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Kiev Travel Blogs

Background: Ukraine was the center of the first Slavic state, Kievan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kievan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kievan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to bring about a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two artificial famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. The new government presents its citizens with hope that the country may at last attain true freedom and prosperity.




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Hi Everybody! Walt and I enjoyed our overnight train ride from Odessa to Kiev. Before boarding the train, we were approached by a nice young Ukranian woman. She asked us to watch her baby while she went to the restroom. Later, she explained that she was an internet bride. She met a man from Arkansas, married him, has had 2 sons, and is visiting Ukraine for the first time in 10 years. We enjoyed the time that we spent with her. When we arrived in Kiev, we decided to go ahead and purchase train tickets to Warsaw for next Monday. This [View Full Entry]

Everette - Everette Studdard | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
456 Words | 3 Comment(s) | 15 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: October 10th 2009 | 100 Views | [diary=443796]

Monument to Brothers who founded Kiev
Arch of Friendship
The Dnieper River

By rrruss
October 8th 2009
Kiev - WOW! Europe » Ukraine » Kiev
17 hours to Kiev on a train with a stinking cold wasn't nice, but at least we were both suffering!! Since then neither of us have fully recovered but we have had an amazing week seeing the sights and meeting up with friends old and new. Apologies to anyone if we've been a little too generous with our germs!! Kiev has been an amazing city and we have no doubt we will be back! The question is only when!! Staying with our friend Anthea was lovely and meeting up with Gary and Linda (and Linda's fiance Barry) has made for a [View Full Entry]

rrruss - Russ Pearce | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
629 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 33 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: October 11th 2009 | 101 Views | [diary=443263]

Kiev Statue
Sculpture
Famine Memorial

We arrived in Kiev after what seemed like a very brief journey and found our hostel easily. It was pretty basic, but did us for the 2 nights we were there. Whilst we were in Kiev it was Ukranian Independence Day where we spent most of the day at a free open air concert which had more Ukranian trashy pop and traditional singing than you can shake a stick at!! People everywhere were shouting 'Slava Ukrainia' and everyone was generally having a party on the main road which had been turned into a walking plaza. The day ended with a spectacular [View Full Entry]

GOLDRussia2009 - GOLD Russia 2009 | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
455 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: September 2nd 2009 | 56 Views | [diary=433356]


The amusement park
The amusement park
The amusement park stands in the middle of Pripyat as a reminder of what could have been and as a kind of monument over the disaster
Devastation can be devastatingly beautiful When we were making plans for our summer holiday this year one of the things that made us choose Ukraine was Chernobyl - the sight of the worst civil nuclear disaster in history. As a tourist destination this is a totally unique experience. In the entire World Chernobyl in Ukraine is the only place where you can enjoy a tour of an area that has been devastated and rendered uninhabitable by nuclear fallout. The word "enjoy" in the previous sentence was not meant as an irony. Chernobyl really is devastated, but it is also devastatingly beaut [View Full Entry]

Ake_och_Emma - Ake Dahllof and Emma Holmbro | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
4349 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 49 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: August 23rd 2009 | 317 Views | [diary=420728]

Vehicle graveyard
Ship graveyard
Ship graveyard

First impression arriving to Kiev was - big, ugly (Soviet style) and big, but also very interesting. And that impression stayed for all the time. First experience was waiting in a huge irrational line by metro to get our zhetons. It took around 20 minutes to get them. Metro is one of really impressive things in Kiev - it goes so deep down and has these shiny advertisements that it looks surreal (and it looked surreal and hilarious when I listened to Moby - Run On song). As my host was busy I had put my backpack in hostel where my [View Full Entry]

Darameja - Agne Serpytyte | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1749 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 17 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: April 30th 2009 | 364 Views | [diary=395128]

Monument 300 years of Friendship with Russia
Scary government building 1
Scary government building 2

By mharleyuk
April 18th 2009
Socialist Realism Europe » Ukraine » Kiev
M.V. Griefwald
M.V. Griefwald
Poti sea port, Georgia. A cold and shivering bunch of passengers on the ramp at the back of the Ro-Ro ferry M.V. Griefwald.
Nearly the end. Ukraine is my final significant destination I'm going to tell you anything about. After that its a brief stop in Western Europe to see friends I haven't caught up with in a while, then it's home. In a way, I'm already winding-down from the trip since the adventurous bit is finished now. I've been to the Ukraine before, I have friends in Kiev and I know my way around. I can thoroughly recommend Kiev for a short city-break if you fancy a change from Paris or New York: it's a lot of fun with great restaurants and [View Full Entry]

mharleyuk - mharleyuk | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1693 Words | 4 Comment(s) | 8 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: April 23rd 2009 | 378 Views | [diary=387923]

Dolphins across the Black Sea
Black Sea Sunset
Unknown soldier memorial, Odessa

By HalAndCheryl
March 11th 2009
Ukraine Europe » Ukraine » Kiev
We started on the next leg of our adventure with a 2 AM taxi ride from our Jerusalem hotel to the Tel Aviv airport and our flight to Kyiv, Ukraine via Prague, Czech Republic. Our one-hour drive brought us to what should have been a sleepy deserted ghost town of an airport. Instead, it was bustling with activity. People were coming and going even at 3 AM. Don’t they know it’s time to be home sleeping? Our Czech Airlines flights on Airbus 320’s were uneventful but pleasant. The crew was pleasant, efficient and even attractive. The food was some of the [View Full Entry]

HalAndCheryl - Hal and Cheryl | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1034 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 3 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: March 25th 2009 | 169 Views | [diary=383383]

Soviet Architecture
Dnieper River & Kyiv

Moston Town
Moston Town
Lets the hell of Dodge City
Lets get ready to Rumble I sat in the front room of our house, I was eager to get on the road again. Everything was set; the plan was a good one (on paper) A taxi to the Chorlton Street Coach Station, coach to Luton Airport, taxi to the Travelogue for overnight stay. Taxi to airport next morning for our 1pm flight to Kiev, then another overnight stay at Marina’s Auntie’s apartment, and then we take an overnight coach to Chisinau. Easy hey? The original plan was to take a coach at 3:55am to avoid the overnight stay in Luton but [View Full Entry]

krimbow - Christopher Waters | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
2564 Words | 2 Comment(s) | 13 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: February 4th 2009 | 233 Views | [diary=369969]

Express yourself
The Return of the Orange One
Excess

By megasonik
December 8th 2008
Kiev Ukraine Europe » Ukraine » Kiev
Hello everybody!My name is Eugene. I live in Ukraine, Kiev, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Kiev is one of the most ancient European cities and is famous for its cultural heritage. Even the most hopeless naysayers will not be indifferent to our places of interest. There is a large choice of entertainment: night clubs, casinos, restaurants and sushi bars of European level for reasonable prices! It is also modern city with modern people! If you have a questions about Kiev or want just to chat with me don’t hesitate to write me!!! [View Full Entry]

megasonik - Eugene | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
98 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 11 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: December 8th 2008 | 72 Views | [diary=352396]

KIev Kievo-pecherskaya Lavra
Philarmoniya
Arena city

By Crance
September 24th 2008
Poland - Ukraine Europe » Ukraine » Kiev » Lukyanivska
Day 14 Didn't really sleep much, wandereed around all night then headed to the shopping centre early in hope it was open so i could get some clean clothes but it was sunday so not open til 10.. Headed to the police staion a bit early which seemed to piss them off ooppss.... Managed to get my statement done and a ref number for my insurance by 12.. Only had an hour before our train left so quickly tried to grab a few bits including a new bag and ws ready and packed so agreed to meet Pete and Adelle outside [View Full Entry]

Crance - Nancy Ryan | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
497 Words | 1 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: September 24th 2008 | 105 Views | [diary=327061]



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