed for all non-Ukrainian citizens except the CIS citizens (see below) and persons with diplomatic or special passports of the countries that have appropriate agreements with Ukraine.
The best and cheapest way to obtain a visa is through the Ukrainian consulate or embassy in your country prior to departure. In case of any questions contact Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Visa's Department (tel: 212-8317).
Important notice on visa requirements
Citizens of EU countries, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Japan, Andorra, Vatican, Iceland, Monaco, Norway and San Marino DO NOT need a visa if their stay in Ukraine does not exceed 90 days.
Who needs a visa
Citizens of all countries apart from those that have a visa-free agreement with Ukraine or citizens of countries that can travel to Ukraine as tourists without a visa thanks to the unilateral agreement valid since July 2005.
What kind of visa: for residents of non-qualifying countris
Depending on the purpose of your journey, choose type, duration and how many entries you want. It is a good idea to choose at least the double entry option if you're staying for more than 3 months. Your visa can be prolonged once you're in Ukraine, but you cannot change the type. The prices start at around 50 euros for a 3 month private single entry visa and increase from there, the one year multiple entry business visa will cost you around 150 euros.
Type tourist private business
Entries single double multiple
Duration 3 months 6 months 12 months
Applying for a visa
Applying for a visa is possible at your nearest embassy or consulate of Ukraine. Fill in the application form, attach your invitation, 2 passport photos, your passport and the consular fee. The standard time for obtaining a visa is 5 working days. Some embassies offer express visa in 2 days. If you have further questions, call the Visas Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on +380 44 212 83 17.
Invitation
If you travel as a tourist your travel agency will provide you with an invitation as part of the package as long as you have booked accommodation through them. For a private visa you'll need to have a letter of invitation from the person you'll be staying with and who will take care of you in case of need. The invitation has to state the name, address and other details about that person. If you don't know anyone in Ukraine this might be a little difficult, therefore there are agencies that can provide you with an invitation for a certain fee.
For your business visa you will have to produce an invitation from your Ukrainian employer or company you're going to do business with. You don't need an invitation for transit visa; if you don't currently need a visa you also don't need any invitation.
Prolonging your visa/expired visa
First of all remember that the prolonged visa will only be valid until you leave Ukraine (ie once you travel outside Ukraine you need to apply for a new one at the nearest Ukrainian embassy). Visas can be prolonged at the Central OVIR office on Shevchenko Boulevard 34. They will require a payment of about 30 UAH which can be made directly in that building. There is no informations desk nor any ticket queueing system so expect to see a group of confused people queuing from all sides there. The Central OVIR office has the following opening hours:
To prolong your visa you will need:
1. Registration (read how to get one below)
2. Two passport photos
3. Local insurance (read how and where to get one below)
4. Application form available at the OVIR office
Registering with local authorities
If your stay in Ukraine exceeds 180 days with a one-year business visa or you stay over 3 months with a tourist visa you will need to register at the local authorities (and prolong your visa). You will have to go to what is called the OVIR office, each Kiev district has one. They will require:
1.
Your address in Ukraine
you can bring either your apartment contract which needs to be stamped by the local authorities i.e. the rental agreement has to be legal
or you can bring a document from your landlord stating that you live at the address verified by a notary
2. Two passport photos
3.
Your passport with a valid visa
If you miss the registration you will have to pay a fine from 340 to 640 UAH at the local OVIR (depends on which district of Kiev you live in). When registered successfully you will have a stamp in your passport. If you don't they might demand the fine at the airport from you when you are leaving.
Insurance
For foreigners it is compulsory to buy health insurance if they stay over 90 days, if you have business visa for a year, it is over 6 months. The insurance costs about 70 UAH per month and covers all emergencies. You will need to buy the insurance from PROsto Insurance company which also offers other insurance plans such as for travel, car insurance etc. Their website has all the info in English.
PROsto - INSURANCE
O.Gonchara 65, Kiev, 01601, Ukraine
tel: +380 (44) 2386818
fax: +380 (44) 2062884
office@pro100.com.ua
At the passport control they will ask you how much money you have. If you have more than the allowed amount and they find it, the money can be confiscated and you'll pay a fine.
You can shop in Tax Free for the lowest price when flying to Ukraine from EU and other countries.
7
Hotels Around Ukraine
Ukraine Connections can recommend a hotel for you in all the major towns and cities around Ukraine and organise your hotel reservations in addition.
Please kindly contact us with your requirements giving us your intended date of arrival, number of days you would like to stay in the hotel and obviously the city. Please also inform what grade of hotel you would prefer to stay in eg. 3* 4* 5* and then we will get back to you with full details.
We can also organise all your internal travel arrangements for you in Ukraine whether it be by flights, trains or luxury coaches.
Hotel Odessa
The Following are just a few examples of hotels around Ukraine
Kharkov
Druzhba
185 Haharina prosp.
tel. (0572) 52-20-91
Myr
27-a Lenina prosp.
tel. (0572) 30-55-43
Natsional
21 Lenina prosp.
tel. (0572) 32-05-08
Dnipropetrovsk
Dnipropetrovsk
33 Lenina Naberezhna
tel. (0562) 45-53-27
Svitanok Hotel
30 Fuchika vul.
tel. (0562) 46-00-37
Tsentralniy
50 Marksa prosp.
tel. (0562) 45-03-47
Donetsk
Olimp
79 B. Khmelnytskoho prosp.
tel. (0622) 92-44-43
Central
87 Artema vul.
tel. (062) 332-33-32
Kyiv
4 Pushkina blvd.
tel. (0622) 92-05-25
Odessa
Chervoniy
15 Pushkinska vul.
tel. (0482) 22-72-20
Londonskaya
11 Prymorskiy blvd.
tel. (0482) 21-05-10
Viktoriya
24-a Henuezka vul.
tel. (0482) 61-89-03
fax.(0482) 61-90-33
Pasazh
34 Preobrazhenska vul.
tel. (0482) 22-48-49
Zaporizyzhya
Dnipro
202 Lenina prosp.
tel. (0612) 33-04-45
Ukraina
162-a Lenina prosp.
tel. (0612) 34-66-73
Intourist Hotel
135 Lenina prosp.
tel. (0612) 33-25-56
Lviv
George
1 Mitskevycha pl.
tel. (0322) 72-59-52
Grand Hotel
13 Svobody prosp.
tel. (0322) 72-40-42
Zamok Leva
7 M. Glinky vul.
tel. (0322) 35-11-00
Lviv
7 Chornovola prosp.
tel. (0322) 79-22-72
Turyst
103 Konovaltsya vul.
tel. (0322) 35-10-65
8
Property Buying and Investment
Welcome to the exciting new world of Ukrainian property. From the capital Kiev, through the beautiful Carpathian mountains to the sunshine of Crimea, this big country offers property to suit all tastes and budgets. Through our experienced partners in Ukraine we make sure your purchase of Ukrainian property is legally safe and provides after sales (English speaking) services.
Below is a General Guide to buying property in Ukraine. At the bottom of the page is a link to view examples of properties which can be sourced on your behalf.
How To Buy
This section gives important information. If you're thinking of visiting to buy Ukrainian property, please read it carefully before you go. There are two main ways to buy Ukrainian Property.
Firstly, when clients visit us and purchase.
Secondly, by Remote Purchase. This is when the client doesn't visit Ukraine immediately, but buys from abroad. This latter option is popular with lower priced properties and enables people to secure a bargain and then plan their trip at leisure. However, we always recommend visiting before purchase.
Full information on these two options are below.
Choose Your Property
Contact us and let us know what sort of property (apartment, house) and location you are looking for, including a rough indication on how much you would like to spend. We will then through our partners in Ukraine send you photographs and details of properties matching your criteria.
Arrange Your Visit
We can agree a date and time for your visit. Then you need to arrange your own flights and let us know your arrival time at Kiev, Odessa or Simferopol Airports (or train/coach stations). We will collect you at the airport (for a nominal fee) and transfer you to a hotel or apartment which we can arrange as well for you.
How long should you stay? That depends, of course, on your plans, but allow about 2 days to view property and 3 days to do the legal paperwork if you want to buy. Please note: As the solicitor and Notary office aren't open on a week-end, make sure you stay for at least one weekday to do any legal paperwork.
If you already have plans to be in Kiev, then all we need to do is fix a time for you to meet one of our representatives. All our staff speak English and Russian. They are friendly, with expert local knowledge, and will look after you well.
What to Bring
This is very important if you wish to buy property on your visit, so please read this section carefully. Please bring with you cash or travelers cheques in Dollars to the value of 5% of each property price. Also add about $200 to cover charge for Preliminary Contract, and document translation costs if required. And, of course, don't forget to bring some money to cover living and travel costs during your visit. Please note that credit cards are of little use for property deposits as there is normally a modest daily withdrawal limit on most. After signing the Sale contract it is required to provide the transfer of other 95% of agreed sum to the seller's or agency's account.
Transport
Once in Ukraine, you can hire your own car and our representative will accompany you to view without charge. Or you can hire our car with driver for $60-$100 (depending on car type) per 6 hour day, including petrol.
Accommodation
We can arrange accommodation for you, in a hotel or one of our modern apartments
Once you have visited your selected properties and made your selection, it is the time to set in motion the legal process.
The Buying Process
Foreign citizens have the right to buy and own property in Ukraine. Your property rights are set forth in the Constitution of Ukraine and law of Ukraine "On Ownership". The law permits owners of property (including foreign investors and joint ventures) not only to own property but also use such property for commercial purposes, lease property, and keep the revenues, profits, and production derived from its use, after all necessary taxes are payed.
1. If you are buying remotely or a visiting for less than 3 weeks, we recommend you having a Power of Attorney drawn up by your local solicitor, authorizing our legal team in Ukraine to complete the legal formalities in your absence. Full details will be given to visiting clients.
2. Once you have chosen which property to buy, you will sign a Preliminary sale/purchase agreement and pay a deposit of 5% or minimum $3000. This agreement sets out the terms of purchase, including date of full contract signing and completion. This agreement is signed in the presence of a Notary officer.
3. Commission will be paid to the agency handling your purchases, the amount varying according to each company. Depending on the property value commissions can vary between 3 - 6%
4. Signing of the main sale Agreement
5. Registration of the purchase with state authorities. To save buyer's time is usually conducted by us by Power of Attorney.
6. When buying property in Ukraine, you have the option of insuring the contract for 1% of purchase price, as mentioned below in “Buying costs”.
Documents you need to bring
To enter into a sale-purchase agreement, you need to have the following documents:
1) Your passport. And copy of birth certificate
2) Your tax payer number on the territory of Ukraine
The tax payer number on the territory of Ukraine can be obtained at the Kiev Tax Administration. If short visit, you will need to give us Power of Attorney to receive it..
3) If a buyer has a registered marriage and he/she has come to Ukraine without wife/husband, he/she must have the following documents:
-Marriage certificate (copy), if a buyer is married
-Legalized copy (certified by Apostile) of husband's/wife's agreement to buy a property
-husband's/wife's passport copy
4)Power of Attorney certified by Apostile (legislation certificate) authorizing our company's employee to receive the tax identification code in Tax Inspection.
Apostile is an International legislation certification and means confirming that a signature, seal or stamp appearing on a document is genuine.
Address of Apostile legislation in London:
The Legisaltion Office
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Old Admiralty Building
The Mall
London SW1A 2LG
By telephone:
020 7008 1111
Out of date information:
Attention! Starting from January 2007 taxes for property registration in Ukraine have changed. At present time while signing purchase and sale Agreement the following taxes are to be paid:
Apartment : owning apartment up to 100m2 in size and under condition that owner is selling flat first time in the year - 1% government tax plus 1% pension fund.
If the flat is for sale second subsequent time in a year - 1% government tax, 1% pension fund plus 5% gain tax.
If a flat is for sale first time but its size is more than 100m2 so 5% gain tax is to be paid from the area more than 100m2.
Plot: 1% government tax plus 5% gain tax.
House with a plot: if a house is up to 100m2 and owner makes first sell in the year so - from the cost of the house 1% pension fund plus government tax and from the cost of land 1% government tax.
Buying costs
1) Agency fee (3-6% of apartment price)
2) Government tax - 1% of property price
3) Pension fund levy - 1% of property price (not for plots)
4) Notary expenses of 100$ - 150$
5)Insurance policy - 1% of property price (if a buyer wishes).
The legal process is dealt with by a lawyer nominated by our agency and known to be an experienced professional. It's normal for the Lawyer to represent both sides, as in France, for example, and the lawyer is legally bound to be diligent. If there is the slightest irregularity in a property's paperwork, you will be advised accordingly.
It's worth noting, that to involve another solicitor is unnecessary legally and is likely only to drag out a sale. In fact, in our experience you will most likely lose the property. It is by avoiding such pitfalls as duplication of solicitors that we maximize your chances of a successful conveyance.
Most of our Ukrainian property sales are done within 15 days to a month, with the odd one taking longer if some legal issue crops up. If a property title isn’t 100% in order, our solicitor will cancel the sale. Fortunately, this is very rare as we try and pre-vet properties and owners before offering for sale.
Money Transfer
Payment of funds from UK or elsewhere to Ukraine can be done through a currency specialist (as noted below) or from your local Bank. You will need to fill in a "Priority Payment" or "Electronic Transfer" form and the payment should take about 3 days. When you fill in the form with the Bank staff, please bear in mind that the slightest error can result in the payment not being made. This can be critical when making payment for the deadline on a Contract. So check the form carefully before signing it and give yourself plenty of time and transfer at least a week before the due date.
Remote Purchase
We find property that is so low priced that an immediate decision and fast purchase is often required. To enable our clients to secure such bargains, we offer a way of buying quickly without visiting Ukraine. It's called "Remote Purchase", when you authorize us to sign documents on your behalf and you are the named beneficiary on the Contract. A formal Power of Attorney will be needed.
In this process, you authorize us to act on your behalf. 5% of the purchase price is sent to us immediately and sale agreed with vendor. Remote purchase can be a simple and fast process, that removes much of the stress from buying. No mad rush to get to Ukraine to buy before the property is sold to another. Just a call or e-mail along with the 5% and its yours, subject to legal process.
But please bear in mind that sending your deposit starts the legal process, with attendant costs, and your deposit will not be refundable if you decide not to proceed, for whatever reason, So, be sure that you wish to purchase. Also, please do not treat the Remote Purchase deposit as a "property holding" tactic. We spend a lot of time doing the initial checking of documents and drawing up of the Preliminary Contract - work for which we will not get paid if you do not proceed (the seller gets the deposit in full, not our Agency).
If the sale falls through due to actions other than your own, such as the seller not proceeding or the solicitor terminating the process as he's not 100% happy with the documentation, then you will receive a full refund of your deposit. We don't deduct any costs, but refund in full.
Lastly, it's worth mentioning that many of the very cheap Ukrainian properties are not up to "Western Standards" and will need work doing on them. Typically, this could include installation of internal WC and new bathroom, and fitting a kitchen, plus various other works. Such costs are, of course, very much reflected in the amazingly low prices.
We try to show all aspects of a property on our site, good and bad.
Reasons
1. No viewing or visiting charges
2. Lowest commission
3. Genuine low local property prices
4. Expert local knowledge and access to reliable building services
5. After sales property care contract and letting service
9
Kiev Airport and Railway Station Transfers
Once you arrive at Kiev's Borispol or Zhulyany Airports or the city's main railway station, Ukraine Connections will very happily organise all your transfers for you to your apartment or hotel. In addition to this we will very happily organise any internal travel requirements you require whether it be by air, rail, coach or by private car.
Our staff are extremely friendly and helpful and the drivers of our luxury vehicles speak English very well.
Kiev Airport Transfers
Standard Car
$55 (9am - 8pm) - $70 (before 9am - after 8pm)
Transfers to and from Boryspil Airport into the centre of Kiev are $50 each way during our normal working hours of 9am - 8pm. If your flight arrives / departs outside of these hours then airport transfer fees are $60. You will find these to be very competitive prices. You will be met at the airport by one of our very friendly staff and taken to your apartment or hotel in one of our vehicles.
Luxury Car
$65 (9am - 8pm) - $80 (before 9am - after 8pm)
Transfers to and from Boryspil Airport into the centre of Kiev are $65 each way during our normal working hours of 9am - 8pm. If your flight arrives / departs outside of these hours then airport transfer fees are $75. You will find these to be very competitive prices. You will be met at the airport by one of our very friendly staff and taken to your apartment or hotel in one of our luxury vehicles.
All Airport Transfer prices are based on the driver waiting for 1 hour
After 1 hours wait the extra charge is $20 / hour
Boryspil Airport VIP Meet and Greet : $195
Don't Fancy Standing In Queues.
Our VIP guest is met at the stairs of the aircraft by a chauffeured car and transferred to the VIP area where there are very swift immigration and customs formalities. Normally the aircraft parks on the airport apron and the passengers are ferried to the terminal building by bus. The VIP area is a very luxury area in the airport and has leather sofas, internet, a bar etc. Your luggage is brought to you in the VIP area and you will then be escorted to your vehicle for transfer to the city centre. This valuable service offered bypasses all the large queues that normal passengers are subject to especially at passport control. On average it will normally take around 45 minutes to get from the aircraft to the airport carpark. The main arrival hall is full of taxi drivers trying to sell their services. There is only one tiny cafe in arrivals which is normally very full - so the VIP area is obviously very much ideally suited for professional foreign travellers. The cost for VIP Meetings is $195 each way. This price includes $20 worth of drinks in the VIP area bar.
Kiev Railway Station Transfers : $25
Transfers to and from Kiev main railway station into the centre of Kiev are $25 each way. You will find this to be a very competitive price. You will be met at the station by one of our very friendly staff and taken to your apartment or hotel in one of our modern vehicles.
All the above Transfer and VIP prices are subject to change without prior warning.
10
Travelling and Transport Around Ukraine
We have many years of valuable experience, will organise all your accommodation and travel arrangements for you during your trip to Ukraine, including flights, train and coach reservations.
Once you arrive at Borispol or any other Ukrainian International Airport, Ukraine Connections will very happily organise all your transfers and internal travel requirements.
These include:
* Hotel Accommodation
* Coach, Bus or Minibus Hire
* Apartment rental
* Private Chauffeur
* Airport Transfers
* Internal Flights
* Coach Travel
* Train Travel
* Car Hire
Internal Flights in Ukraine
Kiev has 2 airports:
* Borispol
* Zhulyany
Flights can be taken to the following airports:
* Lviv
* Odessa
* Donetsk
* Uzhorod
* Lugansk
* Kharkov
* Mariupol
* Simferopol
* Chernivtsy
* Zaporihzyia
* Dnipropetrovsk
* Ivano-Frankovisk
Train Travel In Ukraine
Train travel in Ukraine is relatively cheap and trains leave Kiev for basically every corner of Ukraine on a daily basis. Ukraine Connections will very happily advise on train timetables plus book your train tickets for you in advance. We also offer transfers to Kiev's main railway station from either the airport or from your place of accommodation.
Express Trains
These are the best trains, usually going overnight between big regional centers of the country. Those trains make quite a few stopovers en-rout, have carriages of good quality and OK service.
Some of those trains include 1st class carriages for peak seasons, and exclude them for the rest of the year. Express trains usually have 1st, 2nd and 3rd class carriages. Express train numbers vary from route 001 to 149.
Passenger Trains
Quite slow trains, making numerous stopovers. Traveling might take up to 30 hours for long-distance routs. The quality of a train depends on a route and may vary from good to barely acceptable. As a rule, these trains have 2nd, 3rd and 4th class carriages. Passenger train numbers vary from route 171 to 699
Carriage Classification
Carriages' classification in Ukraine differs from European standards.
There are 5 types of carriages on the trains in Ukraine: SW (sleeping wagon), coupe, platzcart, common wagon (with numbered reserved seats), sit up (on suburban trains)
For convenience we have put classification - 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th class
1st Class Sleeper
This is the best type of carriages in Ukraine. Every carriage has 9 cabins, 2 berths in each cabin.
Beneath the lower berth(s) there is a box for luggage, which can accommodate 1-2 medium bags. Bigger storage for luggage is in the niche above the door. There is a small unfolding table by the window. Every cabin has a door lock and can be locked from inside.
There are two models of 1st class cabins:
* with horizontal berths (two berths on the same level)
* with vertical berths (one berth is above another, those cabins usually have a wash-stand under unfolding table lid)
Each carriage has WCs with wash-stands, 2 per each carriage. 1st class cabins are air-conditioned at the summer time. Air-conditioning is functioning while the train engine is working. Therefore it might be rather hot in the first hour or so of the trip and when the train is making stopovers. One or two stewards serve every carriage.
1st Class Compartment
2 beds
2nd Class Compartment
4 bunk beds
2nd Class Sleeper
2nd class is usually quite acceptable type of carriages. The quality depends on a train.
Each carriage has 9 cabins, each cabin has 4 berths - 2 lower and 2 upper ones. There are boxes for luggage below lower berths. Bigger storage for luggage is in the niche above the door. There is a small unfolding table by the window. Every cabin has a door lock and can be locked from inside.
2nd class cabins in Express trains are usually air-conditioned but not always. Each carriage has WCs with washing-stands, 2 per each carriage. One or two stewards serve every carriage.
3rd Class Sleeper
Not the best choice. Each carriage has 54 berths, among which 36 berths of normal type (in cabins) and 18 side located (along the passageway). Berths are in two levels.
Cabins have no doors and cannot be closed. There are boxes for luggage below lower level berths in cabins, and small luggage niches below side located ones. Under the upper level berths there are small berths for storing the luggage. Each carriage has WCs with washing-stands, 2 per each carriage. One or two stewards serve every carriage.
In spite of very low quality of 3rd class carriages they are popular in Ukraine, the reason is their very low tickets price.
4th Class
The words "cattle trucks" come to mind - do we need to say any more?
Suburban Trains
There are two sorts of these trains: electric and diesel. The trains go within a region limits or between two regions close to each other. Quality of the trains is very low and the trains are extremely slow, usually overcrowded, especially in summer, have no sleeping berths. Short distance travel might take up to 6 hours, while going by car would cut the time in half.
Coach and Bus Travel in Ukraine
We will very happily assist you catch a suitable luxury bus or coach to your chosen destination in Ukraine.
The coach company we use are very reliable and have modern and comfortable vehicles in very good condition.
The coaches have a comfortable passenger's cabin, with air conditioning / heating, and leather seats. There is also a toilet in the coach,for your convenience during the long trip. Moreover, you will have the possibility to watch a film or listen to the music. A stewardess will offer you tea, coffee, soft drinks and she will be there to assist you should you need her during the trip
Bus, Coach and Minibus Hire
We can supply group travellers with very reliable vehicles for:
* Boryspil Airport to city centre transfers
* City centre sightseeing tours
* Travel to other cities around Ukraine and Crimea like Odessa, Lviv and Yalta
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Steve Fowler
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ASA-Vantage Romantic Adventures
UK Mobile: +44 (0)7980 545155
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