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| UKRAINE: COUNTRY GUIDE | Useful Words: |
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During the last 10 years Ukraine has become a popular touristic destination, thanks to visa-free regime, good climate, low prices, friendly atmosphere and beautiful Ukrainian girls. Considering visiting Ukraine? Have questions to ask? We're here to answer them. |
What is Ukraine famous for?
Apparently the most famous Ukrainian in the world is Andriy Shevchenko, a Ukrainian football striker, one of the highest scorers in the history of European football. Other world-famous Ukrainian sportsmen are the Klitschko Brothers, heavyweight boxers.
Ukraine is also associated with the Orange Revolution, which took place in Ukraine in November 2004 - January 2005 and included a series of political events and civil movements against electoral fraud in Ukrainian presidential elections 2004. The participants chose the color orange as the symbol of the movement, wearing orange T-shirts, waving orange flags, and even giving free oranges to everyone.
Thinking about the darker past, Ukraine became infamous to the world because of the Chernobyl tragedy, which took place in 1986, when a huge explosion in a Ukrainian Nuclear Power Station led to a global ecological emergency. This disaster is considered to be the biggest in the history of atomic energy. Now the still radioactive Chernobyl area is becoming a desirable destination for extreme travelers, willing to experience the spooky, and still dangerous, atmosphere of Pripyat - the ghost city located near the powers station, full of empty buildings, wild animals and unbearable silence of death.
What language do Ukrainians speak?
Ukraine is bilingual. The official state language is Ukrainian, but most of the population speaks Russian as well. On the west of the country they mostly speak Ukrainian, while on the east and south people mainly speak Russian. Both languages have the same origin, and sound quite similar for a foreigner.
Where do tourists usually go in Ukraine?
Most famous tourist destination points are Kiev, Odessa, Lviv and Yalta.
Kiev is the capital and the biggest city in the country. Being really old (more than 1500 years!), the the city is full of beautiful buildings, ancient churches, museums and lovely curved streets. In spring it all is surrounded with blossoming chestnut trees, like glowing white candles - an amazing view indeed!
Odessa is maybe one of the most popular places to visit, and definitely the best place to have fun! The city is called "a capital of humor", where no one says a sentence without a joke. It has amazing French and Italian architecture, and one of the most beautiful opera houses in Europe . Add a booming night life in open-air clubs on the seaside, and the most attractive girls ever - sounds tempting, doesn't it?
Lviv is another old city (about 750 years old), situated quite close to the Polish border. With its rich architectural traditions and spirit of history on its narrow streets, Lviv is quite and calm, welcoming a traveler with little street cafes under thick tree shadows, cooling darkness of ancient churches and happy noise of a huge city market.
Yalta is a little town on the far south of Ukraine, in Crimea. Surrounded by Crimea Mountains, Yalta has the best climate in the country - the sea here stays warm much longer than anywhere else. Restaurants are cozy and full of tasty food, the sea is blue and the nights are dark - the perfect place for a romantic holiday!
Do I need a visa to go to Ukraine?
Luckily, Ukraine is really welcoming to foreigners! Some years ago the country implemented the visa-free regime for most of the world states, so you don't have to go to an embassy or pay on the border. According to the visa-free regime one can stay in Ukraine for 90 days without any additional permission, and then has to leave for at least another 90 days before coming back.
What to stay longer? Then just apply for a visa, usually it's quite easy to get it.
Do they take dollars in Ukraine?
Well, everyone takes dollars nowadays. To be serious, the country has its own national currency called hryvna (UAH), but US dollars and euro are widely used here. You can always change your dollars to the local currency in one of plenty little exchange points, usually situated on every street. Or use an ATM, or pay with your bank card.
Do they speak English in Ukraine?
Since Soviet times people have learnt English at school - but it doesn't necessary mean that they can actually speak it. Youngsters usually speak better, especially in big cities; hotel and restaurant staff usually is able to understand you, and city restaurants often have English menu. Still, don't hope to find an English-speaker at a train or bus ticket office - if you don't speak any Russian, try to find local assistance to avoid travelling to a totally wrong direction or paying double price.
What religion do they have in Ukraine?
The country doesn't have any kind of official religion, but most of the population is orthodox Christians (more catholic on the west). Ukrainians are highly tolerant to other religions - you can see an Orthodox Church standing next to a mosque, with Hare Krishna followers parading in front of both.
Do they celebrate Christmas in Ukraine?
Ukrainians do celebrate Christmas, but not the way Americans and Europeans do. You might be surprised to know that an orthodox Christmas is being celebrated on January 7th, almost two weeks later than you're used to. This curiosity is due to the Julian calendar, which is still being used by the Orthodox Church, while the rest of the world lives by the Gregorian calendar. The difference between the two calendars is 13 days now, that's why Ukrainians are celebrating their Christmas so much later.
Still, it's not the only difference! Christmas is considered to be mostly a religious holiday in Ukraine, and some people don't celebrate it at all. Instead of that, the big party dinner is being held on New Year's Eve, and all the presents are being given on the morning January 1st.
By the way, the same difference in calendars caused another oddity: people in Ukraine (and in all former Soviet countries) celebrate the New Year twice! The first one is on the January 1st, as normally, and the second one is on January 13th, so-called "Old fashioned New Year". Parties for the latter are not as big, but people still celebrate.
What's so special about the 8th of March?
There are two funny holidays being celebrated in Ukraine since Soviet times. These are March 8th, the Women's Day, and February 23rd, Men's Day.
Initially there was only one of them, the Women's Day. It was founded as a special gift to all women in the country, to praise them for their hard work and all the good they do to men. On this day all women, from little girls in kindergartens to wrinkled grandmas, were supposed to be getting flowers, greeting cards and presents. Women were quite happy, of course, to have their own special day - but men were envious!
So after some years another tradition appeared, a so-called Men's Day, an equal holiday for all male population. Originally it was a Soviet Army Day, a holiday for military men only. But the Women's Day tradition was so infectious, so that military holiday copied it completely. Now every boy and every man in the country was getting presents, too - fair enough, isn't it?
Nowadays the tradition is still strong, and every February 23rd ladies in the country are giving presents to their fathers, husbands, boyfriends and even sons; and on March 8th men are rushing around, buying up all the flowers and candies to please their ladies.
Being a foreigner, you can't really count on getting a present on the Men's Day, but don't you ever forget about the March 8th! Send greeting cards or flowers to your female business partners in the country, and get a little present to your Ukrainian girlfriend - otherwise you'll be considered to be rude and heartless.
Are there any Ukrainian traditions I need to know about?
First of all, everything in Ukraine is about food. It may sound funny, but almost every business or personal meeting involves eating. If you're invited to a business lunch to a restaurant, beware that it might outgrow to a business dinner, and in some cases you have a good chance to be wined and dined all night. If you're invited to somebody's house, be sure you'll be offered to eat, so don't eat beforehand. Remember, there's no bigger insult for a Ukrainian host than a guest refusing to eat their treat! Ukrainians eat a lot, and there's no surprise, as Ukrainian cuisine is delicious.
Also be prepared to be offered vodka and other local drinks. Locals drink easily and don't normally get too drunk, but a common fun is to keep pouring spirits to a foreigner, just to see how they can bear it. If you can drink all dinner and still manage to leave on your two feet, you'll gain an additional respect from your hosts.
Don't be surprised to see people dancing slow dances in a restaurant, even in the one with no proper dance floor. After a certain amount of drinks it's considered to be totally natural to invite ladies for a dance at a business dinner. If you feel confused about whether you should dance or not, just wait and watch people around you. But, if you're invited by a lady, there's no way to refuse, you have to do it!
I'm going to travel to Ukraine. Can I ask you a question?
Of course! Just send us an email to info@ukraine.odessa.ua and we'll do our best to help you!
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