Going to Ukraine means visiting a number of different historical places that are located all over the country. It is a country with a deep heritage that has seen numerous other nations claiming bits and pieces of it through the centuries. It was once part of the Soviet Union and it is to this day the home of the worst nuclear disaster the world has ever faced – and it is still suffering from the repercussions. However, Ukraine holds such a rich and unique history that since its doors opened to the rest of the world, it is has seen prosperity thanks to the deep pockets of its visitors.
One of the many unique sites the country offers its visitors the Kiev Pechersk Lavra – or the Caves Monastery. Located on the western bank of Dnieper River in Kiev, the Kiev Pechersk Lavra is a piece of Ukrainian history that dates all the way back to 1051. Within their walls a devout monk, the Venerable Anthony, settled to live out his life. He was joined by his followers and they made their home within the caves to the point that they eventually outgrew them. Many members of the city’s aristocracy, including Prince Izyaslav, donated money to Anthony and his monks during their visits and an aboveground church and monastery were built. The monastery is still active today and growing and it serves as an important center of Orthodox Christianity in Ukraine. The entrance to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra is free.
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Ukraine has many historical places to visit and there is always something to do no matter what city you are in. Odessa is no exception and while you are staying here you are going to want to visit the Potemkin Steps. Make 
sure you are wearing a good, comfortable pair of shoes and bring your camera with you. You are going to want to take a climb to the top and snap a picture to prove that you did.
The Potemkin Steps is the legendary staircase that saw mutinying sailors fight soldiers loyal to the Czar in 1905. This battle was immortalized for all time in the 1925 silent film ‘Battleship Potemkin’ by Einstein. When you are standing at the top of the steps, you cannot see all of the steps below you. However when you are standing at the bottom of the steps looking up, you can see all of the steps. This optical illusion took four years to build and it was completed in 1841. While you are traversing up and down the steps, make sure you enjoy a boat cruise off the long pier near the steps of simply get one of the best workouts of your life by going up and down the Potemkin Steps.
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Ukraine is home to some of the most historical locations to be found in that area of Europe. From the historical districts of Kiev and Kharkov to the ruins of the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, Ukraine is a tourist’s paradise, especially if history is one of their main vices. One of the most interesting sites in Kiev is the Great Patriotic War Museum. Closed on Monday, this museum is a testament to the courage and stoutness of the Ukrainian men and women of the country during times of war.
Ukraine’s Great Patriotic War Museum is a collection of World War II artifacts that are being housed in a Soviet-built building. It is overlooked by a towering statue that represents the Motherland. The statue is wielding a sword and many people have compared it to the Statue of Liberty in the United States with a sword instead of a book and torch. Outside of the building are decommissioned tanks standing sentinel. They have been painted with flowers in a sign of peace. Another statue sits near the tanks that are entitled ‘To the Fallen’. It is a memorial to all of the fallen men and women who died during World War II. While most of the displays are tagged and noted in Russian or Ukrainian, they are fascinating and are laid out well, allowing visitors to understand what they represent without needing the notes.
You can check out more great Ukraine pictures are http://www.brama.com/travel/kypics.html
The director of Microsoft Ukraine, Eric Franke, believes that Ukraine will be the next country to make an impact in software development. The country currently has 30,000 to 40,000 individual software developers and its 
location – central to Russia and Europe – makes the country have huge potential with its strategic location. Already many of the Ukraine developers are working on products for Microsoft, writing code, integrating, supporting, localizing, and adapting software for the company. The universities in Ukraine, according to Franke, are producing high quality programmers and Microsoft has formed partnerships with 10 core universities in the country.
The software development arena in Ukraine is 85% IT with software a growing slice of the computer programming pie. In five years Microsoft Ukraine has grown from four employees to 150 and it’s not expected to slow down for at least another three years. Growth in the programming segment is growing in solution sales and partners and currently Ukraine Microsoft has over 1,000 partners. Eric Franke believes that while Ukraine is not as big as India, the company can play a large role in outsourcing and development market. With the current growth of 40% per year, Ukraine could be a second India with their huge intellectual capital and their location to Europe.
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The city of Artek on the southern Crimean Black Sea shore in Ukraine was the site of the Ukraine Festival of Children. This year’s theme was ‘Let’s Change The World For The Better’ and children from 47 different countries including India attended the 20 day festival hosted by the All-Ukrainian Charitable Fund of Hope and Good, promoting the ideals of peace and non-violent behavior to the world’s young. The festival symbolizes the unity of culture, equal rights for all people, the striving for openness, freedom, social development, and peacemaking.
The festival was held at the International Children’s Centre, one of the biggest, finest, and most well known children’s camps in the world. The camp is spread over 208 hectares among the Bear Mountains and the ruins of the ancient Genoese Fort. The nine camps that make up the larger one can accommodate around 4,000 children. UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund recognizes the annual festival in Artek, Ukraine as an event that is of cultural value and ‘integral to a peaceful future’. One of the festivals highlights is the pledge the children take to help promote world peace and integration by ‘forging good friendship and neighborship between countries and as a group the children issued an appeal to the governments of the 47 involved nations – and the world – the change the world for the better.
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According to the UN World Tourism Organization, Ukraine is quickly following in the footsteps of Russia in the tourism department. The country has a population of 48 million people and is quickly becoming a desirable tourist market. The Ukrainian government has started heavily promoting the country as a tourist destination and 23 million people visited the country in 2007. This number is expected to grow and UEFA’s decision to host the Euro 2012 football tournament has resulted in a bunch of new investments, such as hotels with international names such as Intercontinental, Radisson, and Hilton.
The UITT was chosen as the 2008 venue for the launch of the country’s ‘Year of Tourism’. According to the President of Ukraine, Victor Yuschenko, tourism in the country has grown 25% annually. The government is very confident that the market is growing and this year’s exhibition will feature 688 exhibitors from 58 different countries and regions. This is an increase of 40% since the year before. Additionally the Ukraine International Travel Market will be celebrating if 15th edition and it has moved to the International Exhibition Center in Kiev. The move is thanks to the travel markets growth and it brings hotels, SPA, recreation centers, museums and travel agencies from over 40 countries together to promote tourism.
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If you are looking for an outdoor excursion while in Ukraine and enjoy learning about the flora of the country, you can visit the Seaside Park in Nikita. The park is the most well protected of all thanks to the mountain crests that surround it. The climate in this little corner of Ukraine is mild and the evergreen trees in the garden love the warmth. Additionally, visitors to the park can see cedar, osmantuses, mastic pistachio-tree, various palm-trees, and a wide variety of bright flowered blooming subtropical shrubs. Myrtle, pheyhoa, haerops – also known as palmetto – and orchidaceous trees can also be found at the Seaside Park.
If you start your trip to the gardens in the Upper Park, you will get the opportunity to wander through carefully manicured paths into the plantations, the area of the gardens that contains plant species from the world. Bamboo from China, Silver Fir, Plantain, Evergreen Stone Oak, and gigantic sequoiadrendron can be found here. There are also 500 year old yew trees in this part of the garden, a throwback to the local forests that are long gone.
To the east of the park visitors will find Cape Martyan, and area where rare shrubs, tree, and grasses in over 500 species grow in 120 hectares of dry land reserve of virgin conditions. This area is used by Ukrainian scientists on a regular basis and it is only open during certain times of year.
You can see more great photos and get more information at virtualtourist.com
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In an effort to help control Hepatitis A, Sinovac Biotech Ltd. has announced that they will initiate a clinical trial of its new inactivated Hepatitis A vaccine Healive in Ukraine. The trials are scheduled to start sometime in September. The trials are being conducted by Biolik Biopharmaceutical Co. which is based out of Kharkov, Ukraine, where the vaccine manufacturer is located. The company is hoping to get regulatory approval in Ukraine for use among the population in an effort to stave off any outbreak of the Hepatitis A infection. Biolik will also be marketing and distributing the vaccine in Ukraine and the vaccine has a marketing opportunity of $10 million or more.
The trials will include around 300 adult citizens and 200 children. The initial dosing will include a follow-up vaccine approximately six months after the first dose is given. Biolik expects the trial to take between nine months to a year for completion. If the trial shows positive results, Biolik will go for regulatory approval. There is the potential of international sales if the vaccine proves effective in stopping the spread of Hepatitis A among citizens of Ukraine and could prove to be an economic boon for the both the country and international medical community.
When planning a trip to Ukraine you are going to want to make sure that you pack the proper items. You cannot always account for every eventuality, but if you follow some of the basic ideas we present here, you will be able to make your stay in Ukraine enjoyable. The most basic things you will want to make sure that you have is a change of clothing, shoes or boots, a passport, money, and other necessities, all in a carry-on bag. This ensures you always have the proper documentation and some clothing in case your luggage is lost.
If you are planning on bringing a laptop computer to Ukraine, you will need to bring a power converter with you. In Ukraine, the electrical current is 220v/60Hz while in the United States if runs 110v/50Hz. Make sure that you computer can run on both voltages and the adapter plug you purchase will fit into European sockets. Also, make sure you bring a surge protector, and other computer supplies that you may need with you. You may not find what you need when you are in Ukraine, and if you do find it there, expect to pay a higher price for it.
When you pack your clothing, make sure that it is comfortable, versatile, and easy to take care of. Mix and match is the best if you are on vacation and bring business attire with you in the event that you will be having a business meeting. Bring the toiletries that you can use in public restrooms and pack a bath towel as the ones in the hotels are usually small. Also, don’t forget to bring a small gift for your Ukrainian hosts and their children as this shows proper etiquette.
You can read more about Ukraine travel at travelgalica.blogspot.com.
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Freddie Mercury, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991, would’ve been proud of his band mates as they sang to tens of thousands Ukrainian fans at a charity concert to raise money for AIDS awareness in the country. The concert was held in the central square of Kharkov on Friday, September 12, 2008, and it was a huge success. The concert also helped promote the band’s new album ‘Cosmos Rock’ and launched a tour that includes Russia, France, Germany, and Great Britain. The bands current lead singer, Paul Rodgers, stated, “We’ve been asked to come here and we are very happy to do what we can to raise the awareness of AIDS and also to kick off a new tour. Awareness is the first step towards defeating the problem.”
The band knows firsthand what it is like to lose a close friend to AIDS. In addition to playing some great music and all of the hits the band is known for, the concert’s promoters distributed literature and condoms to the cities concert goers and citizens of the city prior to the concert’s start. Younger members of the community weren’t the only ones to enjoy the music. Many middle-aged Ukrainians also turned out for the event to enjoy music they grew up listening to. This was the first time Queen has ever played in Ukraine. You can find more information on the concert at msnmusic.com
Queens in 1975 with band mate Freddie Mercury (center) whom they lost to Aids in 1991.
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