| Disclaimer:
The conference is held solely due to enthusiasm of the local organising committee, and we have only very limited support from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. For this reason we were not be able to provide any financial assistance to participants. In this information we do not attempt any advertising for companies, facilities, products or services. Everything mentioned here is either used by the members of the Organising Committee, or recommended by their friends. We made every effort to ensure that the information presented here is correct, but please note that Ukraine is a very dynamic country and many things can change without any notice. The Organising Committee cannot accept responsibility for absolute correctness of this information at the time of the conference. If you think you'll need this information when in Kyiv, we kindly ask you to print it out at home and take a copy with you! The printouts will not be provided with conference materials. |
Despite its huge number of attractions, Ukraine is not a particularly popular tourist destination, and amount of information available to travellers is limited. Besides, majority of information and services that are readily available are targeted towards business travellers prepared to pay quite unreasonable prices. For this reason, and because of predictable practical inability to answer all questions in person during the conference, we decided to prepare this information summary.
Conference Essentials
Transportation to and from Kyiv
Most participants will arrive by plane to the main airport in Kyiv
- Boryspil. There is a link
at the main conference web page about conference arrangements to assist
participants in getting from the airport/railway station to their respective
hotels.
For you travel back from the hotel you may get a taxi to the main airport shuttle bus terminal at Pobedy Avenue - 2 trolleybus stops from "Express" (not more than 5 hryvnyas by taxi) and 5-10 hryvnyas by taxi from other hotels. Travel to the airport will take around an hour depending on the traffic; the cost of the shuttle bus is 10 hryvnyas + 1 hryvnya for luggage. A taxi from a hotel ordered by phone from the city centre to Boryspil airport would cost in the range of US$15-20, depending on the time of the day (more expensive at night). It is better to agree on the fixed price from the beginning irrespective of the meter.
A taxi from any hotel in our list to the main railway station shall be 5-10 hryvnyas. If a driver asks more, get another one.
Accommodation
As many of you may have noticed,
hotel prices in Kyiv (except five-star type) have dropped. It happened
due to elimination of special high prices for foreigners all over Ukraine,
except Crimea. So now there are cheaper hotels close to city centre ($20-25
per night), though these tend to be not the most comfortable.
Students' hostels (halls of residence) obviously exist in Kyiv and may present cheaper accommodation than city hotels. However, these hostels are located very far from the conference location/city centre, and using public transport/taxis is difficult without knowledge of Ukrainian or Russian - there are no signs in foreign languages, and drivers do not speak foreign languages. Hostels also provide little in comfort and services.
Also staff at the hostels do not speak any foreign languages (people
who speak at least a little do not stay at such jobs) and resolution of
inevitable problems could be impossible. We are unable to provide interpreters
to these hostels to assist participants, so we chose not to offer option
of student hostel accommodation to anybody not fluent in Ukrainian or Russian.
Meals
There are a number of reasonably priced and good places to have lunch
around the conference location. New places open very often so the picture
is not complete yet.
The best bet is "Domashnya Kukhnya" - fast food system, but not fast food menu of a very good quality with wide choice of soups, main dishes, salads, cakes and drinks (no alcoholic drinks except beer). Due to great popularity may be crowded during lunchtime, but service at cash registers is quite fast (see the map for some places here).
At the same side of Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street (in both directions from the Institute of Mathematics) and along Shevchenko Boulevard down to Khreshchatyk Street there is a number of sandwich-and-salad places.
Lots of fast food places can be found in newly built underground malls - Globus under Maidan Nezalezhnosti (close to Kozatsky hotel) and under Bessarabsky Square (close to St.Petersburgh Building 1), along Volodymyrska Street from the Opera House to St.Sofia, along Chervonoarmiiska Street from Bessarabsky Market to Lev Tolstoy Square, with much less along Khreshchatyk Street being a place for more expensive restaurants. The place at Khreshchatyk Street worth mentioning is "Dva Gusya" - second floor above the "Central Gastronom" - located between Shevchenko Boulevard and Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street. Another place worth a visit is a gourmet food court in the basement of Mandarin Plaza located at Bessarabska Street (the street going to the right behind Bessarabsky Market). There are two McDonalds outlets along Khreshchatyk Street.
Ukrainian fast foods places that are operated McD-style but serve Ukrainian foods (fast-food variety) like borshch, varenyky and traditional salads (and beer) are called "Shvydko" - located at Maidan Nezalezhnosti crossroads and both underground malls.
There are also quite a few set-business-lunch, coffee, pizza, sushi and Chinese places, though Kyiv still lacks a full variety of ethnic restaurants.
Prices in these places differ - from around 10-15 hryvnyas for a meal in Domashnya Kukhnya or Shvydko to 30-50 hryvnyas in fancier fast food places.
There are especially nice ice creams (dry apricot flavour should not be missed) in the Vechirniy Kyiv café in Passazh (Arcade) - small narrow shopping street across Khreshchtyk at the side opposite to Prorizna Street.
Restaurants
On the cheaper (though not exactly cheap) side there are two Western
franchise places close to Bessarabsky Market (TGIF and something pizza).
You will get enough advertising for more expensive restaurants in the airline
magazine and in the airport, so we do not go on in detail into this subject.
We would list only two close-by restaurants (not cheap but people say they
are nice) recommended by our friends and by participants of the previous
conferences - Pantagruel near Golden Gate (and near St. Petersburg
2) and Chateau de Fleurs at Khreshchatyk Street opposite to Khreshchatyk
metro station. We have three copies of Kyiv Restaurant Guide, so
if you would like to explore this part of Kyiv life you may have a look
into one of them. Note that the most posh and expensive places frequented
by "new Ukrainians" are located far from the city centre and are "singular
points" with respect to taxi prices - if you name such restaurant as you
destination (or get a taxi among those waiting near its entrance), your
fare will be three or more times higher than if you simply go to the respective
residential district. There are also a number of bars/pubs (with Western
or higher prices and Western drinks and food) which are frequented by foreign
nationals working in Ukraine - these are also advertised in English-language
publications and in the airport.
Money and banking
Cash and cards
Ukraine is still essentially a cash economy. Traveller's cheques and
credit cards are gaining wider acceptance in larger cities. However credit
cards may be used only in some hotels, Western-style restaurants, international
airlines and very limited number of shops, and cannot be granted. Such
venues usually display logos of the credit cards they accept on their doors.
If they have no such logo - then there is no purpose to ask. Though they
never promise that they accept your particular card. Generally most useful
are Visa and Mastercard. Though restaurants/shops never promise that they
will accept your particular card.
Changing foreign currency for Ukrainian hryvnyas (or another currency) is legal only at banks, currency exchange desks at hotels, and licensed exchange booths. Exchange booths do not cash travel cheques and do not deal with credit cards.
In any case bring some cash with you - you may not be able to use a credit card/travel cheque in the airport/railway station. It is better to bring US dollars or Euros (or Russian roubles). Most other hard currencies can be changed, but at worse rate and in a limited number of places.
General safety rules apply - do not flash large sums of money and never exchange currency with private people - it is illegal and with high probability is a scam.
Banks
There are quite a lot of bank branches in the city centre. It is possible
to cash travel cheques there. The closest bank branch is Pravex at Pushkinska
Street over the corner of Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street and Pushkinska Street
(go from the Institute along the same side of Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street,
then turn right to Pushkinska Street). Other one is at the ground floor
of the Central Department Store.
Cash machines
There are cash machines around that would allow to get money (hryvnyas
only) with credit or debit cards (carrying Cirrus/Maestro logo). However,
we would recommend using a bank for this purpose.
Exchange rates
Exchange rate in cash machines may be nominally even better than in
booths, but with all fees applied it comes lower. Exchange rate in exchange
booths is usually as shown - street booths charge no commission.
When changing you currency, look closely at the exchange rate - there are some not-so-honest places, especially along Khreshchatyk that display their much lower rates in a way that they look at little bit higher that usual at the first glance - e.g. 5.133 with 5.31 being a "good" rate at the moment, profiting on people in hurry who tend to look at last figures only. E.g. "1" may be much smaller than other figures. If you see that a transaction does not satisfy you, you are entitled to reverse it if you do it immediately, however a language problem may come here.
Banks and exchange booths in airports, hotels and restaurants, and in residential districts far from the city centre normally have much worse exchange rates than those in the city centre. Exchange rates during weekend are normally a little bit lower than during the week (1% or so), so you may wish to postpone changing large sums of money till Monday.
Our long-time experience with the exchange booths near the Institute of Mathematics (three places along Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street: confectionery shop, pet shop, florist's) showed that they normally have good exchange rates and do not resort to deceptive displaying of their rates. Look at their rate as guidance.
Shopping
Food
Buying your own food in shops is a reasonable alternative to eating
in cafes/restaurants. There are numerous grocery shops ("gastronoms") around
the conference facility. A little longer walk will take you to "Fourshet"
or "Megamarket" supermarkets. The first one is a little bit more upscale
and will offer better quality alcoholic drinks, caviar and more expensive
delicatessen. Both are perfectly OK for everything else and have a large
advantage over regular shops that they are usual self-service supermarkets,
so you do not need to tell what you want to buy. They also carry a variety
of health foods that are not always present in "gastronoms".
"Fourshet" is located at the basement of Mandarin Plaza - at Bessarabska
Street (the street going to the right behind Bessarabsky Market). The mentioned
"Megamarket" branch is on Antonovych Street that is the prolongation of
Tereshchenkivska Street if you turn left from the Institute of Mathematics
and go straight for around 20-30 minutes (there is no useful public transport
to both places and walking will be faster).
Western foods were popular in Kyiv upscale shops at the start of the
market economy, but now only few brands can be found - local consumers
consider old and new domestic brands better (and cheaper), so many more
expensive Western foods were priced out from the market.
Ukrainian specialities to try from grocery shops:
Souvenirs
Usual place is (a picturesque street worth visiting on its own, that
goes from the end of Volodymyrska Street (go from the Institute of Mathematics
to the Opera House, turn right, pass the Opera House and go along the street
up to the Andriivska Church - beautiful blue-and white church standing
over a hill) to Podil. You will not be mistaken as you'll see lots of souvenir
stands right there. Andriivsky Uzviz does down to the left (and souvenir
prices will also go down quite a bit as you'll go down the street).
Another useful places for factory-made but nice souvenirs are Central Department Store and small shops along Khreshchatyk. If you need a lot of souvenirs for friends and family, but do not want to spend a fortune - resort to street traders who usually sell wooden hand carved and hand embroidered things from Western Ukraine in underground crossroads off the immediate city centre (the closest place is near Express hotel). The things they sell are not so bad quality for the price.
Buying books
The most popular places are (listed in ascending order of average prices):
Bukva store (Lev Tolstoy Street opposite left end of Tereshchenkivska
Street), underground book mall under Slava Square (one stop by bus or 10
minute walk from Arsenalna metro station - turn right from the metro station),
and large Petrivka Book Market - at Petrivka metro station go back
with respect to direction of the train in which you arrived from the city
centre, go out, then turn to the left. Anyway you'll see the market as
it begins right there. There are also a number of bookshops along Khreshchatyk
and in the underground malls. Most of the mentioned shops usually have
dictionaries, English-language books and guide books.
Please note that some of the music and software CDs sold at Petrovka market (or elsewhere except in shops) may be pirated and may cause problems with Ukrainian or other customs.
Music
Licensed Ukrainian music CDs or tapes are available in "Noty" shop
at Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street - go from the Institute along Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Street in the direction of the Opera House for around 15 minutes. There
is some choice at a stand in underground crossing of Teatralna metro station,
and in many bookshops. Please take into account a hazard of getting pirated
stuff in the markets and street stands.
Alcohol and tobacco
Situation is this area is so different from many countries that it
is worth some special attention.
Locally produced alcoholic drinks are quite cheap in Ukraine (in shops, but not in restaurants). However, counterfeit production is quite widespread. These counterfeit products are rarely a major health hazard, but to be on the safe side, buy such drinks (anything other than beer or juice-vodka mixes) only from a large grocery shop ("Fourshet" chain is our preferred choice) and at the restaurants or better cafes.
NEVER buy any strong alcohol or wine from kiosks, private persons or street cafes (other than street tables of a higher-end establishment). This is an occasion to break the usual travellers' rule -"do as locals do". The locals have more experience in telling what is safe, and being at home they take much less risk drinking questionable vodka. This paragraph is also an appropriate place to warn once more against any drinking with strangers, even if they offer a free drink.
Police does not encourage drinking (except beer) in public places, but is not officially forbidden. Strolling along Khreshchatyk with an opened bottle of beer is perfectly OK. If this is against the law in you country, you may enjoy doing that just to get a breath of freedom.
If you plan any travel in Ukraine beyond Kyiv after the conference, take special care about drinking alcohol. The best plan may be to buy the needed ration of preferred stronger drinks in Kyiv and take it with you. Or rely on buying advice from you hosts.
Cigarettes are sold everywhere, with cheaper prices from old ladies in the streets. We have not heard about any particular risk of counterfeit cigarettes, so possibly buying cigarettes on the street is a rather safe way to save money if you still smoke, as distinct from the alcohol. However, cigarette prices in shops are not much higher (and way lower than in Western countries). Note that smoking is forbidden in public places.
Clothing
Clothes sizes is a good example of irrelevance of many Western guidebooks
on Ukraine. They provide size correspondence information - and in reality
sizes used are different: most upscale shops would use German sizes, British
Laura Ashley uses British sizes, everybody else uses what is written on
the clothing. Old Soviet sizes that are normally listed in guidebooks are
hardly used anywhere. The system does not seem to cause any problems for
Ukrainians. It is unlikely to cause any problems for Westerners as they
do not buy clothes in Ukraine - Western brand-name shops are twice as expensive
as in Western countries. Richer Ukrainians want to show off and pay these
prices (or go on shopping trips abroad); other Ukrainians do not care at
all about Western brands and know cheaper clothing options off downtown.
If you need something in footwear and clothes to fill the gap between your and you luggage arrival, the best choice is Central Department Store located close to the Institute of Mathematics: go out of the yard - turn right - go to the end of the street - cross the road - turn right - walk to the end of the street - it is located at the corner of Bohdan Khmelnystky Street and Khreshchatyk. Despite prime location and high quality of goods, prices for locally made goods are very reasonable. Sizes? You'll have to try on what you buy. If you intend to buy clothing as gifts (e.g. Ukrainian embroidered shirts), I would suggest bringing measuring tape.
Prices
Many prospective travellers who know from the media about average income
in Ukraine will expect respectively low prices for everyday items and service.
However it is not the case. Many visitors find prices here extremely high
(compared to what they expect from official statistics on average personal
income and from their experiences in other countries with similar income
figures). Obviously majority of prices for things that are everyday items
for Ukrainians are a fraction of prices in developed countries (things
like bread, milk or public transport). Note that many things that are considered
everyday in developed countries (hotels, taxis, eating out, mobile phones,
Internet use, health clubs, package vacations, some consumer goods) are
not regarded as such by Ukrainians and are priced accordingly.
Other factors - Kyiv is the most expensive place in Ukraine (with another comparable one being Yalta in Crimea), widely spread shadow economy with real income much higher than shown by official statistics, and wide income differences, with quite a few rich Ukrainians who along with foreigners are regarded as main market for expensive goods and services. Almost anything Western-style will be Western priced.
Sightseeing
Kyiv is not organised as a tourist place, so there is no tourist information
centres and not really much information, especially in English. When buying
guide books look at their date of publication - some obsolete books are
still on sale. Many good up-to-date books may be found in shops or book
markets. Here we present some ideas for exploring the city on your own.
Walks
The Institute of Mathematics is located at the city centre close to
most historic monuments and attractions, so you can do some sightseeing
during lunch time:
Museums
Special high prices for foreigners that until recently existed in Kyiv
museums now eliminated. As a result prices for foreign national were lowered
a bit but prices for Ukrainians increased considerably, and now prices
are the same for everybody (with concessions for children). Ukrainian museums
are very traditional - no high-tech shows. Information in English is usually
not available, but it in most museums it is possible to book a guided tour
in English. Museums do not have cafes (except Open Air Museum), so it may
be a good idea to eat before the visit.
St. Sophia (XI century church with mosaics - this is an absolute
must to be seen in Kyiv + several other museums and exhibitions)
24 Volodymyrska Street, 10.00-17.00, closed Thursday
The 13-domed cathedral was built by Prince Yaroslav the Wise in 1037
and named after St. Sophia's Cathedral in Constantinople, to glorify the
wisdom of Christianity. it has fantastic mosaics and frescoes from that
time. The cathedral was a main place of worship and a major cultural and
political centre in Kyiv Rus. The belfry was built in 1744-1752.
Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra - another absolute must-see place
21 Sichnevoho Povstannya Street, 10.00-18.00, closed Tuesday
The monastery was established in 1051. You can visit the caves with
underground churches where monks lived and were buried (this is at the
territory of the monastery and is not a museum) and many other churches
and museums: Gold Treasury (Scythian gold collection), Ukrainian Folk Art
Museum, Books and Printing Museum, Theatre Museum, the Miniatures
Museum. If you feel a need for an exercise and/or wish to see a beautiful
view of the city, climb the bell tower (105 m). The 12th century Uspensky
Cathedral was blown up in 1941 in an unsuccessful attempt of KGB agent
to kill a German officer (the officer survived, the cathedral and many
locals inside did not). It was replicated in 2000.
National Art Museum of Ukraine
6 Hrushevsky Street, 10.00-17.00, closed Monday
Khanenko Art Museum (Western European art)
15-17 Tereshchenkivska Street, 10.30-17.00, closed Monday, Tuesday
Russian Art Museum
9 Tereshchenkivska Street, 10.30-17.00, closed Monday, Tuesday
Open Air Museum (restored traditional Ukrainian villages)
Pyrogovo village (metro Lybidska, then trolleibus No.1 to the end),
10.00-17.00
(it is better to go there for at least 4 hours, travelling there by
public transport is approximately 1 hour one way).
Other interesting museums: Golden Gate; History Museum (near Andriyivska Church); Taras Shevchenko Museum (corner of Tereshchenkivska Street on the left from the Institute), Literature Museum (corner of Tereshchenkivska Street on the right from the Institute), Museum of Cultural Heritage (40b Moskovska Street); Museum of One Street (Andriyivsky Uzviz); Mikhail Bulgakov Museum (Andriyivsky Uzviz); lots of modern art galleries.
Theatres/Concerts
Classical music
National Philharmonic - 2 Volodymyrsky Uzviz (Evropeyska Square)
Concerts of the Symphony Orchestra of the National Philharmonic
(Brahms Concerts and Symphonies) June 22, 25, 27 (19.00)
Concert of the instrumental trio (Brahms), June 23 (19.00)
Tickets are sold in the box office of the National Philharmonic
and can be bought before the concert
Classical music concerts - Kyiv House of Organ and Chamber Music
77 Chervonoarmiyska Street, metro "Tsentralny Stadion"
Concerts start at 19.30
Tickets can be bought at the theatre ticket booth at Bohdan Khmelnytsky
Street near the Institute of Mathematics. At the same place you can see
all theatre and concert repertoires and buy tickets (except for National
Philharmonic).
Churches
Before the October revolution in 1917 Kyiv was a city of churches with
many places of pilgrimage.1930s was the time when many churches and monasteries
were destroyed or transformed into something else (atheism or art museums,
concert halls, cinema theatres, warehouses, facilities for physical experiments).
It happened not only with churches but also with anything religious. The
Brodsky synagogue was a puppet theatre until it was recently restored to
its original function.
After 1990 many former churches were given to respective religious communities, restored and reconstructed. E.g. existing Mykhailovsky Cathedral (originally from XI century) is a replica built in 1999. The only preserved buildings from huge monastery complex are small refectory church and former hotel/residential premises. The cathedral was destroyed in 1930s with the aim to build a biggest square for Soviet administrative buildings. The only implemented building from this plan is a grey structure with columns on the left from the cathedral that how houses the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The big plan also envisaged destroying of St.Sophia that was saved by French government that gave the Soviet Union some prize for its preservation as a French cultural heritage monument (Anna, Prince Yaroslav's daughter, whose picture can still be seen at one of St.Sophia frescoes, became a queen of France, obviously by marriage. Thus she saved St.Sophia some 9 centuries later, and it remained as a real thing (though rebuilt on the outside in 16th century).
Building of the new old churches (replicas) is a rather controversial issue in Ukraine, even if not to question appropriateness of spending large amounts of money in a poor country with no money for adequate healthcare. These churches are not built under old schemes (that would require thirty years and lots of eggs for making mortar) and look as what they are - replicas. However, the Mykhailovsky Cathedral looks nice and really completes the square. At present new churches are also built - especially in new residential districts in the outskirts, and in large hospitals.
Most churches are not museums but actually churches, and they do not
charge admission fees but require complying to certain etiquette with no
exception made for tourists. Women planning to visit churches, monasteries
and monastery caves anywhere in Ukraine (especially those of Russian Orthodox
Church of Moscow Patriarkhate, e.g. caves in Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra and
Kytayevo) are strongly advised to take shawls with them as they may be
literally not allowed to enter. Shorts, short skirts and open tops will
not be allowed; trousers for women are not advised. Ukrainian Orthodox
Church is more tolerant, so a woman may go (but better not to) to Volodymyrsky
or Mykhailovsky Cathedral without a shawl and in a short skirt. Men are
supposed to remove their hats in churches, and avoid shorts. Talking (and
excursions) is not allowed in churches. St.Sophia is a museum (a religious
community cannot ensure its preservation, and services are held there extremely
rarely for special occasions), so excursions are possible. All churches
welcome donations for their restoration. Functioning orthodox churches
are not used for concerts. Services in main churches are held at 9 a.m.
and 6 p.m.
There are also numerous places of worship of other confessions.
Monuments
Monuments of different epochs are quite numerous. Lenin at the beginning
of Shevchenko Boulevard was preserved as "piece of art", so it remains
the place for putting flowers on appropriate days for existing communists
and socialists. Another Lenin monument that used to occupy the place of
the present large glass gallery with Ukraine hotel at the background was
in Maidan Nezalezhnosti, then October Revolution Square, and was removed
in 1991. A Soviet time monument that did not lose its moment in the least
is the monument to great Ukrainian philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda in Kontraktova
Square. His two most famous sayings are "The world tried to catch me but
had not caught" and "Anything necessary is simple, anything that is not
simple is unnecessary" (very relevant in mathematical physics).
There are several major monuments to those died in the Second World War - Eternal Fire in the Park of Glory (Slavy Square), Motherland in the Second World War Museum and monument to those who died in Babyi Yar.
The place near Taras Shevchenko monument (opposite the Red Building of the Kyiv Shaevchenko National University) is famous as a location of opposition meetings both in the Soviet times and at present. Recital of Shevchenko poems there in 1960s actually got people to prison.
An example of 19th century monuments are St.Volodymyr ar Volodymyrska hill (above Evropeyska Square) and Bohdan Khmelnytsky in Sophia Square.
New times brought the monument to Mykhailo Hrushevsky, the first president of Ukraine (in 1918, during brief independence period), in the corner of Shchevchenko Boulevard and Volodymyrska Street, to Ukrainian hetman (military leader) Sagaidachny in Kontraktova Square and many small "chamber" monuments to real and imaginary people. One such monument to a literature hero is located at Prorizna Street. Panikovsky is a hero of humour book by Russian writers Ilf and Petrov "Golden Calf", and was known in the book as a blind beggar, famous before the October Revolution, who worked at just this place, asking people to take him across the street and picking their pockets in the process. The idea of putting a monument to a beggar and petty thief may seem strange, but in fact it is a monument to a great book and to a great actor Zinoviy Gerdt who played Panikovsky in the "Golden Calf" screen version.
Hidden treasures
Ukraine (and Kyiv) is a hidden tourist treasure in itself, but still
there are numerous extremely interesting places not mentioned in guidebooks
at all. We can name Kytayevo Monastery, St. Pantheleimon Monastery with
holy spring (Feofaniya near the Institute of Theoretical Physics and the
Open Air Museum), Zvirinetsky caves, Hnyletsky caves (not open for the
general public yet, and organisation of special tours is not practical
at a large conference), Frolovsky Monastery (Podil near Kontraktova Suqare),
Pokrovsky Monastery (Bekhterevsky Lane), hills around Andriyivsky Uzviz
with old cemeteries, small streets in Podil between Sahaidachny Street
and the Dnieper embankment, old wooden churches in new residential districts
that remained from the times when these districts were villages. There
are more to see in historic places around Kyiv - e.g. Nizhyn - two hours
by suburban train or Chernihiv (two or three hours by bus), Pereyaslavl-Khmelnytsky
(2 hours by bus), parks in Bila Tserkva and Sofiyivka. Unfortunately at
present there are no regular excursions from Kyiv to these places. A very
interesting building - "house with chimeras" at Bankova Street - is hidden
behind the screens because of lengthy repairs (it looked the same during
the previous conference).
Links
Churches of Kyiv (in English) http://churches.mykievcenter.com/default.html
St.Sophia at World Heritage site http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/site527.html
Kyiv at UNESCO site http://whc.unesco.org/sites/527.htm
Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra
Official church web site in Russian http://www.lavra.kiev.ua/ru/history/map/near.php
Official site of the museum (Ukrainian, Russian) http://www.kplavra.kiev.ua/
Old map of the Lavra in Russian http://www.ln.com.ua/~congress/city/arts/old/a4.htm
Old photos of Kyiv (site is in Russian) http://www.ln.com.ua/~congress/city/arts/kyiv-ru.htm
History and photos http://www.art-gallery.kiev.ua/st.michael/
Art museums http://www.art-gallery.kiev.ua/museums/index.htm
Getting Around
Languages
Please do not expect taxi drivers, shop assistants, emergency service
workers, servers at a restaurant or anybody else in Ukraine to speak English
or other foreign languages. Your best strategy will be to learn a few words
like "Thank you", "hello" and "a beer (pyvo)" (or "a coffee (cofeh)").
The Soviet system of learning languages was designed in such a way that people might be able to read technical information but could not speak at all - to shelter general public from evil capitalist influence. The present system of language training is way better, and many young people do get good English speaking skills during their time at school (mostly not at school but with private teachers and special classes), but these young people usually have better things to do than work as taxi drivers, waiters or shop assistants.
Most essential Ukrainian words
| English | Transliteration |
| Hello (more formal, during the day) | Dobry dehn |
| Hello (informal) | Pryvit |
| Good morning | Dobroho ranky |
| Good evening/night (greeting) | Dobry vehchir |
| Goodbye | Doh pobachehnyah |
| Thank you | Dyakuyuh |
| Yes | Tahk |
| No | Nee |
| Please (to accompany a request) | Buhd laskah |
| Excuse me (to apologise) | Probachteh |
| What is the price of this? | Skeelky tseh koshtuyeh? |
| Restroom/toilet | Tualeht |
Useful tips (as of June 2003)
Time - officially Ukraine has one time zone two hours after Greenwich
Mean Time. Daylight saving time is set from the first Sunday in April to
the last Sunday in October (so in June it is three hours after the GMT).
Business hours - usual working hours in offices/institutes are 9.00-18.00 with the lunch break at 13.00-14.00, Monday to Friday. Most common opening time for smaller shops is 10.00-19.00 with the lunch break at 14.00-15.00, Monday to Saturday, sometimes 10.00-18.00 on Saturday. Larger shops and most cafes work 10.00-20.00 with no lunch break, every day including official holidays. Most bank branches work 9.00-19.00, Monday to Friday, lunch break at 13.00-14.00 or 14.00-15.00, Saturday 9.00-14.00.
Ukrainian Official Holidays
| New Year Day | January 1 |
| Orthodox Christmas | January 7 - different from "usual" Christmas in many other countries; December 25 is a normal working day here |
| Women's Day | March 8 (day-off) |
| Orthodox Easter | changes every year (algorithm exists, but is not trivial). It is some Sunday in spring, usually not the same Sunday as western Christmas - may be one or two weeks later. The Monday after the Easter Sunday is a day-off |
| Labour Days | May 1, 2 |
| Victory Day | May 9 |
| Holy Trinity Day | changes every year, some Sunday in May or June. The Monday after is a day-off. |
| Constitution Day | June 28 |
| Independence Day | August 24 |
June 28 (Saturday) is a Constitution Day, so some facilities may be closed (most shops will be open). Monday, June 30 will also be a day off as an official holiday was Saturday.
November 7 and 8 (October Revolution Days) are not official holidays in Ukraine any more, as distinct from some other countries of the former Soviet Union
There is a habit of transferring working days around big holidays to some Sundays or Saturdays around major holidays (New Year Day and Christmas, and May 1-2 and Easter), so there are general vacation periods. Usually there is no advance notice, the government makes such decisions shortly beforehand, and these are just recommendations not mandatory for businesses and organisations. The management should decide whether they are having a ten-day vacation plus some six-day working weeks to compensate for it. Most usually decide for a vacation, so all business in the country is very slow at such vacation times, and it would be close to impossible obtain any document or medical services except emergency. The shops, entertainment and sightseeing places work at their normal schedule.
Utilities: Electricity standard is 220 volts, 50Hz. An adapter may be needed for Western European appliances and a voltage converter for Northern American. is the standard electrical voltage throughout Ukraine. Tap water in Kyiv is chemically safe but may contain elevated levels of lead from the pipes. This problem is remedied by letting the tap run for 10 seconds before collecting the water. There is also no detectable radiation in the water. Hot water is typically turned off in apartment buildings for two weeks during the summer. Better hotels have their autonomous hot water supply, so we hope you will not suffer from absence of hot water.
Public restrooms (they charge around 50 kopecks) are available in most underground malls around Khreshchatyk Street and in McDonalds (free). They are scarce in other locations.
Local transportation
Most transportation during the conference will be made by foot, as
the Institute of Mathematics is located in the city centre close to almost
everything. Many places that can be reached in 15-20 minutes do not have
convenient public transport to them, so walking will be the best option.
So the first transportation tip is to bring good shoes.
There is an extensive metro network. We have an English-language metro maps at this site under Travel Directions, but note that no English signs are available in the metro itself. Metro travel is cheap (50 kopecks per ride), safe and reliable.
There are also trams, trolleybuses and buses (same 50 kopecks per ride) that may be crowded or not so frequent. Mini-buses are 75 kopecks - 1 hryvnya per ride, and the fare is the same for the particular type of transportation irrespective of the actual distance of your travel. In 1 hryvnya minibus it is 1 hryvnya whether you go one stop or all the way. There is no comprehensive source of information about all minibus routes (more than a hundred), and we considered them not really relevant for conference participation or sightseeing, so do not give any of such information here.
Useful bus is No.20 from Khreshchatyk to Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra (take it on the opposite side from the Central Department Store). On Sundays and sometimes on Saturdays it runs from Evropeyska Ploshcha and from Arsenalna metro station (from the opposite side of the station), as Khreshchatyk becomes a pedestrian street.
Taxis may be quite inexpensive and convenient if you know the rules. There are licensed taxis (with orange chequered plates at the top). To stop a taxi if you see one lift your hand on the side of a road. Private cars may stop and function as taxis if you lift your hand on the side of a road (not advised for foreigners). Look at the meter or negotiate the price at the start. Reasonable fare around city centre (to and from Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra, Kontraktova Ploshcha, River Boat Station, House of Organ Music etc.) shall not exceed 10 hryvnyas (or 5 for a shorter ride) irrespective of the number of people. Taxi to the Open Air Museum may be 25-30 hryvnyas. Taxis may be ordered by phone (e.g. 058, 238-2-238 and many more). However, English-speaking drivers are rare. A card with the name and address of your hotel written in Ukrainian/Russian may be useful.
Medical facilities: Medical care in Ukraine may be considered limited by Western standards. However, all basic medical suppliers are available in state-owned and very numerous private pharmacies (drugstores). Many drugs that are sold in the Western countries solely with a doctor's prescription can be bought here without any prescription and much cheaper. Ukraine is a country with well-trained doctors but often inadequate medical facilities. However, numerous private clinics exist including western-type clinics with Western or at least English-speaking medical staff. Despite health service declared as free, Ukrainian doctors in public hospitals will expect cash payment for their services (with an insurance not relevant in this respect: hospitals would accept applicable foreign insurance, but insurance money do not reach doctors). All sorts of non-conventional medicine (herbal, homeopathic, acupuncture etc.) are very popular in Ukraine.
In case of emergency a 03 ambulance service shall be called (or a private ambulance if there is an insurance or willingness to pay the bills). As to any dental emergencies, there are several good private dental clinics around the institute (and prices may be much lower than in e.g. the US - many Ukrainians living now in the US come here with the purpose of doing dental work).
Visas
Please note that travellers from some countries (we adduced the list
in our previous mailings) cannot enter the country without a visa obtained
in advance.
Ukrainian visas are valid only for entrance to Ukraine and are not valid for other countries of the former Soviet Union. It is possible in theory but NOT PRACTICALLY POSSIBLE for a foreigner to obtain a visa to other countries of the former Soviet Union or any other country while in Ukraine (even if such getting visas is formally allowed that is not the fact for many countries, the process may involve many-day queues requiring personal presence at all times + long waiting time after the application). The organisers will not be able to provide any assistance or information at all in this respect. Sometimes there are travel agencies assisting in getting visas to certain countries, but such services are not advertised and very expensive with no guarantees (we have no detailed information and will not have time to get it during the conference). Such information is not given by phone or email. The only way to find out is to get a list of travel agencies and visit all of them in person.
Registration of foreign nationals
All foreigners arriving to Ukraine shall receive a registration card
at the border with note of their arrival date, and produce this card at
their departure. As distinct from previous (now cancelled) regulations
no registration with visa authorities is required for short-term visitors.
| Customs. You can bring any amount of cash/cards/travel
checks, but there are certain limits for non-declaring/using green corridors
at customs (recently it was equivalent of US$ 1,000). If you have more
cash then all cash should be declared.
It is not allowed to take out of Ukraine antiquities, any old things manufactures before 1954 (more than 50 years ago) and works of art (the notion of work of art is applied mostly to pictures) without a special permit that is costly and difficult to get (and it cannot be guaranteed that it would be possible). The organisers cannot provide any assistance in getting such permits, and the regular procedure may take weeks. Our recommendation is not to buy any antiquities, old things and pictures except in shops and request the relevant permits to take them out of the country (art galleries and antiquities shops normally provide permits for taking their goods out of the country). This concerns any pictures even those are absolutely obvious souvenir stuff and have no relation to art. Ukrainian customs can be expected to fight pirated software and music in the framework of showing to the world that copyright protection is in place. So we would not advise buying software or music tapes and CDs without special holographic labels showing that these products are legal. |
Airlines/Embassies: as you may need contacting
the Embassy of your country, or your airline during your stay in Kyiv,
you would find useful to get their addresses/phone numbers at
http://www.kiev.ua/navigator/embassies.html
http://www.kiev.ua/airways.html
Communications: Nearest Internet cafe: 21, Prorizna Street - go out of the Institute's yard, go right, cross Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street, go left up to Volodymyrska Street, turn right, go one block to Prorizna Street, then turn right and go along the street to the café. Hours: 9am - till last customer leaves; price: 10 hryvnyas per hour, 1 hryvnya for 5 minutes and so on.
Phones: International telephones - Main Post Office at Khreshchatyk Street near Maidan Nezalezhnosti (turn left from the Central Department Store and walk two blocks). International and inter-city phone calls can be made from some public phones (usually painted blue) by means of phone cards that can be bought from newspaper kiosks and post offices. If you do not intend to make international calls we advise you to buy a cheapest phone card in case of emergency (3 hryvnya card is sufficient). Coin operated public phones are not used in Kyiv.
International phone calls are expensive - US$1-2 per minute. A much cheaper option is IP telephony cards that can be bought from numerous stalls and post offices. These cards usually have an option of English-language directions but they require a tone dial option at the phone. If your telephone at the hotel has a tone dial then it is a good choice for calling home for you. We cannot help with respect to calling abroad from the institute phones, as these do not have international access or tone dial.
Important Numbers (unfortunately you cannot
expect an English-speaking operator, except maybe at the international
telephone operator and Medicom private ambulance service)
| Fire/rescue service | 01 |
| Police | 02 |
| Emergency medical aid / ambulance service | 03 |
| Emergency - gas supply company | 04 |
| Emergency - water, electric sewerage systems | 057 |
| Emergency - elevators in buildings | 086 |
| Information about hospitalised patients | 003 |
| Directory assistance - Kyiv | 09 |
| Train schedule information | 005 |
| Medikom - private ambulance service (expensive) | 055 |
| Taxi service (one of the many, known as reliable and easier to call) | 058 |
| Paid directory assistance | 009 |
| Address information service | 061 |
| Time | 060 |
| Telegrams | 066 |
| Pharmacy information | 067 |
| CIS countries telephone operator/inter-city calls | 071 |
| Long distance service | 079 |
| International telephone operator | 191, 192, 193 |
Safety tips
Despite some highly publicised crime stories and general prejudice,
Ukraine is a very safe country. However, usual safety tips applicable to
any country should be taken into account: watch your possessions; do not
go to deserted locations after dark; do not drink with strangers; if you
intend to go out and drink alcohol leave your documents and valuables at
you hotel (take a passport photocopy with you). Do not flash your money/thick
wallets/credit cards, do not engage in street gaming or take money or wallets
that are not yours from people who say that they found them; do not change
currency with private persons.
The security issue that is characteristic for many countries of the former Soviet Union is that local police holds checks targeted at fighting illegal immigration that is a huge problem for this country. Persons of African or Asian descent, including citizens of Western countries, may encounter stops by militia, especially in locations away from the city centre. Under Ukrainian law, individuals may be detained for up to three hours while their identity documents are being verified. In such circumstances demand the incident immediately be reported to your Embassy.
Ukraine Facts
The closest place to pick a free copy of these publications is TGIF near Bessarabsky Market (subject to availability).
Internet Links
Useful list of main attractions with short descriptions and photos
http://www.relc.com/kiev/kiev/ekiev.htm
http://www.kievrent.net/kiev.html
- a useful site made by real estate company - more or less fresh info.
A map of Ukraine: http://travel.kyiv.org/map/
Good source for the main country facts and renouncing of the main misconceptions
about Ukraine can be found at
http://www.premier-palace.com/guide.jsp
http://www.premier-palace.com/ten.jsp
(this is a site of a five-star hotel that was updated very recently).
A visiting professor guide to Ukraine http://kiev.albrektson.com/ (a story from a professor who visited Kyiv Polytechnic University)
Please note that many information sites about Ukraine were built at
the time when the trend emerged here, and were not updated since then.
E.g. the site that is constructed as comprehensive information source about
Kyiv and Ukraine, but now is rather obsolete (data from around 1996, and
many facts are not true at present):
http://www.uazone.net/Kiev.html
http://www.uazone.net/
Other links of the same type are: http://www.travelnotes.org/Europe/ukraine.htm;
http://www.andrii.com
Take into account that Ukraine changes its rules quite fast and many facts on the Internet may be not true at the moment (e.g. there are no shops accepting hard currency and no registration requirements for foreigners).
Checklist for participants
Note for non-conference readers:
Organising Committee has no intent to update or maintain this Kyiv
information page beyond the conference dates, so while commenting on other
obsolete web-sites, we cannot undertake having this one up-to-date at all
times. Any update is likely only for other subsequent conferences at the
Institute of Mathematics. We also cannot provide any additional information
or encourage ANY sort correspondence with respect to this Kyiv information
page that is not related to conference participation. Though conference
participants are encouraged to print this text or parts of it for their
own use, rights for publication/dissemination are reserved by the author.
© Irina Yehorchenko, 2003