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Ukraine
City Guide
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Ukraine Travel Guide
PRACTICAL INFORMATION - Official name: Ukraine, Ukrayina , ???????
- Capital: Kyiv (Kiev 2.6 million people)
- Language: Ukrainian
- Religion: Orthodox (77%), Catholic (13.5%), Protestant, Judaic, Muslim (9.5%)
- Currency : : Hryvnia (UAH). Exchange rate: €1 = 6.19 UAH.
Ukraine Sights and Museums
WHAT TO SEE : Kyiv
Ukraine's capital is flashy, fast and monumental
Founded in the 5th century, Kyiv is the mother city of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. All three descend from Kyivan Rus, the Slavic super-state that existed from the 9th to the 11th centuries. Kyiv has survived Mongol invasions, devastating fires, communist urban planning and the destruction of WWII.
Odesa
This cultural treasure house is no Potemkin village.
Odesa is a curious mix of enticing seaside holiday retreat and polluted industrial port. A long-time Black Sea shipping centre and southern Ukraine urban giant, the city is famous for its role in the 1905 revolution, when the mutinous battleship Potemkin Tavrichesky supported rebellious workers.
Carpathian National Natural Park
Tel: 03434 22 817 (info)
At 503 sq km (5414 sq ft), this is Ukraine's largest national park. Despite its status, industrial logging still takes place, and only about 25% of the park area is protected. Founded in 1980, the CNNP shelters wolves, brown bears, lynx, bison and deer. Hutsuls still live in the park, and the country's highest peak, Mt Hoverla (2061m/6761ft), is here as well.
Caves Monastery
vulitsa Sichnevoho Povstannya 21
Tel: 044 290 30 71 (info)
Rolling across acres of wooded slopes above the Dnipro, the Caves Monastery, also known as the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, deserves at least a half-day. It is the single most popular tourist site in the city, a highlight of visiting Ukraine and arguably the spiritual heart of the Ukrainian people.
Highlights include the striking early-12th-century Trinity Gate Church; the Refectory Church of SS Anthony & Theodosius, which sports the monastery's famous gold-striped dome; and the Nearer Caves, with dozens of niches containing glass-topped coffins holding mummified monks' bodies.
St Sophia Cathedral & Monastery
Sofiyivska ploscha
Tel: 044 278 20 83 (info)
Built from 1017 to 1031 and named after Hagia Sofia Cathedral in Istanbul, the Byzantine plan and decoration of St Sophia's Cathedral announced the new religious and political authority of Kyiv. Prince Yaroslav himself is buried here. The most memorable aspect of a visit here is the cathedral's interior, where there are 11th-century mosaics and frescoes.
Hours: Fri-Tue 10:00am-5:30pm, Wed 10:00am-4:30pm
Ukraine Entertainment
EVENTS :
Cultural events:
JANUARY
Orthodox Christmas: January, 7th.
APRIL
Good Friday: April, 9th.
MAY
Victory Day: May, 9th.
Holy Trinity: May, 30th.
JUNE
Constitution Day: June, 28th.
AUGUST
Ukrainian Independence Day: August, 24th.
Ukraine Transports
TRANSPORTS Getting between major Ukrainian cities is best done by train. They're frequent, cheap and often a convenient night's journey. If you want to save a few hryvnia and don't mind the extra time, buses serve almost every city and small town; they're best for short trips outside main cities not served by trains. Autolux (www.autolux.com) is a private Ukrainian bus company and has comfortable modern buses to major locations at good rates. State-run buses are rather nightmarish.
Cars can be rented at a few major hotels in Kiev and at a handful of agencies in the major cities. You'll need an International Driving Permit; driving is on the right
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