lanes of pretty Lviv a UNESCO World
Heritage site with buildings dating back
to the 14th century.
à Delve into Kyiv: marvel at the 1000-year-old
St Sophia Cathedral shop along cobblestoned
Andriyivsky Uzviz and catch a show at the
National Opera Theatre.GETTING UNDER THE SKIN
Read Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov
an absurdist and socially incisive novel about
a man and a penguin living in modern-day Kyiv.
Listen to the fast-paced dance melodies of traditional
folk ensemble Suzirya. PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES (1 3 4) © IRYNA VLASENKO/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (2) © TAINAR/ ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (6) MAP ILLUSTRATION: JAYKRISHNAN SUBRAMANIAMTOP THINGS TO SEE
à The caverns with mummified remains
of monks at Kyivâs Caves Monastery
à The town of Kamyanets-Podilsky in
a majestic setting above the Smotrych River
à Carpathian National Nature Park Ukraineâs
largest wilderness preserve and home to lynx
bison brown bears and wolvesTOP THINGS TO DO
à Stroll the seaside promenade in Odessa
taking in elegant 19th-century buildings and
the cinematic icon of the Potemkin Steps.
à Lose yourself in the atmospheric backCountry at a Glance
Ukraine
Capital
KyivPopulation
45700395Area
603550sqkmOfficial language
UkrainianGLOBETROTTER
O
NCE the dynamo of the Soviet economy Ukraine has
come a long way since throwing off the shackles of its
bigger neighbour to the east. While the push and pull
between Europe and Russia still defines a significant part of
Ukrainian identity many citizens are equally torn between
old traditions and pulsing modernisation. Ukraine is after all
the birthplace of Eastern Slavic civilisation with its capital
at least 1500 years old and home to the semi-nomadic Hutsuls
who still inhabit the rugged Carpathian Mountains. At the other
end of the scale is the rush of cosmopolitanism â including the
Eurovision song contest rapidly-changing urban neighbourhoods
and spruced-up resort towns fronting the Black Sea.
132 July 2016