Boryspil International Airport is the main hub for The Ukraine. It services not only all international flights, but also domestic flights. Boryspil has a very large accessible runway for any type of aircraft. During the Soviet era, Boryspil International Airport was strictly a military airfield. Later after The Ukraine claimed independence, it was converted into a civilian airport hub.

All flights with the exception of a few carriers such as Delta and Air France park away from the terminal and bus in their passengers. It is a short bus trip to the International Terminal B.

You will quickly be greeted with an old style soviet passport control center. Be prepared to wait for up to two hours as lines are long and customer service is not a priority. It is critical to have all your paperwork filled out and ready. Not being prepared will cost you more time. In the seven times I have been to the Ukraine, I have only waited two hours one time. After that bad experience I always booked my flight to arrive very early in the morning or late at night. 9 am to 2 pm are peak hours at Boryspil Airport.

Be polite and patient while in the passport control line. Ukrainian officers are not in the mood for jokes or small talk. Answer their questions fully and respectfully. Officers speak English and will understand you.

Once you leave passport control, you will immediately see baggage claim. Boryspil is like all airports it has digital readouts of incoming flights and matches them with a baggage claim area.

If you cannot find your baggage, there is a lost baggage office that will assist you in finding your luggage. Now in seven times of traveling to the Ukraine, I have only had to use this service once. Surprisingly, this office was very helpful, spoke very good English and immediately was able to track down my luggage. The representative called New York for me and found my luggage. Apparently my luggage never made the flight.

The next day I was able to retrieve my luggage after being lost the day before. The only interesting thing about it is I had to pay a tip to the attendant to go retrieve it for me. A side note to remember is everything in the Ukraine moves by tips. Give too small of a tip and Ukrainians have no problem in letting you know your mistake. Normal tip fair for getting your baggage reclaimed $6.00. Taxi trip to get back to the airport to retrieve your baggage $55.00. Knowing that you paid the right tip and avoiding the embarrassment of getting screamed at for failing to understand the tip policy, priceless.

Now that you are out of baggage claim it is just a short walk up a small incline into the heart of the Kiev, Boryspil Airport. Walk through the double doors and you are greeted with a large crowd of families, friends and business associates awaiting the arriving passenger. Get through the crowd and you are bombarded with taxi drivers willing to take you anywhere in Kiev.

Stay away from these taxi drivers. Go find one of the many kiosks in the airport that can aid you with a taxi to anywhere you want to go for a fair price. Taxi kiosks are easy to find, they have the word “TAXI” written across them.

If you are exchanging money, there are four different money exchange booths available. The rate at the airport is the worst, if you can wait until you get into the city, then you will get a much better rate. When I travel I tend to only exchange $200.00 USD for a taxi and food. It is very easy to find these exchange booths in the center of the city with much better exchange rates. The US Dollar, Euro and Russian Ruble are accepted everywhere.

Take only new money with you. Exchange booths will not accept old or money that has been wet. Since it is impossible to know if a dollar bill has ever been wet, it is important to only take new bills. All exchange booths will put your money under an ultraviolet light. Money that shows wet spots will not be accepted.

If you are traveling to another part of the Ukraine, it is a very short walk to terminal A. This terminal handles all domestic flights. You can easily buy a ticket to anywhere in the Ukraine by going to one of the two booths inside this terminal. Pay close attention to your flight status in this terminal. Although all flights are digitally displayed, often times boarding calls are done vocally. These vocal announcements are done in Ukrainian or Russian. If in doubt, ask someone and they will tell you where to board.

Finally, if you want to avoid all the rush and crowds, the VIP service is for you. Terminal C houses a very comfortable environment for anyone that would like to pay $150.00 USD or up for this service. A private coach will come pick you up from your plane. Your luggage will be taken from the plane separately and brought to you. Exit passport control in 15 minutes or less. The services arrival in terminal C range from wireless internet service to fax and phone service all available from the comfort of a environmentally controlled lounge. If you are interested in this service, Google Boryspil Airport and contact the VIP office. All VIP representatives speak English.

Enjoy your stay in the Ukraine!

Volodymyr would certainly not recognize his town today. The city he knew was destroyed by invading Tatars in 1240. In the centuries that followed, it was besieged by one army after another; most recently the armed forces of Germany in the two world wars. Considering its turbulent and often tragic history, it’s a wonder that anything of Volodymyr’s city remains. But tourists staying in Kiev hotels can still see a reminder of the time of the great leader.

The Desyatynna (Tithe Church) was so named because Volodymyr gave up a tenth of his fortune to pay for its construction. The ruins of the church can still be seen in a park across from the end of the vulitsya Desyatynna. They are next to the Ukrainsky Istorychny Muzey (Museum of Ukrainian History). The Tithe Church was founded in 989, and was the burial place of Volodymyr. When the Tatars sacked Kiev, hundreds of city residents climbed onto the roof in search of safety. The roof collapsed, and the survivors were left to the mercy of the barbarians.

Andriivska Tserka (St. Andrew’s Church) is a landmark of Volodymyr’s Town, though it does not date back to the time of the warrior prince. The church graces the top of a hill, and was designed by Rastrelli, the Italian architect who was the creative force behind the beauty of 18^th century St. Petersburg. St. Andrew’s Church marks the entrance to one of Kiev’s most attractive streets, Andriivsky Uzviz (Andrew’s Descent). This winding street goes down to the Podil region by the Dnieper River. It is called Kiev’s Montmartre, because its cafes are popular with the artistic set. This is the best place in the city to shop for souvenirs. Visitors to Volodymyr’s Town should also see the 19^th century Zamok Richarda Levove Sertse (Castle of Richard the Lion Heart), and the museum dedicated to the writer Mikhail Balgakov. There are accommodations in Kiev to suit every budget, from pricey Kiev hotels to budget-priced Kiev apartments. The staff of your Kiev hotel can provide information on tours of the city.

Like other great European cities; Paris, Moscow, Vienna, Rome; Kiev has a long and distinguished history as an operatic center. The home of the nation’s opera is the Kiev National Opera House of Ukraine. This magnificent building is a Kiev landmark, and stands as a monument to Taras Shevchenko (1814 – 1861); the poet, artist and humanist who is an icon in Ukraine. For visiting lovers of great music, the opera house is the first place to go after they have checked into their accommodations in Kiev.

The Kiev National Opera House does not have a phantom like the one in Paris – at least, not as far as anyone knows – but it does have a colorful past. The Kiev Opera group was officially established in 1867. It is the third oldest in Ukraine, after those of Odessa and Lviv. Most of the early performances they staged were Russian works by such composers as Mikhail Glinka, Alexander Dargomyzhsky, and Anton Rubenstein. But Kievites also attended translated versions of Rossini’s “Barber of Seville”, and Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” Then on February 4, 1896, a fire destroyed the theater and with it went one of the largest music libraries in Europe.

Work soon began on the present opera house, which was completed in 1901. It quickly became a favorite venue for some of the greatest opera stars of the day. It was also the scene of a real life tragedy. On September 1, 1911, Ukrainian Prime Minister Peter Stolypin was assassinated at the opera during an intermission.

The Kiev National Opera House of Ukraine is considered to be one of the most prestigious in Europe. It was designed by Victor Aleksandrovich Shreter. The exterior is in Neo-Renaissance style, while the interior is a classical style called Viennese Modern. The stage is hailed as one of Shreter’s greatest accomplishments. It is among the largest in Europe, and meets the highest standards of theatrical engineering. Shreter designed the building with complete appreciation of the needs of both the performers and the audience. He incorporated architectural ideas ranging from the medieval time of the Kievan Rus, up to the modernist 20^th century.

Step out of your Kiev hotel for an evening at the opera, and you can see and hear the works of the opera world’s all-stars: Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Lysenko, Rossini, Verdi, and many more. The opera’s playbill consists of more than fifty performances. Your night at the Kiev National Opera House of Ukraine will surely be a memorable experience.

Usually, tourists book into accommodations in Kiev because they are interested in Ukrainian history and culture, or the city’s vibrant night life. Not until they are actually in their Kiev hotels or economical Kiev apartments do they hear about this fascinating museum. It is well worth seeing.

The Kiev National Museum of Medicine was founded in 1973, and is housed in a building that dates back to 1853. Designed by the architect A. Beretti, the building itself is considered to be one of the architectural marvels of the 19^th century. It was formerly the anatomical theater of the University of Kiev. The most up-to-date ideas for museum presentation have been incorporated for the building’s current purpose. In 1983, this museum was awarded the State Prize of Ukraine.

In this museum visitors can learn about the development of medical science in Ukraine from antiquity up to modern times. It is divided into sections to help guide visitors along the remarkable historical trail. The first and second halls have exhibits that outline the development of medicine in Ukraine from the early age of superstition and ignorance, to the medical pioneering days of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Here you will see historical relics, ancient doctors’ instruments (some of them quite frightening), and samples of plants used for folk remedies. A special feature is the full scale interior of an ancient Russian bath house. In the 10^th century, the bath house was not only a public washing place, but also the neighborhood clinic for the treatment of illnesses and injuries.

The unfolding of medical science in the 18^th and 19^th centuries is also shown here. The exhibits include old medical manuals, a model of the Kiev-Mogylyanian Academy, and a panorama of medical aid in the time of the Cossack army. You will also see an authentic replica of a late 18^th century pharmacy. Many of the commonly prescribed drugs are now illegal.

The museum’s third and fourth halls take visitors to the 20^th century and the development of medical science and education in Ukraine. Among other exhibits, people can see the original operating room of the medical faculty at the University of Kiev. The fifth and sixth halls focus on the development of public health and medical science in Ukrainian history: the politically induced famines of the 1930s, and the Soviet persecutions of Ukrainian doctors, scientists and intellectuals. Of particular interest to many visitors is the display concerning the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Even though Kiev is 1,600 years old, this square dates back only to the 18^th century, when this part of Kiev was fortified. Previously the ground here had been called Goat Swamp. By the mid-19^th century this area had become the commercial center of a growing and industrialized Kiev. During World War II, the retreating Red Army mined the square and then set off the explosives by means of radio control when the Nazi army marched in. The explosion completely destroyed the square, killing many civilians as well as German soldiers.

After the war the square was rebuilt from the ground up. It was remodeled again in 1976 – 77. Today it is Kiev’s central square, and the most beautiful one in the city. This is where the people of Kiev gather for parades, concerts, festivals, and various holiday related activities. There are six fountains, the most impressive of which is called the Freindship of Nations. Here you can also see an artificial waterfall, and the towering Independence Column. One of the most popular places on Independence Square is the new Globe Shopping Mall, most of which is underground. Here visitors from North America and Western Europe will find such familiar brands as Hallmark, Pierre Cardin, Adidas, and Tommy Hilfiger. You can even get Baskin Robbins ice cream to take back to your Kiev hotel.

There are two Metro (subway) stations on the square, and in one of the subterranean passageways you can see the foundations of the Pecherskie Gate, a remnant of the old fortifications. Among the monuments to be seen on the square are statues of the brothers Kie, Schek and Khoryv, and their sister Lybed, who founded Kiev (which was named after the eldest brother) around the end of the 5^th century. On top of the Independence Column there is a statue of St. Michael the Archangel, who is considered to be the patron and protector of Kiev. There is also an arch with a representation of Michael the Archangel bearing his sword and shield. Nearby are statues of the folk hero Cossack Mamay, and the Slavic goddess Berehynia, another legendary protector. From tall buildings, such as the Trade Union Association House, you have some spectacular views of the city.

When you are preparing for your vacation here, be sure to ask agencies about Kiev apartments.