The Land of the St. Sophia Cathedral & The Caves Monastery

Information on Relocating to Ukraine

·        The capital city of Ukraine is Kiev with about 2.6 million people. The political centre is also in Kiev where the President resides. Ukraine is a Republic.

·        Languages: The languages spoken are Ukrainian (official), Russian, Romanian, Polish and Hungarian. The TV programs are in their original languages. Cable and Satellite TV are available.

·        Population: The population is about 47.4 million people - 77.8% are Ukrainian, 17.3% Russian, 0.6% Belarusian, 0.5% Moldovan, 0.5% Crimean Tatar, 0.4% Bulgarian, 0.3% Hungarian, 0.3% Romanian, 0.3% Polish, 0.2% Jewish, 1,8% other.

·        Expat areas: Popular area for the Expat community is Kiev.

·        Housing: The availability of apartments and houses in the country and particularly in these popular areas varies. Most Expats rent their apartment or house; some buy their homes. Both options are available but mainly depend on your company policy, income, and the length of your stay.

·        Cost of housing: Varies from area to area and the size of the apartment you'll pay anything from US$ 1300 for a 2 bedroom apartment to US$ 3300 for a 4 bedroom apartment or even higher. The local currency is Hryvnya (UAH).

·        Schools: We have the International School. Depending on the age we can tell you about a possible waiting lists, etc.

·        Transportation: Kharkiv and Kyiv have clean, efficient and cheap metro systems, where tickets can be purchased at vending machines inside the stations. Buses and trolleybuses are extremely crowded and are best avoided. Taxis are easy to find in the cities. State-owned taxis have yellow and black signs on the roof and are metered. Fares should be negotiated in advance for private taxis. Some shared taxis and minibuses exist on fixed routes. There are no public transport services from 1.00 am - 5.00 am.

·        Bank: The banks are open Monday-Friday 9.30 am - 5.30 pm.

·        Shopping: Is generally done in large state or department stores from Monday-Friday 8.00 am - 7.00 pm, whereas small boutiques are generally open 9.00 am - 6.00 pm. Some shops stay open as late as 8.00 pm.

·        Climate: The climate is temperate continental, with a subtropical Mediterranean climate in the southern portions of the Crimean Peninsula. The average monthly temperature in winter ranges from -8°C to 2°C (17°F to 35°F), while summer temperatures average 17°C to 25°C (62°F to 77°F).

·        Culture: Opera is performed in the ornate theatres of Kiev, Lviv and Odessa. Ukrainians have a deep-rooted musical tradition and singing is very popular. Most cities also have good musical comedy, puppet-theatre and troupes performing theatrical works in Ukrainian and Russian. Tickets are cheap by Western standards and readily available on the day of performance at the box offices. Post-Soviet economics unfortunately mean that many performances are badly attended. Prominent visiting artists most often perform in Kiev’s vast Ukraine Theatre, where prices are higher.

·        Public holidays: January 1st-New Year’s Day; January 7th-Orthodox Christmas Day; March 8th-International Women’s Day; May 1st-2nd-Labour Days; May 9th-Victory Day; June 28th-Constitution Day; August 24th-Ukrainian Independence Day.