The republic suffered terrible damage during World War II, and this was made doubly worse by the famine that resulted from widespread destruction of infrastructure, the drought of 1946, and disruption of services, including the lack of effective policies to counter the starvation.
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A statue to commemorate the visit of Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt CREDIT: FOTOLIA/AP
To rebuild the future and relations among nations, the Yalta Conference was held in Crimea at the Livadia Palace. The conference was attended by world leaders, including Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin. Their aim was to reorganize Europe.
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Since the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in 1986, Pripyat and other towns exposed to the lethal radiation have remained ghost towns – abandoned by hundreds of thousands of former inhabitants. This area in the north of Ukraine is now referred to as the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
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The area is still contaminated with radiation up to this day, and levels are high in many areas. Still, flocks of tourists and “influencers” opt to visit Chernobyl, go on tours around the ghost towns, and risk their health for the perfect apocalyptic selfie.
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A trip to Lviv, the country’s sixth-largest city, is often taken by tourists who seek the thrill of sporting events. It is also the site of Lviv University, the oldest educational institution in the country. But the most fascinating aspect of the place is its vibrant coffee culture.
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Lviv CREDIT: LUDA - FOTOLIA
The city has the most cafés in the world (per capita). It has a relaxed atmosphere that tourists love, and it boasts a rich art scene to complement the avenues lined with cozy coffee shops populated by unhurried guests.
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In 1853, pharmacists Ignacy ŁUkasiewicz and Jan Zeh invented the gas lamp in a shop in Lviv that’s now called Under the Golden Star – a fitting name for a place where photons were released in a new way, lighting up spaces that had previously felt eternally damp and gloomy.
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Under the Golden Star is a pub and restaurant that displays ancient inventions, including the desk lamps of Franz Joseph I and Italian General Giuseppe Garibaldi. With a total of 528 items, the pub/museum has the second-largest collection on the continent.
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Klevan Castle may have been abandoned, but it still watches over the Stubla River. It was strategically built in 1561 and was an important hub until the Orthodox house of Chortoryisk converted to Catholicism. Another popular landmark here is the Tunnel of Love.
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Pleached tree branches form an interconnected shade structure over this railway that connects Klevan to Kivertsi and the city of Rivne. Far away from the hustle and bustle of Ukraine’s metropolises, friends and lovers find the time to walk through the Tunnel of Love.
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The biggest cargo plane in the world was built in Ukraine in the 1980s to support the Buran Program by lifting orbiters that needed a jump-start into space. The Antonov An-225 has since been sidelined because of its size and lack of funding.
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Through the years, the “Mriya” has done little more than dream of a life in the sky, with its monumental wingspan simply wasting away in a hangar. It was reportedly destroyed during the recent Russian invasion.
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Ukraine boasts a large and powerful military force. Its military equipment is largely composed of remnants from its breakup with the former Soviet Union. These were collected after the failed August Coup of 1991 when die-hard communists plotted to oust Mikhail Gorbachev and put a stop to his reform programs.
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Behind Russia, which unfortunately has turned its gunsights on its former partner, Ukraine’s military presence ranks second in Europe. Many weapons and aircraft are now being added to their inventory by allied nations following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
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Ukraine took part in the Winter Olympics for the first time in Norway back in 1994. It ranked 13th overall after sending 37 competitors to compete in 10 events. Back home, the country has a handful of stylish ski resorts strewn along its scenic mountain ranges.
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The ski resort of Bukovel CREDIT: FOTOLIA/AP
Eastern Europe’s largest ski resort is located at the Bukovel in Ukraine, some three thousand feet above sea level, along the Carpathian Mountain ridges. Skiing enthusiasts have 220 hectares of space for various runs, from easy to expert levels.
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Legends and superstitions aren’t new to Ukrainians who put much value on their easter eggs called Pysanky. They inscribe traditional patterns around the eggs using the resist-dyeing style and batik methods, then coat them with beeswax. The traditional belief is that it is a symbol of rebirth, celebrated during spring.
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Some also believe that the decorated eggs can be used to ward off evil, protecting households against fires and catastrophes by trapping bad spirits within the patterned sphere. Ukrainian scholars believe that this art of batik egg decoration may have originated from the pre-Christian era.
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Since 2015, communist symbolism and street names have been banned in Ukraine, eradicated in an effort to banish the ghosts of the old regime and make way for the nation’s modern renovation. But the Motherland Monument remains, standing 62 meters (around 203 feet) high on the outskirts of Kyiv.
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Its shield has the Soviet Union’s emblem, while its right hand wields a nine-ton sword. This monument stands within the grounds of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. The names of people considered to be heroes of the Soviet Union are inscribed in the memorial hall.
