Морские круизы / Welcome to Ukraine

Welcome to Ukraine

KYIV

Kyiv is one of the biggest cities in Europe. It is a bustling capital of independent Ukraine, its administrative, economic, scientific, cultural and educational center. This scenic city with population of over 3 million people is located on the shores of the Dnepr River.
 
Kyiv is a city of invaluable historical and cultural monuments, a city of great events and outstanding people. Everyone will find there something especially interesting for himself.
 
The art and architecture of Kyiv are considered world treasures. Many famous artists, poets and writers estimated the unique beauty of this city. The most renowned landmarks include: Cathedral of St. Sophia with outstanding mosaics and frescoes dating back to the 11th century; Kyivo-Percherskaya Lavra featuring several monasteries and cathedrals; Golden Gate of Kyiv, which date back to 1037; Ukrainian Baroque Church of St. Andrew; the magnificent 19th-century Cathedral of St. Vladimir; and many other attractions. Kyiv is often referred to as "the mother of all cities" by Russians and Ukrainians. It is one of the oldest towns in Europe. In the historical center of Kyivyou can feel the spirit of the past everywhere.
 
Kyiv is distinguished for its rich cultural life. Theater lovers will find many theatres offering various theatrical programs. Most performances are held in Ukrainian or Russian. The recently renovated Kyiv Opera House presents very good opera as well as a broad repertoire of ballets. Ivan Franko Theater is a center of Ukrainian drama, comedy, and musicals. A lot of various exhibitions are carried out in the city's numerous museums and art galleries.
 
Kyiv is also a scientific and educational center of independent Ukraine. Various universities and science academies including famous Kyiv-Mogilyanskaya Academy, which is one of the first scientific establishments in Eastern Europe, are located there.
 
Being the largest city of Ukraine, Kyiv is a leading industrial and commercial center of the country. Kyiv's major industries include: food processing (especially processing of beet sugar), metallurgy, manufacture of machinery, machine tools, rolling stock, chemicals, building materials, and textiles. The development of Ukrainian economy gave impulse to business activity of the city. There are a lot of new office centers, banks, trade exhibition centers and other commercial enterprises appearing in the city nowadays.
 
Take a walk through the ancient streets of this scenic city, feel its unique beauty and the spirit of its past.
 
For sure your stay in Kyiv will become one of your most memorable experiences.
 
 
QUICK FACTS ABOUT KYIV
 
Area: 827 sq km
  
Location: Kyiv region, on the River Dnepr
 
Population: 2,900,000 (est.)
 
Foundation: 482 A.D.
 
Climate: The climate in Ukraine is temperate continental. It is mainly characterized by plentiful precipitation and cloudiness in winter and fall. Winters are usually long and cold. Summers are short but can be pretty hot. The average temperature in winter is 17-35 degrees F (-8 to +1 C), in summer - 65-80 degrees F (+18 to +27 C). In winter heavyweight clothing is recommended; lightweight clothing is good for summer.
 
UTC/GMT Offset: UTC/GMT + 2 hours
 
Area code: 44
 
Time: Time in Ukraine is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT. Daylight Saving Time is from late March till late October. Clocks are set one hour forward in the last week of March and one hour backward in the last month of October. You may always find out the exact local time in Ukraine dialing 060. 
 
Language: Ukrainian is an official language of Ukraine. However, Russian is widely in use in the country. Most people in Kyiv and in Eastern Ukraine speak Russian as a main language, while Ukrainian is a main language in Western Ukraine. As of English, now more and more people learn this language, which is the most popular one among other foreign languages in Ukraine. Major restaurants, bars and hotels have English speaking staff, but in general not much English is spoken in Ukraine. We recommend that you have a phrase book at hand or someone who can help you (at least for your first day in the country).
  
Water: Tap water is chemically safe in Ukraine, but it is recommended to boil water before drinking it. It is even better to use bottled purified water available almost in every shop. However, we recommend that you buy water in supermarkets, so you can be assured that the water is not spurious. Note that hot water can be turned off for about one month during the summer time. Most hotels provide electrical heating facilities in a bathroom, so you will not face such problems.
  
Smoking and Drinking: Prior to visiting Ukraine or any other foreign country, it is suggested that you learn some basic rules of etiquette used in the country you plan to go. Our simple recommendations will help you avoid some uncertainty you might have under certain conditions when in Ukraine. Visiting someone in Ukraine it is advisable to bring a gift with you. If you want to bring flowers, do not forget that even number of flowers is intolerable.
  
Major attractions: St. Sophia's Cathedral, Uspensky Cathedral, St. Michael Monastery, Kyivo-Pecherskaya Lavra, Golden Gate, Andreyevsky Spusk.
 
Major industries: Metallurgy, engineering industry, chemicals, textiles, food processing, building materials, electric products, gas, oil, coal and peat production, woodworking industry.