Ukraine

[sligoman]

I'd recommend going to Chernobyl..its fascinating, if a bit grim. Plenty of companies do day trips from Kiev, just Google it. IIRC, its about a 90 minute drive, probably leaving at 9:00 and getting back at 6:00. I haven't spent much time in Kiev, but the war museum is worth visiting (although I say that about pretty much every ex-Soviet city). Poltava was the site of a major battle between Russia and Sweden in 17something.

It seems tours of Chernobyl are cancelled for the time being, such bad timing

Wont have time to make my way to Crimea, spending 2 nights in Kiev and then 1 in Poltava before flying home from Kiev again.

[DaveyCakes]

That is bad timing! Ah well, I'm sure you'll find something to do. Will ye be getting the train between Kiev and Poltava? Bring a few extra beers and a bit of food...people will share stuff around the carriage. The nightlife in Kiev is crazy.

[DaveyCakes]

I'd also recommend bringing a printout of the cyrillic alphabet. It obviously won't help you with the language but at least you'd be able to decipher place names and the such. A fair few people in Kiev speak English, but I suspect that may not be the case in Полтава. (There are a few differences between the Russian and Ukrainian alphabets, but nothing too major).

[born2bwild]

A few useful phrases:
Ya peeva hatchu. Ya dva peeva hatchu. Ya tree peeva hatchu. Ya chiteeri peeva hatchu....

[born2bwild]

I'd recommend going to Chernobyl..its fascinating, if a bit grim. Plenty of companies do day trips from Kiev, just Google it. IIRC, its about a 90 minute drive, probably leaving at 9:00 and getting back at 6:00. I haven't spent much time in Kiev, but the war museum is worth visiting (although I say that about pretty much every ex-Soviet city). Poltava was the site of a major battle between Russia and Sweden in 17something.

As has been mentioned before, my recommended tipple is Chernigivske.

http://www.chernigivske.ua/en/beer/kinds.html

If you are planning on staying more than a few days, I heartily endorse the flying down to Crimea suggestion.

How would you drive to Chernobyl? Hire a car? Good luck with that. And the 'roads' and the paperwork, and the cops.

The war museum under the 'rodina mat' monument? It's class isn't it?

Kiev is cool; just be careful with the taxi drivers at the airport. Don't pay them anything more than 20 euros to take you into town.

Don't lose the bit of paper the cops put into your passport at the airport.

Chernigivski is ok - as is slavutich and obolon - they all taste a bit like heineken. By the way, my last post was 'I want a beer, 2 beers, 3 beers etc...'

[sligoman]

Will ye be getting the train between Kiev and Poltava?

Nope, we'll be hiring a bus for it, seems it's going to take 4-5 hours.

[Dodge]

I'm definitely off to Lviv btw

[DaveyCakes]

How would you drive to Chernobyl? Hire a car? Good luck with that. And the 'roads' and the paperwork, and the cops.

The war museum under the 'rodina mat' monument? It's class isn't it?

Kiev is cool; just be careful with the taxi drivers at the airport. Don't pay them anything more than 20 euros to take you into town.

Don't lose the bit of paper the cops put into your passport at the airport.

Chernigivski is ok - as is slavutich and obolon - they all taste a bit like heineken. By the way, my last post was 'I want a beer, 2 beers, 3 beers etc...'

No, I meant that the guided tour takes about 90 minutes to get there...but it appears as if its all academic now anyways. I was in Kharkov in May and they appear to have done away with the registration card ('the bit of paper the cops put into your passport at the airport')..they were there on the desks in the immigration hall and I filled one in, but the border guard just waved it away. Having said that, if you DO get one, DON'T lose it!

[mypost]

From that, is it safe to assume no visas are required?

Not going, well not yet. If we qualify for the Euros however....

[DaveyCakes]

No visa needed.

[born2bwild]

Nope, we'll be hiring a bus for it, seems it's going to take 4-5 hours.

Are you hiring a driver too? I assume so. Highlight of the trip will be the hilarious moment when he objects to you putting on your seat belt!. It'll be roasting hot and the roads will be fycking mental. I genuinely love driving in Ukraine in the summer. Best of luck!

[sligoman]

Are you hiring a driver too?

Yes.

Highlight of the trip will be the hilarious moment when he objects to you putting on your seat belt!

I'd say most on the bus wont bother wearing one, but why would he object anyway?

It'll be roasting hot

Bus has air conditioning.

[born2bwild]

Yes.
I'd say most on the bus wont bother wearing one, but why would he object anyway?
Bus has air conditioning.

It's considered an insult to the driver's skill to attempt to wear one. I'm exaggerating - slightly.

[Spudulika]

It's considered an insult to the driver's skill to attempt to wear one. I'm exaggerating - slightly.

Now you're lying b2w :-)

It's on the big sign as you come through passport control - "Thou shalt not wear a seat belt, you big jessy".

edit: Meant to add I'd half a bottle (litre size) of Obolon the other night, tasted not the best and even converting it into an alt bier bowle didn't help. It was an import too.

[born2bwild]

They're not great generally, Ukrainian beers - grand on a hot day with Shashlik! Obolon actually is the one that tastes least like the others (if that makes any sense?)

[Spudulika]

I get what you mean. I found it a little rough and in Russia, Moscow for sure, Obolon in the plastic 1 litre bottle is the one most commonly drunk by people on the streets or hardened drinkers. One thing I will say for it is that it's better than most of what Baltika has to offer. A real shame in Russia is that most of the small brands are now bought out by big companies like SAB-Miller, Heineken and SUNInBev, which means all of them taste the same. I don't know if it's the same in Ukraine though, there are lots of smaller breweries still doing okay, right?

[Sean South]

All you need to know

всосите мою суку крана

Call women "суку" they love it. (Pronounced suka)

[Closed Account 2]

I really would recommend Crimea if you can get the time to go there. Yalta is probably the best place, then Sevastopol. Most Kiev trains go to Simferopol (in the middle of Crimea peninsula, not that great) you can get a bus from there to Yalta takes about 1hr. Some trains go thru from Kiev to Sevastopol - you could stay there or just get a 40 mins bus to Yalta from there. On the way you will pass Foros which is a very nice little town - famous for the fact it was where Gorbi was held hostage back in August 1991 - dont know if there will be any 20 year celebrations. If you are anywhere in the country on the 24th August it is Ukrainian Independance day, which is a national holiday and the trains and buses are full (and less are running), but if you are in Kiev there is a spectacular Military display, you will see scores of Tanks, APCs, soliders marching etc, and they do a fly by with mig 29s, etc and some massive cargo planes.

[DaveyCakes]

One thing I will say for it is that it's better than most of what Baltika has to offer.

Baltika no. 7 is quite nice, most of the others are muck alright

[born2bwild]

I get what you mean. I found it a little rough and in Russia, Moscow for sure, Obolon in the plastic 1 litre bottle is the one most commonly drunk by people on the streets or hardened drinkers. One thing I will say for it is that it's better than most of what Baltika has to offer. A real shame in Russia is that most of the small brands are now bought out by big companies like SAB-Miller, Heineken and SUNInBev, which means all of them taste the same. I don't know if it's the same in Ukraine though, there are lots of smaller breweries still doing okay, right?

Not really, I mean there was this beer 'Zhigulovskyaya' from Zaporozhye, that, according to the missus, had been around back since before sovyetski soyuz - it was not great.
Not a great place for beer - but then I wouldn't want the place to start resembling Belgium!