Americans living in Ukraine?

[Outback]

So if you had the choice of living in Ukraine or America and money wasn't an issue, which would you choose?

[AkMike]

LOL, That's a tough call to make! Each has it's own benifits and attractions. Since I live in Alaska I enjoy the outdoors and it's sports as well as the beauty of the winter. Ukraine has great hot summers. And lets not forget the beautiful ladys.. ( I''m married to one but I still enjoy looking and not touching)

My best case scenerio would be to spend time in each place.

However, I don't like the big cities like Kyiv or Chicago..

[storyhill]

for AKMIKE,
I also am looking into the cost for building a house in a village outside of Cherkassy. Can you share with me about how you got land and the estimate of 100,000 on your house plans? My wife is from that area and I am American.

[ccstoddard]

I got married in Ukraine in 2000 and shortly after moved back to the States. After eight years of marriage we got a divorce. Also ever since leaving Ukraine I have wanted to move back badly. Now I am finally moving back and have already found a Flat that is "Westernized" for $250 USD a month and a job with an American Company. The cost of living and the Economy here is ridiculous! I receive monthly payments from Disability and I can barely get by here, but in Ukraine I can live a very very good life. So I personally feel that Ukraine is a better place to live than the States. I mean look at what people are doing when they Retire, they are taking their Savings and moving somewhere out of the Country where it is more affordable. Don't get me wrong I am proud to be an American, but I will just be a proud American via Ukraine.

[Outback]

Originally Posted by ccstoddard

I got married in Ukraine in 2000 and shortly after moved back to the States. After eight years of marriage we got a divorce. Also ever since leaving Ukraine I have wanted to move back badly. Now I am finally moving back and have already found a Flat that is "Westernized" for $250 USD a month and a job with an American Company. The cost of living and the Economy here is ridiculous! I receive monthly payments from Disability and I can barely get by here, but in Ukraine I can live a very very good life. So I personally feel that Ukraine is a better place to live than the States. I mean look at what people are doing when they Retire, they are taking their Savings and moving somewhere out of the Country where it is more affordable. Don't get me wrong I am proud to be an American, but I will just be a proud American via Ukraine.

An American company in Ukraine? Which one? I work at Robert Bosch LLC in Anderson, SC and if Bosch put a plant in Ukraine i'd pack up in a heartbeat. But noooo...they put one in dang Hungary. I mean seriously, Hungary? Who'd ever want to go there?

[AkMike]

IIRC Zaza Gabor was from Hungary and back in the day... She was pretty HOT! I'm sure she isn't the only one either.

[Gotno Gizmo]

I'm a retired Englishman living in Lugansk with my Ukrainian sweetheart. I am often critical about the USA on these forums and think that it displays so many examples of the poorer side of human nature. Nethertheless I believe it is a country of good opportunity if an individual has the balls to reach out and grab it.
I am aware that if many Ukranians had the possibility to leave Ukraine and settle in the USA they would sieze the opportunity. I also believe that many Ukrainians struggling to make ends meet here would think that you would be raving bonkers to give up your life in the USA to come to settle in Ukraine.

Here In Lugansk I walk past a stall selling counterfeit (bootlegged) DVDs, with many titles from western countries. When I have said that would not be possible in my country because the Police would arrest them, close their stall and sieze their equipment, I was told "that won't happen, it's owned by the Chief of Police"!
I have well educated Ukrainian friends earning subsitence wages. If they own their appartments after the collapse of communism and only pay service charges life is bearable. If they have to pay a full commercial rate rent to the property owner, then like many of my fellow countrymen life is little better than subsistence living. The roads are full of potholes and many buildings bear various marks of delapidation.
Of course not everything about Ukraine is negative, or I wouldn't be here, but then I have a British pension and I'm not dependent on the Ukraine economy for my bread and butter.
My advice to you, come and spend more time here before you commit yourself to such a major discision.