When you travel to Ukraine you can expect to sample some of the traditional cuisine of the country. If you’re dealing with a language barrier and don’t have a translator handy, you may wind up ordering something considerably different than what you thought. Here is a quick rundown of some of the most popular Ukrainian dishes and what they are made of.
Varenyky – also known as halushky, these are small boiled dumplings that are filled with potato or cheese or some other filling and are served with cheese and meat with sour cream or butter sauce. Similar to Pirogues in the United States.
Borshch – Ukraine’s national soup, Borshch has been ‘adopted’ by other Slavic nations. Borshch is traditionally made with beets and mixed vegetables in a broth. It comes in different varieties, each area adding their own flavour to the mix. Borshch is usually served with a clear broth or with sour cream.
Holubsti – cabbage rolls stuffed with seasoned rice, buckwheat or meat and topped with a tomato style sauce.
Kotleta Po-Kyivsky – the real name of Chicken Kiev.
Kasha – a grain based cereal similar to a buckwheat porridge and served as a side dish or stuffing.
Khleeb – this is the Ukrainian word for any type of bread. This is the generic name as each type of bread – sweet bread, wedding bread, honey cakes, doughnuts, white and wheat bread, etc. While each of these types of bread have their own name, if you ask for Khleeb you’ll get some type of bread.
If you should happen to visit Ukraine and hear hubbub about the country’s space industry, then you’ll be getting yourself into an interesting conversation. Like the American spade agency NASA, the Ukrainian industry is going through its own restructuring in order to make it better and more effective. Visitors to Ukraine who are working with these employees know that the restructure is helping the country form a favorable business and investment climate, advance their rates of output for intensives science material production, develop new competitive techniques, and plans on incorporating state owned companies into the space industry in an effort to establish international investments.
The National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU) was established in February 1992 in an effort to launch the country into their own space race with former ‘Mother Russia’, the United States, China, and other countries looking to head into outer space. With the success of the International Space Station, it may not be long before we start hearing about Ukrainian astronauts taking their turn on the ever growing satellite. With 30 production enterprises working with them, they have made great strides in modern launch vehicle technology, spacecraft engines, control and telemeter systems, and space goods and services.
You can find more information on Ukraine and NSAU at ukrtravel.com
September 17 through 19, 2008 will see Atronic coming back to Kiev, Ukraine for this year’s Entertainment Industry show. The company is a provider of casino games and services on an international level and their offices 
and products can be found in the United States, Europe, Russia, Latin America, Australia, and Asia. A member of the Gaming Standards Association that supports open industry standards, Atronic will be showcasing two of its new top linked gaming products. ‘King Kong’ and ‘Cash and Cash Fever’ are four level progressive jackpot slot games.
Additionally, Atronic will be displaying to the Ukrainian people their line of linked games from the e-motion cabinet, a digital display that shows off some of Atronics popular line. The Cash Fever cabinet will feature classic games such as ‘Time for Money’, ‘Bamboo Forest’, ‘Crystal Lake’, ‘Blastin’ Barrels’, ‘Golden Adventure’ and ‘Wild Fangs’. The King Kong Cash cabinet will offer displays featuring, ‘Tiger & Dragon’, ‘Sun Spirit’, ‘Treasure Cats’, ‘Crimson Fire’ the X-tension game, and ‘Jungle of Gold’. Additionally, Atronic will be demonstrating some of their casino management products and cashless gaming solutions.
Atronic products are currently being operated in over 90 countries throughout the world. They hold 226 gaming 
licenses that include ones for the 25 states in the United States that allow slot machine gaming. This includes 164 Native American Indian tribal casinos. They have over 130,000 machines in place in more than 1,300 international casinos. Dedicating to producing high quality games and products, they also offer linked gaming products and casino management items to all of their customers.
You can also check out more on the gaming and poker happenings in Kiev at this great blog too: Casino Life Magazine Blog
While the men were winning gold medals left and right, Ukraine women were having a slightly tougher time until Saturday when they were handed the gold medal for the women’s heptathlon. Nataliia Dobrynska of Ukraine recorded 6,733 points after competing in a two-day, seven sport discipline event. Her teammate Lyudmila 
Blonska too the silver medal 33 points behind Dobrynska and American Hyleas Fountain of the United States taking the bronze with 6,619 points.
Says Dobrynska after winning her medal, “The Olympic Games is the main goal for every athlete, but today I think I wanted it more and that’s why I won it. I had very strong opponents, but like every athlete, I had the goal to win the Olympic Games.” Her medal was based on her performance in seven different track and field events, with her shot put landing at 17.29 meters – a personal best for the Ukrainian athlete – and the long jump of 6.63 meters. She scored 13.44 seconds in the 100 meter hurdle and 48.50 meters in the javelin.
Blonska, who took the silver, was the 2006 world indoor champion and reigning world silver medalist. “I never thought I could win a silver medal in the Olympic Games. It has always been my dream to win a medal in the Olympics,” she said. Now, her dream has come true.
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
Entering and leaving Ukraine is no longer a problem for most visitors since the country became an independent nation. If you are a citizen of the United States, the European Union, Swiss Confederation, Liechtenstein, Canada, and Japan, you no longer need a visa if you are not going to be in the country for 90 days or less. To be sure that the law has not changed since it was instituted in 2005, you should confirm 
this information with the Ukrainian Consulate in your home country before travelling.
When you enter or leave Ukraine, you should pass through the green or red custom corridors. Always have your travel papers available for inspection including any paperwork that you receive and fill out when going through customs into the country. You will need them in order to leave. Also, always make sure that you have all of your paperwork before leaving the customs area to make sure they have been properly returned to you.
If you are carrying goods or money that needs to be declared you will need to pass through the red corridor. These items include: prohibited items such as explosives, weapons that are not approved by the authorities; drugs; artwork; antiques; luggage that is being sent through separately; more than $1,000 and 85 hryvnyas in cash; personal jewellery that exceeds $240 in value; more than 1 litre of alcoholic beverages; and more than 200 grams of tobacco products. Everyone else should us the green customs corridor.
All foreign visitors are required to have insurance policies in place that guarantee payment if any medical treatment is provided to them. These policies can be bought in Ukraine from the State JSC for Providing the Foreign Citizens with Emergency Aid or any place where a visa is processed and at the state border during crossing.
The Ukrainian women’s fencing team made a great show in the 2008 Beijing Olympics by taking the gold medal and defeating the Chinese team by 45-44. This win was an exciting finish ended the women’s Olympic competition. China won the silver and the United States won the bronze by defeating the French team.
Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan led the team’s comeback against China, working through a four point deficit to tie the competition up. China was leading the Ukraine team 40-36 when Kharlan and China’s Tan Xue faced off on 
the piste. When the scores tied at 44, both women believed they had delivered the winning blow to the other. The judges paused the competition to review the official video for clarification and decided to withhold the point all together. When the two women faced off again, Kharlan recorded the winning blow and won the Ukrainian team the gold medal.
Kharlan and her team defeated the American team 45-39 earlier in the match, relegating both the American and French women’s fencing teams to battle for the bronze medal. The United States took the gold in the individual women’s fencing competition, the medal going to Mariel Zagunis after she defeated fellow team mate Sada Jacobson.
For more news about Ukraine you can also visit the Kiev Ukraine News Blog.
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.
It?s almost a given that every year the owners of Soho American steakhouse remodel their basement and give it a completely different look. The area began as a nightclub, which being far from the center never proved too popular, and then became a pizzeria and strip club Continue reading ‘New desserts at clair; Guinness in Obolon country’
The problem of finding the best cheeseburger in the city can be reduced to a matter of geography and culture, a problem best summed up by two sound bites captured from one night in our search.
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