Ukraine

Visited: December 1993, February 2007

Duration of visit: 10 days

Capital city: Kiev

Population: 46 million (2007)

Ukraine travel blog reading time: 6 minutes

• Skiing at the Tysovets ski resort in chaotic and potentially hazardous conditions.
• A brief visit to Lviv, the largest city in Western Ukraine, left me shocked as I witnessed the empty shelves in many grocery stores.
• Unsuccessful business meetings in Kiev and walking around the main streets at -11°C.

Ukraine, the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, was one of the most important republics of the Soviet Union, with many Ukrainians holding top positions. The country was badly damaged during World War II and had become one of the poorest Soviet republics by the time the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

The journey towards independence that began in 1991 was market by significant challenges, as Ukraine sought to align itself with Russia on one hand and the European Union on the other.

This delicate balance was further complicated by the Orange Revolution in 2004, during which the country openly shifted towards the West.

The country is internationally known for terrible nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, its status as one of the world’s major grain producers, famously beautiful women, and more recently, the ongoing war with Russia.

As a young boy growing up in Slovenia, I loved skiing and knew all the country’s ski slopes. Ski resorts in Austria, Italy or France were too expensive, thus my parents decided to go skiing to Ukraine, where apparently good skiing conditions were supplemented by inexpensive accommodation and food. I was a university student, living my independent life in Ljubljana, but for this opportunity I decided to join my parents.

A long nigh-bus drive brought us to Ukraine, where loads of snow were covering the areas of lowland. Our final destination was Tysovets ski resort – a sport-wellness complex of winter sports under supervision of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. This sport center for alpine and nordic skiing had been well recognized in the old times, also serving as a training base for the best national athletes.

Real winter conditions awaited us with plenty of snow and low temperatures. The accommodation was simple, and there were only a few ski slopes. I quickly realized that this ski resort couldn’t be compared to the excellent ski facilities in Central Europe.

Dilapidated and outdated ski lifts lost their operating license a long time ago: additionally, most of snow groomers remained in the valley due to a lack of spare parts. Transport from our hotel to ski lifts was carried out in old, indestructible Russian trucks converted to transport passengers in the most demanding winter conditions without any comfort.

All services were negotiated directly with local operators, whose flexibility and goodwill often depended on being paid in local currency, or on the size of the vodka bottles offered.

The ski tracks were left in their natural state since snow grooming wasn’t really done there. Skiing on fresh snow all week ended up being one of the best parts of the trip. Besides our group of 50 people, there were hardly any other guests at the resort. My main focus was skiing, as there were no other things to do or places to visit in the area.

Part of our ski package excursion was also a day trip to Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine. As a city listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, it is full of attractions, landmarks, and places to visit, but we simply wandered through its narrow streets on a cold winter day.

Lviv had the good fortune of escaping major destruction in the Second World War, and its position on the trade roads between the Black Sea and Central Europe furnished with more beautiful architecture than it is normal for a city of this size.

The most disappointing aspect was browsing through grocery stores, as the shelves were predominantly bare and devoid of essential items. There was practically nothing that we could buy, since only locals with special permits were able to purchase the basic goods.

While working for an American company based in London, I traveled to Kiev multiple times to help set up a sales network for heating and air-purifying products in Eastern Europe.

During the winter season, marked by limited sunlight and short daylight hours, temperatures often fall below -10°C.

Although walking around was not particularly enjoyable and there were not many things to do, I remained persistent in exploring the city during my free hours.

From a business perspective, the majority of the meetings proved to be unproductive; a complete waste of time. Ukrainian retailers were extended hands of Russian owners or mother companies and they didn’t take main decisions locally.

It was a hopeless attempt to comply with my boss requirements and unrealistic expectation to grow the business in Ukraine. Purchase power was low, the consumers were happy with well positioned German brands and local businessmen imported all kind of Chinese products under Russian labels, that were marketed countrywide on billboards, in newspapers and TV media.

With a population of almost 3 million, Kyiv is not only the industrial, scientific, educational, and cultural center of Ukraine, but also one of the main hubs of Eastern Europe. Extensive system of public transport and infrastructure, including the inexpensive Kyiv Metro, good restaurants, higher education institutions and historical landmarks with plenty of green areas, make it a pleasant tourist destination.

Kiev, one of the oldest and most important cities in Eastern Europe was founded at the beginning of the 5^th century on flowing hills next to the Dnieper River. It is a city of ancient temples, unusual Soviet architecture, rich history that reflects in hundreds of monuments, sculptures and old buildings.

Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) is the main square in Kyiv and one of the city’s highlights, known for its vibrant atmosphere, historic significance, and nearby attractions. The square has long been a gathering place for marches and protests, including the pro-European Union demonstrations in November 2013. These protests turned violent after then-President Viktor Yanukovych decided to stop signing an agreement with the EU and chose closer ties with Russia instead.

The oldest church in Kyiv, Saint Sophia Cathedral, was built in the 11^th century and it became Ukraine’s first UNESCO site and the city’s most famous landmark.

It was built by Prince Yaroslav the Wise and is decorated with original mosaics. It is one of the most famous monuments of Kievan Rus period, a federation of East Slavic and Finnish peoples, stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

Also built in 11^th century, St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, survived the Mongols, who managed to remove the gilded domes. It fell into disrepair for hundreds of years until it was restored and expanded in 1496. During this time, it became one of Ukraine’s most popular monasteries.

Unfortunately, my time in Ukraine so far has been limited to visiting two cities and skiing in remote mountains. I still have a long list of interesting places to visit and things to do in Ukraine that are worth experiencing. Chernobyl is now open to tourists, and the country’s natural wonders are waiting to be explored.

Let us hope that Ukraine will return to the path of peace and freedom, when travel will once again be possible and its hidden gems can be explored.