Today Alexandria – the largest (over 200 hectares) dendrologic park in Ukraine – is one of the main attractions of Belaya Tserkov considered to be the city’s carte-de-visite. 200 years ago these lands were the Branitsky family`s county estate. These Polish magnates were very close to Catherine II of Russia. The great hetman Ksaveriy Branitsky and his wife Alexandra Vasilevna Branitskaya (nee Engelhardt) – the Empress’ favorite Lady of the Bedchamber and niece of the Highest Prince Potemkin – spent wintertime at the court in St. Petersburg and moved to their Ukrainian manors in spring to stay there for the summertime. This blessed Ukrainian land was chosen by the countess to become a fashionable so-called English landscape park, equal in its beauty to the Emperor’s gardens of Petrodvorets and Tsarskoe Selo. By the middle of the 19th century, with the energy, skills and efforts of the best masters of the time, the park, named Alexandria after its founder, became one of the most charming spots of the vast Russian Empire. Just imagine: over twenty kilometers of alleys and paths, 1,800 kinds of rare and exotic plants from all over the world, unique system of ponds, cascades and fountains, bronze statues, picturesque landscapes – the park had become a the genuine passion of its mistress.

You will definitely spend more than a day discovering all of the mysteries of this garden art masterpiece. Though a short walk is already enough to appreciate Alexandria’s charming beauty and become one of its numerous admirers – you will be looking forward to returning here again and again! It’s no doubt that here you will forget the mad era we live in – even if just for a while. You can enjoy strolling down the alleys, resting on the benches, breathing in crystal fresh air, listening to bird songs and waterfalls splashes and observing the sky that reflects on the smooth surface of ponds. Standing under the arch of the colonnade Echo, you can whisper your heart`s deepest secrets – each word murmured at one side of the colonnade is clearly heard at the other side of this fantastic construction. Inexpressible feelings! Make a wish holding the beard of a bronze statue of the Chinese Man near the Chinese bridge. The beard has been brilliantly polished by several generations of dreamers, which means that Alexandria really makes all wishes come true!

Khortitsa – the largest river island in the world – and a kind of Ukraine in miniature: here the wonderful world of natural scenery represents almost all climatic zones of the country, from the steppes and forests to mountains and deserts. Granite cliffs drop steeply to the water, stone steppe spreads and ancient ferns grow in the north. In the south marshy forest, numerous lakes, creeks and hanging swamps reign, and the central plateau is scored by unique cloughs that go right down to the Dnepr river.

People have lived continuously on this land for the last 5,000 years – Khortitsa was the spiritual center of many tribes and peoples that lived in this region since ancient times – the very first settlers appeared here back in the Paleolithic era. The Scythian tribes left their marks on the Khortitsa banks, in the Middle Ages the island was a key point of the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks – in this context it was firstly mentioned in writing by the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. And of course Khortitsa is the home territory of the glorious Ukrainian knights, the heart of Zaporozhye Cossacks – the first Ukrainian troops, which for centuries were participating in many wars and became famous for their feats, courage and cast-iron will. It is the land, where everything is imbued with the heroic spirit of the freedom-loving fearless sons of Ukraine.

Here one should definitely take a boat and sail the Old and New courses of the Dnepr river, enjoy the amazing nature of the island from the water and see the local standard of hydraulic engineering – Zaporozhye water power plant with the world’s unique sluice with an amazing 36 meters water range! And of course an unpardonable omission will be not to visit the equestrian theater of the Zaporozhye Cossacks in the south-east of the island, where you can not only experience the Cossack way of life, see unique performances with Cossacks games, dances and horse acrobatics, but also ride friendly horses, taste Ukrainian national cuisine with a snifter of vodka with pepper and purchase Ukrainian souvenirs from the local blacksmiths and potters.

Discover the wonderful nature reserve and true cultural treasury – come to Khortitsa! Take a walk on secret paths, touch the history, feel the mystical power of the glorious island of Zaporozhye!

Heading westward from the cool grotto shell, you will get into the world of block chaos, dark narrows and cyclopean stairs hewn into the rock by the hand of the ancient inhabitants of the coast. Breaking through the stone forest, you`ll slide into the pleasant shade of a natural gallery Skvoznoy Grot (Through Grotto), piercing the rock massif like a spear. Travel over 77 meters of "underground road", open your soul to the dazzling panorama of Blue Bay with the majestic ruins of the rock massif uplifting over it and fall into the tender embraces of Tzar Beach! Tough, the miracles are not over yet! A steep forest path invites you to climb to the top of Karaul-Oba Mountain and witness the wondrous vista: a dark hole of "Hell" that is constantly blasting wintery air and friendly scenic woods and meadows of "Paradise". Far below, the water surface is ripped up by "The Gate of Paradise" – a rock arch of two giant blocks embracing each other.

A glass of icy sunny sparkling wine, which Novy Svet Sparkling vinery is so famous for, will b a true reward for those covering the exhausting path. Sip the refreshing drink, listen to the sounds of wind and sea – and dip into the fairy tale of Novy Svet!

For the third successive year, the capital of Ukraine hosts the Jazz in Kiev International Festival – a grandiose event, which Ukrainian and European jazz lovers are looking forward to. The last three days of October will provide jazz fans with a unique opportunity to touch various edges of this wonderful music. Jazz in Kiev will offer its adherents the widest range of styles and trends of modern jazz. Piano, trumpet, clarinet, guitar and sax… The magic melodies will spirit you away from autumn Kiev to the barely lit bars of New Orleans of the 1930s, Chicago restaurants of the 40s, buried in cigarette smoke, or to luxurious transatlantic cruise liners with a dark-skinned musician dressed in a white tuxedo playing a grand piano. In fact, it doesn’t really matter what place your imagination will take you to – the main thing is to enjoy it. Just let the jazz sound!

The festival traditionally attracts “A-list” jazz bands and musicians; the participants are so different that every listener will easily find his own jazz – the music for the soul and the heart.

Experience the atmosphere and magic of live performance – visit Jazz in Kiev! It is impossible to describe the flurry of emotions and feelings that enlace a person while listening to jazz. So one just has to feel it!

The Festival Program:

Festival JAZZ IN KIEV 2010 will be held on October 29- 31, 2010 in the International Centre of Culture and Arts (October Palace)

All performances start at 19.00.

Day 1 – the 29th of October, 2010:

The 1st half: Dino Saluzzi, Anja Lechner and New Era Orchestra (Argentina – Germany – Ukraine);

The 2nd half: Yellow jackets (USA).

Day 2 – the 30th of October, 2010:

The 1st half: Oregon (USA);

The 2nd half: Lee Ritenour (USA).

Day 3 – the 31st of October, 2010:

Herbie Hancock “The Imagine Project” (USA).

For centuries Lvov has been creating its authentic culture and art, which are a vivid mixture of local traditions and cultural influences of other nations. Nowadays the city is famous for its talented artists and musicians. Theatrical Art is particularly honored in the city of Lvov. It`s not an accident that Zolotoy Lev Festival, founded in 1992, has become more than just another street festival and turned into the main theatrical event of Ukraine and one of the most prestigious forums of good old Europe. Lvov is a genuine connoisseur of scenic art – classical and modern, experimental and street art. However, “scenic” is a metaphorical term here, as Lvov festival traditionally slops over onto the streets and squares and reigns there, turning the whole city into a masquerade, engaging passers-by in the festivities and pleasing each and all with joy and bright unforgettable impressions. Each year Lvov opens the festival with a traditional street carnival: groups of astonishing fairy-tale characters parade on stilts, fantastically dressed actors entertain the audience and funny clowns play with children.

The end of the parade is marked with colorful festive fireworks. The square in front of the Opera House and the Rynok (Market) Square become a real theatrical scene! Moreover, in October the whole city of Lvov turns into one large stage where one can enjoy the world-recognized masterpieces, premieres and experimental performances of young theatres. Theatrical groups come from all over Europe. All performances are held in original language, so there`s no language barrier here: Ukrainian language is followed by Polish, Russian performances give place to English, German and Georgian plays… And so on for the whole ten days of the festival! The language of art is truly universal!
So, Lvov is waiting for you! Hurry to save a seat in a theater hall – even if this hall is the entire city – the performance is about to begin!

Legend has it that once upon a time the doughnuts were created by mere chance – a man accidently dropped a cod of flour into boiling oil. The name of the hero remained unknown, otherwise the citizens of Lvov would definitely have immortalized it in the title of one of the numerous varieties of “pampukh” made on a special recipe. By the way, the Western capital of Ukraine does not suffer a shortage of recipes for the beloved delicacy! One can`t doubt it, as every family here have their own recipe for this traditional Christmas dish, the secrets of this know-how are handed down from one generation to another! Pampukhs can either be sweet with poppy seeds, candied fruit, marmalade, custard, ginger, dusted with sugar powder and wrapped up in chocolate icing, or rye with salt or garlic. And even if it’s just a plain classic pampukh, it’s still incredibly tasty! Moreover, a great number of funny traditions are related to this iconic dish. For instance, goodwives often joke baking pampukhs with symbolic stuffing. Finding a coin means wealth (unless, of course not an expense at the dentist!), black pepper warns to expect a surprise, in case you came across some honey inside a pampukh – there will be a wedding soon. Thus one can make a feast of these delicacies and simultaneously know the future.

Being truly loved by the people, this so-called “professional” holiday of pampukh is in all aspects a remarkable event. Here one can not only enjoy the sweets to the bottom of his heart, but also have a closer look at national traditions of baking, write down his favorite recipes, learn a lot about Christmas traditions around the world and finally just have fun. Besides the “culinary” part, the holiday program includes a Christmas parade, lottery, festive concerts, games and a crib contest – the traditional Christmas street performances.

You will definitely enjoy your lucky pampukh at Lvov Rynok Square (Market Square) – and thus get another sweet moment of the New Year!

However, winter still has some “specials” at hand. There`s hunting, for instance. Although this activity is, frankly saying, year-round, winter hunting is an exquisite pleasure. Snowy woods, special equipment, animal footprints on the virgin land and the hunting lodge with a long-awaited fireplace… Does it inspire you? Well, the Ukrainian great spaces are waiting for you!
Hunting is one of the oldest crafts of mankind; its history encounters many thousand years. This predominantly male activity, requiring attention, courage and caution, nowadays knits together a great number of enthusiasts. Hunting has always been fascinating and diverse in Ukraine. The unique nature and conditions of the country - pristine forests and swamps, mountains and steppes, rivers and lakes – contribute greatly to hunting. Here you will find a wide variety of birds and animals which are officially considered to be fair game. For example, Crimea is a great place to hunt hoofed mammals and fur games; the south of Ukraine is famous for bird and moufflon hunting. The midland of the country will please with the unforgettable deer hunting, and the north of Donbass is famous for wolf hunting. One can successfully hunt a roe deer in the Kharkov region, while the marshy and forested areas of the north-west of the country are interesting for the fans of moose and wild boar.

The winter hunting season enjoys a great popularity among hunters as it is the best time to go at a rabbit with a gun, try to hunt down a wolf or bring a fox to bay. The winter wild boar hunting (from September till the end of January) as well as fox and wolf hunting (throughout the winter) are of particular interest. At the same time - unlike in many European countries - in Ukraine wild animals can be hunted in their habitats. One must confess that it provides an opportunity to really enjoy this ancient craft. The harsh climatic conditions and freaks of the weather bring an element of extreme into the process: to hunt down the beast you will have to get over the elements, stand up to the snowstorms, frost and other “pleasant surprises” of the season.
Every hunting fan knows that hunting is not only the opposition to the beast, but also a specific ritual, a particular holiday style. This ritual includes “hunting style” cooking, heating drinks` for consumption “for the hunting luck”, a Russian bath with hot steam and a lot of nice little things which are dear to the heart and make the short-run hunting season so popular. Indeed, such a “return to nature”, unique combination of relaxation and adrenalin can hardly leave anyone indifferent.

Nowadays Ukraine has a great number of operators and game farms in different regions of the country that offer services in arranging both group and individual winter tours. No matter what kind of hunting you prefer, the most important point is that hunting in Ukraine will always be rich in vivid impressions, truly exciting and successful. After all, Ukraine offers plenty of possibilities.

Winter is not the time to think about the figure, keeping different diets and torturing the body and soul with all sorts of restrictions. Dietitians are unanimous that it is harmful for health – both physical and mental. So we strongly recommend you to trust the professionals and pamper yourself, pamper… Ukrainian cuisine together with its carbohydrate component is not only amazingly delicious. Carbohydrates are known to be a source of energy for the body and, therefore, you will not feel hungry and cold, and will be in a good mood. However, that is not the point; the story is about the authenticity, diversity, and, of course, flavor of the traditional Ukrainian dishes. It is also about outstanding the warming-up properties of alcoholic beverages, since the traditional Ukrainian dinner table can’t be imagined without horilka. But let’s relate the facts as they happen.

Arriving in Ukraine, you will discover how rich the “cooking” traditions of this ancient country are. Meat and fish, hot and cold, boiled and roasted, salted and smoked… It goes without saying that it’s good to appreciate all this diversity, sitting at the table of a good hostess. But if you do not know a hostess, specializing in authentic dishes (since finding one nowadays is rather problematic in big cities), the best local restaurants of Ukrainian cuisine will easily still satisfy your hunger as well as your exploratory interest. One of the most famous Kiev restaurants of Ukrainian cuisine (simultaneously it was the first one to open) “Tsarskoe Selo” (literally the Tsar Village) will delight guests with kefir okroshka (cold soup made from kvass with cucumber, radish, dill, egg, and meat) or solianka (a thick soup of vegetables) – either with meat or fish. You will be offered such meat dishes as oven-baked ham, cabbage rolls, hot-pot, home-made sausages and many other less famous, but no less delicious ones. If you wish to dine in a more “festive” environment, your path lies to “O’Panas” restaurant situated at the very heart of the Ukrainian capital – Shevchenko Park. This is really a place where you can not only treat yourself to the dishes of Ukrainian cuisine, but also enjoy the atmosphere of originality and beauty of Ukrainian Baroque interior decoration. It’s not a sin to enjoy a shot of horilka since this famous drink proposed here is quite original and exceptional. Though, if you prefer the intelligent-urban cuisine and pseudo-aristocratic atmosphere – welcome to “Pervak”, all major culinary masterpieces of Ukrainian and international cuisine are on the menu. Here you will enjoy delicious snacks, warm the soul with the true nourishing borsch with Russian donuts or stchi (cabbage soup) and treat yourself to some meat melting in the mouth. Or fish – to every fancy!

So the tasting of Ukrainian cuisine will take quite a lot of time! A gastronomic tour to Kiev is delicious, extremely exciting and healthy not only for the body but also for the soul. Enjoy your meal!

Tsarskoe selo restaurant: 42/1 Ivana Mezepy st. Telephone +38 044 288-97-75

O’Panas restaurant: 10 Tereschenkovskaya st. Telephone +38 (044) 235-21-32

Pervak restaurant: 2 Rognedinskaya st. Telephone +38 (044) 235-09-52

Khutorok restaurant: berth № 1 Naberezhno- Khreshchatytska st. +38 (044) 463-70-19, 428-71-01

Spotykach restaurant: 16 Volodymyrska st. Telephone +38 (044) 586-40-95

Metal, steel, mill products… These are not mere words for the industrial and financial capital of Ukraine – the city of Donetsk… These notions have determined the history and destiny of the city which came into existence to produce metal for railway construction. The summer of 1869 – the start of Yuzovsky metallurgic plant construction – is considered to be the birthday of Donetsk. Thus, it might be stated that the history of the city is “steel”; nowadays the main tourist attraction of the Donbass capital – the Forged Figures Park – has become the most vivid embodiment of the city`s identity. When the park was opened in 2001, masterpieces of the blacksmith’s art were not numerous – just 10 unique sculptures. But since then the collection has been greatly enriched as Donetsk annually holds festivals of blacksmith art, and the best works are usualy left in the park as a present to the native city. The Signs of the Zodiac and the Alley of Slavic Fairy Tales, theme-based arbors and wondrous plants, funny benches, funky arches and intricate bridges – the exhibition now consists of more than 90 works of different degrees of complexity. The Park has become not only an iconic site (the fact that all newlyweds of Donetsk attend this park on their wedding day speaks volumes for it!), but also a part of the urban mythology. There are so many superstitious beliefs about this “Park of Brides”! For instance, the giant scales are believed to help newlyweds determine the future head of the family. In case you need to make an important choice, just visit the arbor of four dragons and a proper solution will come by itself. And those who are unrequitedly in love are advised to hold the bar of the “cheerful cyclist” – the Arrow of Cupid will definitely hit the heartthrob, and the love will become mutual. Having put their hand onto the sculpture of a stork`s nest, a childless couple will soon welcome a baby. The townspeople prefer to believe in good signs matter-of-factly – having been polished with thousands of hands, the huge “lucky” horseshoe shines brightly as if just out of a blacksmiths shop. Give it a try – what if it really works! It`s not in the character of this “steel” city to do something for no particular reason. After all, if Donetsk gives the word, it has respect for promises ! No exceptions!

The Odessa catacombs are rightfully considered to be one of the wonders of this fantastic city by the sea. Moreover, they are known not only for the cobweb of underground labyrinths, but also for their more than "respectable" length, which leaves far behind the Rome and Paris dungeons. The origin of the catacombs is rather prosaic: the underground galleries began to appear in the first half of the XIX century; in the period of rapid construction of the city. The city’s Old Centre is built of lightweight and durable shell rock extracted from the catacombs – thus, it so happened that Odessa is a city turned inside out.

Nowadays, the Odessa catacombs are a huge underground world, which can be explored for hours. Some climb down here out of idle curiosity, some – to rattle their nerves, some – to discover what the eternal darkness of underground tunnels hides. People come here for adrenaline, silence, solitude, or vice versa – for communication with interesting people.

Interlacing in most unexpected combinations, the catacombs form the unique labyrinths, which it is advisable to travel through accompanied by guides. However, even such a "civilized" trip, with marking and lighting, turns out to be very spectacular. 70 steps down – and you enter a totally different world – a world of war times with its stone plank beds, weapon workshops, a shooting room, a headquarters with troop flag, a kitchen with an iron barrel used as a stove, a bath, and even a small library. Wall paintings, roots piercing through the ceiling, and the bats scurrying in the dark – all this fills the journey through the underground world of Odessa with an extreme charm. Indeed, during World War II, many city residents found a shelter here, moreover, partisans parties also based themselves here – deeper in the stone mines.

There is a superstition: whatever you find in the catacombs, it should never be brought into the daylight, even so if you resolve to take something, make sure you leave something in return so as not to offend Bout – the god of the catacombs. One of the "underground" legends tells of a model ship made of pure gold, hidden in the bowels of the Odessa catacombs by a certain captain before the war began. The seaman never returned to have retrieve his treasure, and the ship is still not found. Who knows, maybe someday Bout will give this treasure to one of the Odessa underworld visitors? It may so happen he will choose you. Think of what you can leave in exchange for this golden boat? After all, exchanges with gods are dangerous and unpredictable. Be careful – it becomes far more adventurous, when dealing with the god of such an intricate maze as the Odessa catacombs.