There are at least 7 major reasons to convince you to go on a trip to Ukraine.
1. If Europe is the original center of the formation of human civilization, it is worth mentioning once again that the center of the continent lies in the Ukrainian Transcarpathian region. Thus to visit the center of Europe a traveler has to come to Ukraine. Kiev was, is and will be one of the main centers of Slavic civilization, the mother of cities of Rus. It is much easier for our compatriots — they need not travel outside their country to visit the center of the continent and the Slavic civilization. Many people may begin acquaintance with Ukraine from their native places. Tourists will see unique landscapes of the Southern coast of Crimea, stretching for tens of kilometers sunnybeaches of Azov and the coast of Odessa, green tops of the Carpathians, oakPolesie, expanses of the Dnieper shores, age-old forests of Polesie, vast eastern steppe, Dnieper cliffs, picturesque hills of Podolie and Ternopil.
2. Although many wars and social upheavals have not spared Ukrainian cities, many of them still keep the unique peculiarities of historical memory and the architectural skill. At least three pearls — Kiev, Odessa and Lviv should be included in a mandatory program for every tourist. But at least a hundred towns and cities should also be included in the program — from Kharkov, Donetsk, Yalta and Sevastopol to Zhovkva, Kamenetz-Podolsk and Belgorod-Dniestrovski. Urban life in major cities of Ukraine is becoming more dynamic and rich on vibrant cultural events. Follow the schedule of events and you will be able to combine the impressions of visiting a new city and one of the many festivals, traditionally held around the country.
3. Ukraine protects the memory of dozens of civilizations. A traveler can visit the excavations on the site of tripol great-great cities, the remnants of ancient Greek settlements in Crimea and on the Northern Black Sea coast, a place where skiffs built their capital Gelon, numerous castles and fortresses, keeping secret history of ancient Greece and Rome, Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Austria , Russia. Field of numerous battles in military history includes both Ukraine and Russia, Sweden, England, Germany, Austria and Poland. History of Ukraine is inseparably linked with an important part of the historical past of the Jewish people. The rich culture and interesting historical background of many towns and cities attracts millions of domestic and foreign travelers till today.
4. The natural wealth of Ukraine provides the greatest opportunity for the development of sports tourism and active recreation — horseback journey along the mountain massifs of Crimea, bicycle routes in the Carpathians, rafting, memorable underground exploring of the world’s largest caves and even a simple charge of vivacity from walking tour through the woodland with an overnight stay at the lake. Skiing enthusiasts will appreciate the Carpathian ski winter season, which in some places runs through May. All this makes it possible for inexpensive and quality recreation during any season.
5. Every year tourist accommodation infrastructure is becoming better. With proper travel planning, a tourist can choose comfortable hotels at competitive prices and the comfort of a small home hotel at an affordable cost, and the hospitality of the village house ready to receive tourists. Every year dozens of new hotels, which you can choose for both business trips and family trips on weekends or during holidays are opened in the country. Our catalog presents only the best hotels, which are recommended by professionals and were highly appreciated by tourists themselves.
6. There is one of the world’s richest selections of healing waters and mud in Ukraine. Left from Soviet times powerful spa treatment maintained the best traditions of treatment and has recently begun improving its infrastructure. Today tourists from all over the world are coming to numerous local spas and spa hotels.
7. No one disputes the fact that Ukraine has the most delicious bacon, flavored soup and a strong gorilka. For the traveler who knows what’s what in cookery, our country will provide a decent selection of both national and international cuisine. In order to be a hundred percent confident in the choice of restaurants that you want to visit on your trip, check out the section where the institutions with the best combination of price and quality will be recommended. We can tell many more reasons to go on a journey to the most diverse corners of Ukraine.
National holidays and traditions
National holidays:
• New Year — January 1
• Christmas — January 7
• International Women’s Day — March 8
• Labor Day — 1, 2 May
• Easter — the date is not fixed
• Victory Day — May 9
• Trinity — the date is not fixed
• Constitution Day — June 28
• Independence Day — August 24
National holidays and traditions:
Religious holidays differ with special celebration customs and the traditions of their celebration is inherent only to Ukraine, which unites the Christian Orthodox culture with beliefs, roots of which reach deep into olden time.
• Christmas
Christmas Holidays cycle begins on January 2, the day of Ignat. Women thoroughly clean up the house. The culmination of the celebration is the Christmas Eve, or Rich kutia (January 6). By tradition, each member of the family has to be at home in the evening. The table should be striking with its diversity, but we must not forget that fast is still going, so fans of alcoholic beverages have to wait.
The most important dish on the table this evening is, of course, kutia. Over the holidays, up to Epiphany, kutia should stand in the place of honor in the house. After finishing dinner, children carry lunch to their godfather, the adults are preparing for an evening church service.
Gradually the evening ends and a magical Christmas night begins. Church bells, gangs of carolers create a solemn and festive range of sounds. Rite of caroling has a long history — it originates from pre-Christian times, when our ancestors worshiped the Sun with the holiday of Christmas Carols. Most carolers were children, and that’s understandable. Only men who, in accordance with custom, bring peace and rest into a house can sing carols and enter first into the house on Christmas Day.
After the end of church service the family goes back to a celebratory dinner, which is no longer fast. After lunch it is time of well-deserved rest. Guest time should start after dinner. Married children usually visit their parents. In the evening festivities start over. The boys arrange a den — a kind of play, the protagonists of which are the Goat, Shepherd and others.
• Old New Year
Only in our country we have this wonderful phrase — Old New Year. On Christmas Eve (January 6) we prepared Rich kutia, but on Melanka (13 January), the day that precedes Basil’s day or old calendar New Year we make a Generous one , which is made with lard. That is why this evening is called Generous.
For supper, as well as on Christmas Eve, the whole family gathers at the table. It is very important that clothes you wear this day are thoroughly washed and cleaned. After dinner it is necessary to go to the neighbors and ask for an apology from one another, in order to meet the New Year in peace and harmony.
The evening before the New Year gives a chance to those guys who failed during brocage. It is this evening when you can make a second attempt. However, to do this you need to find a girl at home, which is very difficult, because the village is already filled with girl gangs of carolers. Girls could only sing carols by the windows of houses and only by the end of Malanka — at midnight.
If you go out into the yard at midnight, you can feel the new year send away the old one. The most common on the New Year’s Day was, and still is, the rite of sowing. It is believed that this ceremony has come to us from pre-Christian times, because our ancestors celebrated the New Year not in winter but in spring, and because this rite is associated with hopes for a good harvest. Mostly children sow, and the most generous gifts are given to those who come into the house first. There existed entire sowing groups. In that case the interesting ceremony turned into a spectacle with Basil, Melanka, Gypsy and others as the protagonists
• Epiphany (Epiphany)
Epiphany ends Christmas Yuletide, which lasts from January 7 to 19. In accordance with the biblical story, Christ was baptized in the waters of the Jordan River; it gave the second — people’s — name of the holiday. The day before, on January 18, the whole family, as well as on Christmas Eve gathers at the table. The table is served with meatless meals, the hungry or Poor kutia is cooked. It is difficult to explain why it is called so, perhaps because all day before the Baptism one cannot eat anything because of harsh post. There is an interesting ceremony associated with the Hungry kutia — it is called kutia exile. Its essence is that we must take the pot where kutia was cooked and smash it on the gate, while saying: «Away, kutia, from home!» In some regions, mainly in the West, carols are sung on this day.
Water is blessed in churches — it gains particular strength and healing power. Epiphany water treats wounds, helps turn back any disaster. Coming back home in the morning after the night church service, you need to sprinkle every corner of your home with the holy water, then order and peace will be in your home.
On the night of Epiphany animals can speak human language, but you shouldn’t listen to their conversations — as a rule it does not end well.
On the day of Baptism the whole congregation used to gather near the lakes or rivers where church service was held. Of course they occur nowadays but the coloring, brilliant and mysterious enigma is unfortunately lost. It may be because the climate on our Mother Earth became considerably warmer and we do not have those winters. Now it’s hard to imagine that the whole church accessory for vodosvyatki, in particular the royal doors, were made of ice. In particular, this day was anticipated by children, because they expected so many interesting events. One of them is letting out the doves. These birds symbolize the ending holidays and they need to be set free.
It is a pity, but it is baptism that completes a series of Christmas and New Year holidays, and it is time to work.
• Shrovetide
The last week before Lent coincided with the pagan holiday of winter’s end and meeting spring, which was marked all the nations of Europe in the pre-Christian period.
The eastern Slavs gave this holiday a name of Shrovetide. Rites of Shrovetide were preserved in the folk tradition and the present time.
It was believed that during the last week before Lent you have to have much fun as ahead are 7 weeks of severe behavior and many limitations. Every day of this week has some peculiar and interesting customs. Let’s talk about each of them.
On Monday, women go to the tavern and begin Shrovetide. If men wanted to join their companies, they had to hang block on the neck, which could be removed only by putting out a kickback.
On Tuesday women were in the tavern again. After the fun in tavern everybody goes out to the street, where fun events are arranged, they last almost all day.
Wednesday is not associated with any actions and bears the name «Znoba-Baba».
Probably Shrovetide is paradise for women, because on Thursday they sit down and pick up the glasses again. And on top of that you cannot sew and spin on this day.
On Friday the son-in-law should feast his wife’s mother. After that he is supposed to ride his wife’s mother along the streets of the village or town. Moreover, service in this case depends on the character of the mother-in-law, if she is evil and selfish, she is driven on rough roads, and vice versa, if a mother-in-law is gentle and kind, then the road is smooth.
Saturday is not marked with any interesting rituals. Sunday is celebrated most magnificently. Especially for this day cooked dumplings with curd are cooked, in contrast to the Russian pancakes. Mass celebrations, games, fun were carried out. On this day one has to visit all the relatives and neighbors to apologize for all the wrongs committed in order to be cleansed of all impurity before the big post. We also can not drink vodka. Before going to bed you have to rinse your teeth carefully, to prevent devils pulling out curd that remained after the Shrovetide along with the teeth.
• Easter
This holiday, except for purely Christian motifs, bears the traditions associated with the old agricultural calendar, combining the celebration of Christ’s resurrection with motifs of spring rebirth of nature surprisingly well. On the eve of the holiday, on Saturday, the Easter cakes are blessed — people bring baskets with Easter products to the church: special loaves — Easter cakes (which are traditionally baked at home), Easter eggs and other edible attributes of the holiday. This food is sanctified by the priests, the heads of the Churches minister the holiday service, a large number of people visit the temple of God. Greeting during the Easter days are the words Christ is risen! White robe and embroidered shirts provide the festive atmosphere of high purity and high spirits. However, special attention deserves such an indispensable attribute of Easter as a sacred art of Ukrainian Easter egg, which continues to fascinate with contemporary beauty and refinement of its symbolism.
And that’s not all holidays and traditions of the Ukrainian people! Come to Ukraine — and get acquainted with the customs of the people and take part in the Ukrainian festivities.
Capital
Glorious path is travelled by the city from a small village, the birthplace of Kiev Rus to the modern city with a worldwide reputation and value. Kiev is a unique city with a huge, simply incalculable, number of attractions, every house, every stone here has its own amazing story. Visitors and tourists coming to Kiev will find something new every time.
Modern Kiev is one of the largest cities in Europe, the administrative, economic, scientific, cultural and educational center of the country.
Kiev is the capital of Ukraine, a city with the population of 2,8 million people, the largest river of Ukraine — the Dnieper divides Kiev, stretching along over 20 km of the right and left coasts of the river.
The city of Kyiv is one of the oldest Slavic cities, the mother of cities of Rus, the officialdate of birth of the city is the year 482.
Kiev today is a modern European city with the legendary past and great cultural potential where you can find more than 30 museums, about 2 thousand unique monuments,33 theaters, a huge number of permanent exhibitions.
A distinctive feature of the city of Kiev is «steep» terrain and an incredible abundance of greenery, there are more than 60 parks in the city, chestnut and linden trees grow along the streets. A famous resident of Kiev Mikhail Bulgakov once wrote: «And there were so many gardens in the City as in no other city of the world. They are spread throughout with the huge spots, with alleys, chestnuts, ravines, maples, lindens.»
