r/europe • u/MarktpLatz Lower Saxony (Germany) • Apr 03 '17

What do you know about... Ukraine?

This is the eleventh part of our ongoing series about the countries of Europe. You can find an overview here.

Todays country:

Ukraine

Ukraine is the largest country that is completely on the european continent. The Ungarian people's republic was founded in 1917, the ukrainian state in 1918. It later became part of the soviet union and finally got independent in 1991. Currently, Ukraine is facing military combat with russia-backed rebels and the crimean peninsula was completely annexed by Russia. Ukraine will host the next eurovision song contest.

So, what do you know about Ukraine?

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u/Huabale Apr 04 '17 edited Apr 04 '17

German here. I was in Odessa, Kiev and Charkov last year. My impressions:

  • Night trains between the cities were awesome and funny. The train stations are beautiful .

  • Kiev is huge

  • People were friendly. We watched Germany-Ukraine in Kiev in a bar full of Ukrainians. They spent us some shots and couldn't believe we're actually Germans.

  • In Charkov and Odessa not many people could speak English.

  • Charkov centre was really clean. Charkov streets outside the centre were creepy in the night because of no street light.

  • The (Soviet) museums and monuments are impressive.

  • Learned a lot of the Holodomor and the Ukrainian Holocaust.

  • Odessa has a great Mediterranean architecture.

  • Also no. 1 HIV city in Europe.

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u/[deleted] Apr 04 '17

In Charkov and Odessa not many people could speak English

you should've tried german :D especially the older generation might speak some german because this was the primary (or at least very popular) foreign language taught during the soviet times. Anglosaxons were enemies, GDR were friends, you know