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(in photo - The University in Chernivtsi)
Time
GMT + 2 hours; Ukraine uses DST (Daylight saving time), therefore all watches in the country are set one hour forward in the last week of March and one hour backward in the last week of October.
Climate
The climate is moderately continental and comparatively dry with more than 290 sunny days in the year in the South Ukraine (Black Sea coast, Crimea). Average winter temperature: from -8° to -15° C (between +17.6° F and +5° F)
In Southern regions the winter temperature hovers around freezing.
Falling snow and -10° C (+14° F) is a really rare occurrence, which is usually replaced by a thaw.
Average summer temperature: from +18° to +25° C (between +64,4° and +77° F), though in daytime can get up over +35° C (+95° F).
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(in photo - Sudak Fortress)
Location And Boundaries
Ukraine is located in East-Europe plain. The most part of the country is in low-lying lands, fertile plains (steppes) with two highland areas: in the South -Crimean Mountains (the highest point: mt. Ramantkosh, 1,545 meters) and in the West - Carpathian Mountains (the highest point: mt. Hoverla, 2,061 meters). Southern coast of Ukraine is washed by the Black and Azov Sea, coast line is 2,782 km. The majority of Ukrainian rivers flow into the Black Sea, among the biggest are Dnipro, Dnister, Danube, Desna, Pivdenyj (Southern) Booh. Natural resources: iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber and arable land.
Language
The State language is Ukrainian. Many Ukrainians are bilingual and speak Russian as well. The latter is used more widely in the Crimea, Odessa, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk areas. Among foreign languages the most popular is English, though it is not possible to guarantee that you would meet plenty of Ukrainians speaking English fluently.
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(in photo - The Dominican Church in Lviv)
Food & Water
You will be impressed with quantity and quality of restaurants - national Ukrainian cuisine, European entrees, Italian Pizzerias or just fast food. Medium-range restaurants have affordable prices even for a traveler of modest means. Ukrainian cuisine becomes more and more popular with its traditional Borsch - tomato red and sorrel green; several kinds of Ukrainian Vareniki (dumplings) stuffed with all kinds of meat, cheese, potatoes with mushrooms; Golubtsy (cabbage rolls) - cabbage leaves with mixture of rice, meat, carrot and fried onion inside, these are usually served with sour-cream; jellied meat with horse-radish; suckling pig; delicious stuffed fish and plenty of other Ukrainian specialties. We do not recommend drinking tap water. Use bottled water instead, even to brush your teeth.
Electricity
The standard electricity supply in Ukraine is 220V/ 50 Hz. Ukrainian plugs are of the same type as the most European countries have - two round pins. If electric appliances you bring have different specs, make sure to pick-up a converter and/or plug adapter.
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(in photo - Globus Mall in Kiev)
Shopping
Ukraine is famous for its high-quality textile, as well as food products and drinks: delicatessen, caviar, confectionery, chocolate, juices, beer, vodka, wines and plenty of other things. Shops and markets accept for payment Hryvna only. Nowadays, more and more shops here start to accept credit cards (Visa or MasterCard/EuroCard). You can identify such places by credit cards signs on the entrance door or by the cashiers raw. Buying a souvenir, a painting, a sculpture or other handcrafts it is a good idea to get a certificate identifying historical value (its absence) of the purchased good. This document might be useful when going through the customs upon departure from Ukraine.
Working Hours
State and public offices are opened from 9.00 to 18.00, Monday through Friday, usually with a lunch hour from 13.00. The majority of stores are opened from 10.00 to 19.00 and closed on Sunday. A lunch hour is usually either from 13.00 to 14.00 or from 14.00 to 15.00. As for food stores, many of them work 24 hours 7 days a week, a few - from 8.00 to 20.00. Usual work time for cafes and restaurants is from 10-12.00 until last customer leaves. Most banks are open to public from 9.00 to 15.00 with a lunch hour from 13.00 to 14.00 and are closed on Saturday and Sunday.
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