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Transport, Electricity and Food
Transport

The international airport of Borispol is the air gate of the country, 36 km from Kiev. To get from the airport to Kiev you can take a taxi, shuttle-bus, bus. You can also order pick up service in the university.
Besides Borispol airport you can take international flights from Simferopol, Odessa, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk. International railway connections are with Bulgaria, Check, Slovak, Germany and Poland. International bus routes are from Poland, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. By ship you can get from Turkey.
It is better to find out your own route to the university from the university itself or the agent.
Ukraine has a well developed transportation system. So there will be no problems to get to any part of the country. You can travel all over the country by train or bus. The fare for the distance of 500 km is about US$12-15. Tickets on train you can buy in advance either at the railway station or in the city. On the day of departure a ticket can be bought on the station only.
For air travel within the country you can buy tickets from the local companies. Flight cost for a distance of 500 km is about US$70.
Local transport includes buses, trolleybuses, trams and taxis. The fare is US$0.15. You can buy tickets from the conductor or in yellow kiosks at stops.
The fare for taxis is $US1 + US$0.30 per 1 km.
In Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk you can take the underground, paying at the entrance a ticket of US$0.12 (without time and destination limits!).
During warm periods a water transport is quite comfortable: on the Dnieper river or by the Black sea.

Electricity

The standard electrical voltage throughout Ukraine is 220 volts.
Some outlets operate on 127 volts, but these are very rare. You may need a converter as well as an Eastern European plug adapter if you are bringing electrical appliances. You should be aware that there are frequent power surges, and other irregularities in the electrical supply. You may want to consider brining a surge protector (stabilizer).

Food

Ukraine is a big agricultural country with different cooking traditions. Different food can be bought in shops, supermarkets and agricultural markets. Cafeterias, restaurants and fast food restaurants propose different cuisine.
 
Climate

Ukraine is situated in two climatic zones — moderate (the plains and both the mountain ranges) and Mediterranean subtropics (the southern shore of Crimea).

Generally, Ukraine is one of the climatically comfortable countries. The number of hours of sunlight varies from 1700 in the north to more than 2400 in the south. The temperatures vary predominantly from the north to the south, in the Ukrainian Carpathians — from the northwest to the southeast. The lowest temperature of January and February is -7... -8°C (on the plains of Crimea — 0°C, on it’s southern shore — up to +3... +4°C). The highest average July temperature is +17... +19°C (north and northwest) and +22... +23°C (south and southeast). In the Carpathians it can go down to +13... +14°C, and to +16°C in the Crimean Mountains.

The amount of rainfall decreases from the north and northwest to the south and southeast. Most of it falls during the warm time of the year (except on the southern shore of Crimea). The highest amount of rainfall is in the Carpathians (1500 mm) and in the Crimean Mountains (1000–1200 mm), whereas the least falls on the shores of Black and Azov seas (300–450 mm), in the western part of Ukraine (600–650 mm) and in the southwest (400–450 mm).

There is a clearly defined change of seasons during the year. The winters are long but relatively warm, with frost and snow. In the Ukrainian Carpathians it lasts 120–130 days, in the north of Crimea — 75–90 and not more than 85 days on in the far south and southwest (influenced by the warm air currents from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean).

Spring starts when the average temperatures cross 0°C, but frosts are still possible. Spring first touches the southwest and Crimea and it makes it’s way north from the south in approximately 37 days.

 

Spring in Carpathian mountains. Photo: Chyzh

 

Spring in Carpathian mountains

The summer starts when the temperature reachs 15°C and is warm in most regions, hot in Crimea. The temperatures can reach +34... +39°C when the air currents from Africa reach Ukraine through the Mediterranean. The summer lasts from 120 to 150 days.

In the autumn the temperatures drop and some frosts are possible, the number of rains and fogs increases. Autumn lasts from 70 days in the southwest to 90 days in Zakarpattia. Rarely some very warm periods are possible.

The climate of large cities and seas can differ, in some aspects. For example, in winter Kyiv experiences some cyclones that cause unstable weather. Strong winds happen rarely and the lowest temperatures of -10°C and less fall on January and February. The autumns in Kyiv are predominantly warm, springs — sunny and rainy.

To conclude the weather conditions in Ukraine have positive influence on various industries and development of tourism and recreation.

 
Medical Services

Most of the state Universities provide free medical service in students hospitals. Students can also go to state and private hospitals, where medical services is to be paid.

 
Communications
When visiting another country it is important to know about their communications systems so that you can keep in contact with friends and family back home and communicate with people within the country. Ukraine's communications infrastructure is generally well-developed in the cities and tourist areas. Internet in Ukraine is particularly popular in the major cities. The National Commission on Communication Regulation of Ukraine is the country's telecommunications regulatory body and is responsible for everything related to telecommunications in Ukraine. It is this body that ensures that Ukraine's communications systems run at their optimum.
Telephones

In recent years, Ukraine's telephone network has been upgraded and new equipment installed. Digital telephone exchanges are used extensively in large cities and suburban areas, but telephone connections are sometimes a problem in rural areas and smaller towns. Telephone calls in Ukraine are paid at a per minute rate. Hotels will usually charge 2 to 3 times more than what the telephone companies do. When making a phone call from Ukraine to another country you must dial the following: Dial 8, wait for dial tone, dial 10 plus the country code, area code and telephone number. IP-telephony cards are popular in Ukraine and can be bought at news stalls and computer shops. There are five cellular telephone operators in Ukraine operating with GSM so it is possible for visitors to use their cell phones in Ukraine. International roaming is, however, relatively expensive. For more information on cellular telephone usage in Ukraine visit our “Ukraine SMS page on this site“.
Post

Though an inexpensive form of communication in Ukraine, mail is rather slow. If you need items delivered quickly it is better to make use of a courier service. When sending packages to Ukraine, many items will require clearance by customs which can cost a lot in fees.
Mass Media

Mass media is a vital method of dispensing information and news to the populace. It is also a great means of entertainment. For more information on mass media in Ukraine, visit the following pages on this site: Ukraine Radio, Ukraine TV and Newspapers.
Internet Access

Internet in Ukraine has grown quickly in urban areas. Internet cafés are located throughout important cities and costs are minimal. Internet connection speeds tend to be slow in Ukraine and occasionally you will be unable to connect, particularly on older telephone lines. If you have a laptop, it is best to make use of prepaid time cards. These Internet cards can be bought at news stalls and computer shops.

 
Holidays

New Year 1st of January
Orthodox Christmas 7th of January
International Women Day 8th of March
Orthodox Easter
Labour Day 1st of May
Victory Day 9th of May
Trinity Sunday
Constitution Day 28th of June
Day of Independence 24th of August

 
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