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Dmytro Prokopenko |
| Gender: | Male | | Age: | 34 | | Lives in: | Toronto Canada | | Registered: | 20 January 2003 | | Last visit: | 04 January 2006 |
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| Kiev Review: My New Year 2003 in Kiev | | Written by Dmytro Prokopenko on 28 Oct 2003
| I just came back from my trip to Ukraine and want to share some thoughts with you and the worldwide community of people who are interested in Ukraine. Please, click on photos to enlarge them and follow links to see more photos and get more information about Ukraine and our services.
Originally, I am from Ukraine. This was my third trip to my motherland since my wife and I immigrated to Canada. Sure, I notice changes every time I visit my hometown, Kharkov, or the cities of my Ukrainian partners (and we have offices in 12 Ukrainian cities). Some of these changes are for the better; but some are not. I hope that my short report will give you a better understanding of the real situation in Ukraine. You must understand that, since I am from Ukraine, my viewpoint can't be totally objective.
On this trip, I spent over two weeks in December visiting in Kharkov and Kiev. Usually, I fly with Lufthansa Airlines; but for this trip, I decided to take an Austrian Airlines flight for a change. And I was glad that I did it. First of all, Austrian Airlines provides direct flights to MANY Ukrainian cities (not only Kiev, as is the case with Lufthansa and others airlines). Secondly, Austrian Airlines' planes are kept in better condition than those of other airlines; and I think that the new Aerobuses that they use also provide extra leg-room, which is very desirable for tall passengers
I flew first to Kharkov, where I was met with a VERY COLD weather (-17C) and the usual problems: bad roads at the center of town and darkness on the streets in all areas but downtown. Sure, many things have changes since my visit last year, many really-good, new supermarkets, boutiques, casinos and bars have opened for business (you can see some of these in my photos). But prices are very high - and for 80% of the population of Kharkov, it's a "closed world", though sometimes, they come to a supermarket to get a box of cigarettes or a bottle of vodka or wine. I took a picture at one of the Kharkov supermarkets; and the next moment, I was caught by two security guards, who took me to an office "for taking a picture at the secret object" (although I did not see a sign prohibiting the taking of photos). Fortunately, the manager was a nice lady; and she let me go, when I told her that I was planning to show off the picture of her supermarket in Canada. This is the thing that bothered me a lot in Ukraine: security guards and policemen are everywhere - and you can't be sure that you won't become the next object of their concern. But I must REASSURE foreigners of this: Guards and police are AFRAID to assault people with foreign passports.
Now, I must point out that corruption will be found EVERYWHERE in Ukraine. Unfortunately, it has become a style of life. After speaking with my partners (who run local travel agencies), friends and relatives, I can say that almost EVERYBODY has to pay something to officials at ALL levels in order to do business in Ukraine. Many people think that this type of corruption slows down the growth of the Ukrainian economy. For sure, Ukraine has a very high POTENTIAL to become a prosperous member of the international community. People work very hard, there - but they would work even harder (and stop hiding their income in order to avoid paying taxes) if they knew that they would have a future in their own country. At this time, only about 1/5 of the people in big cities (like Kharkov) can afford to visit restaurants (which, by the way, are QUITE NICE, with varying and VERY TASTY cuisines) or stay in hotels during their travels. Prices for hotel rooms are almost as high as in the USA and Canada. But the average monthly salary of those living in the larger cities is only about US $70. That's why many of our clients use our downtown apartments, which we provide for rent in many cities of Ukraine. Don't get me wrong! Definitely, Ukraine is a good place to visit. There are very friendly people, many historical sites, beautiful architecture and UNFORGETTABLE landscapes of Ukrainian steeps and hills. But, if you think that Ukraine is a very inexpensive place to visit, you are quite wrong. The difference between prices for services that foreigners are used to getting in the USA and Europe and the services that local people are used to getting is HUGE! Sure, you can get an apartment for rent, somewhere far from the downtown, for US $100 per month; but you probably won't survive there (ESPECIALLY in winter)! In all probability, you'll have hot water only once in awhile; your apartment will be terribly hot in summer and VERY COLD in winter; the elevator won't work - and you'll need to climb unlighted stairways to get to your apartments. I've checked it out, myself - and I STRONGLY advise you to stay in the downtown areas of Ukrainian cities. Sure, it will cost you more. But, it won't be very expensive - and if you plan your trip ahead, we can find ways for you to stay in pleasant surroundings, with nice conditions - for a very reasonable price! You will really ENJOY your trip.
The thing that I really like in Ukraine is the current level of nationality/race tolerance. In general, Ukrainians live in peace with people of any religion and race (for example, there are many Ukrainian/African mixed marriages in Ukraine -and the children of these mixed marriages are welcome in the community). Sure, there have been times in the past when even Ukrainians were not "owners of their land"; and many of them tried to change their nationality to "Russian" in their passports (and this doesn't touch on the issues involving people of OTHER nationalities and religions and the different problems that they had). Times are different, now; and people of different nationalities and races not only live in peace, but also respect the past and admit the mistakes of the past. For example, several years ago, a memorial dedicated to Polish officers executed by NKVD troops in 1939 was opened. And during my recent visit, a "sorrow" monument was opened at the location where thousands of Kharkov Jewish people were executed by Fascists during World War II (and it should be noted that because of attitudes that were not tolerant of Jewish people, the Soviet government did not want to erect this type of memorial for 50 years following the war). Churches and cathedrals of different religions and denominations are being reconstructed/built everywhere throughout Ukraine (See photos). Ukrainians are starting to learn about and explore their land, bringing an end to the "dark years". And that's why, every year, our partner-agencies come up with more and more ideas for places where we can take visitors to Ukraine. And now, it's easier to take visitors to formerly almost unreachable places, because local train transportation has become faster and more comfortable (though you had better ask us BEFORE choosing the train on which you will travel, because not all trains are modern enough for Western comfort standards). There are also many flights between major Ukrainian cities and towns. And the constantly-improving quality of local highways gives us more chances to recommend car transportation between different cities, allowing greater exploration of Ukraine. On the way to Kiev, I took the Kharkov-Kiev train. The first class compartment was nice and warm. But, if you can't tolerate cigarette smoke, you should take the LUXURY compartment on the train, because many Ukrainians smoke SO MUCH on train platforms, that the smoke gets into the first class compartments.
Kiev is really the place you HAVE to visit if you travel to Ukraine. Definitely, it's the most beautiful (and comfortable for foreigners) city of Ukraine. And it's not as crowded as Moscow, though it's much older (over 1500 years old) and full of places to see and explore. It's considered the "Rome" of Ukraine, where different civilizations, cultures and religions are mixed in a very special way. I love Kiev - and I can tell that all of our clients come back with a piece of Kiev in their hearts! Now, Kiev is even MORE BEAUTIFUL than it was when I went, last year.... Just take a look at these fascinating photos. Well, sometimes, people make mistakes - for example, just take a look at how the famous and (in the past) most beautiful Independence Square looks NOW, following two years of reconstruction. The result is a bad mixture of different styles; and it's not a "square" any longer, because there are SO MANY structures, that you don't "feel" the space that there should be in a "square". But, the Independence Statue and the whole area, in general, look nice - especially the statue of an old Cossack playing the bandura.
Sure, Kiev is the most expensive city in Ukraine; and it may be that a new local supermarket, "Globus", opened under the Independence Square, is even more expensive than malls in Toronto. But our agency always provides alternatives to our clients: nice downtown apartments; car services; interpreting at a reasonable price. So, I hope that you'll fall in love with the capital of Ukraine and its people, even if accommodations there are not inexpensive. And Kiev gives you opportunities for spending a very interesting time, 24/7. EVERYBODY can find something to see and do, there.
So, with Ukraine in my heart, I left Ukraine right after Christmas. After a short trip through customs at Boryspol International Airport, I was on my way to Canada. I have to admit that I have very mixed feelings about things that I have seen in Ukraine on this trip. Definitely, it will take a long time before the life of an average Ukrainian will be as good as for other European citizens. But even now, a visit there is most worthwhile and will surely make you fall in love with Ukraine, its culture and its people.
Dmytro Prokopenko
(Owner of Chumak Travel Agency) |
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