Ukraine — Nation of great beauty, culture

Freed from 71 years of communist control almost 15 years ago, Ukraine remains a mystery to most Western travelers. Places like Yalta, Odessa, Crimea, even Chernobyl, seem exotic and unreachable.
   
No longer forbidden by a repressive government, the nation is slowly developing its tourist industry. Traveling to and within Ukraine is becoming easier, although visitors are warned not to expect the amenities found in many other European countries.
   
Although the nation is still undergoing changes as a developing democracy, the U.S. State Department has no warnings for Americans wishing to visit Ukraine. As an added bonus, Americans can travel to Ukraine for up to 90 days without a visa. 
   
The second-largest nation in Europe, Ukraine has an abundance of interesting sites for the curious visitor, from the natural beauty of the mountains and coastline to the museums and cathedrals in the major cities. 
   
The Dnipro River is the largest and most prominent geographical feature of the nation, bisecting it from north to south. It divides the country not only geographically but also culturally with sharp ethnic and political differences on the two sides of the river.
   
Ukrainians living west of the river, near Poland, have historically tended to be more nationalistic, speaking Ukrainian and, more recently, voting for pro-Western candidates.
   
Those living on the eastern side of the river are more likely to speak Russian and lean toward Russia’s point of view in international questions.  
  
Environmentalists lament the polluted nature of the river. Years of careless manufacturing have been compounded by the 1986 nuclear accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which is said to have deposited radioactive contaminants in the river.
   
Many visitors choose to travel through Ukraine by cruise ship down the Dnipro from Kiev to the Black Sea, with stops at several cities of interest along the way. 
   
More than 500 of Ukraine’s cities are more than 900 years old. In Kiev, which was built during the fifth and sixth centuries, travelers can visit buildings that are as old as the city. There are so many Orthodox churches in Kiev that it is often called “The Gold-Domed City.” 
   
Of the many cathedrals, St. Sofia is the most famous. Built in 1037, St. Sofia is filled with beautiful frescoes and mosaics. It also contains the unusual Sofia graffiti, notes and drawings on the walls that chronicle ancient events.  
   
Pecherska Lavra, or the Monastery of the Caves, is one of the most important and interesting areas in Kiev. 
   
Founded just a few years after St. Sofia, the monastery complex became an important religious and cultural center, fostering the development of art, architecture, publishing and translating for the entire region. The complex is built over a series of caves where many of the monks are entombed in glass-topped coffins.
   
Another of Ukraine’s popular tourist areas is the southern coastal area. Odessa is known worldwide as a place for rest and relaxation, with many therapeutic resorts called “sanitoriums” that are a combination health spa/retreat center, some of which offer mineral baths. Western travelers, however, are warned not to expect deluxe facilities. 
   
Odessa is also filled with beautiful architecture, although not as ancient as that in Kiev. 
   
Both Odessa and its neighbor to the east, the Crimean Peninsula, are described as having more of a Mediterranean culture than Slavic, with milder climates and more amenities for tourists. 
   
Crimea, an autonomous republic of Ukraine, is home to Yalta, the city where U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin, the leader of the U.S.S.R., met to hammer out the terms of the end of World War II. In the Livadia Palace, the meeting room where the leaders divided Germany has been preserved and is now open for visitors.