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Frequently asked questions about Ukraine

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What is Ukraine?

Ukraine is a former Soviet republic. Now part of its successor, a fragile formation called the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) also referred to as the FSU (Formet Soviet Union) which is technically different but basically the same. Population: 45 mln (urban: 68%). The capital: Kyiv (2.8 mln). Total area: 603,700 km2. Terrain: mostly fertile plains (steppes) and plateaus; mountains only in the west and south. The country is subdivided into 24 regions (oblasts) and the autonomous republic of Crimea. Ukrainian Flag:

 
 

Where is Ukraine located? Is it in Asia?

Ukraine is in Eastern Europe and borders on Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus and Russia (land boundaries: 4,558 km total). It has a long coastline on the Black and Azov Sea (9,789 km). Time offset: GMT+2 hours in winter, GMT+3 in summer (daylight saving time which is actually a silly idea but still followed here). Ukraine is one of the biggest countries of Europe. Check this map please.

What language is spoken in Ukraine?

The official language is Ukrainian, though it is basically spoken in the western part of the country. A lot of Ukrainian citizens speak Russian.

Not many people know foreign languages; English is most popular.

How common is the Russian language in Ukraine? How different are the two languages?

Russian and Ukrainian are very close. Like German and English, they have common roots; however they are not so distant as the two other languages since they split about five centuries rather than a dozen centuries ago. Ukrainian has changed less than Russian since then. The languages have very similar vocabulary and grammar and share cyrillic letters and the alphabet although each language has a few unique letters which are not used in the other.

Most Russians understand Ukrainian although cannot speak it.

As for Ukrainians, they are in a better position. Besides the similarity between the languages, their advantage is that in the USSR Russian was the lingua franca and every citizen was supposed to understand and speak it. Also, a lot of literature (both fiction and technical), TV, radio, manuals are in Russian so Ukrainians deal with the language whether they like it or not, and thus keep it up. Of course some Ukrainians do not like it and will demand that you speak in Ukrainian but the thing is they do understand you.

Finally, half Ukraine speaks Russian. It is chiefly Eastern and Southern Ukraine. Even native Ukrainians sometimes speak basically Russian. It is not something outstanding. For example, most Irishmen speak English as well as Welsh people and not many of them can boast knowing their native tongue. Ukrainians preserved much more of their culture in this respect.

So if you go to Ukraine Russian is going to help you out any time. Even in Western Ukraine where Russian is frowned upon. It is like French: all Frenchmen know some English but they are jealous and want you to speak French.

How do I enter Ukraine? Do I need a visa?

Visas are not required for citizens of the following countries:

What can I bring in here?

Money

What is the official currency? Do you have euros or rubles there?

The Ukrainian national currency is called Hryvna (UAH). One Hryvna contains 100 kopeykas. Hryvna used to be an extremely unstable currency in the past, but over the last five years its rate toward the US dollar has been, surprisingly, very stable. The exchange rate is UAH5.4 per US$1. US dollars and euros are most popular in exchange booths. Other currencies are harder to exchange.

Can I pay in dollars?

You can pay in dollars to people who help you such as cab drivers, translators, guides; but if you go to a store you cannot pay in dollars. Only hryvnas are accepted.

Can I pay with my credit card?

Visa, MasterCard and Eurocard are accepted in major hotels, restaurants, casinos, stores. Electronic pay cards are becoming popular here. Owners of American Express, Dinners might have trouble when using their card.

Can I pay with travel checks?

Travel checks can be cashed at the majority of banks. Most popular travel checks in Ukraine are Thomas Cook and Visa.

Is it easy to get hryvnas if I have dollars or euros?

There are no problems with cash exchange in Ukraine. Exchange booths are everywhere, many of them work till late night. US dollars, euros and Russian rubles are exchanged in all exchange booths. But some of them operate with many different stable currencies, up to 25 currencies. Please note that damaged banknotes might not be accepted. If you have a torn hryvna bill it may be taken but if your dollars have the slightest tear, just a few millimeters, or a stain you may have trouble exchanging them or paying with them. Make sure you bring only new bills with you.

Do I have to bring a lot of cash with me?

No. Credit cards and travel checks are widely accepted in Ukraine. There are plenty of ATMs (called bankomates here) where you can cash your credit card. You may also do it in a bank (as well as cash your travel checks there) but you will need your passport.

How much should I budget for my visit (transportation, meals, sightseeing, events)?

Transportation is fairly inexpensive with one exception. There are two types of taxi drivers in Ukraine who differ dramatically. It is a funny phenomenon but let us just talk about what it means for us. One type is regular drivers who drive around the town, sometimes it is just individuals happy if you cover their gas expenses, also radiotaxis that you call on the phone. These are OK, you can make a deal. The other type is taxi stands at train stations, casinos, and just in the street. Be particularly careful with such as those are mentally ill geeks obsessed with taking all of your money. In fact, while the first category is working driving around town and delivering passengers, these loafers prefer to wait for hours for the unlucky unsuspecting one who will pay them their daily salary. They will not budge to drive a few meters for the fee that would normally take you half the town. So, if you see a waiting cab, do not bother to ask for the price. When you arrive in a town, just wave them off, quickly get on any bus and ride two stops, get off and wave any car without passengers — you will save at least half. Prices differ from town to town and Kiev is particularly expensive. Metro (Subway) in Kiev or Dneproptetrovsk is about $0.10 a ride. So are the streetcars, or trolly buses. Mini-buses on specific routes could be from UAH0.75 to UA1.50 per person per ride. As for trains, see above (about $10 second class).

Accommodation: a good Western-style apartment in the downtown is $50 to $100 a day. Hotels are more expensive.

Events: Opera, Ballet or Theatre should be $10 to 30. It is very cheap. However, if there is a concert by a Western pop star, be ready to pay as much as you pay back home.

Sights and museums: not really expensive, usually you can budget about $15 per sight. In some museums foreigners are charged more than locals but cheap anyway.

Meals: a good cafe runs about $20 for two people. A good restaurant usually twice as much or more.

Gifts: If you plan to buy perfume bring it with you from home or at a Duty Free in Western Europe. The local ones regardless of the Brand names may be knockoffs or of poor quality according to local women. Wine and candy are very inespensive say UAH10 to 20per bottle or a nice local box of candy. Note a cake may cost as much as a local flat for a native resident, but makes an excellent hostess gift.

Interpreters. There are two options here. First, a professional interpreter that would cost about $100 a day. You will get it if you go to a serious company or find a professional freelancer. Second, someone who just knows English and wants to make extra bux. You can have them for $5 an hour. But it is very much like using translation software. Usually if you deal with a dating agency this is what they offer. But good translators seldom work for dating agencies because salaries are not adequate for a pro. So, agencies just look for students or young people desperately wanting a job. But there is a saying here among employees: we work the way we are paid. This is one of the reasons the economy is not prospering, but I will not delve into philosophy here either. Just remember that on the other hand you get what you pay for.

To sum up, plan on something like $250 a day.

Is it safe to visit Ukraine?

Yes. Actually, Ukraine is one of the few former Soviet republics which didn’t have any military actions and ethnical conflicts on its territory. You will feel quite safe on the streets in the day time as well as in the night time in most of the towns.

I have heard something about Chernobyl. What about radiation?

The US Embassy and other official organizations consider radiation levels in Kyiv and most of Ukraine safe and normal. To be frank, it is not as nice as it seems but if you stay here for a month or two the exposure will be minor.

Which cities would you recommend visiting?

Top five major cities that you should visit while in Ukraine (by regions):

In addition, you may also want to go to

Accommodation

Where can I stay?

If you are heading for Odessa, please see the hotels page. Basically, hotels are a good idea if you travel alone and on your own. If you have friends with you or someone to take care of you here (e.g., using a local translator or guide), you may try a private apartment. It will not necessarily be cheaper but not so noisy as a hotel and more private. Which is critical if you are coming over to meet a girl. Many girls would not like to appear in a hotel with foreigners because hookers often hang out there and the staff would think that she is one of them, or if she is seen by someone who knows her, gossips may spread.

How much does accommodation cost?

Be ready for something about $50 per night though you may find cheaper options down to $10 a night.

I want to take my laptop with me. What about electricity?

The standard electric voltage is Ukraine is 220 V. If you have your electric appliances/accessories, do not forget to bring a plug adapter for the outlets and power converter if your gadgets use 110 V or something else. If you have been to Europe you have the idea what Ukrainian plugs look like, but they have thinner pins, so European plugs do not fit into Ukrainian sockets. However, Ukrainian plugs can fit into European sockets and most hotels are now equipped with them. As a last resort, you can ask the maid in the hotel for a plug adapter or get it in an electrical appliance store.

Please note that outages are common in Ukraine.

Transportation

Is it easy to get a cab? How much does it cost?

Yes. In fact, you do not have to wait for one. Just wave your hand to a car with no passengers and chances are that you will get a ride for a dollar or two. A lot of people make their living this way and even if they are not professional cab drivers, they are always happy if someone pays for the gas.

As for taxis you have to be careful as these guys are very greedy. Even locals have to avoid them because they tend to charge ridiculous prices, especially at train stations and similar places. There is a square in Moscow where they have several train stations. Unsuspecting people who wanted to change trains and took a cab to another train stations were often driven to another part of the city and then back to this square from another side and charged respectively. If you get off the train or plane you will see a lot of cab drivers hurrying to you and offering to give you a ride but you should never fall victim. Just go outside and walk a block away, wave your hand — and you will save ten bucks.

You also have to realize that if you speak English you may and will be charged more than a local, so it is best to ask for someone’s help in hailing a cab and negotiating the price.

A good option is call taxis (radiotaxi). There are companies in every town that render this service and it is usually not too expensive, especially compared to taxis at train stations. They charge a fixed fee depending on your route. You can see their cabs and put down the phone number (it should be easy to tell it from an advertisement onboard).

Basically, one kilometer is $0.35 on the average (gas included). Which is UAH1.5 to 2.

Can I take a train to another city?

Sure, why not. Ukraine has an extensive network of railroad which connects it to many European and Asian countries. The total length of railroad in Ukraine is 22,800 km. Trains are a very reliable way to travel within Ukraine, especially in the winter time when many domestic flights are cancelled or delayed due to poor weather conditions, while car travel is not good either (not as safe and expensive) and bus travel, being quite uncomfortable, will take ages. On top of that many cities just cannot be reached via air. A train will definitely be en-rout and will reach a destination point on time or with minimum delay, no matter what is the weather and time of the year. Therefore, train travel in Ukraine is so popular among travelers. Trains are cheap though slow and not very comfortable. First class compartments have 2 berths (some trains do not have the 1st class option), the second class has 4 berths. Forget about the 3rd class, it is a nightmare literally. Most trains are overnight ones so you go to bed in one town and wake up in the other. Trains are the most popular and easy way to make intercity trips in Ukraine.

Tickets

Train tickets can be purchased at the railroad stations and offices, and in a few travel agencies. Tickets cannot be reserved or put on hold, they can be bought only. You may be requested to show your passport for identification upon boarding a train since your name is printed on the ticket to prevent profiteering.

During off seasons there are no problems even if buying tickets 2-3 days prior to the departure. During holidays all tickets are sold out much earlier, sometimes a month in advance. Bad weather conditions may become another reason for train tickets deficit since flights are cancelled or delayed and trains become the best option to travel.

Prices for foreign citizens and Ukrainians are the same, basically around $10 second class. But you will have to pay for bedclothes separately, usually $1.5. When buying a train ticket one must produce one’s passport and the name is printed on the ticket.

Food

The majority of trains have dining or buffet cars, which serve alcohol and soft drinks, water, snacks and some cooked meals. But it is a good idea to take some food with you: bottled water, snacks, canned meat or fish, vegetables and fruits, cereal and packed milk, anything that will not spoil if stored in a room temperature and you can live on for the length of your trip. There is no cooler in carriages, so packed food is the best. The same applies if eating at a train restaurant. Getting food from train station vendors is not safe, no matter how delicious it looks. Fruits and vegetables are exception. Just wash them properly. Peaches, tomatoes, watermelons, apples, grapes and all grown on Ukrainian soil is just irresistible.

Hygiene

Always take personal supplies for hygiene, since it is a rare occasion when one finds toilet paper supply in a train lavatory or the paper might appear to be of a poor quality. Moisturized tissues will be handy too, for tapping water is mostly available at lavatory rooms.

Disposable cups, plates, spoons and forks will serve you good if your train trip is lengthy and you are taking food with you. Carry bottled water for drinking, brushing teeth and washing up.

Security

Traveling by train is as secure as the other transportation options if you follow some simple advices:

Where can I find the Train Schedule?

I have the Odessa Timetable in my web site; if you want information on another city, there are some links here too.

Can I fly?

Yes, of cource. If you do not have wings we have some planes. But this time the price is higher for foreigners. On average, a plane ticket is about $50 and it is better to buy it in advance or else the price goes up.

Majority of big cities in Ukraine has air connection with Kiev. Tickets for domestic flights for non-Ukrainians might be more expensive than for Ukrainians. Best air connection with other countries goes via Kiev. Some domestic flights are not very reliable in terms of schedule — it is a good idea to make sure that the flight you have chosen is made on regular basis. Please note that most domestic air tickets can be obtained in Ukraine only.

Domestic air travel, being the fastest and easiest way of transportation, covers quite few destinations in Ukraine. There is a permanent air connection from/to Kiev with Dniepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Lugansk, Lviv, Mariupol, Odessa, Simferopol and Uzhgorod. Transportation between other cities can be made by trains or buses. See the Odessa Timetable.

Communication

Telephones

My girlfriend has a Kyivstar cell phone. She told me the following number: 8067*******. That is 11 digits, and no country code? What would I dial from the US?

Just add +3 before. Phone numbers in Ukraine must have 12 digits and look like this: +380xxnnnnnnn where xx is the area code (sometimes it is longer, but for major cities and cell operators just 2 digits) and nnnnnnn is the phone number. E.g., Kyivstar cell code is 67. So her phone number should look like +38067*******.The 8 before is used locally to dial long distance. All the area codes have a spare zero in the beginning, so you dial 8, wait for the tone, dial zero and the area code, this time it is 67, that is 8w067, and then the phone number. But if you are outside of Ukraine, you dial whatever your operator requires for long distance, for example 0038067******* in Europe, 01138067******* in the USA.

By the way sometimes depending on the company you use in the USA, you have to call the company and have the international call blocker removed. Some standard cell plans only allow in country calls to be made out from the phone.

So, can I use SMS to talk to her?

Yes of course but you may not be able to SMS her from your phone in the States. For example, AT&T is no good. You should use web sites to send SMS (see the Links page). Even if you don’t read Russian it is fairly easy to find the SMS center. Sites that are in English sometimes offer a less advanced interface and may or may not let you access the SMS service section. Look for the "EN" symbol or the word "English".

Some common phrases you will see on the websites (Ukrainian will differ):

In addition you may see something like «Äëÿ îòïðàâêè ñîîáùåíèÿ ââåäèòå êîä, óêàçàííûé íà êàðòèíêå» with a code number and an empty box - you are required to enter in this number (it is to prevent SMS spamming).

If you want to try and send a short message from your phone, here is what you have to do.

Find your SMS menu on your phone. The plus "+" symbol can typically be found by holding down the "0" key for a bit longer, or pressing it twice quickly; it may sometimes be found on the "1" key also (consult your manual for more specifics). The "+" key may or may not be required in sending a SMS, if you are having trouble sending, try it both ways and see how the reply comes from your lady - i.e. if she sends you a message and her number has a + in front of it - you should include it and vice versa.

If it works and she replies, you may or may not be able to use the "reply" function as it will show just her standard number (you will have to create a "new" text message if it doesn’t work). Easiest to do this testing when she is online. Or include a different "special word" each time so she can tell you which setting went through.

Some Russian phones support the Cyrillic character set, but it is typically at a reduced message length. The Cyrillic will be transliterated (converted to English letters) in transit - the phone may or may not display the Cyrillic properly on the phone. It is safest to send in English letters and you have a maximum of 160 characters.

It is also possible to e-mail cell phones:

where xxxxxxx stands for the phone number (7 digits).

But, you have to make sure the message does not exceed 100 characters. If the message is not delivered, you are notified by MAILER-DAEMON.

I want to have a cell phone in Ukraine. What is best?

If you get a tri-band GSM phone it should work anywhere. Get your SIM chip here in Ukraine. You should buy a Superjeans package. Why? First of all, it is cheap. The SIM card will cost about ten dollars. It never expires, so you can take it back again and again and use it any time. The rate per minute is rather high (about 25 cents) and you also have to pay a small additional fee for each call (about 6 cents) but other offers may be even more expensive, so you have to put up with it. You can also buy a BASE package which costs 40 cents in business time and 15 in the evening/night but it expires a year after you last used it, so if you think you may not go back for longer than twelve months, you should opt for Superjeans then. Also, it is cheaper. Though I would recommend Base. To recharge your account, by a scratch card in nearly any store, erase the protective layer and enter the code into your handset.

How do I call the US from Ukraine?

From a cellular phone dial +1xxxnnnnnnn, where xxx is your US area code and nnnnnnn is the phone number. To get the plus, either press the corresponding key twice quickly or hold it down for two seconds. Usually it is the key with zero or asterisk in the lower row of keys.

If you call using a landline, first you have to make sure long distance calls are enabled. When you stay in apartments, wise landlords would always disable it so as not to be presented with huge bills when their guests are gone. But if long distance is on, you should dial 8w101xxxnnnnnnn, that is dial 8, wait for another dial tone, dial 10 which stands for international calls and then 1 which is the country code of the US, xxx which is the area code and nnnnnnn which is the phone number. Don’t forget that it costs about three dollars a minute.

Are there any caller ID’s in Ukraine?

There is something like Caller ID in Ukraine, and many people here have telephones that can show it. But it is different from American and European ones, and analog phones often do not show their ID. But whenever I am called on my cell in Ukraine, a number will be displayed. If there is no number, which is very rare, it means that they are calling from an old telephone station built in 1950s, and it does not happen often, usually I see who is calling. Usually, but not always, the number does not transfer on an international call. So a call without a number will be either an interbnational call or from a person with an obsolete fixed line.

While all cell phones have a small screen where the caller ID is usually shown, many phones on landlines don’t (you can see a lot of phone with a dial). A lot of people, however, are getting new sophisitcated sets and try to opt for ones with automatic caller ID detection so they always know who’s calling.

I was given the following address by a friend and want to make sure that I write it on my letter in the correct format. What should I write?

Just put the address exactly as it was given to you. You only have to make sure it makes its way to Russia, and they will take care of it there. For your information, in Ukraine we now must write addresses in the Western way: name of the recipient first, the country last.

As for being lost, our mailmen (or women, to be exact) are not very bright. Mail is often lost. So you had better use a commercial delivery service. If you just write letters, e-mail is best.

Internet

What is the typical cost for using the internet cafe?

About $1 per hour.

Customs

I have been invited to my friends’. What should I do?

Are there any food or drinking precautions to take in the FSU?

You can buy food of European quality in many stores (you can use your credit card). If you go to a market you may get very cheap food but it may be of low quality and very often you get short weight, so it does not make much sense unless you want to see the color of a local market. But you may also get robbed there so it is best to stick to large foodstores.

As for water, never drink tap water. If you have no other choice, boil it for at least 10 minutes before you drink it. Bottled water is a good solution and it is easy to get in foodstores.