About Ukraine and Kyiv
Ukraine — is the largest country in Europe. But not only by area! Ukraine ranks fourth in the world in the number of citizens with higher education. And Ukrainian language was placed third most beautiful following only the French and Persian.
There are only six monasteries in the world that can be called Lavra and three of them are in Ukraine! This is Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Kiev), Holy Dormition Lavra (Pochaev) and Svyatogorsk Holy Dormition Lavra (Svyatogorsk).
Ukraine has one of the most fertile lands — a quarter of the worlds reserve of black earth. Every year every two hundredth person in the world sees our countries uniqueness with his own eyes! And we welcome everyone!
Kyiv
The capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, is more than 1500 years old. And there is about 1000 and 1 reasons to fall in love with the city!
There are more than 20 small rivers and streams in Kyiv, and the third largest European river by length and area — the Dnipro. The world’s deepest subway station — «Arsenal» is located in Kyiv. It is built 105.5 meters under the ground!
The shortest main street in a European capital is called Khreshchatyk street. Its length is just 1225 meters. Victoria Clinic is located on one of the Dnipro riverside areas — Podil. The peculiarity of this area is that all the streets are strictly parallel and perpendicular. However, no matter where you go, you still end up getting back to the Dnipro. Enjoy your walks!
How to get to Ukraine
You can travel to Ukraine in any way possible — by plane, by bus, by car or by train!
There are two airports in Kyiv. The Boryspil international airport serves flights from any European capital, as well as from New York, Toronto, Bangkok, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Cairo and other cities in the world. «Zhulyany» airport is located directly in the city, a 20-minute drive from the city centre.
In addition, international airports are located in Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv, Odessa and Kharkiv.
Regular trains connect the different cities of Ukraine to Warsaw, Krakow, Bratislava, Cherna-on-Tisa, Budapest, Záhon … And that’s not all! You can get to us from Varna, Erindzhe, Istanbul, Poti and even Haifa on a ferry!
And, of course, 23 international highways go through Ukraine. A great number of bus lines connect our country with all the border countries and many others.
Ukraine Currency
The national currency of Ukraine — Hryvnia. However, in exchange offices you can buy, sell, Australian and Canadian dollars, US dollars, euros, Russian and Belarusian rubles, Swiss francs, Czech and Danish kroner, yuan, pounds sterling, MDL and other currencies. Note that the majority of the currency exchange points in Kyiv operate seven days a week 24/7!
Transport in Kyiv
The capital city has a very well developed public transport system. Approximate fares from one end of Kyiv to the other are below:
- Shuttle bus (bus) fare — 0.18 — 0.20 euros per trip.
- Normal or high-speed tram, the fare — 0.10 — 0.15 euros.
- The bus fare — 0.11 euros.
- Subway fare — 0.15 euros.
- Taxi fare — from 1.20 euros.
And it easier than ever to get to the Donation and Surrogacy Centre «Victoria». After all, we are located in close proximity to the «Taras Shevchenko» subway station. You can get here from virtually any end in Kyiv quickly and without the risking to get stuck in a traffic jam!
Where to stay in Kyiv
There are more than six thousand of places to stay and choose from: hotels, motels, hostels, motels, campgrounds and resorts. Most of them are located in Kyiv.
Some of the world famous chain hotels as Radisson, Hyatt, Intercontinental, Fairmont, Ibis, Hilton, Holiday Inn and Sofitel are also located in Kyiv. The daily rent for standard and deluxe rooms in them starts from 150 euros.
Kyiv also offers less expensive options. Hotels can cost 30 euros per night and small inns from 20 euros per night.
In addition, you can easily rent a whole apartment. The cost of renting an apartment depends on its location, the size and interior. But, on average, the price of a one-room apartment is about 40-50 euros per day.
Kyiv Attractions
The most popular attractions in the Ukrainian capital are the Independence Square, the Mariinsky Palace, the Desiatynna Church, St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral, the Golden Gate, the monument of the founders of Kyiv, the Motherland monument, and many others.
One of the essential places to visit is St. Andrew’s Descent, where the artists, theatre lovers, art appreciators and artisans gather in one place. This is where St. Andrew’s Church is located. It is considered one of the greatest creations of the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli.
You can not go past the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Be sure to visit the Museum of the water, which is the first water tower built in Kyiv in 1896, the two most beautiful zoos — the Kyiv Zoo, which has about 350 species of animals, and the first Ukrainian private zoo «12 months», where you can pet and feed animals and also visit the circus.
Theatre lovers would be able to find anything they wish for in Kyiv! After all, there are about 50 theatres for very different audiences in Kyiv.