Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev (Kyiv) is both the capital and the largest city of Ukraine. Ukraine is a unitary state composed of 24 oblasts (provinces), one autonomous republic (Crimea), and two cities with special status: Kiev, its capital, and Sevastopol, which houses the Russian Black Sea Fleet under a leasing agreement. Ukraine is a republic under a semi-presidential system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

» Geography and population

Ukraine, with a territory of 603.7 thousand sq kilometres and a population of 48.4 million people, is one of the biggest countries of Europe. Administratively, Ukraine is made up of 24 Oblasts and one Autonomous Republic (Crimea). The capital city is Kyiv. Ukraine is bordered by Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova on the west and south-west, and by Belarus and Russia on the north and north-east; on the south, Ukraine is bordered by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The longest river is Dnipro, and the biggest mountain chain is the Carpathians. It is in the Carpathians that the geographical centre of Europe is located. Among 454 cities and towns of Ukraine the biggest are: Kyiv (population 2.6 million); Kharkiv (population 1.6 million); Dnipropetrovsk (population 1.1 million); Odesa (population 1.1 million); Donetsk (population 1.1 million), and L'viv (population 802 thousand). The population of Ukraine is 48.5 million people. The number of ethnic Ukrainians is over 37.5 million people (77.8 of the entire population); over 8 million people are ethnic Russians (17.3 percent of the entire population). 67.5 percent of the Ukrainian citizens regard Ukrainian as their mother tongue. According to the Constitution, the state language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. Russian, which was the de facto official language of the Soviet Union, is widely spoken, especially in eastern and southern Ukraine. According to the 2001 census, 67.5 percent of the population declared Ukrainian as their native language and 29.6 percent declared Russian. Most native Ukrainian speakers know Russian as a second language.

» Climate and natural resources

Ukraine's climate is temperate continental, and subtropical at the southern coast of the Crimea. The mean temperature in January is - 5o C (+ 23 F) and + 20o C (68 F) in July. 95 percent of the Ukrainian territory is spread out over the Eastern European Plain; 5 percent of the territory is taken up by mountainous areas; 14 percent of the land is covered with forests; 4 percent - water reservoirs; 1.6 percent - swamps. 71 percent of all the land in Ukraine is arable, with 12 million hectares (30 million acres) having the fertile black soil (chernozem). 5 percent of the world's mineral resources are concentrated in Ukraine (coal; iron and manganese ores; uranium; graphite, and rock-salt).

» History

Ukraine's modern history began with the East Slavs. From at least the 9th century, Ukraine was a center of the medieval living area of the East Slavs. This state, known as Kievan Rus' became the largest and most powerful nation in Europe, but disintegrated in the 12th century. Ukraine was the home of the first modern democracy, which exhibited republican form, during the Khmelnytsky uprising in the 17th century. After the Great Northern War, Ukraine was divided among a number of regional powers, and by the 19th century, the largest part of Ukraine was integrated into the Russian Empire, with the rest under Austro-Hungarian control. After a chaotic period of incessant warfare and several attempts at independence (1917-21) following World War I and the Russian Civil War, Ukraine emerged in 1922 as one of the founding republics of the Soviet Union. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic's territory was enlarged westward shortly before and after World War II, and again in 1954 with the Crimea transfer. In 1945, the Ukrainian SSR became one of the co-founding members of the United Nations. Ukraine became independent again after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. This began a period of transition to a market economy, in which Ukraine was stricken with an eight year recession. But since then, the economy has been experiencing a stable increase with GDP growth averaging 24 percent annually.

» Culture

Ukrainian customs are heavily influenced by Christianity, which is the dominant religion in the country. Gender roles also tend to be more traditional, and grandparents play a greater role in raising children than in the West. The culture of Ukraine has been also influenced by its eastern and western neighbors, which is reflected in its architecture, music and art. The tradition of the Easter egg, known as pysanky, has long roots in Ukraine. These eggs were drawn on with wax to create a pattern; then, the dye was applied to give the eggs their pleasant colours, the dye did not affect the previously wax-coated parts of the egg. After the entire egg was dyed, the wax was removed leaving only the colorful pattern. This tradition is thousands of years old, and precedes the arrival of Christianity to Ukraine. In the city of Kolomya near the foothills of the Carpathian mountains in 2000 was built the museum of Pysanka which won a nomination as the monument of modern Ukraine in 2007, part of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine action.

The traditional Ukrainian diet includes chicken, pork, beef, fish and mushrooms. Ukrainians also tend to eat a lot of potatoes, grains, fresh and pickled vegetables. Popular traditional dishes include varenyky (boiled dumplings with mushrooms, potatoes, sauerkraut, cottage cheese or cherries), borscht (soup made of beets, cabbage and mushrooms or meat) and holubtsy (stuffed cabbage rolls filled with rice, carrots and meat). Ukrainian specialties also include Chicken Kiev and Kiev Cake. Ukrainians drink stewed fruit, juices, milk, buttermilk (they make cottage cheese from this), mineral water, tea and coffee, beer, wine and horilka. Ukraine occupies 8th place in the world by the number of tourists visiting, according to the World Tourism Organization rankings.

The capital - Kyiv

Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press.

Kyiv is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural centre of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kyiv Metro.

The name Kyiv is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of four legendary founders of the city (brothers Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and sister Lybid'). During its history, Kyiv, one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, passed through several stages of great prominence and relative obscurity. The city may have been founded in the 5th century as a trading post, perhaps part of the land of the early Slavs. It gradually acquired eminence as the centre of the East Slavic civilization, becoming in the tenth to twelfth centuries a political and cultural capital of Rus', a medieval East Slavic state. Completely destroyed during the Mongol invasion in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come. It was a provincial capital of marginal importance in the outskirts of the territories controlled by its powerful neighbors: first the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, followed by Poland and Russia.

The city prospered again during the Russian industrial revolution in the late 19th century. After the turbulent period following the Russian Revolution of 1917, from 1921 onwards Kyiv was an important city of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, and, from 1934, its capital. During World War II, the city again suffered significant damage, but quickly recovered in the post-war years remaining the third largest city of the Soviet Union. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian independence of 1991, Kyiv remained the capital of Ukraine.

Sites of interest

The Museum of the Great Patriotic War: is a memorial complex commemorating the Great Patriotic War located in the hills on the right-bank of the Dnieper River in Pechersk.

The museum has moved twice before ending up in the current location, where it was ceremonially opened on May 9 1981, Victory Day, by then Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. On June 21, 1996, the museum was accorded its current status as a National Museum by a special decree signed by Leonid Kuchma, the then President of Ukraine. It is one of the largest museums in Ukraine with over 300,000 exhibits, and is centered around the 62-meter tall Motherland statue, which has become one of the most well known landmarks in the city. The museum has been visited by over 21 million visitors.

Painted battle tanks at the World War II memorial

The memorial complex covers the area of 10 hectares (approximately 24.7 acres) on the hill, overlooking the Dnieper River. It contains the giant bowl "The Glory Flame", a site with World War II military equipment, and the "Alley of the Hero Cities". One of the museums also displays the armaments used by the Soviet army post World War II. The sculptures in the alley depict the courageous defence of the Soviet border from the 1941 German invasion, terrors of the Nazi occupation, partisan struggle, devoted work on the home front, and the 1943 Battle of the Dnieper.

Kyiv fortress is the 19th century fortification buildings situated in Ukrainian capital Kyiv (Kyiv), that once belonged to western Russian fortresses. These structures (once a united complex) were built in the Pechersk and neighbourhoods by the Russian army. Now some of the buildings are restored and turned into museum called the Kyiv Fortress, while others are in use of various military and commercial installations.

Kyiv fortress

Having lost their military importance in 20th century, buildings continued to be used as barracks, storage and incarceration facilities. However, some of them played independent historical roles. The Kosyi Kaponir ("Skew Caponier") became a prison for the political inmates in the 1900s-1920s and was later turned into a Soviet museum. Now it is the center of the modern museum. A small fortress built in 1872 on the legendary Lysa Hora (Bald Mountain) in 1906 became a place of executions for convicted political inmates. It is now a landscape reserve and part of the museum complex.

National Art Museum of Ukraine

Constructed in 1898, by architect Vladislav Gorodetsky, the building was originally designed as the museum for the local society of patrons of arts and antique lovers. The facade of the building conveys a classic architecture form - precise reproduction of a six-column porch of Doric order with entablature, triglyphs, metopes and frieze decoration depicting the Triumph of Arts. The architectural composition featuring figures of gryphons and large concrete lions at the top of the stairs were created by an Italian sculptor, Emilio Sala.

National Art Museum of Ukraine is a museum dedicated to Ukrainian art in Kyiv, Ukraine. Originally called the Kyiv City Museum of Antiques and Art, the founders set out to put together a collection of pieces representative of Ukrainian fine art. Ranging from medieval icons to portraits of military and church leaders during Cossack times, some depicting caricatures of Mamay. Works include those of Taras Shevchenko, Ilya Yefimovich Repin, Vladimir Borovikovsky, Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, Mykola Pimonenko, Mikhail Vrubel, Nikolai Ge, and Oleksandr Murashko. Today, the museum continues to expand its collection. Some new additions include a unique icon relief of St. George and works by the international Kyiv born pioneer of Geometric abstract art Kazimir Malevich.

The current exhibition includes over 20 thousand pieces. Among many are works by the constructivist, Vasiliy Yermilov, and Cubo-Futurist Alexander Bogomazov. The Ukrainian side is represented by works by artists such as David Burliuk, Aleksandra Ekster, Vadim Meller, Kliment Red'ko, Solomon Nikritin, Victor Palmov, Maria Sinyakova, Mikhail Boichuk and Mykola Pymonenko.

The Golden Gate: is a historic gateway in the ancient city's walls. The name Zoloti Vorota is also used for a nearby theatre and a station of the Kyiv Metro. This gateway was one of three constructed by Yaroslav the Wise, Prince of Kyiv, in the mid-eleventh century. It was reputedly modelled on the Golden Gate of Constantinople, from which it took its name. In 1240 it was partially destroyed by Batu Khan's Golden Horde. It remained as a gate to the city (often used for ceremonies) through the eighteenth century, although it gradually fell into ruins. In 1832 the ruins were excavated and an initial survey for their conservation was undertaken. Further works in the 1970s added an adjacent pavilion, housing a museum of the gate. In the museum one can learn about the history of construction of the Golden gate as well as ancient Kyiv. In 1982, the gate was completely reconstructed for the 1500th anniversary of Kyiv, although there is no solid evidence as to what the original gates looked like. Some art historians called for this reconstruction to be demolished and for the ruins of the original gate to be exposed to public view. In 1989, with the expansion of the Kyiv Metro, the Zoloti Vorota station was opened nearby to serve the landmark. What makes it unique is that its architectural ensemble is very much based on the internal decorations of ancient Ruthenian churches.

Attractions in Kyiv

It is said that one can walk from one end of Kyiv to the other in the summertime without leaving the shade of its many trees. Most characteristic are the horse-chestnuts (Ukrainian: каштани, kashtany).

Kyiv is known as a green city with two botanical gardens and numerous large and small parks. The green nature of the city is probably most notable by the green hills of the right bank along the Dnipro river that have been relatively untouched by development. The World War II Museum is located here, which offers both indoor and outdoor displays of military history and equipment surrounded by verdant hills overlooking the Dnipro river.

St Michael's Cathedral

Among the numerous islands, Venetsianskyi (or Hidropark) is the most developed. It is accessible by metro or by car, and includes an amusement park, swimming beaches, boat rentals, and night clubs. The Victory Park (Park Peremohy) located near Darnytsia subway station is a popular destination for strollers, joggers, and cyclists. Boating, fishing, and water sports are popular pastimes in Kyiv. The area lakes and rivers freeze over in the winter and ice fishermen are a frequent sight, as are children with their ice skates. However, the peak of summer draws out a greater mass of people to the shores for swimming or sunbathing, with daytime high temperatures sometimes reaching 30 to 34 °C (86-93 °F).

Founders of Kyiv

The centre of Kyiv (Independence Square and Khreschatyk Street) becomes a large outdoor party place at night during summer months, with thousands of people having a good time in nearby restaurants, clubs and outdoor cafes. The central streets are closed for auto traffic on weekends and holidays. Andriyivskyy Descent is one of the best known historic streets and a major tourist attraction in Kyiv. The hill is the site of the Castle of Richard Lionheart; the baroque-style St Andrew's Church; the home of Kyiv born writer, Mikhail Bulgakov; the monument to Yaroslav the Wise, the Grand Prince of Kyiv and of Novgorod; and numerous other monuments. Lilacs in the Central Botanical Garden, with Vydubychi Monastery and the Left Bank of Kyiv in the background. Photo copyright R. Lezhoev. A wide variety of farm produce is available in many of Kyiv's farmer markets with the Besarabsky Market located in the very centre of the city being most famous. Each residential region has its own market, or rynok.

Here one will find table after table of individuals hawking everything imaginable: vegetables, fresh and smoked meats, fish, cheese, honey, dairy products such as milk and home-made smetana (sour cream), caviar, cut flowers, housewares, tools and hardware, and clothing. Each of the markets has its own unique mix of products with some markets devoted solely to specific wares such as automobiles, car parts, pets, clothing, flowers, etc.. There is also a popular book market by the Petrivka metro station. At the city's southern outskirts, near the historic Pyrohiv village, there is an outdoor museum, officially called the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine It has an area of 1.5 square kilometres (1 sq mi). This territory houses several "mini-villages" that represent by region the traditional rural architecture of Ukraine. Kyiv also has numerous recreational attractions like bowling alleys, go-cart tracks, paintball venues, billiard halls and even shooting ranges. 100-year-old Kyiv Zoo is located on 40 hectares and carries over 2,000 specimens.

L'viv

Among the cities of Ukraine L'viv stands out as a place of impressive architectural landmarks of many architectural styles and epochs. But it is not so much the architecture that makes it special - it is the atmosphere, the aura of the city that distinguishes it from any other place. It would be hard to give a rational explanation of what creates this atmosphere, even if all the possible contributions to it are enumerated. You have to take a walk through the narrow and twisting streets of L'viv, to feel the old cobble stones beneath your feet, to breathe the air of the city, to see what in the medieval and Renaissance times used to be the quarters of Italian, Jewish and Armenian traders and merchants, to start feeling that special charm that L'viv exudes. To add to the first impressions, it would be worthwhile to spend some time in the quiet of an old Polish church, to listen to the choir singing in an old Ukrainian Orthodox church, to have a cup of excellent coffee in one of the L'viv coffeehouses, famous for the excellence of coffee, to visit the Lychakiv cemetery famous for its tombs and monuments which are veritable works of art, to talk to and socialize with people, and witness their gallantry, and civility.

In its long history L'viv has seen many wars and many invaders - Tartars, Poles, Lithuanians, Turks, Austrians and others tried to establish their rule over L'viv. Attempts were made to destroy the Ukrainian spirit in the city. Even its name was changed to hide its Ukrainian roots - Leopolis, Levensburg, Lemberg, Lvuv, L'vov, but it obstinately remained L'viv. When the Ukrainian lands in which L'viv was a major city were under the domination of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, it was made the official regional centre of the provinces of Halytsiya and Lodomeria. When between the First and Second World Wars, L'viv and the lands around it were part of Poland, the city was a major cultural centre, known for its bohemian style of life.

L'viv's culture absorbed many influences; many religions co-existed in L'viv peacefully in the atmosphere of religious tolerance. Gothic cathedrals, Renaissance palazzos, buildings in the Sezession style or in ascetic modernistic constructivist style create a rich visual feast. "The very sky above the city, the stars that shine on it, inspire the people who live here to look for and create beauty. There is no trade or skill that cannot be developed here," wrote a seventeenth-century chronicler, Bartolomiy Zymorovych.

It was in L'viv that the first Ukrainian newspaper, Gazette de Leopol, began to be published in 1776. L'viv was a place that inspired the creativeness of Ukrainian and Polish artists, scholars and writers. Ivan Franko, the prominent Ukrainian author of the late nineteenth-early twentieth century; Adam Mickiewisz, one of the best Polish poets of the nineteenth century; Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the author whose works described human behaviour which later was given the name of "masochism"; Rudolf Weigle, the scientist who created the anti-typhus vaccine; Sholem-Aleichem, the classic of Jewish literature in Yidish; Stanislav Lyudkevych, the remarkable composer, Stanislaw Lem, the Polish science-fiction writer of wide fame; Mykhailo Hrushevsky, the historian and first president of the Ukrainian People's Republic - all of them were either born or lived in L'viv.

In 1939, after the partition of Poland between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, L'viv and the whole of western Ukraine were included into the Soviet Union. Soviet-Nazi friendship proved to be short-lived and the war that followed did not spare L'viv.

The war and the Soviet secret police after the war decimated the population of L'viv. The KGB was remorseless and tireless in hunting down, arresting, imprisoning or executing "Ukrainian bourgeois nationalists." But despite all the efforts to suppress the very spirit of L'viv, it survived, and the people of L'viv were in the first ranks of those who started the national-liberation movement of the late nineteen-eighties.

After the demise of the Soviet Union and with the emergence of independent Ukraine, L'viv began to revive as a cultural centre, a city of coffeehouses and intellectual life. Bu it is a slow revival. About 830 thousand people now live in L'viv, with about 200 thousand visiting it everyday. The central part of L'viv was put on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Much is being done to make L'viv once again a prosperous city. When there is a hope, there is a future.

Attractions in L'viv

L'viv Market Square

L'viv Market Square, Rynok Square in Ukrainian, is considered to be the central point of L'viv. The L'viv Town Hall in the middle of the Market Square has a tall tower with a clock. The tower is open for tourists wanting to enjoy a bird's eye view of L'viv and see the 18th century tower clock mechanism at work. The L'viv Market Square is almost square in shape and has 44 houses at its perimeter. The older houses on the L'viv Rynok Square date back to the 15th century but most of them were rebuilt at a later date. Walking clockwise around the L'viv Market Square starting from the L'viv Pharmacy Museum, the fist house we are faced with on the Market Square is the freshly painted and renovated building.

Armenian Cathedral

The Armenian Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in L'viv, Ukraine is located in the city's Old Town, north of the market square.

A small Armenian church was built in the years 1363-1370, founded by an Armenian merchant from Caffa and established as the mother church of an eparchy. It is said to have been modeled after the Cathedral of Ani in the ancient Armenian capital of Ani. In 1437 the cathedral was surrounded with an arcade gallery, today only the southern one is preserved and the northern has been rebuilt into a sacristy. After the church was damaged in a city fire in 1527 a new stone belfry was erected in 1571. In 1630 the main nave was extended, further rebuilt in 1723. The Cathedral owes most of its present day look to a remodeling carried out in the years 1908-1927.

Just north of the Cathedral lays a small convent of Armenian Benedictines and to the south, adjoining the bell tower, the palace of the Armenian Archbishops, both built in the late 17th century.

The present day interior is largely the work of Jan Henryk Rosen and J?zef Mehoffer. The cathedral hold two wonder working icons of St. Gregory the Illuminator and the Mother of God, brought in the 17th century from Yazlovets.

During soviet rule the Cathedral was closed and its building was used for storing plundered sacral art. After the collapse of the Soviet Union a handful of Armenian Catholic families attempted to reestablish the parish. As a result of their insufficient numbers this proved impossible. Shortly before the visit of Pope John Paul II, the Catholic Church made the Cathedral available to the Armenian Apostolic Church to celebrate Divine Liturgy in it. The Armenian Eparchy of L'viv presently remains vacant.

Korniakt Palace

The Korniakt Palace on Market Square in L'viv is a prime example of the royal kamienica, or townhouse. The fabric of the palace is of various dates. It was originally built by architect Piotr Barbon for merchant Konstanty Korniakt, a champion of Greek Orthodoxy and co-founder of the L'viv Dormition Brotherhood. Construction of this severely elegant Renaissance palazzo was completed in 1580.

After Korniakt's death in 1603, King Wladyslaw IV Vasa stayed at his palace. He got smallpox and recovered here. In 1640, the edifice was purchased by Jakub Sobieski and was later inherited by his son, King Jan III Sobieski. The Polish-Lithuanian ruler remodelled it into a palatial residence, with spacious rooms and an audience hall where he signed the Eternal Peace Treaty of 1686.

In 1908, the Sobieski Palace became home to the Jan III museum. It is now part of the L'viv History Museum. The royal chambers are used for exhibiting Rococo furniture and clocks, a collection of medallions, and precious silverware.

Latin Cathedral

The first church built on this site was a small wooden Roman Catholic church dedicated to the Holy Trinity, built in 1344 and lost in a fire six years later. In 1360 the king Casimir III of Poland founded the construction of the present day church, built in Gothic style, for a cathedral of the newly created Latin diocese. The church was consecrated in 1405 and the parish was moved here from the church of Mary of Snow. In 1412 the seat of the bishop was transferred from Halych. Construction work continued throughout the 15th century and in 1481 the Cathedral was finally consecrated.

The cathedral witnessed many significant events and was visited by several Polish kings, most notably John II Casimir, who in the Cathedral entrusted to Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under the care of the Blessed Virgin. In 1440 the Metropolitan of Kyiv, Cardinal Isidore celebrate the Holy Mass offered for the intention of Christian Unity, when he stopped in L'viv returning from the Council of Florence.

In the years 1761-1776 the Cathedral was refurbished in the Baroque style and a tall bell tower was added. In 1776 the wonder working icon of the Mother of God held in the Cathedral was crowned and placed in the main altar. In 1892-1898 the presbytery was remodeled in the Neogothic style and stained glass, designed by J?zef Mehoffer and Jan Matejko were installed. In 1910 the Cathedral was granted the status of a minor basilica by Pope St. Pius X.

The Latin Cathedral is one of the just two churches in L'viv that weren't closed or subjected to the Muscovite Patriarchate during soviet rule (the other being the Roman Catholic church of St. Anthony in Lychakiv), however during that time the bishops resided in Lubacz?w in Poland. In 1991 the Holy Father Servant of God John Paul II reactivated the diocese.

The wonder working icon was after the Second World War moved to Krak?w and then in 1974 to the procathedral in Lubacz?w, in 1983 it was once again crowned in Jasna G?ra and presently remains in Lubacz?w. The L'viv Cathedral presently owns a copy which was crowned by Holy Father during his Apostolic Visit in Ukraine on June 26, 2001.

St. George's Cathedral

St. George's Cathedral is a baroque-rococo cathedral located in the city of L'viv, the historic capital of western Ukraine. It was constructed between 1744-1760 on a hill overlooking the city. This is the third manifestation of a church to inhabit the site since the 13th century, and its prominence has repeatedly made it a target for invaders and vandals. The cathedral also holds a predominant position in Ukrainian religious and cultural terms. During 19th and 20th centuries, the cathedral served as the mother church of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC).

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) Ukrainian: Українська Греко-Католицька Церква (УГКЦ), also known as the Ukrainian Catholic Church, is one of the successor Churches to the acceptance of Christianity by Grand Prince Vladimir the Great (Ukrainian Volodymyr) of Kyiv, in 988. UGCC is the largest Eastern Rite Catholic sui juris particular church in full communion with the Holy See, and is directly subject to the Pope. The Primate of the Church, in union with the Pope, holds the office of Archbishop-Major of Kyiv-Halych and All Rus, though the hierarchs of the church have acclaimed their primate "Patriarch" and have requested Papal recognition and elevation. The Church has followed the spread of the Ukrainian diaspora, and now has some 40 hierarchs in over a dozen countries on four continents, including three other metropolitans in Poland, the United States, and Canada, the head of the church is Cardinal Lubomyr Husar.

Within Ukraine itself, the UGCC is a minority faith of the religious population, being a distant second to the majority Eastern Orthodox faith. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is the second largest religious organization in Ukraine in terms of number of communities. In terms of number of faithful, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church ranks third in allegiance among the population of Ukraine, after the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate. Currently, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church predominates in three western oblasts of Ukraine, but constitutes a small minority elsewhere in the country. L'viv High Castle

The L'viv High Castle or L'viv Castle Hill is a historic castle located on one of the hills of the Western Ukrainian city of L'viv. It is currently the highest point in the city, 413 metres above sea level.

The High Castle is located in close proximity of the historic centre of L'viv (see picture), formerly being surrounded by a fortification wall. The Castle Hill took its name from the High Castle (as opposite to the other, Low Castle), which used to be located on the hill from the 13th century to the late 19th century. The castle was a main defensive fort of the city during its existence.

As it follows from Rus' Chronicles, the first fortifying structures appeared on the Castle Hill in the time Halych-Volhynia, and were built by Leo I of Halych from wood. It was originally a wood and soil construction, as most others at that time. In 1259 by a request of Burunday Khan they were destroyed, but in 1270 were rebuilt. In 1340, when L'viv was captured by Casimir III of Poland the wooden castle was put under fire. In 1353 it was destroyed again by Lithuanians. A new bricks castle appeared on the hill in 1362 by the king Casmimir III. It became the residence of polish nobels.

The castle was rebuilt and repaired many times. In the times of Khmelnytsky Uprising it was taken by Cossack forces of Polkovnyk Maksym Kryvonos in October of 1648. In 1704, when L'viv was occupied by Swedes the caste was heavily damaged. In 1777, Austrians initiated disassembling of fortifications around the castle.

In the 19th century, the then destroyed castle was taken apart and new items were built in its place. The fortification was strengthened, trees were planted on the hill's slope, and a park was constructed. On the place where the castle once stood, a Union of Lublin Mound was constructed in 1869, dedicated to the 300-years of the Union of Lublin. Currently, an observation platform is located atop the kurgan. In 1957, a 141-meter tall television tower was constructed on top of the hill (see picture).

In 2004-2005, there were talks of reconstructing a stone castle on the hill. The project gained some support and opposition. However, at this time, plans for the construction of the castle are not realistic.

Coffee in L'viv

The 1620s were marked by a series of epidemics which took a big toll in human life. A devastating fire of 1623 destroyed more than twelve hundred houses and great many churches. In 1672, L'viv was besieged by the troops of the Turkish Sultan Mohamed IV, and in the early eighteenth century, the city was captured by the troops of the Swedish King Charles XII.

Fires, epidermis and invasions dealt heavy blows to L'viv which began to lose its political and economic significance. In 1772, as a result of the partition of Poland, L'viv emerged as the centre of the Austrian provinces of Galicia and Lodomeria. The Austrian rule brought not only Austrian authorities and bureaucrats but also new styles in life and architecture. Rococo and then classicism were in vogue. The city went through a major reconstruction, which, unfortunately, led to the demolition of many architectural landmarks of the earlier times.

In the first half of the nineteenth century, L'viv began its ascent to becoming one of the most prosperous cities in Eastern Europe, a transit centre of active trade with Viena, Odesa, Warsaw and other cities. By the end of the nineteenth century it had a population of 160, 000 people, a considerable number of whom were well-to-do. Rich mansions were built, parks were laid out; coffeehouses and knaipy (a specific L'viv combination of a restaurant and a club) mushroomed. The knaipy proprietors, waiters and attendants knew their patrons by name, and the other way round, the patrons addressed everybody by name too, and felt themselves at home. The small restaurants and coffeehouses became part of the L'viv scene, contributing to the creation of "the L'viv spirit" which has been living in the city ever since.

The early decades of the twentieth century with the First World War, the revolutions, the collapse of the three empires - Russian, Austro-Hungarian and German - were a most turbulent time for Europe, a time of great political and social upheavals, and L'viv was sucked into this maelstrom too. After a short period of Ukrainian independence, the eastern Ukraine was overrun by the Russian Bolsheviks, and the western Ukraine, L'viv included, once again became part of Poland.

Meanwhile, L'viv coffeehouses continue to make excellent coffee which you sip, reading a book or a newspaper, discussing hot political or intellectual issues, waiting out the rain, watching the stream of passers-by filing past, waiting for a date, or daydreaming.

Chernivtsi

Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast (province) in western Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of historic region of Bukovina, which currently is divided between Romania and Ukraine. As of the 2001 Ukrainian Census, the population of the city was 240,600. The city is also known as Czernowitz in German, as Cern?u?i in Romanian, and as Chernovtsy in Russian.

Many famous, well known historical figures were born in the city, such as poets and writers Paul Celan, Alfred Kittner, the former Speaker of the Parliament Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the Vienna Secession artist Oskar Laske, physicist Radu Grigorovici, Maria Forescu. Many other famous people lived and worked in the city, such as Ukrainian national poet Ivan Franko, the first President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, Romanian national poet Mihai Eminescu, Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi, Aron Pumnul, Ciprian Porumbescu, Sextil Pu?cariu, Ion Nistor, Gala Galaction, Joseph Schumpeter, Nikolai Vavilov, Avram Goldfaden, Avigdor Arikha, Aharon Appelfeld.

Together with the city of L'viv, Chernivtsi is viewed at present to be a cultural centre of western Ukraine. The city is also considered one of modern Ukraine's greatest cultural and educational centres. Historically, as a cultural and architectural center, Chernivtsi was even dubbed Little Vienna, Jerusalem upon the Prut, or the European Alexandria. Chernivtsi is currently twinned with seven other cities around the world. The city is also a major point of railway and highway crossings in the region, and houses an international airport.

Attractions in Chernivtsi

There are many places which attract citizens of Chernivtsi and the visitors: Drama Theatre, Regional Philharmonic Society, Organ and Chamber Music Hall, puppet-theatre, Museum of Local Lore, History and Economy, Museum of Fine Arts, Bukovynian Diaspora Museum, Museum of Folk Architecture and Way of Life, memorial museums of writers, 5 cinemas, 41 libraries, the Central Palace of Culture, 17 clubs, 4 music schools, fine arts school, 2 recreational parks.

The Neo-baroque Chernivtsi Railway Station, constructed during the Austro-Hungarian period.

The city of Chernivtsi has a lot of architecturally important buildings. Many historic buildings have been preserved, especially within the city's center. However, after years of disrepair and neglect, the buildings are in need of major restoration.

As Chernivsti was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was closely related to the empire's culture, including architecture. Main architectural styles present within the city include Vienna Secession and Neoclassicism, Baroque, late Gothic architecture, and fragments of traditional Moldavian and Hungarian architecture, Byzantine architecture as well as Cubism.[15] The city is sometimes dubbed Little Vienna, because its architecture is reminiscent of the Austro-Hungarian capital Vienna.

The main architectural attractions of the city include: the Chernivtsi Drama Theater (1905); the Chernivtsi University - a former residence of the Metropolitans of Bukovyna (1882); the Regional Museum of Fine Arts - the former savings bank (1900); the Regional Council - former Palace of Justice (1906); and the Chernivtsi Palace of Culture - former Jewish National House (1908); among many others. The magnificent Moorish Revival Czernowitz Synagogue? was heavily damaged by fire in 1941, the walls were used to create the "Chernivtsi" movie theater.

The Czech architect Josef Hlavka designed, in 1875, the buildings that currently house the Chernivtsi State University. They were originally the former residence of the Bukovynian metropolitans. The Romanesque and Byzantine architecture is embellished with motifs of Ukrainian folk art; for example, the tile roof patterns duplicate the geometric designs of traditional Ukrainian embroidery.

Donetsk

Donetsk is a large city in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin (Donbass) region.

The city was founded in 1869 by a Welsh businessman, John Hughes, who constructed a steel plant and several coal mines in the region; the town was thus named Yuzovka (Юзовка) in recognition of his role in its founding. During Soviet times, the city's steel industry was expanded and since 1924 it was renamed Stalino (Сталино), after Joseph Stalin, and hence renamed after 1961, during the De-Stalinisation to its modern name after the Seversky Donets river.[1] In addition, some sources state that the city was briefly called Trotsk-after Leon Trotsky-for a few months in 1923. Today, the city still remains an important industrial centre for coal and steel in Ukraine, and houses the "Donetsk" special economic zone, established in 1998.

The city is currently home to two major professional football teams in Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalurh Donetsk, both of which currently play in the Ukrainian Premier League. Important attractions of the city include the Cathedral Transfiguration of Jesus, the Donetsk National University, and others.

Donetsk currently has a population of over 1,100,000 inhabitants (2007) and has a metropolitan area of over 1,566,000 inhabitants (2004). According to the 2001 Ukrainian Census, Donetsk is the fifth-largest city in Ukraine.

Attractions in Donetsk

Donetsk, at the time Yuzovka, was divided into two parts: north and south. In the southern part were the city's factories, train depots, telegraph buildings, hospitals and schools. Not far from the factories was the English colony where the engineers and the management lived. After the construction of the residence of John Hughes and the various complexes for the foreign workers, the city's southern portion was conducted mainly in the English style.

These buildings used rectangular and triangular shaped fa?ades, green rooftops, large windows, which occupied a large portion of the building, and balconies. In this part of the town, the streets were large and had sidewalks. A major influence on the formation of architecture in Donetsk was the official architect of a Novorossiya company - Moldingauyer. Preserved buildings of the southern part of Yuzovka consisted of the residences of John Hughes (1891, partially preserved), Bolfur (1889) and Bosse.

In the northern part of Yuzovka, Novyi Svet, lived traders, craftsmen and bureaucrats. Here were located the market hall, the police headquarters and the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Jesus. The central street of Novyi Svet and the neighbouring streets were mainly edged by one- or two-story residential buildings, as well as markets, restaurants, hotels, offices and banks. A famous preserved building in the northern part of Yuzovka was the Hotel Great Britain.

The first general plan of Stalino was made in 1932 in Odesa by the architect P. Golovchenko. In 1937, the project was partly reworked. These projects were the first in the city's construction bureau's history.

A large portion of the city's buildings from the second half of the 20th century were designed by the architect Pavel Vigdergauz, which was given the title Government award of the USSR for architecture in the city of Donetsk in 1978.

Three major professional football clubs play in the city, which include two in the Ukrainian Premier League and one in the Ukrainian Second League: Shakhtar Donetsk, which plays at the RSK Olimpiyskyi Stadium, Metalurh Donetsk, which plays at the Shakhtar Stadium, and FC Olimpik Donetsk.

The MFC Shakhtar Donetsk won the Ukrainian futsal championship five times. The VC Shakhtar Donetsk were the last team to win the Soviet Volleyball Championship, in 1992. The city also has a team in the Ukrainian Basketball Super League, BC Donetsk. In Donetsk, the USSR Tennis Championship took place within the city in 1978, 1979, and 1980 near the Donetsk Railroad tennis courts. Some tennis matches of the Davis Cup took place in Donetsk in 2005. In Donetsk, the Soviet Championship on Light Athletics in Youth took place in 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1984. A monument to famous pole vault athlete Serhiy Bubka is installed in the city.

In the city, sailboat championships take place on the city's Kalmius river.

When the joint bid for the UEFA Euro 2012 was won by Poland and Ukraine, Donetsk's Donbass Arena was chosen as the location for 3 Group Matches, Quarter-Final, and Semi-Final matches. The RSK Olimpiyskyi Stadium was chosen as a reserve stadium.

Odesa

Odesa is the administrative center of the Odesa Oblast (region) located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 (as of the 2001 census).

Odesa was founded by Hac? I Giray, the Khan of Crimea, in 1240 and originally named Khadjibey after him. After a period of Lithuanian control, it passed into the domain of the Ottoman Sultan in 1529 and remained in Ottoman hands until the Ottoman Empire's defeat in the Russo-Turkish War of 1792. The Russians renamed the city Odesa in 1794. From 1819-1858 Odesa was a free port. During the Soviet period it was the most important port of trade in the Soviet Union and a Soviet naval base. On January 1, 2000 the Quarantine Pier of Odesa trade sea port was declared a free port and free economic zone for a term of 25 years.

In the 19th century it was the fourth largest city of Imperial Russia, after Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Warsaw. Its historical architecture has a style more Mediterranean than Russian, having been heavily influenced by French and Italian styles. Some buildings are built in a mixture of different styles, including Art Nouveau, Renaissance and Classicist.

Odesa is a warm water port, but militarily it is of limited value. Turkey's control of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus has enabled NATO to control water traffic between Odesa and the Mediterranean Sea. The city of Odesa hosts two important ports: Odesa itself and Yuzhny (also an internationally important oil terminal), situated in the city's suburbs. Another important port, Illichivs'k (or Ilyichyovsk), is located in the same oblast, to the south-west of Odesa. Together they represent a major transport hub integrating with railways. Odesa's oil and chemical processing facilities are connected to Russia's and EU's respective networks by strategic pipelines.

Odesa is situated (46°28?N 30°44?E) on terraced hills overlooking a small harbor, approximately 31 km (19 mi) north of the estuary of the Dniester river and some 443 km (275 mi) south of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. The city has a mild and dry climate with average temperatures in January of -2 °C (29 °F), and July of 22 °C (72 °F). It averages only 350 mm (14 in) of precipitation annually.

The primary language spoken is Russian, with Ukrainian being less common despite its being an official language in Ukraine. The city is a mix of many nationalities and ethnic groups, including Ukrainians, Russians, Greeks, Jews, Moldovans, Bulgarians, Armenians, Turks, Georgians, Germans, Koreans, and many others.

Odesa's Attractions

Odesa Opera and Ballet Theatre

The first building of Odesa theatre was built in 1810 during the reign of Richelieu as Odesa governor. Unfortunately, its existence did not last long as it was wooden. In 1873 it was completely destroyed by fire. Only in a while, in 1884 the Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer started to build the new one which was erected in 1887. The fa?ade composition has sculpture groups which represent muses of comedy, tragedy, music and dance. The interior is also amazing: the auditorium was constructed in French rococo style and decorated with golden leaf. Odesa National Opera and Ballet Theatre is among best European theatres as for the acoustics. Odesa Opera schedule helps to choose appropriate date for your visit.

Archaeology Museum

Odesa Archaeology museum is one of the oldest museums not only in Ukraine but also in the whole ex-USSR, was founded in 1825. Now collection exceeds over 160 thousands of exhibits, being one of the biggest collections of materials and artifacts on northern Black Sea region history. Entering into the first exhibition hall of the museum you will find paths left by Greek colonists in Odesa and at the whole northern Black Sea region. Next halls dedicated to the culture of Scyths and Sarmaths tribes settled steppes of Black Sea region. Museum has its Golden Treasury room (one of three in Ukraine). The Golden Treasury of the Archaeology museum includes collection of gold belongings excavated from the Scythian and Sarmathian tombs, also there are gold and silver coins of ancient Greece and Rome, Byzantine and Russian empires etc.

Potemkin Staircase

Potemkin Staircase is a true business card of Odesa. It is a front entrance to the city from the sea terminal. Except of being a strengthening construction, Potemkin Staircase is one of the most beautiful staircases of Europe. It was constructed by the project of architect Boffo in the beginning of the XIX century. First, it was wooden one and consisted of 200 steps but in a while it was reconstructed with stone and now it has 192 steps and 10 stair flights. Capturing Potemkin Staircase in the movie "Battleship Potemkin", director S. Eisenstein made it recognizable all over the world.

Tolstoy Palace

The architectural complex constructed in 1832 by the project of architect Boffo for nobleman count Tolstoy. The White Hall, Silk Lounge and Marble Lounge (where by legend played Franz Liszt), Nut-tree reception room will charm you with its original furniture and rich decoration. In 1887 the architectural complex was complemented by picture gallery (Green hall) designed by the Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer(architects who designed Odesa Opera and Ballet Theatre). Up to 1934 palace accommodated Fund of gallery of Russian painting of the Odesa art museum. Tolstoy family left great sign in the history of Odesa by their social and wide philanthropic activity. During 22 years count Tolstoy, the honour Odesa citizen, was guardian of the public Library, which was built on his donation (now it is Odesa state scientist library). Count Tolstoy and his wife were initiators and organizers of foundation of the first Medical.

During the 1960s and 1970s the city grew tremendously. Nevertheless, the majority of Odesa's Jews emigrated to Israel, the United States and other Western countries between the 1970s and 1990s. Many ended up in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Brighton Beach, sometimes known as "Little Odesa". Domestic migration of Odesan middle and upper classes to Moscow and Leningrad that offered even greater opportunities for career advancement, also occurred on a large scale. But the city grew rapidly by filling the void with new rural migrants elsewhere from Ukraine and industrial professionals invited from all over the Soviet Union.

Despite being part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the city preserved and somewhat reinforced its unique cosmopolitan mix of Russian/Ukrainian/Mediterranean culture and a predominantly Russophone environment with a uniquely accented dialect of Russian spoken in the city. The city's Russian, Ukrainian, Greek, Armenian, Moldovan, Bulgarian, and Jewish communities have influenced different aspects of Odesa life.

In 1991, after the collapse of Communism, the city became part of newly independent Ukraine. Today Odesa is a city of more than 1 million people. The city's industries include shipbuilding, oil refining, chemicals, metalworking and food processing. Odesa is also a Ukrainian naval base and home to a fishing fleet. It is also known for its huge outdoor market, the Seventh-Kilometer Market, the biggest market of the kind in Europe.

Kharkiv

Kharkiv is the second largest city in Ukraine. It was the first capital of Soviet Ukraine, now the administrative center of the Kharkiv Oblast (province), as well as the administrative centre of the surrounding Kharkivskyi Raion (district) within the oblast. The city is located in the northeast of the country. As of 2006, its population is 1,461,300.[2]

Kharkiv is a major cultural, scientific, educational, transport and industrial centre of Ukraine. Its industry specializes mostly in machinery. There are hundreds of industrial companies in the city. Among them are world famous giants like the Morozov Design Bureau and the Malyshev Tank Factory, leaders in tank production since the 1930s; Hartron (aerospace and nuclear electronics); and the Turboatom turbines producer.

There is an underground rapid-transit system (metro) with about 35 km (22 mi) of track and 28 stations. A well-known landmark of Kharkiv is the Freedom Square (Maidan Svobody formally formerly known as Dzerzhinsky Square), which is currently the third largest city square in Europe, and the 7th largest square in the world.

Kharkiv is located in the northeastern region of Ukraine at around 49°55?0?N 36°19?0?E. Historically, Kharkiv lies in the Sloboda Ukraine region (Slobozhanshchyna also known as Slobidshchyna), in which it is considered the main city. The city rests at the confluence of the Kharkiv, Lopan, and Udy rivers, where they flow into the Siversky Donets watershed.

Kharkiv's climate is moderate continental: cold and snowy winters, and hot summers. The seasonal average temperatures are not too cold in winter, not too hot in summer: ?6.9 °C (20 °F) in January, and 20.3 °C (68.5 °F) in July. The average rainfall totals 513 mm (20 in) per year, with the most in June and July. According to the 1989 Soviet Union Census, the population of the city was 1,593,970. In 1991, the population decreased to 1,510,200, including 1,494,200 permanent city residents. Kharkiv is currently the second-largest city in Ukraine after the capital, Kyiv.

Of the many attractions of the Kharkiv city are the: Derzhprom building, Memorial Complex, Freedom Square, Taras Shevchenko Monument, Mirror Stream, Dormition Cathedral, Militia Museum, Intercession Cathedral, T. Shevchenko Gardens, funicular, Annunciation Cathedral, Children's narrow-gauge railroad and many more. Kharkiv is Ukraine's second largest city and as in the whole country sports are taken seriously. The most popular sport is football. The city has several football clubs playing in the Ukrainian National competitions. The most successful is Metlist that also particiaped in international competitions on numerous occasions. Kharkiv also has a hockey club and a female football club Zhytlobud-1. The last one represented Ukraine in the European competitions and constantly is the main contender for the national title.

Attractions in Kharkiv
Synagogue

Kharkov's synagogue is another monument to the city's past. Kharkov used to have strong Jewish community but in the last 10 - 15 years many of the Jews immigrated to the other countries.

Mirror Fountain (Зеркальная струя)

"Zerkal'naya struya" (A Mirror Flow or Mirror Fountain) - another Kharkov's landmark. Visitors can find this fountain in the Park of the Victory on Sumskaya Street - main street in the old town.

Constitution Square

This square's name was changed many times. Originally Nikolaev Square, later Teveleva square, Soviet Ukraine square, finally Constitution square. On the south-western side of the Nikolaev Square (Soviet Ukraine Square) there were trade houses of Dobrinin (1880), in place of which in 1915-1916 a house of insurance company "Russia" was built (Labor Palace) as well as a shop of Ponamarev's and Ryzhov's products, where now there is a "Lux" shop.

A great event in cultural and scientific life of Kharkov happened on January 17, 1805, when the Kharkov University was open. It was the first university in Ukraine. Famous scientist V.N.Karazin opened it. The same year (1805) new publishing factory was established printing many magazines, journals and newspapers. University garden was created in 1820 (now it is the Shevchenko Park).

Sevastopol

Sevastopol is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 (2001). The city, formerly the home of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, is now a Ukrainian naval base mutually used by the Ukrainian Navy and Russian Navy.

The unique geographic location and navigation conditions of the city's harbours make Sevastopol a strategically important naval point. It is also a popular seaside resort and tourist destination, mainly for visitors from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.

The trade and shipbuilding importance of Sevastopol's Port has been growing since the fall of the Soviet Union, despite the difficulties that arise from the joint military control over its harbours and piers.

Sevastopol is also an important centre of marine biology research. In particular, studying and training of dolphins has been conducted in the city since the end of World War II. It was first conducted as a secret naval program to use the animals for special undersea operations.

The population of Sevastopol proper is 342,451 (2001), making it the 15th largest city in Ukraine and the largest in Crimea. City agglomeration has population 961,885 (2008).

After World War II, Sevastopol was entirely rebuilt. Many top architects and civil engineers from Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv and other cities and thousands of workers from all parts of the USSR took part in the rebuilding process which was mostly finished by the mid-1950s. The downtown core situated on a peninsula between two narrow inlets, South Bay and Artillery Bay, features mostly Mediterranean-style, three-story residential buildings with columned balconies and Venetian-style arches, with retail and commercial spaces occupying the ground level. Some carefully restored landmarks date back to the early 20th c. (e.g., the Art Nouveau Main Post Office on Bolshaya Morskaya St and the Art Museum on Nakhimovsky Prospect). It has been a long-time tradition for the residents of surrounding suburbs to spend summer evenings by coming to the downtown area for a leisurely stroll with their families along the avenues and boulevards encircling the Central Hill, under the famous Sevastopol chestnut trees, and usually ending up on the waterfront with its famous Marine Boulevard.

Due to its military history, most streets in the city are named after Russian and Soviet military heroes. There are hundreds of monuments and plaques in various parts of Sevastopol commemorating its military past.

Attractions list:

• Chersonessos National Archeological Reserve
• The Panorama Museum (The Heroic Defence of Sevastopol during the Crimean War)
• Malakhov Kurgan (Barrow) with its White Tower
• Vladimirsky Cathedral (St. Vladimir Cathedral) on the Central Hill
• The Sunken Ships Monument on the Marine Boulvard
• The Russian Black Sea Fleet Museum
• The Sturm of Sapun Mount of May 7, 1944, the Diorama Museum (World War II)
• Brotherhood (Communal) War Cemetery

There are a lot of historical buildings in centra,eastern parts if the city and Balaklava,some of them are the monuments of architecture. Western districts have modern architecture. In recent times, there are a lot of skyscraper projects in the city. One of tallest buildings in Ukraine - Balaklava BayFront Plaza - will be 173 metre height with 43 floors and it is under construction now.

Poltava

Poltava is a city in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast, as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Poltavskyi Raion within the oblast. The city itself is also designated as its own separate raion within the oblast. The current estimated population is 313,400 (as of 2004). The city lies on the banks of the river Vorskla.

It is still unknown when the city was founded. Baltavar Kubrat's grave was found in its vicinity, and its name derives from the title he, his predecessors and his successors bore. Though the town was not attested before 1174, municipal authorities chose to celebrate the town's 1100th anniversary in 1999, for reasons unknown. The settlement is indeed an old one, as archeologists unearthed a Paleolithic dwelling as well as Scythian remains within the city limits.

The present name of the city is traditionally connected to the settlement Ltava which is mentioned in the Hypatian Chronicle in 1174. The region belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the 14th century. The Polish administration took over in 1569. In 1648 Poltava was captured by the Ruthenian-Polish magnate Jeremi Wi?niowiecki (1612-51). Poltava was the base of a distinguished regiment of the Ukrainian Cossacks. In 1667 the town passed to the Russian Empire.

In the Battle of Poltava on June 27-28, 1709 (Old Style), or 8 July (New Style), tsar Peter the First, commanding 53,000 troops, defeated a Swedish army of 19,000 troops led by Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Rehnski?ld (who had received the command of the army after the wounding of the Swedish king Charles XII on June 17). "Like a Swede at Poltava" remains a simile for "completely defeated" in Russian. The battle marked the end of Sweden as a great power and the rise of Russia as one.

Later in World War II, after the Red Army had cleared the Wehrmacht out of the Eastern Ukraine by the end of 1943 during the Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive, by the summer of 1944 the allied USAAF conducted a number of shuttle bombing raids against the Third Reich under the name of Operation Frantic, and used purpose-built bases in the Poltava area, as well as near Myrgorod, as eastern locations for landing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers involved in those operations.

Yalta

Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea. The city is located on the site of an ancient Greek colony, said to have been founded by Greek sailors who were looking for a safe shore (?????? - yalos in Greek) on which to land. It is situated on a deep bay facing south towards the Black Sea, surrounded by wooded mountains. It enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate with many vineyards and orchards in the vicinity. As of the Ukrainian Census conducted on January 1, 2001, the population of Yalta is 80,500. It is slowly dropping due to the aging of the population - the process evolving in all Europe.

As Yalta lies to the south of the Crimean Mountains and within an amphitheatre of hills, the climate is very mild. In February, the average temperature reaches 4°C. Snow is rarely seen and the city's thin layers of snow thaw quickly. In July, the average temperature reaches 24°C. The sun shines approximately 2,250 hours per year. Since the city is located on the shore of the Black Sea, the weather rarely becomes extremely hot due to the cool sea breezes. The average year temperature for Yalta is + 13 C.

The term "The Greater Yalta" is used to designate a part of the Crimean southern coast spanning from Foros in the west to Gurzuf in the east and including the city of Yalta and multiple adjacent urban settlements (the area of the Greater Yalta is marked dark blue on the map).

The existence of Yalta was first recorded in the 12th century by an Arab geographer, who described it as a Byzantine port and fishing settlement. It became part of a network of Genoese trading colonies on the Crimean coast in the 14th century, when it was known as Etalita or Galita. Crimea was captured by the Ottoman Empire in 1475, which made it a semi-independent subject territory under the rule of the Crimean Khanate but the southern coast with Yalta was under direct ottoman rule forming the Eyalet of Kefe (Feodosiya). Yalta was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1783, along with the rest of Crimea, sparking the Russo-Turkish War, 1787-1792. Prior to the annexation of the Crimea, the Crimean Greeks were moved to Mariupol in 1778; one of the villages they established nearby is also called Yalta.

In the 19th century, the town became a fashionable resort for the Russian aristocracy and gentry. Leo Tolstoy spent summers there and Anton Chekhov in 1898 bought a house ("Belaya Dacha" - The White Mansion) here, where he lived till 1902; Yalta is the setting for Chekhov's short story, The Lady with the Dog and such prominent play as "The Three Sisters" was written in Yalta. The town was also closely associated with royalty. In 1889 Tsar Alexander III finished construction of Massandra Palace a short distance to the north of Yalta and Nicholas II built the Livadia Palace south-west of the town in 1911. During the 20th century Yalta was the principal holiday resort of the Soviet Union. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Yalta has struggled economically. Many of the nouveaux riches started going to other European holiday resorts, now that they had the freedom and money to travel; conversely, the impoverishment of many ex-Soviet citizens meant that they could no longer afford to go to Yalta. The town's transport links have been significantly reduced with the end of almost all passenger traffic by sea (on conditions for 2009 sea passenger lines return to Yalta. New line Yalta - Novorossiysk (Russia) is operating in July and August. + line Yalta - Sinop (Turkey) ). The longest in Europe trolleybus line goes from train station in Simferopol to Yalta (almost 90 km).

Yalta is really overcrowded in high season (July-August) and prices for accommodation are very expensive. Most of tourists here are from former Soviet Union countries. Foreigners (this would be approximately 7% to the total number of tourists visiting Yalta) are mostly from Europe and United States.

Yalta has a beautiful embankment along the Black Sea. People can be seen strolling there all seasons of the year, and it also serves as a place to gather and talk (actually the place "to see and to be seen"). There are several beaches on left and right sides from embankment. Yalta has a movie theater, drama theater, plenty of restaurants, open-air market.

Famous Yalta's attractions:

• Yalta's Sea Promenade (Naberezhnaya), housing many attractions and being recently renovated (2003-2004);
• Armenian Church, built by V. Surenyants;
• A Roman Catholic Church built by N. Krasnov, a famous Russian architect
• Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, constructed by the architect Krasnov, which also constructed the Livadia Palace and the architect P. Terebenyov;
• Palace of Bukhara Emir;
• Yalta's Zoo;
• Yalta's Aquarium, housing small dolphins;
• Park-museum Polyana Skazok (Glade of Fairytales);

Ivano-Frankivsk

Ivano-Frankivsk is the regional center and one of the largest economic and cultural centers in the west of Ukraine.

The first mention of the city named Stanyslaviv refers to 1662 when the city received a Magdeburg right. The city was founded as a fortress to protect people from Crimean Tatars' raids and a stronghold of the Pototskyis - Polish landlords on Halych lands. Many times the fortress was besieged by Turkish and Russian troops. Stanyslaviv was originated from the Market square and City Hall, which can be seen today having been modified. The Reneissanse architectural ideas of "the ideal city" were reflected in the construction that followed. These ideas were used for planning a middle part of the city, its streets and churches. Because of the originality the of architecture sometimes our city is called "small L'viv".

In 18-19 centuries the city was a big trading and manufacturing center of Poland and from 1772 - of Austria (since 1867 - of Austro-Hungarian Empire). Except Ukrainians, a certain contribution in development of crafts and culture was made by Polish, Jews and Armenians whose national communities were quite numerous. In 1848 the revolution woke public life. In Stanislav there was created "Rus Rada" (alongside with Polish). They organized a squadron of National Guards and started printing the first newspaper. Ukrainian deputies were elected to the newly established Parliament. The second half of the 19th century is marked by fast development of industrial relations and creating enterprises. The railway built in 1866 made some impact, too. At that time the locomotive repair factory, distillery, leather plant "Plai" were established. In 1884 a prominent public character and writer N. Kobrynska conducted constituent assembly of the "Rus Woman Society" (later called "Ukrainian Woman Society"). This initiated the organized woman movement in UkraiIvano-Frankivsk is the regional center and one of the largest economic and cultural centers in the west of Ukraine. The first mention of the city named Stanyslaviv refers to 1662 when the city received a Magdeburg right. The city was founded as a fortress to protect people from Crimean Tatars' raids and a stronghold of the Pototskyis - Polish landlords on Halych lands. Many times the fortress was besieged by Turkish and Russian troops.

Stanyslaviv was originated from the Market square and City Hall, which can be seen today having been modified. The Reneissanse architectural ideas of "the ideal city" were reflected in the construction that followed. These ideas were used for planning a middle part of the city, its streets and churches. Because of the originality the of architecture sometimes our city is called "small L'viv". In 18-19 centuries the city was a big trading and manufacturing center of Poland and from 1772 - of Austria (since 1867 - of Austro-Hungarian Empire). Except Ukrainians, a certain contribution in development of crafts and culture was made by Polish, Jews and Armenians whose national communities were quite numerous. In 1848 the revolution woke public life. In Stanislav there was created "Rus Rada" (alongside with Polish). They organized a squadron of National Guards and started printing the first newspaper. Ukrainian deputies were elected to the newly established Parliament. The second half of the 19th century is marked by fast development of industrial relations and creating enterprises. The railway built in 1866 made some impact, too. At that time the locomotive repair factory, distillery, leather plant "Plai" were established. In 1884 a prominent public character and writer N. Kobrynska conducted constituent assembly of the "Rus Woman Society" (later called "Ukrainian Woman Society"). This initiated the organized woman movement in Ukraine. During the World War in 1915-1916 there were cruel battles over the city. Part of historic buildings was destroyed and then restored in new architectural forms. In 1918 after break-up of Austro-Hungarian Empire there was created the West Ukrainian People's Republic. Stanyslaviv was the capital of the Republic in January-May 1919. Such prominent public figures as M. Hrushevskyi, V. Vynnychenko, S. Petliura, Y. Konovalets used to come here at that time.

During the World War II the city was occupied by fascist troops for three years (1941-1944). The underground representatives of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists - Ukrainian Insurgent Army were in charge of the struggle with occupants. The hearts of people are still aching when they recall the public execution of 27 patriots in the center of the city in November 1943. In Stanyslaviv and its suburbs fascists killed more than 100 thousand peaceful people in total. In 1962 the city celebrated its 300-anniversary. It was renamed after a famous writer and public figure Ivan Franko who would come here more than once, made good friends, wrote and recited his works. The inhabitants of Ivano-Frankivsk and Halychyna gladly accepted democratic changes in 90's and became a driving force of all the events. The blue and yellow national flags were already raised over the city in 1990 and during the referendum in 1991, people voted for independence of Ukraine. Every year in August they celebrate a City Day with concerts of folklore and art ensembles. The Christmas parade of verteps (Christmas plays) from January 1 to January 14 on the streets and squares of the city is a spectacular sight. Also Ivano-Frankivsk is famous for its all-Ukrainian festival of art ensembles "Precarpathian Spring" (in May every year), festival of a national and patriotic song and poetry "Volia" (Freedom) (in October odd years).ne.

During the World War in 1915-1916 there were cruel battles over the city. Part of historic buildings was destroyed and then restored in new architectural forms. In 1918 after break-up of Austro-Hungarian Empire there was created the West Ukrainian People's Republic. Stanyslaviv was the capital of the Republic in January-May 1919. Such prominent public figures as M. Hrushevskyi, V. Vynnychenko, S. Petliura, Y. Konovalets used to come here at that time. During the World War II the city was occupied by fascist troops for three years (1941-1944). The underground representatives of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists - Ukrainian Insurgent Army were in charge of the struggle with occupants. The hearts of people are still aching when they recall the public execution of 27 patriots in the center of the city in November 1943. In Stanyslaviv and its suburbs fascists killed more than 100 thousand peaceful people in total. In 1962 the city celebrated its 300-anniversary. It was renamed after a famous writer and public figure Ivan Franko who would come here more than once, made good friends, wrote and recited his works. The inhabitants of Ivano-Frankivsk and Halychyna gladly accepted democratic changes in 90's and became a driving force of all the events.

The blue and yellow national flags were already raised over the city in 1990 and during the referendum in 1991, people voted for independence of Ukraine. Every year in August they celebrate a City Day with concerts of folklore and art ensembles. The Christmas parade of verteps (Christmas plays) from January 1 to January 14 on the streets and squares of the city is a spectacular sight. Also Ivano-Frankivsk is famous for its all-Ukrainian festival of art ensembles "Precarpathian Spring" (in May every year), festival of a national and patriotic song and poetry "Volia" (Freedom) (in October odd years).

Аttractions in Ivano-Frankivsk:

• Market square with the city's old town hall, today hosting an ethno-cultural museum. Around the square are the three main churches of the town: the Greek Catholic Cathedral, Latin Collegiate (at the moment used as an art museum), and the Armenian church (presently used by one of the Ukrainian Orthodox Churches). The mentioned composition is well seen on the top picture. The Armenian church there has blue domes.
• Shevchenko Park - a big park that consists of an amusement park, a big lake with swans, couple of full-size football fields, and many others interesting places worth of seeing.
The White House - the big white house in the middle of the town and next to the Market place. It is the administration building of the Oblast administration. In front of the building there are two full-size sculptural monuments of Franko and Shevchenkо. The Market place - a huge area that covers the old market and the new market with couple of supermarket stores locally known as the universal stores. " (фото стометровки)
• 100m stretch (sto-metrovka) - part of the Halytska street that consists of series of shopettes and restricted to pedestrian traffic only.

Zaporizhia

Zaporizhia is a city in south-central Ukraine, which rests on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is the administrative center of the Zaporizhia Oblast (province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Zaporizkyi Raion (district) within the oblast. The city itself is directly subordinate to the oblast, and is located approximately 70 km (43 mi) south of the city of Dnipropetrovsk.

Zaporizhia was formerly referred to as Aleksandrovsk (Russian: Александровск), after the commander of the first Russian Army, Prince Alexander Golitsyn, but was renamed in 1921 to Zaporizhia (literally, "after the rapids", referring to the Dnieper rapids near Khortytsia) island. It is currently the sixth largest city in Ukraine and has a current estimated population of 790,000 (as of 2007).

Zaporizhia is an important industrial center of Ukraine, particularly a home for the hydroelectric power plant known as "DnieproGES," the ZAZ, the country's main car manufacturing company, and the Motor-Sich design-bureau and production company, the world-famous aircraft engine manufacturer.

The city was very much an 'engineering city' during Soviet times, with all the consequences in terms of pollution that might be expected. The move to a market economy since the independence of Ukraine has seen the demise of some of these concerns. This has improved the air quality. Although Zaporizhia is not regarded as a particularly attractive city, the Dnieper River cruise ships make it one of their scheduled stops in order to visit Khortytsia Island.

Great Khortytsia Island is a large island on the Dnieper which played a vital role in the history of Ukraine. The island, situated within the modern industrial city of Zaporizhia in the Kakhovka Reservoir and extending from northwest to southeast for more than twelve kilometers, has an average width of 2,500 meters. There are oak groves, spruce woods, meadows, and steppe.

Zaporizhia takes its name from the nine Dnieper cataracts, which were leveled in the 1930s, when the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station was constructed immediately upstream. Only granite cliffs, rising to the height of 50 meters, testify to the original rocky terrain of the site.

Great Khortytsya has been continuously inhabited during the last five millennia or so. Other islands in the immediate vicinity also contain indications of intensive occupation during the Proto-Indo-European and Scythian periods. The island of Malaya Khortytsia is known for its Scythian remains and a derelict Cossack fortress. The islet of Serednyi Stih (to the northeast of Khortytsya), excavated during construction of the hydroelectric station in 1927, gave its name to the Sredny Stog culture.

In the Early Middle Ages, Great Khortytsya was a key station on the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. In his treatise De Administrando Imperio, Emperor Constantine VII mentions a certain island of St. George immediately downstream from the rapids. He reports that, while passing through the cataracts, the Rus would be easy prey for the nomadic Pechenegs. Indeed, the Rus' leader Svyatoslav I was attacked and killed during his attempt to cross the rapids in 972.

Starting from the 16th century, a Cossack stronghold on Khortytsia formed the core of the network of forts, which comprised the Zaporizhian Sich. The stronghold on Khortytsia was established by the Ukrainian magnate Prince Dmytro Vyshnevetsky. It was there that the Cossacks would elect their hetmans. It was also there that they wrote the notorious reply to the Ottoman Sultan. By the 18th century, the Sich had been subjugated by the Russians, who built new fortifications for the wars they waged against the Ottoman Empire.

In 1789, Dutch Mennonites from Prussia were invited by the czar to form settlements on the vast steppes of the empire. One of these settlements was located on the island of Khortytsia. They farmed on the rich island soil until 1914 when their land was expropriated to become a national park. To this day private homes are discouraged and it is still a park.

Chernobyl

Chornobyl is a city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast (Province), near the border with Belarus. It is twinned with Larne, in Ireland.

The city was evacuated in 1986 due to the Chernobyl disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located 14.5 kilometers (9 miles) north-northwest. The power plant is within Chernobyl Raion (District), but the city was not the residence of the power-plant workers. When the power plant was under construction, Prypiat, a city larger and closer to the power plant, had been built as home for the power-plant workers.

Though the city today is mostly uninhabited, a small number of inhabitants reside in houses marked with signs stating that the "Owner of this house lives here". Workers on watch and administrative personnel of the Zone of Alienation are stationed in the city on a long term basis. Prior to its evacuation, the city was inhabited by about 14,000 residents.

The city is named after the Ukrainian word for mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), which is "chornobyl". The word is a combination of chornyi (чорний, black) and byllia (билля, grass blades or stalks), hence it literally means black grass or black stalks. That may signify burnt grass, perhaps prior to cultivation.

Sometimes chornobyl is erroneously translated as simply "wormwood" (which most commonly refers to Artemisia absinthium), with consequent apocalyptic associations, probably originating from a The New York Times article by Serge Schmemann, Chernobyl Fallout: Apocalyptic Tale, July 25, 1986. The article quoted an unnamed "prominent Russian writer" as claiming the Ukrainian word for wormwood was chernobyl.

It fact, there are over 160 kinds of Artemisia, and the terminology is not generally accepted. Some sources refer to Artemisia vulgaris as "common wormwood", while others claim that "common wormwood" is Artemisia absinthium.

Wormwood is a different (but related) plant, Artemisia absinthium, Полин (Polyn). "Polyn" has no English equivalent, but corresponds to the botanical genus Artemisia. Botanically, mugwort is "Common Polyn" ; while wormwood is "Bitter Polyn" .

The word "wormwood" is used in the English text of the Apocalypsis, whose usage as the name of a plant matches to that of the original Greek (Absinthe). The apocalyptic context is that 1/3 of all fresh waters will be poisoned by bitterness because of a bright 'star' called wormwood / absinthe. Certainly, the estimates from Soviet Russia are that huge areas are contaminated by various poisons, among them radio-activity, the water being dangerous to drink. The Apocalytic text merely says the star is 'called' wormwood, and does not indicate that the name is etymologically or scientifically correct.

Chernobyl bears poetic connotations in folklore, for a number of reasons. Its strong smell is evocative of the steppe, as various species of Artemisia are widespread there. Chernobyl roots were used in folk medicine to heal neurotic conditions, although an overdose could lead to neurological disorders, including memory loss.

Chernobyl disaster

The Chernobyl Disaster was a nuclear reactor accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. It is considered to be the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history and the only level 7 instance on the International Nuclear Event Scale. It resulted in a severe release of radioactivity following a massive power excursion which destroyed the reactor. Two people died in the initial steam explosion, but most deaths from the accident were attributed to radiation.

On 26 April 1986 01:23 a.m. (UTC+3) reactor number four at the Chernobyl plant, near Pripyat in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, exploded. Further explosions and the resulting fire sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area. Four hundred times more fallout was released than had been by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The plume drifted over extensive parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Northern Europe, with light nuclear rain falling as far as Ireland. Large areas in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia were badly contaminated, resulting in the evacuation and resettlement of over 336,000 people. According to official post-Soviet data, about 60% of the radioactive fallout landed in Belarus.

Radio-operated bulldozers being tested prior to use.

The accident raised concerns about the safety of the Soviet nuclear power industry as well as nuclear power in general, slowing its expansion for a number of years while forcing the Soviet government to become less secretive[citation needed]. The countries of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus have been burdened with the continuing and substantial decontamination and health care costs of the Chernobyl accident. It is difficult to accurately quantify the number of deaths caused by the events at Chernobyl, as over time it becomes difficult to determine whether a death has been caused by exposure to radiation.

The 2005 report prepared by the Chernobyl Forum, led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and World Health Organization (WHO), attributed 56 direct deaths (47 accident workers, and nine children with thyroid cancer), and estimated that there may be 4,000 extra cancer deaths among the approximately 600,000 most highly exposed people. Although the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and certain limited areas remain off limits, the majority of affected areas are now considered safe for settlement and economic activity.

The Chernobyl station is near the town of Pripyat, Ukraine, 18 km (11 mi) northwest of the city of Chernobyl, 16 km (10 mi) from the border of Ukraine and Belarus, and about 110 km (68 mi) north of Kiev. The station consisted of four RBMK-1000 nuclear reactors, each capable of producing 1 gigawatt (GW) of electric power, and the four together produced about 10% of Ukraine's electricity at the time of the accident. Construction of the plant began in the late 1970s, with reactor no. 1 commissioned in 1977, followed by no. 2 (1978), no. 3 (1981), and no. 4 (1983). Two more reactors, no. 5 and 6, also capable of producing 1 GW each, were under construction at the time of the disaster.

Karpaty

Zakarpattia Oblast':

The Zakarpattia Oblast (there are names in other languages) is an administrative oblast (province) located in southwestern Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Uzhhorod. Other major cities within the oblast include Mukachevo, Khust, Berehove and Chop which is home to railroad transport infrastructure.

Zakarpattia Oblast was formally established on 22 January 1946 after the annexation of Subcarpathian Rus lands to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Some scholars say that during the Ukrainian independence referendum held in 1991, Zakarpattia Oblast voters were given a separate option on whether or not they favored autonomy for the region. Although a large majority favored autonomy, it was not granted. However, this referendum was about self government status, not about autonomy (like in Crimea).

Situated in the Carpathian Mountains landscape of western Ukraine, Zakarpattia Oblast is the only Ukrainian administrative division which borders upon four countries: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. The Carpathian Mountains play a major part in the oblast's economy, making the region an important tourist and travel destination housing many ski and spa resorts.

The oblast is ranked 23rd by area and 17th by population. According to the 2001 Ukrainian Census, the population of Zakarpattia Oblast is 1,254,614. Excluding Ukrainians, this total includes people of many different nationalities of which Hungarians, Romanians and Rusyns constitute significant minorities in some of the province's cities, while in others, they form the majority of the population (as in the case of Berehove).

Prykarpattia Oblast':

Prykarpattia is a historical area of Central Europe, at the foot of the Carpathian mountains, in modern Ukraine. Historically it is an inhabitated area of a variety culturally diverse people not only of the Ukrainian culture backgraound.

Initially a part of Kievan Rus' and one of its successor states, Halych-Volhynia, the area was occupied by the Kingdom of Poland.

Following the Partitions of Poland of 1772, Prykarpattia fell under the Habsburg Monarchy.

In the wake of the World War I and the fall of Austria-Hungary, it became disputed between Poland and a short-lived West Ukrainian People's Republic. After the Polish-Soviet War was concluded, it remained in Poland.

In the effect of the 1939 invasion and partition of Poland between Nazi Germany and Soviet Union, the area was attached to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (falling to Nazi control after the start of Operation Barbarossa and until 1944). It remains a part of modern Ukraine, incorporated into the western Ukrainian oblast of Ivano-Frankivsk, roughly corresponding to the southern half of the oblast.

The region of Pokuttya today is used interchangebly with Prykarpattia. There are no official borders established between both of them. When referring to Prykarpattia it is understood that it is the whole Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. As for Pokuttya, it is only for the eastern part of the same region and the western part of Chernivtsi Oblast. Sometimes the sothern Lviv Oblast is considered part of Prykarpattia such as cities of Stryi, Truskavets, and Drohobych. The Dnister river is the major waterway in the region to where series of other minor rivers flow. The other major cities in the region from the earlier mentioned are Halych, Kalush, Ivano-Frankivsk and many others. The region is home to such Ukrainian cultures as Hutsuls, Lemky, Boyky, and others.

Bukovel:

Ukraine's ski infrastructure is still in infant stage, and a trip to a ski resort - Bukovel included - typically involves several transportation stages. Moreover, Bukovel is located on the edge of a poorly developed village - Palianytsia - where there are just a couple shops with basic staple goods for locals and a growing assortment of small private inns with basic amenities. There is really nothing to do outside these bed & breakfast inns in Paliantysa, but Bukovel resort is building up the infrastructure for a decent apr?s ski experience.

Most visitors drive their own cars or take the train into Ivano-Frankivsk, the nearest major transportation hub. Many international visitors fly into Lviv and order an airport transfer or take the local bus to Bukovel.

Bukovel has several restaurants, bars, cafes, and fast food joints in convenient locations. Prices are rather high by Ukrainian standards, but the service and dining are excellent. There are places where you can snack standing up between ski runs and places where you can dine sitting down in a cozy and warm interior.

Bukovel ski resort is a new large ski resort in Ivano-Frankivsk oblast 30 km to the west of Yaremcha. It is Ukraine's first European-class resort, with a couple high-speed chair lifts, meticulously groomed slopes and snow-making machines, turnstyles for letting skiers through lines, and ubiquitous security personnel. It's unusual to see this degree of organization in Ukraine. Bukovel resort has been carefully planned to make skiing enjoyable and convenient and to avoid lift lines and congestion. Lift lines longer than five minutes are rare. Bukovel region weather

Bukovel has major plans for expansion; supposedly by the 2008-2009 season it plans to have 278 km of runs and 35 (!) lifts, which would make it one of the 20 largest ski resorts in the world. At the start of the 2006/2007 season there were 14 lifts and 50 km of runs.

Bukovel's base elevation is nearly 900 m above sea level, and the highest ski lift rises to 1370 m, making Bukovel the second highest ski resort in Ukraine after Drahobrat. All categories of difficulty are available. There is a very long gradual slope that is perfect for beginners, a couple short tows for children and "super-beginners," all levels of intermediate runs, and several black diamonds. Night skiing is available from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., but currently only on one slope that is upper intermediate. Bukovel is growing rapidly, and new equipment and runs are being added each year. On the map provided, blue indicates slopes for beginners, red is for intermediates, and black marks advanced slopes.

Bukovel's ski season depends on climatic factors and is usually around the beginning of December to mid-April. However, during the disastrous 2006/07 season slopes only opened for good at the end of January. The resort usually opens its main slopes first - often for just the weekend - then gradually starts up all of its lifts as the season gets into gear. If snow melts they may temporarily close the lifts.

Kyiv

Adriya Hotel [ www.eurohotel.com.ua ]

All Plus Together Hotel [ www.all-together.kiev.ua ]

Alexanriya Hotel [ www.aleksandria.kiev.ua ]

Alenka Hotel [ www.park-hotel.kiev.ua ]

Attache Hotel [ attache-hotel.com.ua ]

Aeroport Borispol Hotel [ www.kbp.kiev.ua ]

Bratislava Hotel [ www.bratislava.com.ua ]

Vodvizhenskiy Hotel [ www.vozdvyzhensky.com ]

Vyshegrad Hotel [ www.vyshegrad.kiev.ua ]

Goloseevskiy Hotel [ www.hotelgolos.kiev.ua ]

Diarso Hotel [ www.kievhotels.ru ]

Dnipro Hotel [ www.dniprohotel.com.ua ]

Dniprovskiy Hotel [ www.dniprovskiy.kiev.ua ]

Domus Hotel www.domus-hotel.kiev.ua ]

Druzhba Hotel [ www.hotel-druzhba.com.ua ]

Impressa Hotel [ www.impressa.com.ua ]

Kyiv Hotel [ www.hotelkiev.com.ua ]

Kozatskiy Hotel [ www.kozatskiy.kiev.ua ]

Podol Plaza Hotel [ www.kievhotels.ru ]

President Hotel [ www.president-hotel.com.ua ]

Pharahon Hotel [ www.kievhotels.ru ]

Korona Hotel [ www.hotelkorona.kiev.ua ]

Lybid' Hotel [ www.hotellybid.com.ua ]

Khreschatik Hotel [ www.khreschatik.kiev.ua ]

Mir Hotel [ www.hotelmir.kiev.ua ]

National Hotel [ www.natsionalny.kiev.ua ]

Nika Hotel [ www.natsionalny.kiev.ua ]

Obolon' Hotel [ www.obolon-hotel.com.ua ]

Opera Hotel [ www.opera-hotel.com ]

Perlina Dnipra Hotel [ www.perlina.kiev.ua ]

Premier Palace Hotel [ ]

Prolisok Hotel [ www.prolisok.com.ua ]

Radisson SAS [ www.park-hotel.kiev.ua ]

Riviera Podol Hitel [ www.kievhotels.ru ]

Rus' Hotel [ www.hotelrus.kiev.ua ]

Salut Hotel [ www.park-hotel.kiev.ua ]

Sant Petersburg [ www.iptelecom.net.ua ]

Saturn Hotel [ www.hotel-saturn.kiev.ua ]

Slavutich Hotel [ www.hotel-slavutich.com ]

Sonya Hotel [ www.hotelsonya.kiev.ua ]

Spartak Hotel [ www.hotelspartak.mylivepage.ru ]

Sport Hotel [ www.h-sport.kiev.ua ]

Turist Hotel [ www.park-hotel.kiev.ua ]

Ukraine Hotel [ www.ukraine-hotel.kiev.ua ]

Express Hotel [ www.expresskiev.com.ua ]

Odesa:

Astro Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/astro.htm ]

Arcadia Plaza [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/ap.htm ]

Ayvazovskiy Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/ai.htm ]

Ekaterina Hotel [ www.odessapassage.com/hotels/hotels.aspx?lang=eng&id=33 ]

Gostinniy Dvor Hotel [ hotels.org.ua/odessa/Odessa/obj546/index_en.html ]

Grand Pettine Hotel [ catalogue.horse21.ru/ukraine+hotels/odessa+hotels/grand+pettine+hotel ]

Hrustalniy Dom Hotel [ catalogue.horse21.ru/ukraine+hotels/odessa+hotels/hrustalniy+dom ]

Kolumbus Hotel

Odessa Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/o.htm ]

Oreanda Hotel [ www.odessapassage.com/hotels/hotels.aspx?lang=eng&id=37 ]

Maristella Club Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/odessa/maristella-club ]

Morskoy Hotel [ catalogue.horse21.ru/ukraine+hotels/odessa+hotels/morskoy ]

Mozart Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/mosart.htm ]

London Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/odessa/london-hotel ]

Londonskaya Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/lond.htm ]

Continental' Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/kont.htm ]

Chernoye More Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/chmore.htm ]

Chernoye More-2 PRIVOZ Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/odessa/chernoye-more-2-privoz ]

Frapolli Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/frapolli.htm ]

Marrion Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/marrion.htm ]

Nemo Hotel [ www.odessahotels.ru/en/hotel_nemo.htm ]

Otrada Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/otrada.htm ]

Odesskiy Dvorik Hotel

Palace del Mar [ catalogue.horse21.ru/ukraine+hotels/odessa+hotels/palace+del+mar+(synxis+hotels+and+resorts) ]

Palladium Hotel [ catalogue.horse21.ru/ukraine+hotels/odessa+hotels/palladium+hotel ]

Valentina Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/vala.htm ]

Villa Venezia [ www.odessapassage.com/hotels/hotels.aspx?lang=eng&id=39 ]

Villa Neapol' [ www.odessapassage.com/hotels/hotels.aspx?lang=eng&id=39 ]

Uliss Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/uliss.htm ]

Yunost' Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/odessa/unost.htm ]

L'viv

Leopolis Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/lviv/leopolis-hotel ]

Citadel Inn Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/lviv/citadel-inn-hotel?language=en ]

Dnister Hotel e [ n.ukrhotels.net/pages/lviv/dnister.htm ]

Grand Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/lviv/grand-hotel ]

Opera Hotel [ www.hotel-opera.lviv.ua ]

Burger Hotel [ www.burger.com.ua ]

Eney Hotel [ www.eney.lviv.ua ]

Euro Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/lviv/euro-hotel ]

Getman Hotel [ www.hetman.lviv.ua ]

George Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/lviv/george-hotel ]

NTON Hotel [ www.hotelnton.lviv.ua ]

Tustan Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/lviv/tustan.htm ]

Sputnyk Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/lviv/sputnyk-hotel ]

Swiss Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/lviv/swiss-hotel ]

Wien Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/lviv/wien-hotel ]

Turist Hotel [ www.lvivtourist.com ]

Jockey Hotel [ www.jockey.uatur.com ]

Katerina Hotel [ www.katerina.ce.lviv.ua ]

Styl Hotel www.hotel-styl.com.ua [ www.katerina.ce.lviv.ua ]

Zoloto Karpat Hotel [ www.hotel-zk.lviv.ua ]

Sevastopol'

Avrora Hotel

Al'batros Hotel [ www.albatross.com.ua ]

Ameli Hotel [ www.ameli.com.ua ]

Atlantika Hotel

Belbek Hotel [ www.belbek.org ]

Helios Hotel [ www.helios.stel.sebastopol.ua/ ]

Delfin Hotel [ www.hotel-dolphin.com.ua ]

Krym Hotel

Morskoy Hotel [ www.hotelmorskoy.com ]

Olymp Hotel [ www.olymphotel.com/ ]

Sevastopol' Hotel [ www.sevastopol-hotel.com.ua/ ]

Ukraine Hotel [ www.ukraine-hotel.com.ua/ ]

Yard Hotel [ www.hotelyard.com ]

Chernivtsi

Kaiser Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/chernovtsy/kaiser.htm ]

Cheremosh Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/chernovtsy/cheremosh.htm ]

Privat Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/chernovtsy/privat.htm ]

Bukovina Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/chernovtsy/bukovina.htm ]

Bulvar Hotel [ www.hotel-bulvar.com/ ]

Mriya Hotel [ www.hotel-mriy.com/ ]

Premium Hotel [ hotel-premium.cv.ua/ ]

Akva-Plus Hotel [ akva-plus.com/ ]

Yalta:

Bristol Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/bristol.htm ]

Vremena Goda [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/vg.htm ]

Kichkine Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/kich.htm ]

Krasotel Levant Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/levant.htm ]

Krym Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/ykrim.htm ]

Krymskiy Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/okr.htm ]

Massandra Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/mass.htm ]

Oreanda Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/oreanda.htm ]

Palmira Palace Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/pp.htm ]

Polyana Skazok Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/ps.htm ]

Park-Hotel "Primorskiy Park" [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/opp.htm ]

Slavianskiy Alians Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/sa.htm ]

Simeiz Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/simeiz.htm ]

Yalta-Inturist [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/crimea-yalta/yint.htm ]

Poltava:

Palazzo Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/poltawa/pala.htm ]

Galereya Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/poltawa/galer.htm ]

Riviera Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/poltawa/riva.htm ]

Poltava Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/poltawa/polt.htm ]

Harmony Hotel [ www.hotel-garmoniya.com.ua/main_en.php ]

Sinay Hotel [ www.hotel-s.poltava.ua/ ]

Almaz Hotel [ www.almaz.poltava.ua/ ]

Ukraine-Lux Hotel

Ukraine Hotel

Gold Hotel

Kyiv Hotel

Turist Hotel

Ivano-Frankivsk:

Auskoprut Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/iwano-frankiwsk/aus.htm ]

Nadiya Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/iwano-frankiwsk/nadia.htm ]

Bukovel' Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/iwano-frankiwsk/bukov.htm ]

Edelveys Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/iwano-frankiwsk/edelveis.htm ]

Gutsul Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/iwano-frankiwsk/huzul.htm ]

Park Hotel [ parkhotel.com.ua/eng/pages/info ]

Atrium Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/fr/ivano-frankivsk/hotels/atrium/ ]

Zaporizhya:

Inturist Zaporozhye Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/zaporoj/izap.htm ]

Ukraina Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/zaporoj/zapu.htm ]

Gubernatorskiy Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/zaporoj/gubernator.htm ]

Yes Hotel [ www.yeshotel.com.ua/?lang=en ]

Dion Hotel [ dion.zp.ua/pages_eng/main/ ]

Khortytsia Hotel [ www.zpturist.zp.ua/?id=63 ]

Donetsk:

Аvrora Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/donetsk/avrora.htm ]

Atlas Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/donetsk/atlas.htm ]

Azania Hotel [ www.azaniahotel.com/ ]

Central Hotel [ www.hotel-central.com.ua/en/ ]

Viktoriya Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/donetsk/viktoria.htm ]

Donbass-Palas Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/donetsk/dp.htm ]

Dominik Hotel [ hotels.org.ua/doneck/Donetsk/index_en.html ]

Dinamo Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/donetsk/dinam.htm ]

Eva Hotel [ hotel-eva.com/flash/index_2.html ]

John Hughes Hotel [ www.johnhughes.dn.ua/en/ ]

Ispanskiy Dvorik Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/donetsk/id.htm ]

Legion Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/donetsk/legion.htm ]

Liverpool Hotel [ liverpool.com.ua/index.php?id=3623&show=13582 ]

Praga Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/donetsk/praga.htm ]

Rialto Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/donetsk/rialto.htm ]

Shakhtyor Hotel [ all-hotels.ru/h116161/hotel/index.en.html?kk=6006ef8f60 ]

Central Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/donetsk/centr.htm ]

Kharkiv:

Armagedon Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/kharkov/armagedon.htm ]

Baden-Baden Hotel [ www.badenbaden.com.ua ]

Сosmopolit Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/kharkov/cosmopolit.htm ]

Druzhba Hotel [ druzhba-hotel.com/index_en.html ]

Kharkov Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/kharkov/harkiv.htm ]

National Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/kharkov/nacio.htm ]

Mir Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/kharkov/hmir.htm ]

Kievskiy Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/kharkov/hkiev.htm ]

Chichikov Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/kharkov/chichikov.htm ]

ZS Club Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/kharkov/hotel-zs.htm ]

4-rooms Hotel [ 4-rooms.com.ua/index.php ]

Victoria Hotel [ victoria-hotel.com.ua/index.php?lang=en ]

Viva Hotel [ hotels.org.ua/harkov/Kharkov/index_en.html ]

Karpaty:

Uzhgorod Hotels:

Old Continent Hotel [ www.hotel-oldcontinent.com/hotel.aspx?l=en ]

Uzhgorod Hotel [ www.newlogic.ua/en/hotels/Uzhgorod/Uzhgorod/index.php ]

Ungvarskiy Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/uzhhorod/ung.htm ]

Nautilos Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/uzhhorod/nautilus.htm ]

Izumrud Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/uzhhorod/izumrud.htm ]

Eduard Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/uzhhorod/edik.htm ]

Duet Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/uzhhorod/duet.htm ]

Inturist-Zakarpatye Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/uzhhorod/iz.htm ]

Slavsko Hotels:

Perlyna Karpat Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/lviv/pk.htm ]

Smerekova Hata Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/lviv/sh.htm ]

Natalie Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/lviv/natali.htm ]

Edelveys Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/lviv/edelvei.htm ]

Terem Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/sk/slavsko/hotels/terem/ ]

Tsarynka Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/sk/slavsko/hotels/tsarynka/ ]

Khrystyna Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/sk/slavsko/hotels/khrystyna/ ]

Rovin Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/sk/slavsko/hotels/rovin/ ]

Morozko Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/sk/slavsko/hotels/morozko/ ]

Alpine Yard House [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/sk/slavsko/hotels/alp.dvir/ ]

Chachari Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/sk/slavsko/hotels/chahari/ ]

Truskavets:

Marriott Medical Center [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/lviv/mmc.htm ]

Zamok Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/dr/truskavets/hotels/zamok/ ]

Villa Chocolate Hotel [ ww.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/dr/truskavets/hotels/shokolad/ ]

Club PH Hotel [ en.ukrhotels.net/pages/lviv/cph.htm ]

Oskar Hotel [ www.oscar-hotel.com.ua/index.php?id=home&L=2 ]

Rixos Prykarpatye Spa & Resorts Hotel, Truskavets [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/truskavets/rixos-prykarpatye-spa---resorts-hotel ]

Geneva Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/truskavets/geneva ]

Hizhina Spa Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel/ukraine/truskavets/hizhina-spa- ]

Mukachevo:

Star Hotel Hotel [ www.select-a-room.com/hotel-list/ukraine/mukachevo ]

Carpathian Myslyvets Hotel [ www.stejka.com/eng/zakarpatskaja/muka4evo/hotel/karpatskiy_mislivec/ ]

Spa Carpathians Hotel [ www.stejka.com/eng/zakarpatskaja/muka4evo/hotel/karpaty/ ]

Dolphin Hotel [ www.stejka.com/eng/zakarpatskaja/muka4evo/hotel/delfin2/ ]

Latorica Hotel [ www.stejka.com/eng/zakarpatskaja/muka4evo/hotel/latorica/ ]

Morchyn:

Morchynska Vezha Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/st/morshyn/hotels/morshyn.vezha/ ]

Zoresvit Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/st/morshyn/hotels/zoretsvit/ ]

Dyuk Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/lv/st/morshyn/hotels/dyuk/ ]

Yaremche:

Yaremche Club Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/yaremche/ ]

Poliarys Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/poliarys/ ]

Karpatskiy Zamok VIP-cottage [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/karp.zamok/ ]

Vodospad Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/vodospad/ ]

Villa Iris [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/villa.irys/ ]

Bilohirya Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/bilohirja/ ]

Prut Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/prut/ ]

Radiola Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/radiola/ ]

Krasa Karpat Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/krasa.karpat/ ]

Goverla Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/goverla/ ]

Chervonaa Ruta Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/chervona.ruta/ ]

U Yaroslava Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/chervona.ruta/ ]

Fern Flowers Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/hotels/tsvit.paporoti/ ]

Boykivchanka The Lodge [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/houses/boykivchanka/ ]

Na Velikim The Lodge [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/houses/na.velykim/ ]

Pans'ka Khata Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/houses/panska.khata/ ]

Oberih Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/houses/hostynny.dvir/ ]

U Lesya's The Lodge [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/houses/u.lesi/ ]

Zatin Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/houses/zatin/ ]

Fortuna The Lodge [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/houses/fortuna/ ]

Vershyna Cottage [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/houses/vershyna/ ]

Lyubystok Cottage [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/houses/lyubystok/ ]

Girs'ka Sadyba [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/houses/hirska.sadyba/ ]

Biliy Kit Lodge [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/jaremche/houses/bily.kit/ ]

Kolomyia:

Samaryanka Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/km/kolomyja/hotels/samaryanka/ ]

Monarch Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/km/kolomyja/hotels/monarh/ ]

Oasis Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/km/kolomyja/hotels/oasis/ ]

Kolomia Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/km/kolomyja/hotels/kolomyja/ ]

Pysanka Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/km/kolomyja/hotels/pysanka/ ]

Silver Lake Cottage [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/km/kolomyja/hotels/silver.lake/ ]

Na Kuti Femily Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/km/kolomyja/houses/na.kuti/ ]

Dobruy Ranok Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/km/kolomyja/houses/good.morning/ ]

Voyage Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/km/kolomyja/houses/voyazh/ ]

Palyanysya "Bukovel":

Krasna Polyana Cottage [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/hotels/krasna.polyana/ ]

Krucha Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/hotels/krucha/ ]

"Zimasnow" Club Ski & Spa [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/hotels/zima.snow/ ]

Magiya Karpat Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/hotels/mahiya.karpat/ ]

Synya Gora Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/hotels/synya.hora/ ]

U Tarasa Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/u.tarasa/ ]

Roksolana Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/roksolana/ ]

U Vasylyny Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/u.vasylyny/ ]

Belveder Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/belveder/ ]

Perlyna Karpat Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/perlyna.karpat/ ]

VIP Bukovel' Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/vip.apartamenty/ ]

Green Polyana Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/krasna.polyana/ ]

Stara Pravda Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/stara.pravda/ ]

Kalyna Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/kalyna/ ]

Gutsulia Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/gutsulia/ ]

Marso Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/marso/ ]

Marilen Hotel [ www.karpaty.info/en/uk/if/jr/poljanytsja/houses/u.marii/ ]