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The best of Kiev
Written by: Anita Lišková & Todd Shaw
Photo by: Martin Loew
The magnificent architecture of Kiev (also known as Kyiv) is frequently
imposing, giving the city grandeur and attesting to its heritage.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian capital sparkles with light and
airiness, and visitors will be tempted to explore both its history
and its modernity.
Andriy Matosyan
director, CK Maximatour
Favorite hotel: Hotel Dnepr, 13 Frunze street, tel.:
+380 47 247 2360
Favorite restaurant: Za Dvoma Zaytsiamy, 34 Andriyivsky Descent,
tel.: +380 44 229 7972
There are more restaurants that I like, and they are much more
luxurious than anywhere else in Europe. In Ukraine people place
much more emphasis on luxury.
Favorite night club: Millenium, European Square, tel.: +380
44 229 8202
Favorite attraction: Hydropark during the summer - an entertainment
island by Dněpr river. Sauna "banja" in the winter.
Advice: Give yourself an extra day to the business trip and "choroscho
poguljajte" (have a good walk)... |
Luboš
Kolář
sales manager for Eastern Europe and Asia, Škoda Auto
Favorite hotel: Premier Palace, 5-7/29 T. Schevchenko
Blvd., tel.: +380 44 244 1202 Good level of services.
Favorite restaurant: A stylish boat anchored at the Dnepr
river embankment. Folklore, music, and super food.
Favorite night club: Moda Bar, Kreschatynska str. Pier
6, tel.: +380 44 416 7388
Favorite attraction: Lavra, Sofijskaja ploschad, Andreevskij
spusk - historic area full of artists and galleries
Best-kept secret: Cars are stolen less often than in
Prague; evening walks in the city are safe.
Favorite shop: Mandarín Plaza, Bassenaya 4, tel.: +380
44 238 6446
Advice: Pay with local currency or card. When paying
with foreign currency you will get a poor "on-the-spot" exchange
rate.
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Radovan Vaner
director, Czech center Kiev
Favorite restaurant: Viola, Shevchenko av., tel.: +380 44
235 3751
Favorite night club: Art club 44, 44 Khreschatik Str., tel.:
+380 44 229 4137
Favorite attraction: A walk along the Andrejevski uzviz -
an old little street with souvenir vendors and unique atmosphere.
Best-kept secret: During Saturday and Sunday, the main boulevard
Chrescatyk is closed for cars and changes into one big pedestrian
zone. Street vendors, refreshments, karaoke, young people
playing the guitar - in short, it's full of "folky" amusements.
Favorite shop: Market, Besarabska Ploshchad 2, tel.: +380
44 224 2317
Fruit, vegetables, spices, flowers, meat, fish - everything
fresh and high quality. Friendly shop assistants, but clever
businessmen.
Advice: While driving, it may first appear that there are
no traffic rules, so be careful. During rush hours there
is really heavy traffic, so it is better to walk in the center. |
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Basic facts
Population: 2,625,000
Government: Republic. Gained independence from the
Soviet Union in 1991.
Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March
to last Saturday in October).
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz.
Commercial Information: Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
33 vul. Velyka Zhytomyrska , 01601 Kyiv (tel: +380
44 212 2911; fax: +380 44 212 3353; ucci@ucci.org.ua;
www.ucci.org.ua); Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.mfa.gov.ua/eng/);
Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Lvovska pl.
8, 254655 Kyiv (tel/fax: +380 44 212 0005)
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Where on the web?
For further information, we suggest the following websites dedicated
to Kiev:
http://www.executiveplanet.com/business-etiquette/Russia.html - insights into business practices of this dominant neighbor
may prove useful in Ukraine-based dealings
http://www.uazone.net/Kiev.html - in-depth and useful info on
the city, everything from accommodation to sight-seeing
http://www.kiss.svitonline.com/ukr_customs.htm - more information
on the local customs and practices, in business and beyond
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/ukraine/ - the
people at Lonely Planet offer a decidedly touristy take on the
Ukranian capital
http://www.travelnotes.org/Europe/ukraine.htm - a good jumping-off
point, with lots of useful links
http://cities.com/country.asp?selectcountry=Ukraine - another
good portal page, with info available on many Ukrainian cities
Business profile
· A centralized authority extending back for centuries has left
a legacy of bureaucracy, and an unwillingness to take initiative.
·
Ukrainians can be shrewd negotiators. It is important to be very
responsive to one's negotiating partner, even over small details.
·
Given the absence of a strong, transparent legal infrastructure,
in the end your deal may depend on the trust you have painstakingly
built over many months or years.
· Face-to-face meetings are the norm, with little business conducted
over the phone. Business cards are de rigueur as are firm handshakes
upon meeting.
Source: www.cityguide.travel-guides.com
Commerce & industry
· Once a powerful force on the European scene, Ukraine's fate
in modern times has been decided in far-off capitals. As a result,
modern Ukrainian history, for the most part, has been defined by
foreign occupation.
· Ukraine has large areas of very fertile land,
which gave it its reputation as the "bread basket" of
the former Soviet Union. Grain, sugar beet, and vegetables are
the main crops, while
a high proportion of land is devoted to livestock farming. The
country is also blessed with mineral resources, particularly coal
in the huge Donbass fields, as well as iron ore, manganese and
titanium.
· Heavy industries still dominate the country's manufacturing
economy - metalworking, machinery and transport equipment, and
chemicals
are the most important. A large proportion of industry was previously
devoted to military production but this has sharply declined
since the demise of the Soviet Union and drastic cuts in defense
budgets.
· Annual GDP growth during the last four years has been between
4 and 6 per cent, while inflation has been reduced to a manageable
5 per cent. Officially, unemployment is 4 per cent of the workforce,
but a large "grey" economy has evolved which some estimates
put at half the size of the legitimate economy. Ukraine's major
trading partners are the Russian Federation, China, Belarus, Turkmenistan
and Germany.
Source: www.cityguide.travel-guides.com
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