Ukraine Travelogue
Articles
Travelogues
By Tom Kirvan
One of the largest countries in Eastern Europe, Ukraine is bordered by the Black Sea, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, and Slovakia.
Ukraine has been long known as the “breadbasket of Europe” for serving as a major exporter of wheat. It also has been a bountiful supplier of such crops as rye, flax, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflowers, and potatoes.
In addition to its agricultural might, Ukraine has vast mineral and energy resources, including iron, coal, aluminum, mercury, nickel, natural gas, oil, zinc, and titanium. It is an important exporter of steel, agricultural equipment, building materials, chemicals, and fertilizers.
While the ongoing war with Russia has taken an enormous toll on Ukraine, it remains a country with a fascinating history, rich culture, and beautiful scenery featuring the Carpathian Mountains, the Black Sea, fertile plains and plateaus, and more than 20,000 rivers that crisscross the country.
Among its many cultural treasures is the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Monastery situated on a hill beside the Dnipro River in the country’s capital. The monastery was established in 1051 A.D. and has evolved to incorporate such architectural styles as Baroque, Classical, and Byzantine. One of the top tourist attractions in Ukraine, the monastery includes an assortment of churches, towers, and subterranean tunnels.
Another popular tourist site is the city of Chernihiv, which dates to 908 A.D. and is located on the banks of the Desna River in northern Ukraine. With a population of approximately 282,000 inhabitants, Chernihiv is replete with medieval architecture, particularly seen at St. Catherine’s Church with its golden cupolas and the 11th century five-domed Transfiguration Cathedral.
The city of Chernivtsi, located at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains in western Ukraine, is known as “Little Vienna” for boasting similar architecture to the Austrian capital.
For those who prefer cities on the water, Odessa offers much in the way of beauty and bears the nickname the “Pearl of the Black Sea.” With a population of more than 1 million, Odessa is a major seaport hub featuring Art Nouveau architecture, miles of underground catacombs, gorgeous beaches, and an array of wineries.
Fast Facts
Capital: Kyiv
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian
Population: 38 million
Religion: Christianity (82 percent)
Must-see Attraction: Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Monastery
Primerus Member: Serafim Lawyers
The law firm of Serafim Lawyers became part of Primerus in December 2023 and is based in Khmelmitskiy, a city of 274,000 in western Ukraine on the Southern Bug, one of the country’s longest rivers. For more than 20 years, the firm has developed a wide-ranging practice in such fields as banking, business, commercial, corporate, energy, government, immigration, labor and employment, mergers and acquisitions, municipal, real estate, securities, tax, transportation, and trusts and estates.