Ukrainian Easter Eggs Symbolize more than Gifts for Tourists

Ukrainian Easter eggs, or psanky, to Ukrainians are an established part of worldwide popular culture. The intricacy of designs revealed with microscopic precision by dying and waxing the egg before pealing away the wax are now manufactured without all the patience necessary to create these mini pieces of art.

Easter - A Time of Feasting, Resurrection, and Ritual for Ukrainians

Pagan traditions to celebrate the return of spring and the abolition of another winter may have faded into the pages of Christianity, but Ukrainians, whether recognizing the rites of spring or the resurrection of Christ, ancient customs survive on a shoestring in rural Ukraine, particularly in the country’s western region.

Chornobyl Museum Conveys the Horror of Manmade Disaster

A routine, but largely unnecessary safety test caused the world’s worst nuclear disaster on April 25, 1986. Technicians working at reactor Number 4 at the electricity-producing Chornobyl power plant planned to shut down the system for regular maintenance. The decision was made to see if the grid would continue to power the system in the event of a shutdown. This decision cost 31 people their lives and set in motion a rain of radioactive material that stretched to the borders of Sweden.

Kyiv’s Open Air Museum Delights History Buffs and Casual Visitors Alike

The 21st century may be bombarding everyday lives around the world with technological gadgets that promise salvation through “connection”. Books may soon be obsolete and libraries may lose their status as institutions of learning in favor of becoming “gentle read” facilities. Still, with all the efforts to move into the future at all costs, people hunger to understand their past. How else can one explain the genealogical research craze or reenactment festivals that woo tourists around the globe each summer?

Top Ten Practical Tips for Traveling in Ukraine

Researching a travel destination, especially one as eclectic and inspiring as Ukraine, can set an imagination ablaze, but what about practical travel tips for this emerging travel destination? Sometimes, a set of practical tips are just as useful as a map or a travel website. Take a look at our Top Ten Practical Tips for Traveling in Ukraine.

Kachanivka Park Welcomes Romantics and the Spirits of Poets

A land owner of Greek descent, a chorister in the court of the Empress of Russia, with an unfortunate last name translated as “head of cabbage”, and an overstressed royal diplomat for Catherine the Great were among the 18th century proprietors of land that has since been transformed into Ukraine’s largest park.

Three Ukrainian Itineraries to Jump Start Your Travel Plans (Part 1)

Cramming an international vacation into two or three weeks can not only be difficult but exhausting, and can leave travelers feeling like the days zipped past. If you are strapped for a vacation but still want to experience all that Ukraine has to offer, why not take a look at the following itineraries to make the most of your time. Many other options exist, but these may just jump start your travel plans for 2008.

Three Ukrainian Itineraries to Jump Start Your Travel Plans (Part 2)

Three Ukrainian Itineraries to Jump Start Your Travel Plans (Part 1)

Option Three: Black Sea Mysteries

Odessa, a land of Greeks, Turks, and Catherine the Great’s fantasies, is cosmopolitan port city with a host of characters straight out of central casting. Immigrants from all over Europe continue to come to Odessa to either make their fortune or lose their lifesavings. Breeds apart from other parts of Ukraine, the residents of Odessa are stylish, cultured, funny, and a touch wild. Famous for the Potemkin Steps, Odessa’s beaches are famous for their carnival atmosphere as well as their polluted condition. Ukrainians vacation in Odessa where the climate is temperate and the nightlife outrageous.