About Ukraine

UKRAINE is located in Eastern Europe. It occupies the area of 603,628 km² making it the largest contiguous country on the European continent.

There are many reasons why you should choose Ukraine :

  • A diverse range of study programs in foreign languages
  • The long tradition of qualitative education
  • You can come for a short study visitor to complete your degree
  • Ukraine higher education institutions offer long-standing reputations, unique conception and interesting specializations
  • Low cost of living
  • Cultural experience and fascinating history
  • Member of the European Union

The neighboring countries of Ukraine are Belarus, Russia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, and Poland. Ukraine is washed by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in the south. The country has sea borders with Turkey, Bulgaria, and Georgia.

Ukraine is a state with the democratic form of governing, headed by the nation-wide elected president. The Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) is the highest legislative body. It consists of 450 members, elected for 4-term in accordance with the proportional majority system. On August 24, 1991, Ukraine declared itself an independent state. In an effort to rebuild the country, Ukraine has opened her doors to foreign investors, businessmen, and foremost to tourists.

Ukraine has always been hospitable and friendly, always happy to receive foreign businessmen, foreign guests, tourists, and students.

The richly talented Ukrainian people have created wonderful architecture, many monuments both secular and religious, dating from 11th to 18th centuries which can be seen in all Ukrainian towns and cities. If you get a chance, visit some of the many historic sites and towns, where numerous treasures will tell you of the great past and traditions. The past is reflected in the architecture and atmosphere of the cities.

Ukraine has a well-developed economy with considerable portions of the agricultural and industrial sectors. Space and rocket engineering, aircraft and shipbuilding, high tech equipment production are among the main branches of Ukrainian industry.

Space and rocket complex of Ukraine has great potential. Ukraine is distinguished by a high-level scientific potential. After Ukraine regained its independence, ideas of national cultural revival stimulated the process of democratization in the cultural sphere, pluralism in a creative process, made cultural life in the regions more active. Broadening of international contacts has become a positive tendency.

The cultural life of national minorities in Ukraine – Bulgarian, Greek, Jewish, Crimean Tartar, German, Polish, Russian, Romanian, Hungarian and dozens of others – is very diversified. A system of national schools, libraries, mass media, scientific centers, radio and television, theatres and creative societies is being developed. Languages of all peoples inhabiting the territory of Ukraine are granted equality on the state level.

Today Ukraine is an internationally oriented center of high technology, with speech technology, microelectronics, chips development, media technology, and genetic engineering as outstanding examples. Thanks to international communications and transport systems it is literally the hub of central Europe.

Ukraine has a well-developed economy with considerable portions of the agricultural and industrial sectors. Space and rocket engineering, aircraft and shipbuilding, high tech equipment production are among the main branches of the Ukrainian industry. Electrical equipment made in Ukraine is highly rated in the world. Power station turbines, transformers, high-voltage instruments are used in many countries.

Ukraine is distinguished by a high-level scientific potential. The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has won worldwide recognition as a science center of physical studies of materials, in particular, in the sphere of electric welding, special electric metallurgy, synthetic superhard materials and tools made from them. The National Academy of sciences, higher educational institutions of Ukraine maintain broad international contacts. Broadening of international contacts has become a positive tendency.

Cooperation with developing countries: Ukraine attaches great importance to the international economic, scientific, medical and technological cooperation, particularly in the field of sharing the national experience with other countries. First of all, it concerns the training of highly skilled technical and medical personnel for developing countries. A lot of specialists from the developing countries have graduated from the educational institutions of Ukraine.

HUMAN RIGHTS: As an independent state, Ukraine achieved substantial progress in the development of the national system and mechanisms in the sphere of protection of human rights and freedoms. Democratic elections, political pluralism, freedom of speech and mass media, establishing the democratic social state based on the rule of law have become reality. The human being, his or her life, and health, dignity and safety are recognized in Ukraine as the highest social value. Ukraine became a party to all basic international instruments in the field of human rights.

Ukraine has always paid great attention to the United Nations activity in the promotion and protection of human rights. The Ukrainian constitution also guarantees the right of every person to appeal to relevant international institutions and organizations for the protection of his or her rights. Ukrainians openness, accessibility, and efficiency are more than just empty words.

Higher Education for Foreign students:

Education in Ukraine is much cheaper than in other European countries, while diplomas of Ukrainian universities are recognized in Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, as well as in the PRC, Vietnam and other countries.

The language barrier will not be an obstacle, because, at universities that accept students from other countries, preparatory courses often take place (usually 1 academic year). There, you and the language (Ukrainian / English) will tighten, and at the same time, you will study the basic disciplines in the specialty.

 As a foreign student, you will discover a region full of surprising contrasts. You will find yourself quickly becoming part of it, especially during the many festivals and the intense cultural life, for which the region is famous.

Higher education within the Ukrainian community has always been open to foreign students. Its student body comprised of men and women from all over the world has the invaluable experience of studying together with students from many different natural and cultural backgrounds. The contact with students all over the world broadens understanding of other peoples and provides valuable friendships, some of which last a lifetime.

Most Ukrainian universities have international student exchange programs. They are ideal for those who want to learn about the culture of another country, make new friends and acquaintances, compare the educational process in their own and a foreign university, etc.

TRANSPORTATION: 

Ukraine is linked with most major European cities. Most international flights go to Ukraine. International trains enter Ukraine from several countries. Sail by ship is also available between various cities in the black sea and Mediterranean. All official land border crossings into Ukraine are unrestricted if you have a visa ahead of time.
Getting between major Ukrainian cities is best done by train and also by flight. They are frequently cheap and often convenient journey. There are bus services to most cities and towns. Taxi services are numerous in Ukraine. For foreigners, an international driving license is required to drive automobiles in Ukraine.

CURRENCY:

 Hryvnya (UAH) = 100 Kopiyok (singular-kopiyka). Notes are in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 10, 5, 2, and 1 hryvnya. Coins are in denominations of 50, 25, 10, 5, 2, 1 kopiyok. Foreign currencies should only be changed at currency exchanges on the streets or in banks.

UKRAINE FLAG:

Flag of Ukraine: yellow color symbolizes wheat fields in the steppes under the blue sky of Ukraine. The Ukrainian flag personifies the people’s eternal desire for peace, work, beauty and wealth of their native land. The national flag of Ukraine was adopted by a resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of January 28, 1992.

 

 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT UKRAINE

First in the world.

The Ukrainians, namely, the Antonov Design Bureau, developed the aircraft with the largest carrying capacity in the world – the An-225 “Dream”. At first, it was designed to transport spacecraft. Now “Dream” performs commercial freight transportation.

First Constitution.

The author of one of the first constitutions in the world is the Ukrainian political and public figure Pylyp Orlyk. On April 5, 1710, he was elected hetman of the Zaporizhzhya army. On the same day, Pylyp Orlyk declared the “Constitution of the rights and freedoms of the Zaporozhian troops”.

First University

Ostrozhskaya Academy is the first institution of higher education in Eastern Europe, the oldest Ukrainian scientific and educational institution. In 1576, Prince Ostrozhsky Konstantin Vasily founded the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy in Ostrog.

The first kerosene lamp was invented in Lviv by the workers of the pharmacy “Under the Golden Star” Ignatiy Lukasiewicz and Jan Zeh in 1853.

In the same year, the first surgical operation was performed in a Lviv hospital under a kerosene lamp. Subsequently, the kerosene lamp was presented at the international exhibition in Munich, the invention was marked there with a special certificate.

Taras Shevchenko

Monuments to the famous Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko are installed in 1200 cities around the world.

The deepest metro station.

Arsenalnaya metro station in Kyiv is the deepest in the world. It passes underground at a depth of 105 m. The station at the parliament building was built in 1960 one of the first. According to some information, in the tunnels near the Arsenalnaya, there are secret shelters for the political elite.

Trembita.

Ukrainian wind instrument trembita is the longest wind musical instrument in the world.

Khreshchatyk.

The shortest main street of all the capitals of the world, but at the same time, one of the widest and most beautiful is Khreshchatyk in Kyiv. Its length is only 1225 m.

The oldest tree in Ukraine is the 1300-year-old oak tree in the tract of Yuzefin of Rivne region.

The third most visited McDonald’s in the world is located in Kyiv near the railway station. This institution invariably falls into the top five of the busiest McDonald’s in the world.

Higher education.

Ukraine ranks fourth in the world in the number of citizens with higher education. The population of Ukraine is among the most educated, and the number of people with higher education per capita is higher than the average European level.

Schedryk.

One of the most famous Christmas songs in the world is “Shchedryk”, a folk song recorded by the Ukrainian composer Nikolai Leontovich. The world knows her as Carol of the Bells or Ring Christmas Bells. On Youtube, various performances of “Shchedryk” are gaining millions of views.

“Singing” sand.

In Ukraine, under Nikopol, on the spit near the r. Lapinka, on one of the branches of the Dnieper, can be seen, but rather to hear the phenomenon is rarely found in the world – melodious sands. “Singing” of these, perhaps, the strangest sands appears after the rain, when the upper layer sticks together and forms a fragile crust. Stepping on it, you can hear sounds like the whistle of air released from the car chamber.