Sincerely,
Tony.

Like Chicken Kiev... Only Different

My first impression of the city was that of darkness. It may have been that way because it was night when I arrived but you notice there are very few street lights illuminated. As I was to learn, Ukraine must purchase most of its electricity from Russia. This makes it unaffordable for Ukraine to illuminate all its street lights. Even with this darkness, at no time did I feel unsafe during my evening travels through the city.

In the daylight Kharkiv reminds you of one thing the Ukraine is known for - concrete. The apartment buildings are large, populated, and concrete gray.

The people there were very friendly. Everyone is an entrepreneur. Do not be surprised if while hailing down a taxi, a private citizen will pull up and offer you a ride for a few hryvnya. I even had an ambulance stop and offer a ride to my destination for three hryvnya (while I was there 1US$=1.77hryvnya.)The cost of a taxi is very reasonable although it is best to agree upon a price before you get in. The metro is an excellent mass transit service and cost just pennies. Once in the city center everything is an easy walk.

A real treat is to catch a concert at the Uspensky Cathedral. I went to a Bach concert there. There was an orchestra of about 50 pieces and the cathedral's pipe organ. Bach's St. Matthews Passion BWV 244 was extremely moving with the cathedral's fine acoustics. It cost less then a dollar!

Another sight is the Blahoveshchensky Cathedral across the Lopan River. Its architecture is copied from Hagia Sophi in Instabul.

There is an Opera and Ballet Theater located on vulitsya Sumska. The exterior is the most modern looking of any building in the city even if it is concrete gray.

For eating I recommend the Restoran Dom Chaya (Tea House) on the corner of Vulitsya Karazina and Vulitsya Myronosytska. It offers a real Ukrainian menu and a large selection of teas. It does not do a booming business except for Ukrainian expatriates who return to visit family and friends. According to the proprietor, most Ukrainians are now only interested in pizza, hamburgers, and "Bush's Legs" (the name given to chicken legs which became abundant during President Bush's administration).

If there is one dish you have to try while in Ukraine, I mean if you really want to say you ate a truly Ukrainian dish, it is Salo. It is like muktuk (whale blubber) only different. No, honestly Salo is a unique Ukraine dish. It is pig fat stored in vats and eaten cold. It is a Ukrainian delicacy born out of practicality during the days of high meat prices during Ukrainian's membership in the Soviet Union.

Ukraine is a wonderful experience. I was only there for a week and enjoyed every minute. The only difficulty I had was with language. That was because I did not speak Ukrainian or Russian except for some pleasantries. Other then that, you can find people there that speak English and western European languages. Don't let the language stop you. Do some research and prepare yourself before you go. An excellent source of information in a book entitled "Russia, Ukraine and Belarus", published by Lonely Planet Publications (ISBN 0-86442-320-9).