Borders
Ukraine is bordered by Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia and Slovakia. Buses stop for about an hour at borders; westbound trains for more than two, because Ukrainian wheels don't fit European tracks and thus have to be switched! You should expect close inspection of your documents and belongings at border crossings. EU and American travellers do not need a visa to enter Hungary, Poland or Romania. Visas are required for Belarus, Moldova and Russia and can't be obtained at the border, so make sure you contact their embassies in Kyiv (see Directory/Business)

Chernobyl
The effects are still being felt 20 years later. The disaster occurred at 1:23 am on April 26, 1986, when a safety test of reactor N°4 went horribly wrong. Two explosions blew the top off the reactor, and radiation at least 100 times that of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs combined was released, in time spreading over the whole Northern Hemisphere. Belarus, only 12km north of Chernobyl, was worst hit. But in Ukraine 35,000 km2 of forest, or 40% of the country's total forest area, was contaminated by fallout. Today six per cent of Ukraine's overall territory remains contaminated. Of the current state budget, 5% still deals with the consequences of Chernobyl. By 2015, it is said that the disaster will have cost the Ukrainian economy $ 201 billion. Of the 800,000 'liquidators' brought in to clean up, it's reported that anywhere from 25,000 to 100,000 have so far died due to radiation exposure. Thyroid and breast cancer have increased dramatically in contaminated areas. Although Kyiv is only 130km south of Chernobyl, the capital is completely safe. The Chernobyl Museum is an excellent place to learn more about this tragedy, while for the extreme tourist there are guided day trips to Chernobyl itself (see Sightseeing).
Communism
The USSR fell in 1991, but the effects of over 70 years of Communist rule are still felt and seen in Ukraine. Kyiv's Lenin statue is not large but keeps watch over Bessarabs'ka Square - and believe it or not, it was named the world's best monument at a 1939 international art exhibition in New York. Meanwhile, the Great Famine of 1932-1933 has so far warranted only a small monument near the entrance to St. Michael's Church, although there are plans to build a larger one. Post-war communist architecture abounds in Ukraine's capital, from the unforgivingly imposing Foreign Ministry building to the 'wedding-cake' Ukrainian House - today a cultural centre but formerly the Lenin Museum.
Basic data
Kyiv
Population: 2 718 762 (February 2007), but according to non-official data- around 5 mln.
Ethnic composition: Ukrainian 70%, Russian 20%,
Others 10%.
Ukraine
Population: 46 614 828 (February 2007) Ethnic composition: Ukrainian 77.8% Russian 17.3% Belarusian 0.6% Moldovan 0.5% Crimean Tatar 0.5% Bulgarian 0.4% Hungarian 0.3% Romanian 0.3% Polish 0.3% Jewish 0.2% other 1.8% Territory: 603,700km2 (the second largest in Europe, slightly smaller than Texas), mostly consisting of fertile steppes (plains) and plateaus. The only mountain chains are the Carpathians in the west and the Crimean Moun¬tains in the extreme south.
Borders: Belarus 891km, coastline (Black and Azov Seas) 2,782km, Hungary 103km, Moldova 939km, Poland 526km, Romania (south) 169km, Romania (west) 362km, Russia 1,576km, Slovakia 97km Rivers: Dnipro (1,204km), Dnister, Donets, Bug, Danube
Highest point: Mount Hoverla 2,061m Local time: All of Ukraine is in the Eastern European Time zone (GMT +2), along with its neighbouring countries Belarus, Romania and Turkey. Thus, when it is 12:00 in Kyiv, it is 13:00 in Moscow, 11:00 in Paris and Warsaw, 10:00 in ondon and 05:00 in New York.
National holidays
January 1 New Year
January 7 Orthodox Christmas
March 8 Women's Day
April 8 Easter Sunday
April 9 Easter Monday
May 1-2 A day off for the workers
May 9 Victory Day
May 27 Trinity
June 28 Constitution Day
August 24 Independence Day

Floors
Ukrainians consider the floor on the ground to be the first floor and so one.
Disabled travellers
Kyiv is not what you would call a disabled-friendly city. High curb drops and steep steps are the rule. The central train station does have lifts for the platforms, but the public transport system lacks even a hint of accessibility. The wheelchair symbol used in this guide means that the establishment in question specifically caters to disabled guests.
Electricity
Ukraine supplies its residents and visitors alike with electrical current of 220 volts AC, 50Hz. All sockets require two round pins, but not always of the same size. Many thinner Russian sockets are being replaced by their European cousins. Those with Russian sockets can buy a cheap adapter for their European appliances. Adapters for more foreign electrical societies are not easy to find in Kyiv, so bring your own.
Language
The country's official language is Ukrainian. Since independence in 1991, it has become much more popular and widespread. Still, Russian is heavily used in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, and only in western regions is Ukrainian truly predominant.

Key phrases
The following is a list of some of the most common words and phrases a person is likely to need.
Hello - (Вітаю) - (vi-TA-yu)
Goodbye - До побачення - (do po-BA-chennia)
Please - Будь ласкa - (bud' LAS-ka)
You're -welcome -Прошу (PRO-shu)
Thank you - Дякую - (DIA-kuyu)
Excuse me - Вибачте - (VY-bachte)
Yes - TaK - (tak)
No - Hi - (ni)
Enjoy your meal - Смачного - (Smach-NO-ho)
Cheers! - Будьмо - (BUD'-mo)
I don't understand - Я не розумію - (Ya ne rozu-MI-yu)
I don't know - Я не знаю - (Ya ne ZNA-yu)
Help! Допоможіть (dopomo-ZHIT')
Hospital -Лікарня -(li-KAR-nia)
Ambulance - Швидка- (shvyd-KA)
Where is...? - Де знаходиться...? (de zna-KHO-dytsia)
One beer, please! - Одне пиво, будь ласка - (od-NE PY-vo bud' LAS-ka)
Days of the week
Monday - Понеділок - (pone-DI-lok)
Tuesday - Вівторок - (viv-TO-rok)
Wednesday - Cepeдa - (sere-DA)
Thursday - Четвер - (chet-VER)
Friday - П'ятниця -(PYAT-nytsia)
Saturday - Cy6oтa - (su-BO-ta)
Sunday -Неділя -(ne-DI-lia)
Numbers
1- один (o-DYN)
2- двa (dva)
3- три (try)
4- чотири (cho-TY-ry)
5- п'ять (pyat')
6- шість (shist')
7- cім (sim)
8- вісім (VI-sim)
9- дев'ять (DE-vyat)
10- десять (DE-syat)
100- CTO (Sto)
1000- тисяча (TY-sya-cha)

Money
The national currency is the hryvnia (Hr), which replaced the transitional karbovanets on September 2, 1996. Don't be confused if your amount is given in roubles. You haven't been transported to Russia or taken back in time to the USSR - some people just have trouble letting go of the past! Paper bills carry denominations of 1, 2, 5,10, 50,100, 200 and 500 hryvnias. Another word to the wise: two versions exist of the 1, 2, 5,10,20 and 50 hryvnia bills, and both are accepted everywhere. There are 100 kopecks in a hryvnia, with 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 kopeck and 1 Hr coins. You'll have no problem finding currency exchange points, but rates are better from central street kiosks. If it's traveller's checks you need to cash, look for a big respectable-looking bank. AT Ms have become plentiful in Kyiv, and many hotels and restaurants now take Visa and MasterCard - American Express is not very popular. There have been scattered reports of credit card fraud in upscale restaurants, though, so you may want to think twice before charging it.

Market values
How do costs compare to back home? Here's a handy list of local prices to give you an idea.
McDonald's Big Mac 8.50Hr €1.31 $1.58
Loaf of white bread 1.50Hr €0.23 $0.30
Snickers bar 3.00Hr €0.46 $0.60
Litre of vodka 25.00Hr €3.86 $4.95
Bottle of local beer (1/2 litre) 3.00Hr €0.46 $0.60
20 Marlboros 5.00Hr €0.77 $0.0')
Public transport ticket 0.50Hr €0.08 $0.10
Dry-cleaning and 15.00Hr €2.31 $2.91
pressing one men's shirt
Roll of Kodak 200 speed 15.00Hr €2.31 $2.91
film, 24 exposures
Exchange rates (as of March 26):
€1 - 11.00Hr US$l-8.05Hr

Roads
Carry your license and registration at all times to fully enjoy the Ukrainian driving experience. The official speed limits are 60 km/h in cities, 90 on secondary roads and 130 on highways. A zero tolerance drink driving policy applies in Ukraine.

Street smarts
Street - вулиця (вyл.) (VU-lytsia)
Square - площа (пл.) (PLO-scha)
Avenue - проспект (npocn.) (pro-SPEKT)
Boulevard - бульвар (бульв.) (bul'-VAR)
Bridge - міст (mist)
Embankment - Ha6epexHa (Ha6.) (NA-berezhna)
Highway - шоce (sho-SE)
Lane - провулок (npoв.) (pro-VU-lok)

Driving in Kyiv
Most westerners will find driving along Khreschatyk and several other main thoroughfares relatively easy. The problems kick in when you try to drive anywhere outside of these well-surfaced and signposted routes. The condition of most roads in Ukraine is basically wretched, especially after the winter thaw. Sometimes the mosaic of potholes almost evokes fee lings of aesthetic admira-tion among drivers, although your car - shook to bits - will undoubtedly disagree. At least most holes do get repaired, eventually... Another problem is the decrepit traffic lights. They are not all that bright, and sometimes it is difficult to tell which light is actually lit and which just has the sun shining on it to make it appear lit. Road markings - especially the central line separating one side of the road from the other - can often be missing. In this case you should do what the locals do and decide for yourself where the line is. Just make sure that other drivers understand your intentions.
"No right turn on red" is a hard and fast rule, unless you have a special green arrow next to the red light. Parking is difficult in the city centre, although it became considerably easier recently when the sidewalks were opened up to cars. Certain streets are patrolled by uni-formed parking officials who collect payment (prices start at 2-10Hr per hour) and who will help you to get out of your parking space and back into the heavy traffic flow. According to Ukrainian law foreign drivers should carry an International Driving Licence in addition to the licence from their home country. You will need to acquire such a licence in your country of origin.
As with just about everywhere else in the world, the police will stop you for any sign of illegal or dangerous driving. Traffic cops have been legally deprived of their traditional right to impose on-the-spot fines, however, and сan now only write you a ticket and send the case to court. In some cases a 'donation' can save a lot of time and trouble, but there is currently a highly public campaign going on to eliminate this type of behaviour. Meantime significant increases in traffic fines are imminent.
Safety
They say that Ukrainians can spot a foreigner from a kilometre away, but you shouldn't worry about this alone making you the target of criminal behaviour. Kyiv is in fact a rather safe place. As in most cities, flashing large amounts of money could cause trouble. Wallets are known to disappear in public transport crowds, so hands in pockets at all times. Being very drunk and/or loud on the street is always a good way to attract unwanted attention, sometimes from the police. By the way, it's a good idea for foreigners to carry at least a copy of their passport and visa with them at all times.
Smoking
You're never too far away from a lit cigarette in Ukraine, and in some bars and clubs the term second-hand smoke just doesn't seem to matter. Smokers enjoy a ridiculously cheap selection of cigarettes hawked by one of the many babushkas and corner kiosks that are located throughout the city. Just recently Ukraine outlawed smoking in most public places and the workplace, except in specially designated areas. It is the responsibility of each company to provide a designated area for all smoking patrons or personnel. These special places can not exceed 50% of the total allotted area of the business. Since this law is relatively new in Ukraine, not every business has begun to enforce it.
Toilets
Public restrooms are a sore, dirty and not very aromatic subject in Kyiv. The best ones can be found at the central train station and in underground shopping centres. The other end of the spectrum rears its ugly head at parks, beaches and some high-traffic McDonald's locations. Many public toilets charge up to 50 kopecks or so.
Tipping
Kyiv tipping culture is developing slowly. While no general rule exists yet, most restaurant-goers leave around 10% of their bill. But your waitstaff will expect more from you as a foreigner! Some places include a service charge of five to 10 per cent, so read the fine print or ask.
Visas
You can enter Ukraine visa-free and stay 90 days if you're a citizen of any EU country, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Canada, USA and Japan, while everyone else still needs a visa from a Ukrainian embassy or consulate abroad before travelling. Visas at foreign emabassies can usually be processed in one day, with prices varying depending on the type and length of visa requested. Note that many Ukrainian embassies only handle visa cases on certain days of the week, so call ahead.
Most foreigners don't bother with getting work permits, however such negligence could bring about fines. So better contact Kyiv Employment Centre (Zhylyanska vul. 47B, office 407, tel. 568 59 78/568 59 72) and get all the proper documents signed.

Water
Drinking water straight from the tap in Kyiv is neither tasty nor healthy and should be avoided. Instead use one of the city's many public wells, or go one step better and spend a few hryvnias on bottled water from a shop. A plethora of mass transit options are available to get you around Kyiv. But despite the trolleybuses (electric buses), trams (street-cars), buses, the metro, microbuses and minivans, it's still not enough to preventfrequent overcrowding. Don't take the jostling personally, don't inhale too deeply but do give up your seat to the elderly and mothers with children. Public transport starts running around 05:45 and closes down a bit after midnight.