Christina Aguilera performs in Kiev on Monday night!

Looking gorgeous on stage in a full white set up (with gold shoes). Christina Aguilera’s new single is out titled “Keeps Gettin Better” which is also the title of her newest album.

Roman Bonchuk, a Ukrainian artist famous for his large-scale works, plans to paint a vast painting depicting the history of the world, Russia’s Novye Izvestia newspaper said on Monday.

Bonchuk, 28, made headlines in his home country and abroad in December 2007, after he presented a 30-meter (100-foot) long and five-meter (16.5-meter) high canvas, devoted to Ukrainian history.

The artist now intends to paint a 1.5-km (0.9-mile) picture, depicting some 2,000 major events and five million prominent figures of world history.

He said he expects to put the painting on display at the Avenue of Champs Elysees in Paris within five years, but did not explain how he planned paint at least 2,700 individuals each day without a single day off.

Activists of the youth movement ‘Femen’ take part in a mud wrestling show to protest “dirty politics and election technologies” in central Kiev October 19, 2008.

Lviv (Lvov) is a very poetic city carved in legends both ancient and relatively new. Narrow medieval streets paved with stones, architectural decoration done in different styles –well preserved in its original form. In ancient times Lviv was the capital of a mighty Slavic state called the Galicia-Volyn principality being a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Then Poland contributed to the formation of the city’s unique image. In spite of all the whims of history, the city has not lost its Ukrainian spirit, and thank God, Lviv’s delicate architecture has not suffered from monstrosities of the Soviet Era. No wonder that the central part of the city is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage.

Getting to Lviv

There is an international airport in Lviv that connects the city with Warsaw, Toronto, Manchester, Frankfurt, Moscow, and several other airports in the former USSR. If you fly to Kyiv, you can catch a daily overnight train “Kyiv-Lviv” (#90, 91) which will get you to Lviv at around 6 or 7 am the next day. The overnight train from Kyiv to Lviv costs $30 per person in a four-person compartment. Lviv’s airport has a tourist information bureau where one can find out about accommodation, city and regional tours, and other travel tips. A car trip from Kyiv to Lviv takes about 7 hours.
The proud and beautiful medieval city of Lviv has been the “Western Ukrainian capital of culture” for nearly three centuries. Founded in 1256 by Danylo Halytskiy, a prince of the Galicia-Volhynia principality, this city of 850,000 is just 5 kilometres from the Polish border. Under the long reign of Danylo’s son, Lev (1264-1301), Lviv became the capital city of the Galician-Volhynian Kingdom. It is full of culture & historical significance to Ukrainian history. One can find in Lviv the most beautifull architecture in Eastern Europe and no wonder that many who visit the city, leave with lasting memories and love for Ukraine.

Where to stay

The Grand Hotel, 13 Prospekt Svobody; 72-40-42 or 72-76-65, www.ghgroup.com.ua/gh.htm.
The Grand, in the heart of Lviv, is the city’s most luxurious hotel. Built in 1892, it reflects the ornate stylings of turn-of-the-last-century Austria-Hungary culture. It doubles from 795 to 1,590 hryvnia (about $170 to $340 at 5.35 hryvnia to the dollar).

Hotel George, 1 Mickiewicz Square; 72-59-52, www.georgehotel.ukrbiz.net.
Also in central Lviv, this 1901 Neo-Renaissance structure combines Viennese charm with amazingly affordable rates. The range doubles from 185 to 535 hryvnia, including breakfast.

Apartments in or near central Lviv are a slice-of-life alternatives to hotels. For more information contact www.discoverukraine.com.ua

Where to eat

Café Veronika, 21 Shevchenka Street; 97-81-28. Serves the best breakfast in Lviv, including fabulous pastriesand it also provides Full-scale dinner menu, too. Dine outdoors, or choose from two downstairs dining rooms. Entrees from 25 to 100 hryvnia.
Videnska Kavyarnya, 12 Prospekt Svobody; 72-20-21: Fine food, with ground-level and rooftop patios. Entrees 25 to 75 hryvnia.

What to see and do

Dzyga Cultural Centre, 35 Virmenska Street; 75-21-01.
A contemporary space for art with a music hall and bar.
The National Museum in Lviv comprises of two buildings: the original museum at 42 Drahomanov Street, 72-57-45; and the new museum at 20 Prospekt Svobody, 74-22-82 or 72-89-60, across the Grand Hotel. Highlights include Ukrainian icons from the 14th through the 17th century.
The 220 spiral metal steps of Castle Hill, northeast of the city centre, lead to the crumbling remains of a castle that is supposedly on the spot where Danylo founded Lviv. Here you’ll find spectacular views of the city and the distant Carpathian Mountains.
Oleksandr Ruchko, 75-59-35 or 38 067 9243309 on his cellphone, www.guides.lviv.ua, serves as guide and interpreter in and around Lviv. Also provides very reasonable prices and reliable service.

Carpathian Mountains are considered to be the Green Pearl of Ukraine. It is one of the most popular resorts and tourist centres of the country. A beautiful blend of natural areas, forests, meadows, shepherds and humans living in harmony with nature is what makes the mountains so attractive for the tourists! A genuine territory of nature, beauty of its Alpine meadows and woods, rough sloppy rivers and mountain lakes, soft climate, curative mineral sources, the historical and architectural monuments can attract anyone. Thousands of tourists and people who like travels and adventures come here. The Ukrainian Carpathians are relatively gentle peaks that rise as high as 2061 m (Mt. Hoverla). The larger resorts are located in Slavsko, Bukovel, Tysovets, and Dragobrat. Some of the smaller resorts are in Krasiya, Dolyna, Beskid, Polyana, Synevir, Yaremche, Verkhovnya, Kosiv, and Yavoriv.

Mountain weather

If you visit the Carpathians, you will not find yourself in an extreme blizzards or dying from severe hypothermia since the Carpathians benefit from having a relatively mild temperature in winter time. Lowest winter temperatures are around -10 C to -15 C (5 F to 14 F). In summer time the weather is agreeably warm. Throughout the year, the Carpathians do get quite a bit of rainfall 800- 1500 mm (hence it’s rich and verdant plant life). However, this is spread out evenly through the year.

Hiking

The Carpathian Mountains dominate the region with their forests, rivers, lakes, alpine meadows, towns and villages. The region is rich in culture, activity and history. It is ideal for summer holidays for walking, riding, mountain climbing, exploring. Although equipped campsites, hikers’ refuges, groomed hiking trails or signs are found very rarely. Topographical maps with hiking routes can be obtained at the resorts or from the local inhabitants who also provide accommodation to tourists. It is highly advisable to bring rain gear. Drinking water is never a problem since it is widely available from the mountain brooks and streams.

Getting to the Carpathians

Getting to the Carpathians is not difficult at all if one has a car and a map. “Marshrutka” (taxi vans) are also available for very cheap prices. Ukrainian railway runs a number of routs/trains that can get tourists to the Carpathians from any large city in the country. There are overnight trains from Kyiv to Uzhhorod that can get you to the northern part of Ukraine’s Carpathians, including Slavsko (one of Ukraine’s prominent ski resorts). This is the only regular-speed railway route through the Carpathians. You can also catch a Kyiv-Lviv speed train which leaves Kyiv every night at around 9pm. Once you are in Lviv, you can get to the mountains in 2-3 hours by a “marshrutka” for $3-$10.
The Prut River and Rafting

It is slightly more difficult to access the more rugged central and southern Carpathians. Trains run to Ivano-Frankivsk, Kolomyia, and Chernivtsi from cities in Central and Eastern Ukraine. From there you can take “marshrutka” to different destinations located in the mountains. There is also a slow narrow-gauge diesel train that runs from Ivano-Frankivsk to Rakhiv and back several times a day. Buses and “marshrutkas” usually leave from train and bus stations.

The Kyiv-Yaremcha overnight bus that passes through Kolomyia is also available to get to the Carpathians. Another bus, Kyiv-Tyachiv, passes through Yaremcha, Yasinya, and Rakhiv on its way to Tyachiv. The above mentioned buses leave every day from the Dachna long-distance bus station in Kyiv (the address is: Prospekt Peremohy 142, tel. (044) 424-15-03).

(native flower which only grows in the Carpathian region)

Its Kiev Fashion week in Kiev this week. Here are some highlights of this event:

Air Arabia now flies direct to Kiev!

Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier in MENA, launched on Wednesday non-stop service to Kiev, Ukraine, from the carrier’s main hub in Sharjah, UAE. The launch of this new destination reflects Air Arabia’s growing expansion into the Eastern European market.
The inaugural flight was marked by the attendance of Air Arabia CEO Adel Ali. The flight was accompanied by special receptions in both Sharjah and Kiev airports attended by special guests, which included Sheikh Abdullah Bin Muhammad Al-Thani, chairman of Air Arabia and the Ukrainian ambassador to the UAE

OLGA Kurylenko, star of Max Payne, Hitman and the new James Bond movie, began her acting career playing Santa Claus’s young wife in a school play.

Teachers in her provincial Ukrainian hometown remember Kurylenko, 28, the long-legged and wide-eyed brunette who charms agent 007 in Quantum of Solace, for the determination, drive and luck that turned the humble Soviet child into a Hollywood star.

“She was such a talented girl,” says her hometown piano teacher Halina Kulchitska. “Even if she hadn’t become James Bond’s girl, she still would have got some big role.”

Kurylenko, who plays Natasha opposite Mark Wahlberg in Max Payne, grew up in a quiet Ukrainian city of 140,000 on the Azov Sea in southeastern Ukraine.

Raised by her mother Marina, a school art teacher, and her grandmother, a doctor, Kurylenko was a typical Soviet child, wearing a dark brown-and-white uniform to school, two huge white bows in her hair.

The family lived in a three-room apartment near the city centre, a luxury at a time when many Soviets lived in communal flats, sharing the kitchen and bathroom with several families.

Today her crumbling five-storey apartment building, where underpants are hung to dry in the courtyard, is testimony to how far she’s travelled.

In Moscow recently to promote the Bond film, Kurylenko said she never imagined she’d be selected as a Bond girl.

“I still don’t believe it and don’t think that I realise it yet,” she says.

The movie, in which Bond and Kurylenko’s character Camille try to save Bolivia’s water supplies, was shot mainly in Italy, Spain and Mexico.

“Camille is quite a strong woman, very independent. She carries a wound which comes from her childhood,” said Kurylenko, clad in a black jacket with her hair down.

“There is something very terrible that happened to her when she was a little girl and everything she focuses on is revenge connected to this event and that is her motivation in the movie.”

Kurylenko’s star began to rise at 16 when she was spotted by a model scout in the subway in Moscow, where she was on holiday. She moved to Paris to work in a modelling agency and then launched a career as an actress.

Kurylenko’s drama teacher, Ina Kaminska, 70, says her student simply got lucky. “It’s all great, just great, we are all very happy – she became a Cinderella – but nevertheless when she was in my class I didn’t see that kind of future for her,” Kaminska says.

Kurylenko got one of her first main roles after she joined the school drama class in the seventh grade, playing Beautiful Spring, the young wife of Grandfather Frost, the local equivalent of Santa Claus.

After she was cast for the new Bond movie, Kurylenko’s school was besieged by journalists.

Teachers even put her photos as a model and actress prominently on display at the school, but the stand was later taken down after parents of some of the younger students complained the pictures were too revealing.

Filmography

* L’Annulaire (2005)
* Paris, je t’aime (2006)
* Le Porte-bonheur (2006) (TV)
* The Serpent (2006)
* Suspectes (2007) (TV mini-series)
* Hitman (2007)
* Max Payne (2008)
* Tyranny (2008)
* James Bond:Quantum of Solace (2008)

Out-fought and out-thought, Samuel Peter retired on his stool after eight rounds in Berlin against ‘Dr Ironfist’ Vitali Klitschko, who reclaimed the WBC heavyweight title after three years and 10 months away from the ring through injury.

All but the WBA title, which is held by Russian Nikolai Valuev, remain around the waists of the Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, who is the current IBF and WBO world champion.

Klitschko dominated from first to eighth round, against a one-paced, one-dimensional Peter, more ‘sleeping giant’ than his fighting sobriquet ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’.

Battered, beaten and bruised, Peter shook his head between the bell for the end of the eighth and the start of the ninth, shook his head, and said ‘stop it’, to his trainer Stacey McKinley.

The WBC’s newly-installed system of revealing the judges’ cards every four rounds had just been brought into play. The judges were overwhelmingly in favour of Klitschko, along with the partisan German crowd.

It was like a homecoming for a pugilistic hero who has been out of the ring for over 1400 days. The cards read with all three judges having Klitschko winning every round, only one judge giving one round to Peter (80-72, 80-72, 79-73).

That in itself was arguably the most controversial thing about the fight. Once the scores had been read out, Peter resigned the belt, the thought of Klitschko’s next assault ringing in his ears.

Klitschko, 37, picked off punches with ease with his hands down, leaning back, throughout the opening rounds. From there it simply grew worse for the Nigerian.

Klitschko, who conceded seven pounds to his opponent, was fighting for the first time since a successful title defence against Danny Williams in Las Vegas in 2004.

He retired the following year due to a knee injury but looked in fine shape against Peter.

Klitschko hinted after the contest that he would not retire, but may go after Valuev. Should he win, the fighting brothers will do what has never been achieved in history - two brothers dominating the entire heavyweight spectrum.

Kyiv (also known as Kiev), a scenic city, with a population of close to 3 million people situated on the Dnipro River, is the bustling capital of Ukraine. Ancient Kievan Rus, which reached its greatest period of ascendancy during the 11th and 12th centuries, was the centre for trade routes between the Baltic and the Mediterranean. The city of Kyiv and the power of Kievan Rus were destroyed in 1240 by Mongol invaders and the lands of Kievan Rus were divided into principalities located to the west and north: Galicia, Volynia, Muscovy and later, Poland, Lithuania, and Russia. Once a powerful force in the European picture, Ukraine’s ultimate fate in modern times has been decided in far-off capitals. As a result, modern Ukrainian history, for the most part, has been defined by foreign occupation.

The art and architecture of Kyiv are world treasures. The Cathedral of St. Sophia, where the princes of Kyiv were crowned in the years of Kyiv’s grandeur, has outstanding mosaics and frescoes dating back to the 11th century. Overlooking the old section of Kyiv, Podol, stands the Ukrainian Baroque church of St. Andrew which is much loved by the Ukrainians. The Percherska Lavra, the Monastery of the Caves, a short trolley ride from the centre of town, has two 11th-century cathedrals on its grounds, along with its world-famous catacombs, bell tower, and museum collections. Close to the centre of town stands the Golden Gate, a structure which dates back to 1037. These recently reconstructed remains of the former fortified wall of the city defined the limits of the city in earlier centuries. Several blocks away is the magnificent 19th-century Cathedral of St. Volodymyr.

Theatre buffs will find lots to choose from here. Most performances are held in Ukrainian or Russian. The recently renovated Kyiv Opera House presents excellent opera as well as a broad repertoire of ballets. The Kyiv Young Theatre is very popular and stages innovative plays in Ukrainian or Russian. The Ivan Franko Theatre is the centre for Ukrainian drama, comedy, and musicals. This repertoire has just opened its 75th season and includes brilliant versions of Aeneid and Teve Tevel, the original version of Fiddler on the Roof.
The modern centres with surviving parts of the old city are on the hilly region of the west, or on the right banks of the Dnipro River.

The main street, Khreshchatik, runs between two steep hills. Parallel about half a kilometre west, is vulytsya Volodymyrska, the main street of the Old Kyiv area (Staryj Kyiv). From the north end of Khreshchatik, vulytsya Hrushevskoho rises southeast along a ridge to the Cave Monastery at Perchersk. Woods and parks cover most of the steep right-bank slopes. The capital’s newer sections stretch out on the flat left bank. These are characterized by large developments of housing apartments and industrialized neighbourhoods.

President Viktor Yushchenko has yes dissolved Ukraine’s parliament again for the now third general election in less than three years on television, in a pre-recorded speech.The coalition collapsed after Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko backed a move to reduce the president’s powers.

In his speech, the president blamed its collapse on her “thirst for power”.

Wherever the truth may lie, this will surely add stress to the nations people. The parties now have 30 days to form a new government. Lets hope that a favourable result for the people can be found.

My favourite soup in the whole world. When i first came to Ukraine i tried Borsch in a fast food restaurant (Phuzata hata) and i didnt really like Borsch. Luckily i tried it again in a traditional Ukrainian restaurant and then i realized what all the fuss was about. I now know how to cook this myself, so if i learned you can too.

There are many slight variations to the recipe but this is my favourite:

Ingredients:
3 medium sized fresh beetroot approx. 500-600g
1/5 Cabbage
3 medium sized potatoes
1 Medium carrot
1 can of peeled Tomatoes 400g
1 Medium size onion
Beef with bones/ribs 400g
Fresh dill 8 sprigs
Olive oil 1 tablespoon
Garlic 3 cloves
Lemon or Vinegar 1 teaspoon
Vegeta Seasoning Spice 1 tablespoon
Sour cream to taste 1 tablespoon
Salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:

Put the beef into a large pan and cover with 3.5 litres of cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat for 45 mins.

Then add onions to the boiling water for 30 more mins together with the meat.

So now after 1 hour & 15 mins have passed, add the beetroot pieces & boil for another 30 mins together.

So now 1 hour & 45 mins have passed, add the carrot pieces & potatoes. 15 mins later add the garlic, cabbage, olive oil, Vegeta, lemon, salt & pepper to taste and finally the tomatoes. Cook for a further 10 to 15 mins so after 2 hours and 15 minutes it is ready. Add sour cream & dill to your bowl & enjoy! The above is probably enought for 6 bowls of borsch so you could adjust accordingly.

It continues to rise due to the US dollar getting stronger and stronger. Average price on the street is about 5.24. Life is becoming cheaper in Ukraine

Ukraine has been developing its own culture since early times in history. There were times when Ukrainian culture was influenced considerably by other cultures, notably those of Byzantium and of the Vikings (during the medieval times of Kyivan Rus), but basically it preserved its general original quality. The Old Ukrainian language was used as Latin in Eastern Europe for a time period.

Though oral literature existed in the very early times of Ukraine’s history, written elite literature began to develop at the end of the 10th century after the adoption of Christianity, which gave a big boost for the development of culture in general. The churches of Kyiv - and their numbers - caused admiration by foreign travellers visiting the city in the 11th and 12th centuries. The 11th-century Grand Duke Yarsolav the Wise, founded a library which became one of the biggest in Europe, and promoted the institution of schools, including those for girls. Literacy was spread widely in Ukraine in later centuries.

In spite of a turbulent and dramatic history, Ukraine has preserved its cultural constant from the early times of its existence. Book printing began in Ukraine in the 16th century and not only the first in Ukraine but in the whole Eastern Europe, academy for higher education, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, sprang up in the early 17th century.

Notwithstanding its colonial status, Ukraine had a wide spectrum of art and literature which entered the phase of heightened development in the 18th century. Poetic and prose works written by Taras Shevchenko, the most revered cultural figure of Ukraine, Ivan Kotlyarevsky, Lesya Ukrayinka, Ivan Franko, Mykhaylo Kotsyubynsky and other authors of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, were a worthy contribution to literature world.

Folk music, and later symphonic and opera music were and still are Ukraine’s cultural strengths giving the nation a status that few nations observe.

Ukraine is still paying a terrible price for the cheap ‘90s sell-off of the nation’s most valuable assets.

“Behind every great fortune,” wrote Honore de Balzac, “there lies a great crime.”

If the 19th century French playwright’s observation is not an accurate description of how the Ukrainian government sold off the nation’s most valuable assets following the collapse of the Soviet Union, it sure seems that way to many people.

“Scam.” “Rip-off.” “Unfair.”

These are some of the other words people use when talking about the way Ukraine passed on so much of the nation’s wealth to a few insiders at such fire-sale prices. The opaque deals had given rise to a super-billionaire class while many in the nation suffered from poverty.

While the transactions may have been technically legal from the standpoint of the corrupt 1990s, the nation had paid a dear price. Many argue that the distortions and damage to the nation continue till today, through lack of honest competition in the marketplace and the co-opting of government with the financial elites.

Besides contributing to a profound sense of unfairness, Ukrainians had missed out on considerable – but difficult to quantify – privatization revenues that would have likely come from open and competitive bids for state assets. Such a windfall might have lifted everyone’s standard of living and helped create a stronger middle class with no signs of corruption.

Instead, a dozen or so business groups – led by super-billionaires such as Rinat Akhmetov and Victor Pinchuk – today control Ukraine’s main industries and source of earnings of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, coal, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals and food processing.

Ukraine has more billionaires per capita than Russia, a nation that Forbes magazine ranked as having the third-highest number after the United States and Germany.

Although, as many say, all of this concentration of wealth and political power is inherently unhealthy to the society.

Economists call this kind of high-wealth concentration a “captured economy,” which the International Monetary Fund defines as “the efforts of firms to shape the laws, policies, and regulations of the state to their own advantage by providing illicit private gains to public officials.”

“When you have a huge disparity between the 10 percent richest and 10 percent poor in a country, it is an indicator that the country is unstable from the standpoint that society doesn’t view those with money as being legitimate, that wealth was acquired dishonestly,” said Mykhailo Mishchenko of the Razumkov Centre, a Kyiv-­based think tank.

Balazs Horvath, resident representative of the International Monetary Fund in Ukraine, said the non-competitive privatizations of the 1990s created “a significant buildup of inequality in wealth and income.” Consequently, Horvath said, a large and strong middle class – considered to be the backbone of stable societies — has yet to formed.

Billions of dollars lost

It’s not clear how many billions of dollars the state missed out on because of slipshod and corrupt privatization. Also it is unknown how much better off Ukrainians would be if the sales of their nation’s most valuable enterprises were conducted openly and competitively.

After Vladimir Putin came to power in Russia, he famously gathered the nation’s major oligarchs in 2000 and, in a warning to stay clear of politics, lectured them about the crony privatizations that took place under Boris Yeltsin’s rule.

“I only want to draw your attention straight away to the fact that you have yourselves created this very state, to a large extent, through political and quasi-political structures under your control. So perhaps what one should do least of all is to blame the mirror,” Putin said.

Many believe the same held true about Ukraine in the 1990s – and are even more so today.

Shining with Orthodox golden domes that rise from forested hilltops, crisscrossed by narrow cobblestone streets, and speckled by quiet, leafy parks, Kiev draws visitors with an Eastern European charm.

And for those who seek the exotic artefacts’ of the Soviet era - statues, imposing bronze monuments & colonnaded subway stations - Kiev takes pleasure in having those too.

Founded over 1,500 years ago, Kiev is one of the oldest and historically, the richest cities in Eastern Europe. The site of the ancient Kievan Rus state, forerunner of the Russian empire, it is considered the birthplace for the Slavic civilization. The city endured the Mongol-Tatar invasion, was a very important provincial capital in the Tsarist and Soviet eras and finally in 1991, became the capital of an independent Ukraine.

Today, Kiev strives to be a proper European city, at the same time preserves its unique Slavic appeal. Cut in two by the broad Dnieper River, the city is a mix of medieval onion-domed Orthodox cathedrals, elegantly constructed buildings of the 20^th century & some artefacts of the Soviet times, including giant statues & gloomy apartment blocks on the city’s outskirts.

Kiev is dotted with hundreds of medieval Orthodox cathedrals and monasteries - a reminder that it was here that the state of Kievan Rus (parts of modern-day Ukraine, Russia and Belarus) became Christian. In 988 AD the Slavic prince Volodymyr marched his servants into the Dniper to be baptized and eventually converted the whole region to Christianity.

If you don’t have time for all of the churches, make sure you see at least the three famous ones: St. Sofia and St. Michael cathedrals, both just up the hill from the Independence Square, and the landmark Kiev Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Cave Monastery, overlooking the Dniper.

Founded in the 11th century by Volodymyr’s son Yaroslav, St. Sofia’s Cathedral was rebuilt in the 17-18th centuries in the so-called Ukrainian Baroque style, which is more modest in decoration that the classic Baroque. The cathedral had managed to escape destruction by atheist Soviet authorities when a group of historians had cleverly proposed to close it to worshippers and turn it into a museum, thus preserving its ancient mosaics and frescos.

The white-and-blue golden-domed St. Michael, dating back to the 12th century, was not so lucky. The cathedral, also built in the Ukrainian Baroque style, was demolished in 1935 and was rebuilt only in the late 1990s.

St. Michael’s is a popular place to get married. As you approach the cathedral you may run into beaming brides in elaborate white dresses posing for photos, and their more serious grooms clad in dark suits. They may be either cracking a bottle of Champagne or enjoying a heartfelt laugh.

To feel the atmosphere of Kiev during the beginning of 20th century, head to Andriivsky Descent, a cobblestone, Serpentine Street that is one of the oldest in Kiev. The Descent is often compared with Montmartre in Paris. There are numerous art galleries. You wil find various artists eager to paint your portrait or caricature, and there are cosy cafes offering both Ukrainian and foreign cuisine. Those looking for souvenirs - national costumes, folk music and even Red Army uniforms - can find them here too.

Next on the must-see list is the Kiev Pechersk Lavra - one of the oldest and the holiest Orthodox monasteries in Ukraine and a sacred pilgrimage site for Orthodox believers from all over the world. Located on the banks of the Dnieper, its sprawling territory is home to a dozen churches and museums, a forested park and massive underground caves. The saints buried inside are believed to have healing powers and hence tourists flock the place in large numbers.

The monastery’s 96-meter bell tower offers a great view of the city, but only for those prepared to take up the challenge of climbing narrow stairs all the way to the top.

After you’ve enriched your soul, allow yourself some earthly pleasures. A traditional Ukrainian meal will keep you up and running for rest of the day. Begin with the two best known local specialties - a piece of bread with a slice of salo (hog fat) and borsch (beet soup). Then try varenyky dumplings with cabbage, potatoes or meat and gulp it all down with vodka or horilka as it is known here.

If it’s warm outside, take a boat tour on the Dniper and get a splendid view of the city’s green hills and church domes. But don’t get intimidated by the giant steel woman staring at you, with a sword and a shield in her hands. If the Soviet-era 62-meter-tall (200-foot-tall) Motherland statue looks more menacing than hospitable to you, just ignore it.

The rest of the city also heartily welcomes you.

Now that summer is over & your probably starving for something new & different, why not go to one of Kiev’s Theatre’s.

Kiev offers a wide variety of theatres, from the grand Theatres like Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre & Lesya Ukrainka Russian Drama Theatre which seem to be the the most popular to some smaller theatre’s that boast brilliant actors, a wider repertoire and often hit a full house. Moreover, these small stages are becoming a promising alternative to old, traditional theatres.

< Some upcoming shows in kiev here >

Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre

Lesya Ukrainka Russian Drama Theatre

New Theater on Pechersk (3 Shovkovychna, 253-6550);

Drama Theater on Podil (4 Kontraktova Ploscha, 425-5489);

Koleso (8 Andriyivsky Uzviz, 425-0527);

Suziria (14B Yaroslaviv Val, 272-4188);

Dakh Center of Modern Art (136 Chervonoarmiyska, 529-4062).

Its a bit better now, 4.80 on average.

hmmm, how did they get that wrong at the printing firm? Kiev

Crimea is a fascinating region to explore, as well as a great place to spend a quality vacation with your loved one. Across the centuries it has attracted settlers such as the Greeks, the Venetians and the Genoese - all of whom founded cities along the coast and inter-married with the local people. Crimean resorts have become a prime vacation spot for millions of tourists from all over the world. Crimean health resorts are famous around the globe for their mineral waters as well as wines. Private enterprises are flourishing and well-stocked shops and good restaurants are the norm today.

When to visit Crimea?

Crimea is one of the largest and most famous health resorts of the former USSR. Stalin, Khruschev, Brezhnev, and other powerful leaders of the former Soviet Union often visited Crimea for relaxing and to spend quality time away from the busy life schedule of the city. Crimea’s peak season starts in July and lasts till September. Tourists start coming in mid-April when it usually gets warm. September is the perfect time to enjoy the resorts with fewer crowds, and October brings wonderful, golden colors and serene beauty to the peninsula. Even though winters bring occasional snowfalls, there are periods of sunshine every day.

The temperature of the water of the Black Sea usually ranges between 22-25°C (72-78F) during summer months and is usually warm enough to swim in until late October. Occasional strong winds can cause chilly water to reach the surface and stay there till it warms, so it becomes difficult to forecast water temperature based only on air temperature.

Getting to Crimea

Simferopol is Crimea’s main transportation hub. You can get to Simferopil from Kyiv by plane. Zhuliany airport in Kyiv has daily flights to Simferopol that cost from $35 to $60 one-way. Wizz air is another option now and flights can be had from around $20 if you book early.

There are two pretty comfortable trains to Simferopil from Kyiv (# 12 and #28 respectively) and one from Odessa to Simferopil (#650). The train trip from Kyiv to Simferopil takes about 18 hours and from Odessa to Simferopil - one night. Train tickets are around $7 for third class, $10 for second, and $20 for the first. All trains have beds for sleeping. Some other trains you can use to get to Crimea go to Sevastopil, Kerch, and Feodosiya. Other destinations, the South Shore in particular can be reached by car or bus. You can also get to Yalta by taxi ($40-50), trolleybus ($2), or bus ($4) from the Simferopol train station (100 km trip), but buses and “marshrutkas” run from Sevastopol either.

Places to stay in my opinion

Alupka - close enough to everything, near Yalta the centre, developed enough to not really have to leave, close to a lot of the most popular sight seeing destinations, cleaner/clearer water than Yalta. Is crowded in peak season.

Yalta - is great as it is the centre. Developed with so many things to do. This is the place to be at night. Water is clean/clear but not as clean as the other locations. Always very crowded.

Mishor - is between Alupka & Yalta. Is becoming developed. Water is as clean/clear as Alupka. Can be a bit crowded at times.

Katsyveli - is more secluded, less people and more romantic. Water is amazingly crystal clear. Very picturesque landscape all around with the sea and amazing rock mountains.