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The natural charms of Ukraine are slowly supplanting the dismal Soviet legacy that has deterred so many visitors in the past. Despite the ominous ruins of Chernobyl (the corroded nuclear reactor there is now a tourist attraction) and the economic hardships that have persisted since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, we've found much to enjoy in Ukraine—from roaming its rolling countryside, where villages are set amid silver birches, to basking in the aging grandeur of Yalta or exploring nightclubs in the sophisticated capital city, Kyiv.
Kyiv has transformed itself into an outpost of Western Europe amid a sea of Soviet-style cities. The cafe culture has returned, with elegant bars and restaurants vying for trade among foreign visitors, entrepreneurs and local gangsters. Young Ukrainians wear stylish clothes—they're probably the best-dressed young people of any city in the former Soviet Union (except, perhaps, for Moscow).
The countryside west of Kyiv is particularly charming. In fields and gardens surrounding green-painted cottages, villagers grow sunflowers, potatoes, apples and corn in the rich black earth that earned Ukraine the title of "breadbasket of the Soviet Union." In these places, simple Ukrainian life seems not to have changed for centuries. On the other side of the country, there is the gorgeous Austro-Hungarian-style city of Lviv, which is more reminiscent of Vienna than Moscow. This city charms like almost no other in Ukraine.
Yet many aspects of Soviet life have lingered in Ukraine. While Ukrainian is the official language, people in the eastern and southern portions of the country, especially Crimea, continue to speak Russian. Many government leaders, including former President Leonid Kuchma, held powerful positions during the Soviet regime. Even current President Viktor Yushchenko was a card-carrying member of the Communist Party.
Tourism development in the country has improved greatly in recent years. Many new hotels and restaurants have been built in major cities such as Kyiv, Odesa, Donetsk and Yalta. With them has come a new emphasis on customer service, but anyone going to Ukraine should be aware that glitches and delays are commonplace. The key to enjoying a trip to Ukraine is to be flexible, tolerant and patient. Be prepared to expend a lot of energy just to get through the day. Although your trip might not be relaxing, a glimpse of this colorful part of the world will definitely be worth the effort.
Located in the flat, geographic center of Europe, Ukraine has often had outside visitors: Scythians, Goths, Huns, Khazars and Avars invaded the land in its early days. In the ninth century, these diverse peoples were united by Scandinavian traders, who conquered the area and established a kingdom in Kyiv. The kingdom, called Kyivan Rus, formed the basis of the Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian nationalities.
Kyivan Rus reached its apex under Yaroslav the Wise, who unwisely split his kingdom among his sons in 1054. The power of these princedoms dwindled, and in the 13th century the people were completely overrun by the Mongol invasion. The Mongols were finally driven back in the late 14th century, and Ukraine was absorbed by Lithuania, then Poland and finally Russia.
In Czarist Russia, Ukraine was considered little more than a province of the Russian Empire and the Ukrainian language was banned. A resurgence of nationalism began in the middle of the 19th century, thanks to exiled national poet Taras Shevchenko, who sought to promote and further the development of the language and culture. Shortly after the October Revolution in 1917, Ukraine declared independence, but this freedom was short-lived, snuffed out by advancing Red Army troops little more than a year later.
Under Stalin, a heavy-handed Russification program of Ukraine took place. The Ukrainian language was again banned, and more than 7 million Ukrainians died during a mass famine, called the Holodomar, in 1932-33. Following World War II, Stalin resettled millions of ethnic Russians in Ukraine's heavily industrialized east in order to foster the development of the Russian language in these areas and curb the growth of Ukrainian nationalism.
Chernobyl, a small town near the border with Belarus, was the site of the world's worst nuclear accident in late April 1986. It made world headlines after a fire broke out in one of its reactors. Radiation spewed into the atmosphere, contaminating hundreds of thousands of acres/hectares of productive farmland and forcing the evacuation of several hundred thousand people, who were not immediately informed of the radiation dangers since the Soviets attempted to hide the scale of the disaster. More than 1,000 people died trying to put out the fire and contain the radiation. The area around the reactor, now virtually deserted, is off-limits to the general public.
During World War II, one consequence of the Yalta conference had been that Ukraine became a full member of the United Nations (the U.S.S.R. took three seats in all). In 1991, the Ukrainian delegation used its seat to justify the nation's independence. During a referendum in the fall of 1991, Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence. After negotiations with Russia over the Crimean peninsula, which has remained a part of Ukraine, and the port city of Sevastopol and its Black Sea naval fleet, the two countries signed a friendship accord, which seems to have lessened tensions in the region considerably.
Despite independence, rampant inflation and government corruption weakened Ukraine's economy. In November 2004, millions of Ukrainians took to the streets in Kyiv, Lviv and other cities to protest the alleged rigging of the presidential elections. The bloodless protests, dubbed the Orange Revolution, lasted for more than a month in subzero temperatures and forced a new round of elections.
The winner, the reform-minded Yushchenko, ushered in a new era in Ukraine's relations with the west. In 2008 Ukraine became a member of the World Trade Organization, and now seeks membership in the European Union. But opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych, who was elected president in 2010, is not as eager to join NATO as was his predecessor.
The main attractions of Ukraine include antiquities, mountains, cathedrals, Black Sea beaches, art, historical sites, relics of Soviet culture, and the historical sections of Kyiv, Odesa, Yalta and Lviv.
Experienced travelers who are flexible and open-minded will enjoy Ukraine. Deluxe accommodations and dining can be found in all major cities. Nightlife has also improved dramatically in recent years, and Kyiv and Odesa can compete with leading European cities in this regard.
Ukraine no longer has a nuclear arsenal. Since the ending of Cold War hostilities, the 1,900 strategic warheads and silos that littered the countryside south of Kyiv have been removed and destroyed. The region, traditionally Ukraine's agricultural region, has been returned to wheat and sunflower crops.
In the past, Crimean politicians have made moves toward declaring independence or joining with Russia, but Ukraine is determined to keep its hold on the region, largely because it guards Kyiv's access to the Black Sea.
About 70% of the words of the Russian and Ukrainian languages are the same.
Kyiv's Independence Square is the location for the Ukrainian version of Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park. Drop by to see unlimited free speech (and unlimited heckling) in action.
Kyiv boasts the world's deepest subway. It doubles as a fallout shelter.
The poet dearest to the heart of a Ukrainian is Taras Shevchenko (1814-61), whose collection of poems, Kobzar, helped fuel Ukrainian nationalism in the years before his death.
Cossack cavalry troops, made up of fierce fighters who symbolized Ukraine's independent nature, were used in combat as recently as World War II. They were quite successful in winter operations, when subzero temperatures froze all mechanized equipment.
Ukraine's flag, a horizontal stripe of light blue set above a stripe of wheat yellow, symbolizes the richness of its agriculture under an endless sky.
Like most Slavs, Ukrainians use a patronymic (modification of their father's first name) middle name, and use first and middle names in all situations. A male named Oleksandr, with a father named Volodymyr, is called Oleksandr Volodymyrovytch. In formal conversation, he would be addressed not with a title such as Mr., but by calling him Oleksandr Volodymyrovytch.
Ukrainians are very superstitious. Some superstitions include: Don’t whistle indoors or all of your money will fly out of the window, and the belief that sitting between two people with the same name brings good luck.
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