Thank you so much for this video. I am Ukranian, have been living in the states for more than 20 years though...I think I am going to go to Ukraine soon.
Wow! I had no idea Ukraine was open to tourists. The buildings are really fabulous. Hopefully the war finishes quickly. Ukraine looks like such a wonderful country. This is undoubtedly one of the best videos you ever made!
Thanks Kimon! It’s always so nice to hear from you in my comments. Thanks for watching! Yes, Ukraine is open to pretty much anybody from Europe to visit without a visa. There’s a lot of nice things in Ukraine that I think even before the war were not so well known to foreigners there.
I think with EU passport it would be easy for you tu visit Ukraine. Many cities are pretty safe like Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivci, Zakarpattya region. russian bombs and drones not very often explodes there. Greetings from Kyiv
Thank you for your courage in visiting Ukraine during the war. Thank you for shedding light on the real situation to your audience. This will help in the fight against the Russian deceitful, paid propaganda videos that Russia is producing at an astronomical speed. My respect to you, thank you. Djakuju, Slava Ukraini 💙💛
Thank you for this video. It may be as close as I can get to Ukraine. If I had the means, I would go to Ukraine. I hear many Ukrainians learn English. I'd download the Ukrainian language to my translator ap. I would look up Serhii for a tour guide, so I can learn and understand the nation of Ukraine better. I'm amazed at the Ukrainian spirit and resilience against Russia's War on them. Slava Ukraini
Thanks from another formerly occupied Russia's neighbour. I'm in the same sutuation, but don't give up the hope to visit Ukraine and help somehow. Слава Украïнi🔱
Thank you very much for this videoMy wife is Ukranian. We are crrently living in Netherlands, we went back to Kyiv last year (we live in Hermanivka; Rayon Obukhiv, Oblast Kyiv) we plan on going back thia summer. You should really visit moor cities in Ukraina and also some cities at the countryside. The country and the people are fantastic.
Thank you for sharing! ❤ It's been a while since I last visited Ukraine. It was so fun and vibrant and buzzy back then... much quiter now 😢 Hope they can live in peace again soon!
Much respect for your bravery and interest to visit Ukraine during the war and giving the real insight on what is going on. Thanks for your serious position and sharing the details about life in the country during war. Peace and safety to you, friend
My second home was Kyiv for 5 years and I’m glad to see this video of one of my favorite cities 💙💛 I know all the places and it’s still heartbreaking and I will come back when it will end soon hopefully 🙏🏻🙏🏻 Slawa Ukraini 🇺🇦 Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
Thank you to all foreigners for your support! Against the backdrop of those shootings of civilians and children in the basements of Bakhmut and Mariupol, against the backdrop of violence against children by Russians, every word, every step, every penny is a ray of light indicating that we are not alone on this round earth with this terrible neighbor. Glory to God, Glory to the Nation, Glory to Ukraine!
Hi, Thank you for visiting Kyiv and advertising Ukraine even war time! I'm Dutch, married to a Ukrainian husband and living already 24 years in Ukraine. Now 10km east of Kyiv. We did not flee with our children, but stayed here to reach out. The russians came as close as 5 km to our city Brovary. It was a very anxious and intense time. 24/7 hearing artillery and not knowing whether they'll brake through or not. Thanks God, they didn't. However the war (not conflict) is going on and on. Last month September 2024 for example we had literatuur every night air attacks! Drones and rockets of all kinds are shot from the air, which makes the windows in our house trembling if it's close by. The cemetery is added nearly daily with our fallen soldiers. You can hardly find anyone who doesn't have loved ones fighting, dead or missed... You said it correct: on the surface everything looks 'ok' and 'calm'... but that's a very thin surface... The trauma, stress, uncertainty is HUGE. Thank you for not forgetting us. But we need MUCH FASTER FAR MORE WEAPEN, AMMUNITION, AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS and PERMISSION TO ATTACK FURTHER INTO russia. The russia terrorists don't count with people. Not ours neither theirs. We fight here for the West as well. We will do the fightings... we only need the tools!!! With God's help! As a European woman I feel sometimes ashsmed and extremely upset about the geopolitical 'hypocrisie'. We're promised a lot, but we've got much less than the half was was promised by various countries... It's sad and adding up to our COLLECTIVE GRIEF and feeling of LONELINESS the realization that war is "profitable" for a lot of countries. A very hard reality unfortunately. But God will judge! And we keep on going here only because of His strength and protection!
I feel you and wish voices like yours were more publically heard. My small country not so far (Latvia) has started the drone initiative (a target of 1M/year, nearly already delivered), as it's the most value for our small budget and around 10 countries have joined. Many more initiatives across Europe are on the way, even if very late it's picking up. We are not in a good economic shape mostly because of the war, but won't give up on you and produce what we can. That said i'm also pissed off about the slow and compromised reactions of the bigger, much richer NATO countries not pulling their weight and letting them be brainwashed by both Kremlin's and fascist weaponised propaganda (especially US). I'm sure we would do everything we can for your victory, but i don't know if it will be enough and will be deeply ashamed if we failed. Then the future is a later, unlimited war we'll have to fight with our own hands. We know this, but further from Ukraine many don't understand this, so i'll make sure to explain it to as many as possible. Love and respect to Netherlands, Слава Украïнi 🔱
One of my friends that is a reach guy that traveled at least 20 countries told me that Ukraine is the best for food tourism. Restaurants are not fancy, but cheap, tasty, and unique. It's a sub cultural thing and you need to search in Ukrainian beforehand. Last week he told me that waits for war to end to come to Kyiv or Lviv and to visit as many restaurants as he can 😆 Yeah, he is crazy about food, and I am more interested in architecture.
Serhiy clearly tried to explain the situation with air raids to the best of his ability but I think there's a psychological barrier for most Ukrainians when it's tough to get into the shoes of someone who hasn't lived with air raids on the daily basis, so unfortunately I don't think he explained it best. The thing about air raids is that people's reaction to it depends A LOT on the type of danger posed at that moment and the probability of that danger materialising in reality. For example you guys happened to be there during an air raid that was started by the hypersonic missile carrier plane MIG taking off in the air, but those are often "empty threats" and a lot of people ignore MIG air raid alerts. Most of the people I know tho would never ignore a ballistic missile air raid, since those are one of the most "materialisable" dangers. And the frequency of air raids depends 100% on your location. For example Kharkiv is under attack or a danger on an attack almost the majority of the day, every day. Kherson and Zaporozhia get shelled a lot too, since they're close to the frontlines and can even be reached by artillery. Kyiv and Odesa often suffer from drone strikes.And once in a while russia conducts a massive dountrywide strike with different types of weapons at once (or consecutively) where even the West of Ukraine gets under attack. Schools, universities, kindergartens, stores etc. are obligated to guarantee public safety during an air raid regardless of its type though. And lastly, there do exist different types of people in Ukraine when it comes to how seriously they take their own safety. There are those who go to the balcony to look at antidrone efforts nearby to "soak up" the experience, and there are those who get up at 2 am to go to their nearest shelter when they don't feel safe home.
I always dreamed about visiting Ukraine myself but with the ongoing war tensions between Ukraine and Russia, I honestly don't think it's safe to visit. So it's best if I wait until the war madness comes to a end and hopefully peace and harmony will prevail and flourish.
I took the bus from Warsaw. Much, much worse. I definitely wish I had taken the train. I did go check, and they told me there was no train at that time. The border took forever!!
It's generally did not change much from the time the author visited Kyiv. You are better to install an app that informs you about air strikes, but the most of them are during the night, so you need to choose a hotel with any shelter that is below the ground level. Generally, air defense works well, but something reaches Kyiv once a month, and it's a life changing experience. You should take power bank with you, as there are times when no electricity for several hours (12 hours was the maximum). You could buy a SIM card of a local operator for cheap internet and local calls as they are sold without any documents.
20:47 "Maidan Square" is not a phrase. Maidan is one of two ways of saying square in Ukrainian (the other one being ploshcha). Maidan Nezalezhnosti translates to Independence Square. So "Maidan Square" would be Square Square.
Thank you for visiting us ❤ I hope you will visit Ukraine after the end of the war 🤝 Yes, life in Kyiv looks more normal now, but every moment your life can be over after the bombing. Most people live with extremely high level of anxiety, and a fear of the future (including me). And it affects the general atmosphere
Thank you for your nice comment! Yes the woman in the video is a wonderful person and a good friend. That’s great you are learning English. I am an English teacher (when I am not making travel videos). You are also from a great city of Ukraine and I hope to visit Odesa one day too. Slava Ukraini!
Keep learning, very useful - best is to practice with native speakers. I'm not one, but have learned it the hard way and hope to visit Ukraine. Odessa is #1 on my list, love the mediterranean vibe. Hope i can get by speaking ruzzian at first, though i prefer English (i've heard the majority of locals don't speak English much and my Ukrainian is still very poor). As soon as i can afford to, hope to find a volunteer place or an official job around there. Разом до перемоги, Слава Украïнi🔱🔱
What are Ukrainian attitudes towards people visiting for tourism at a time of war? Are there sensitivities around that? I would love to visit and if this war heads for the long road, then there won't ever be a better time to visit.
I asked this question to every Ukrainian I know before I decided to do this trip. They all said I should go and they appreciated very much my willingness to still go to see, experience & learn about Ukraine from inside the country, despite it being under the horrific & prolonged assault it is under now. Many expressed happiness with me visiting as a content creator because my video could also help efforts to prevent the world from forgetting about Ukraine. Plus it helps to fight against the information war that is also being waged against them too. I felt nothing but welcome and warmth from Ukrainians during this entire trip. Of course it’s not without risk, and the risk is much higher if you go closer to the front lines. If you decide to go, definitely plan it out very carefully and consult with anybody you know in and from Ukraine who can give you guidance. Be very aware and in tune of what is happening because the situation can change quickly, so you must be prepared for many different scenarios, as I was prepared when I went there. Anyone from Ukraine here is of course welcome to contribute to this answer.
I've done this trip 100 times, but never with an empty coupé. You missed a lot of life, dude. I hope you speak Ukrainian or at least Russian or are traveling with someone who does. Well, good on you for at least presenting this. Keep at it. By the way, I'm an American babyboomer volunteer teaching English in Central Ukraine. Been here, off and on, since 1992.
Very nice you went from Poland and were able to get in so easily, not many people traveling east. Hope your friends and everyone else is safe there, Very nice interaction with everyone.
Thank you for watching! Yes I keep in touch with my friends there and luckily they’re still alive. They are unfortunately dealing with more frequent attacks from Russia these days, even in Kyiv, then they did when I was there. A reminder that the war is still going on and Russia is still trying to do everything it can to break and conquer Ukraine.
Man, so those are not just some ancient legends nor stereotypes: you Americans really don’t give a toss about learning how the geography you travel to is pronounced 🤔 It’s Chelm (!) {khél’m} But my personal like for giving a toss and visiting my beloved city. And learning how to get to the toilet as well 😂❤
Korchma Taras Bulba is a chain restaurant…of Russia…all other locations in are Moscow but this one in Kyiv and one in New York City …it is Ukrainian traditional foods though. Nice video, thank you. 😊
Thank you. It is very interesting experience to see my native city through your eyes. My great respect for you, usualy tourists prefer some peacefull joyfull places for their trips but you desided to share our experience.
Yes I remember the site with the map of air alerts showing red for the whole country when the alert in this video happened. Thankfully that day nothing went to Kyiv.
On the border they also change wheels on the train, because the rail route is a bit different from Polish. It takes around 1 hour, so the border control is around 2 hours) just a small remark from Kyiv. Very nice to see you in Ukraine 🇺🇦
Thank you watching and commenting. Yes I remember reading that they change the wheels at the border because the tracks built during the Soviet empire have a different gauge. I wasn’t sure if that was happening when I was there, so I didn’t say anything about it in the video. But it makes sense that it was during the time it took to cross.
Thank U mate for this Video! My Heart & Soul breaks for these beautiful people 💔 🇦🇺 God bless them ! Always wanted to Visit ,but have not got there yet,But maybe one day I will ? Sending Love,Prayers ,& best Wishes to them all from☘️🇦🇺 Downunder Australia !🙏🇺🇦❤️🙏
with Anatoliy Kushch [uk] commissioned as the sculptor, and his daughter Christina Katrakis served as model for the Statue of Berehynia.[2][3] The Independence Monument was inaugurated on 23 August 2001 by President Leonid Kuchma to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Ukrainian independence.
Look at the map. Ukraine is massive. If air defense lets something fall on a million city maximum once a month, chances of getting hit in Western Ukraine are less than winning a lottery. If you don't go close to frontline (at least without autorisation) or Kharkiv, don't film army equipment or movements without permission and similar silly things, you'll be out of trouble, as long as the frontline holds.
I think if you can use the Ukrainian railway app you don’t need to print. But you need a Ukrainian phone number in order to use that app, which I don’t have, so I printed.
I’m a western male in my thirties. My girlfriend is Ukrainian but grew up over here having left kyiv when she was a child. The only family member she has that is still in Ukraine is her nan, who has no one to rely on but decided to stay. She has recently become poorly and my girlfriend wants to visit her just incase it’s her last chance to. She visited her last summer and found it difficult with all that’s going on, so I’ve said I’ll go with her this time. Did you find as a westerner without being able to speak the language that you were safe and that there wasn’t any corruption or potential issues with having your passport seized so you were unable to leave the country? I’ve read many stories about western men going over there and having their passports taken off them only to be bribed or threatened to have to stay. The war naturally worries me but the scenario I mention above worries me more given I don’t speak the language
In general Ukraine has lower crime rate than most European countries. Corruption - yes, but it’s unlikely that you will deal with that. I know dozens people who visited Ukraine and none of them had any troubles. Probably, troubles are likelier for those who buy drugs or prostitutes. The only thing to take care of is scam. Book a hotel, not an apartment, order Uber, not a private taxi.
Ukraine doesn’t have any added restrictions on entry since the Russian invasion, as far as I know, and it’s not that hard to enter from Poland or Romania. You may have not been able to enter from Moldova because of Transnistria being wedged between much of its border with Ukraine.
When Serbia was under bombing people 90% never used shelters. I understand Ukrainians doing the same. Unfortunately this war is destroying this beautiful country
@JohnSmith-t9i Slobodan Milosevic pulled back from agreement US politicians needed. Also he refused to let US place base in Kosovo (Which they now have). In Srebrenica was paramilitary (Demilitarised zone) that destroyed surrounding serbian villages. Srebrenica was retaliation for that. And final nail in the coffin was Račak. Which was shootout between Serbian police and KLA (UCK) which was terrorist organisation. (Many politicians in Kosovo were ex KLA members) They used that to trick their people in order to get green light for bombing of Serbia. After which 155 Orthodox churches were destroyed and ethnic cleansing of Kosovo finished.
Thanks for your comment. I would add, that it is russians who destroying this beautiful city. Unfortunately there is many evil people especially in brainwashed russia.
I prefer the food selections by the lady with masters in Mohyla Academy-> English Language: salmon salad and drink of nutty fruit. Perhaps next dinner at Artek in Crimea.
Your videos are the best thing because it shows the world what a beautiful place and people Ukraine is! I am praying and supporting Ukrainians in their plight to retain their Democracy! USA has a republican issue renewing supporting funds fornUkrain but I feel this temporary. Keep the faith. You are a resilient people. Democracy prevails. ❤ the American people are with you. One day I will visit Ukraine a free nation and gather with you enjoying your freedoms together. Go 🇺🇦
@@Фёдор-з3пкогда эти города вернутся в Украину и их освободят от орков-террористов,когда,наконец-то,сдохнет фюрер Путин, и вы провалите с нашей земли,тогда и в Луганск ,и в Донецк ,и в Мариуполь(где рашисты убили десятки тысяч безвинных украинцев,освобождая их от жизни, от жилья и от существования-геноцид)приедут туристы и вернутся украинцы на родные земли!Слава Украине🇺🇦Героям слава!
@BobSmith-tn2qp You can fly to Warsaw, Krakow or any other city nearby Ukraine and take the train to Lviv or Kyiv or rent a car (i shamelessly assume you're American from the silly answer). If you look for some luxury travel, maybe a country at war is not a smart idea though.
We were there for 9 days in September (5 in Kyiv, 4 in Lviv). There were only two air alarms. If the situation stays the same I agree that it is relatively safe in summer. However, winter might be more problematic
@@Nxghtcry Not really, they won't insure you if you get hit or accident and personally its disrespectful to see tourists having their jolly holidays in a war zone and returning to their safe havens after.
If you didn't need to come out of train on the border That means that very stupid sounding thing about them changing the train gauge every time they cross border is true! Wow
I enjoyed your video. It was very well done and you captured the best things concerning the people and the current situation. It’s been 9 months now since you posted. I was wondering if you have been back and have you been able to go to the eastern oblasts where the people were brutally killed by Ukrain Nationals because they spoke Russian along with their Ukrain. The truth about this war and the people who are responsible will be revealed in time and the world will be so glad that those people living in Ukrain and Russia can have peace. Thank you for your bravery. Be safe with your travels. Godspeed. LT
@@marynagasynets5741 I’m sorry you’re offend. It is the truth, and you know it. When you deny the Truth, my dear, you are exposing your own ignorance. May God Bless you and keep you safe.
@@marynagasynets5741 BTW The people effected on both sides of this awful war are descended from my ancestors. They are my people! My ancestry is from the Caspian and Carpathian Steps. My DNA is U4 found in Ukraine 4,000 years ago in the Yamnaya Culture. I’m proud to be of the original people who migrated from Anatolia through the Steps on their way North, East and West. My maternal ancestors are found in Baltic and Slavic, and around the Caucasus 47,000 years ago. My Geographical references are Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Northeastern Europe, Northwestern Europe, south across the Mediterranean to Libya and other region of Northern Africa, genetic remnants from when the Roman Empire expanded its horizons south.
Those who understand and can, mostly do. This is first crowdfunded (ex.g. at least 10% of drones and even more trucks) war in history. It does make life and death difference.
Thank you for your support and for visiting Ukraine despite the war
Thank you so much for this video. I am Ukranian, have been living in the states for more than 20 years though...I think I am going to go to Ukraine soon.
Wow! I had no idea Ukraine was open to tourists. The buildings are really fabulous. Hopefully the war finishes quickly. Ukraine looks like such a wonderful country. This is undoubtedly one of the best videos you ever made!
Thanks Kimon! It’s always so nice to hear from you in my comments. Thanks for watching! Yes, Ukraine is open to pretty much anybody from Europe to visit without a visa. There’s a lot of nice things in Ukraine that I think even before the war were not so well known to foreigners there.
@@GlobalNikowhat about who wants to visit Ukraine from out of europe ..they give the touristic visa ??
I think with EU passport it would be easy for you tu visit Ukraine. Many cities are pretty safe like Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivci, Zakarpattya region. russian bombs and drones not very often explodes there. Greetings from Kyiv
Its always been open for tourist, toiday its just for those who are not afraid
If you have a US passport you can visit Ukriane bro@@hmimed4190
Beautifull Kyiv, I hope there will be peace in Ukraine soon...
But you didn't saw Lviv
@JohnSmith-t9i Show Lviv. My relatives from Canada say that this is a small Paris
Thank you for your courage in visiting Ukraine during the war. Thank you for shedding light on the real situation to your audience. This will help in the fight against the Russian deceitful, paid propaganda videos that Russia is producing at an astronomical speed.
My respect to you, thank you.
Djakuju, Slava Ukraini 💙💛
Thank you for this video. It may be as close as I can get to Ukraine. If I had the means, I would go to Ukraine. I hear many Ukrainians learn English. I'd download the Ukrainian language to my translator ap. I would look up Serhii for a tour guide, so I can learn and understand the nation of Ukraine better. I'm amazed at the Ukrainian spirit and resilience against Russia's War on them. Slava Ukraini
Thanks from another formerly occupied Russia's neighbour. I'm in the same sutuation, but don't give up the hope to visit Ukraine and help somehow.
Слава Украïнi🔱
Thank you very much for this videoMy wife is Ukranian. We are crrently living in Netherlands, we went back to Kyiv last year (we live in Hermanivka; Rayon Obukhiv, Oblast Kyiv) we plan on going back thia summer. You should really visit moor cities in Ukraina and also some cities at the countryside. The country and the people are fantastic.
Thank you. Yes I definitely want to see more places in Ukraine.
@@GlobalNiko I invite you to Tripilla, write to me :)
Thank you for sharing! ❤ It's been a while since I last visited Ukraine. It was so fun and vibrant and buzzy back then... much quiter now 😢 Hope they can live in peace again soon!
@@АняАня-ь2й get lost, russian fascist
Nicely done video! God bless everyone affected by this unnecessary war. 🙏
Much respect for your bravery and interest to visit Ukraine during the war and giving the real insight on what is going on. Thanks for your serious position and sharing the details about life in the country during war. Peace and safety to you, friend
You should visit Lviv! It's absolutely amazing!
Yes many have told me this. I unfortunately didn’t have enough time on this trip to also go to Lviv, but I certainly will next time!
Definitely!
@@GlobalNikoit's more simple to visit Lviv by train from Przemyśl Poland it's a short trip
@@GlobalNikowow, I can make a free excursion for you in Lviv.
My second home was Kyiv for 5 years and I’m glad to see this video of one of my favorite cities 💙💛 I know all the places and it’s still heartbreaking and I will come back when it will end soon hopefully 🙏🏻🙏🏻 Slawa Ukraini 🇺🇦 Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
Героям Слава 🇺🇦
ми тебе будемо очікувати, уся країна любі дівчатки вас очікує!
Beautiful Kyiv ❤️Beautiful Ukraine ❤️ God Bless Ukrainian people🙏🕊🇺🇦🕊✨🐝💠🛡🔱⚔️FK puking⚔️
Thank you to all foreigners for your support! Against the backdrop of those shootings of civilians and children in the basements of Bakhmut and Mariupol, against the backdrop of violence against children by Russians, every word, every step, every penny is a ray of light indicating that we are not alone on this round earth with this terrible neighbor. Glory to God, Glory to the Nation, Glory to Ukraine!
Hi,
Thank you for visiting Kyiv and advertising Ukraine even war time!
I'm Dutch, married to a Ukrainian husband and living already 24 years in Ukraine. Now 10km east of Kyiv. We did not flee with our children, but stayed here to reach out. The russians came as close as 5 km to our city Brovary. It was a very anxious and intense time. 24/7 hearing artillery and not knowing whether they'll brake through or not. Thanks God, they didn't.
However the war (not conflict) is going on and on. Last month September 2024 for example we had literatuur every night air attacks!
Drones and rockets of all kinds are shot from the air, which makes the windows in our house trembling if it's close by. The cemetery is added nearly daily with our fallen soldiers. You can hardly find anyone who doesn't have loved ones fighting, dead or missed... You said it correct: on the surface everything looks 'ok' and 'calm'... but that's a very thin surface... The trauma, stress, uncertainty is HUGE.
Thank you for not forgetting us. But we need MUCH FASTER FAR MORE WEAPEN, AMMUNITION, AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS and PERMISSION TO ATTACK FURTHER INTO russia. The russia terrorists don't count with people. Not ours neither theirs. We fight here for the West as well. We will do the fightings... we only need the tools!!! With God's help! As a European woman I feel sometimes ashsmed and extremely upset about the geopolitical 'hypocrisie'.
We're promised a lot, but we've got much less than the half was was promised by various countries... It's sad and adding up to our COLLECTIVE GRIEF and feeling of LONELINESS the realization that war is "profitable" for a lot of countries. A very hard reality unfortunately. But God will judge! And we keep on going here only because of His strength and protection!
I feel you and wish voices like yours were more publically heard. My small country not so far (Latvia) has started the drone initiative (a target of 1M/year, nearly already delivered), as it's the most value for our small budget and around 10 countries have joined. Many more initiatives across Europe are on the way, even if very late it's picking up. We are not in a good economic shape mostly because of the war, but won't give up on you and produce what we can.
That said i'm also pissed off about the slow and compromised reactions of the bigger, much richer NATO countries not pulling their weight and letting them be brainwashed by both Kremlin's and fascist weaponised propaganda (especially US). I'm sure we would do everything we can for your victory, but i don't know if it will be enough and will be deeply ashamed if we failed. Then the future is a later, unlimited war we'll have to fight with our own hands. We know this, but further from Ukraine many don't understand this, so i'll make sure to explain it to as many as possible.
Love and respect to Netherlands,
Слава Украïнi 🔱
Beautiful city & the food looks yummy. Peace to Ukraine.
Yes I was not disappointed with the food, for sure.
One of my friends that is a reach guy that traveled at least 20 countries told me that Ukraine is the best for food tourism. Restaurants are not fancy, but cheap, tasty, and unique. It's a sub cultural thing and you need to search in Ukrainian beforehand. Last week he told me that waits for war to end to come to Kyiv or Lviv and to visit as many restaurants as he can 😆 Yeah, he is crazy about food, and I am more interested in architecture.
Thanks for sharing your adventure. Praying that Ukraine is victorious.
Great video Nick!!
Very informative and interesting!!
Bravo!
Thank you for watching!!!
Thank you for your visit !❤
Serhiy clearly tried to explain the situation with air raids to the best of his ability but I think there's a psychological barrier for most Ukrainians when it's tough to get into the shoes of someone who hasn't lived with air raids on the daily basis, so unfortunately I don't think he explained it best. The thing about air raids is that people's reaction to it depends A LOT on the type of danger posed at that moment and the probability of that danger materialising in reality. For example you guys happened to be there during an air raid that was started by the hypersonic missile carrier plane MIG taking off in the air, but those are often "empty threats" and a lot of people ignore MIG air raid alerts. Most of the people I know tho would never ignore a ballistic missile air raid, since those are one of the most "materialisable" dangers. And the frequency of air raids depends 100% on your location. For example Kharkiv is under attack or a danger on an attack almost the majority of the day, every day. Kherson and Zaporozhia get shelled a lot too, since they're close to the frontlines and can even be reached by artillery. Kyiv and Odesa often suffer from drone strikes.And once in a while russia conducts a massive dountrywide strike with different types of weapons at once (or consecutively) where even the West of Ukraine gets under attack. Schools, universities, kindergartens, stores etc. are obligated to guarantee public safety during an air raid regardless of its type though. And lastly, there do exist different types of people in Ukraine when it comes to how seriously they take their own safety. There are those who go to the balcony to look at antidrone efforts nearby to "soak up" the experience, and there are those who get up at 2 am to go to their nearest shelter when they don't feel safe home.
Thank you from Ukraine for visiting and showing to the world, it's possible to travel here even now!
Thank you for showing the beautiful Kyiv and bringing awareness of the war in Ukraine to the English speaking audience ❤
Very nice your video
Very interesting video, did you not have to change trains or did you go straight from Chelm to Kyiv?
Thanks for watching. Went straight from Chelm to Kyiv.
@@GlobalNiko I didnt even know about this route, thanks very much.
Thank you for reminding the world about us!
I always dreamed about visiting Ukraine myself but with the ongoing war tensions between Ukraine and Russia, I honestly don't think it's safe to visit. So it's best if I wait until the war madness comes to a end and hopefully peace and harmony will prevail and flourish.
Nice video, thanks! Miss Kyiv! Have you visited Lviv? an incredible city!
I haven’t but I’ve heard great things & will certainly visit some day when I go back to see more of Ukraine!
I took the bus from Warsaw. Much, much worse. I definitely wish I had taken the train. I did go check, and they told me there was no train at that time. The border took forever!!
It’s really hard to find a ticket for the train from Warsaw. This is why I went from Chelm.
Nice video! What is situation now you think of visiting Kiev?
It's generally did not change much from the time the author visited Kyiv. You are better to install an app that informs you about air strikes, but the most of them are during the night, so you need to choose a hotel with any shelter that is below the ground level. Generally, air defense works well, but something reaches Kyiv once a month, and it's a life changing experience. You should take power bank with you, as there are times when no electricity for several hours (12 hours was the maximum). You could buy a SIM card of a local operator for cheap internet and local calls as they are sold without any documents.
20:47
"Maidan Square" is not a phrase. Maidan is one of two ways of saying square in Ukrainian (the other one being ploshcha). Maidan Nezalezhnosti translates to Independence Square. So "Maidan Square" would be Square Square.
It was known as Independence square when I had a business there 20 years ago.
@@pooooornopigeon it's still Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti)
@@pooooornopigeon That's still what it's called, "Maidan" means square.
Thank you very much for the interesting and truthful video about the capital city of my native country.
Things getting much worse but really thank for showing Ukraine by an eye foreigner.
Slava Ukraine
Thank you for visiting us ❤
I hope you will visit Ukraine after the end of the war 🤝
Yes, life in Kyiv looks more normal now, but every moment your life can be over after the bombing. Most people live with extremely high level of anxiety, and a fear of the future (including me). And it affects the general atmosphere
Yes, I really would love to visit Ukraine again. I wish for peace, freedom & strength for you & all Ukrainians in this terrible time.
Hello! Woman in video is so positive people. Im from Odesa! Im 12 years old and i learning english.
Thank you for your nice comment! Yes the woman in the video is a wonderful person and a good friend. That’s great you are learning English. I am an English teacher (when I am not making travel videos). You are also from a great city of Ukraine and I hope to visit Odesa one day too. Slava Ukraini!
Keep learning, very useful - best is to practice with native speakers. I'm not one, but have learned it the hard way and hope to visit Ukraine. Odessa is #1 on my list, love the mediterranean vibe. Hope i can get by speaking ruzzian at first, though i prefer English (i've heard the majority of locals don't speak English much and my Ukrainian is still very poor). As soon as i can afford to, hope to find a volunteer place or an official job around there.
Разом до перемоги,
Слава Украïнi🔱🔱
What are Ukrainian attitudes towards people visiting for tourism at a time of war? Are there sensitivities around that? I would love to visit and if this war heads for the long road, then there won't ever be a better time to visit.
I asked this question to every Ukrainian I know before I decided to do this trip. They all said I should go and they appreciated very much my willingness to still go to see, experience & learn about Ukraine from inside the country, despite it being under the horrific & prolonged assault it is under now. Many expressed happiness with me visiting as a content creator because my video could also help efforts to prevent the world from forgetting about Ukraine. Plus it helps to fight against the information war that is also being waged against them too.
I felt nothing but welcome and warmth from Ukrainians during this entire trip. Of course it’s not without risk, and the risk is much higher if you go closer to the front lines. If you decide to go, definitely plan it out very carefully and consult with anybody you know in and from Ukraine who can give you guidance. Be very aware and in tune of what is happening because the situation can change quickly, so you must be prepared for many different scenarios, as I was prepared when I went there. Anyone from Ukraine here is of course welcome to contribute to this answer.
We are love tourists! You will be welcome here!
Please come and visit us
We welcome tourists! You know the war is hard for economy, tourism industry suffer as well, so come of course! We also have hotels with shelters!
We welcome tourists, makes us feel less alone in this struggle. I guess it's validating to the experiences we live through.
I've done this trip 100 times, but never with an empty coupé. You missed a lot of life, dude. I hope you speak Ukrainian or at least Russian or are traveling with someone who does. Well, good on you for at least presenting this. Keep at it. By the way, I'm an American babyboomer volunteer teaching English in Central Ukraine. Been here, off and on, since 1992.
Very nice you went from Poland and were able to get in so easily, not many people traveling east. Hope your friends and everyone else is safe there, Very nice interaction with everyone.
Thank you for watching! Yes I keep in touch with my friends there and luckily they’re still alive. They are unfortunately dealing with more frequent attacks from Russia these days, even in Kyiv, then they did when I was there. A reminder that the war is still going on and Russia is still trying to do everything it can to break and conquer Ukraine.
Man, so those are not just some ancient legends nor stereotypes: you Americans really don’t give a toss about learning how the geography you travel to is pronounced 🤔
It’s Chelm (!) {khél’m}
But my personal like for giving a toss and visiting my beloved city. And learning how to get to the toilet as well 😂❤
Very good tour. Thanks for the promotion of Ukraine. Slava Ukraini.
Героям слава🔱
this video was uploaded on my birthday
27:35 Volodimirska Girka means Vladimirs Hill Or small, little mountain
Ah, my homeland. I miss the old times without the invasion
many prayers to you Niko...stay safe!
Because this video shows very peaceful situation. 😢😢😢
Korchma Taras Bulba is a chain restaurant…of Russia…all other locations in are Moscow but this one in Kyiv and one in New York City …it is Ukrainian traditional foods though. Nice video, thank you. 😊
Lietuva.Kaunas 1000k❤❤❤ Ukrainai!!! 🇱🇹🇱🇹🇱🇹❤️🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦
Add 1000K=1M💕 to that from Latvija, broliai✊
Thank You for your visit to our country!
24:55 smooth, smooth
Thank you. It is very interesting experience to see my native city through your eyes. My great respect for you, usualy tourists prefer some peacefull joyfull places for their trips but you desided to share our experience.
Believe it or not there are some safe cities in ukraine. The western cities are the safest. We are praying for you ukraine✌️🇺🇦
Ukrainians are such brave people as many tried to live a normal life as possible in the midst of a brutal war!
when mig31 all country goes to alarm mode, but mig31 shot very rarely and can flies like 5 hours
Yes I remember the site with the map of air alerts showing red for the whole country when the alert in this video happened. Thankfully that day nothing went to Kyiv.
On the border they also change wheels on the train, because the rail route is a bit different from Polish. It takes around 1 hour, so the border control is around 2 hours) just a small remark from Kyiv. Very nice to see you in Ukraine 🇺🇦
Thank you watching and commenting. Yes I remember reading that they change the wheels at the border because the tracks built during the Soviet empire have a different gauge. I wasn’t sure if that was happening when I was there, so I didn’t say anything about it in the video. But it makes sense that it was during the time it took to cross.
Thank U mate for this Video!
My Heart & Soul breaks for these beautiful people 💔 🇦🇺
God bless them !
Always wanted to Visit ,but have not got there yet,But maybe one day I will ?
Sending Love,Prayers ,& best Wishes to them all from☘️🇦🇺 Downunder Australia !🙏🇺🇦❤️🙏
Just like I want to visit your country. Hopefully you’ll be able to visit Ukraine soon.
🇦🇺🫶🇺🇦
What time of year were you there?
with Anatoliy Kushch [uk] commissioned as the sculptor, and his daughter Christina Katrakis served as model for the Statue of Berehynia.[2][3] The Independence Monument was inaugurated on 23 August 2001 by President Leonid Kuchma to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Ukrainian independence.
More people should visit Ukraine 🇺🇦 it's a great place very diverse and great foods
Enjoyed Swan Lake at the Opera. 4 synchronized ballerinas, Dance of the Little Swans.
you confused Ukraine with Russia
Thank you! Glory to Ukraine!
Is Ukraine safe for tourists right now?? I wanna visit there.
Look at the map. Ukraine is massive. If air defense lets something fall on a million city maximum once a month, chances of getting hit in Western Ukraine are less than winning a lottery. If you don't go close to frontline (at least without autorisation) or Kharkiv, don't film army equipment or movements without permission and similar silly things, you'll be out of trouble, as long as the frontline holds.
Thank you for this video
Thank you for watching!
👍❤️
💛
❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥
Thanks for supporting Ukraine, buddy! Слава Украине!
I think don't need to print tickets, maybe it for international routes only
I think if you can use the Ukrainian railway app you don’t need to print. But you need a Ukrainian phone number in order to use that app, which I don’t have, so I printed.
@@GlobalNiko what an unfortunate fact. but you can just take my word for it, the app is pretty good and simple ahah
Yes this is what I’ve heard
I’m a western male in my thirties. My girlfriend is Ukrainian but grew up over here having left kyiv when she was a child. The only family member she has that is still in Ukraine is her nan, who has no one to rely on but decided to stay. She has recently become poorly and my girlfriend wants to visit her just incase it’s her last chance to. She visited her last summer and found it difficult with all that’s going on, so I’ve said I’ll go with her this time. Did you find as a westerner without being able to speak the language that you were safe and that there wasn’t any corruption or potential issues with having your passport seized so you were unable to leave the country? I’ve read many stories about western men going over there and having their passports taken off them only to be bribed or threatened to have to stay. The war naturally worries me but the scenario I mention above worries me more given I don’t speak the language
In general Ukraine has lower crime rate than most European countries. Corruption - yes, but it’s unlikely that you will deal with that. I know dozens people who visited Ukraine and none of them had any troubles. Probably, troubles are likelier for those who buy drugs or prostitutes.
The only thing to take care of is scam. Book a hotel, not an apartment, order Uber, not a private taxi.
You should visit Donetsk.
Nice content
Thank you!
How did you manage to get to Ukraine during the war ? I tried last year to go to moldova and from moldova to Ukraine but moldova denied me entry 😢
Ukraine doesn’t have any added restrictions on entry since the Russian invasion, as far as I know, and it’s not that hard to enter from Poland or Romania. You may have not been able to enter from Moldova because of Transnistria being wedged between much of its border with Ukraine.
You can move freely from Ukraine to Moldova and from Moldova to Ukraine freely. I don't know what's the problem
You sure you didn't try to go trough Transnistria?
👍
When Serbia was under bombing people 90% never used shelters. I understand Ukrainians doing the same. Unfortunately this war is destroying this beautiful country
And that was nato lovely not
@JohnSmith-t9i Slobodan Milosevic pulled back from agreement US politicians needed. Also he refused to let US place base in Kosovo (Which they now have). In Srebrenica was paramilitary (Demilitarised zone) that destroyed surrounding serbian villages. Srebrenica was retaliation for that. And final nail in the coffin was Račak. Which was shootout between Serbian police and KLA (UCK) which was terrorist organisation. (Many politicians in Kosovo were ex KLA members) They used that to trick their people in order to get green light for bombing of Serbia. After which 155 Orthodox churches were destroyed and ethnic cleansing of Kosovo finished.
Thanks for your comment. I would add, that it is russians who destroying this beautiful city. Unfortunately there is many evil people especially in brainwashed russia.
Thank you, Nick.
Thank you for watching!
Nice video, thank you for sharing
I prefer the food selections by the lady with masters in Mohyla Academy-> English Language: salmon salad and drink of nutty fruit. Perhaps next dinner at Artek in Crimea.
pork tenderloin with cheese and sauce is called, "otbivnaya or otbivni."
2 museums in lower Podil: Chernobyl and Apteka
Your videos are the best thing because it shows the world what a beautiful place and people Ukraine is! I am praying and supporting Ukrainians in their plight to retain their Democracy! USA has a republican issue renewing supporting funds fornUkrain but I feel this temporary. Keep the faith. You are a resilient people. Democracy prevails. ❤ the American people are with you. One day I will visit Ukraine a free nation and gather with you enjoying your freedoms together. Go 🇺🇦
Киев - русский город, оккупированный украинцами - пособниками Гитлера. И там нет ни демократии ни свободы. Только тоталитарный Зеленский.
Приезжайте в Донецк , Луганск , Мариуполь , поговорите с местными жителями , снимите наконец шоры , посмотрите правде в глаза .
@@Фёдор-з3пкогда эти города вернутся в Украину и их освободят от орков-террористов,когда,наконец-то,сдохнет фюрер Путин, и вы провалите с нашей земли,тогда и в Луганск ,и в Донецк ,и в Мариуполь(где рашисты убили десятки тысяч безвинных украинцев,освобождая их от жизни, от жилья и от существования-геноцид)приедут туристы и вернутся украинцы на родные земли!Слава Украине🇺🇦Героям слава!
Is the war over?
Unfortunately no
Did you watch the video or any other reportage about Ukraine and actually have a brain?
sure as hell looks like it! Normal day, media blew the war out of proportion. typical.
Thanks a lot for this video 💞 The Ukraine is a wonderful country, Kiev is beautiful 💐 God, please, help the Ukraine 🙏
I hope to visit Ukraine too, soon! 🤩
Who wants to visit kyiv i ve only have bad memories from visiting before war scam scam scam makes me sick good luck to u
I want to visit Ukraine
So? What's stopping you?
@@RuslanKvitnevyi Putin, Flights are restricted due to closed airspace over Ukraine at the moment
@@BobSmith-tn2qp buses, trains, cars? Sounds more like an excuse to md
@BobSmith-tn2qp
You can fly to Warsaw, Krakow or any other city nearby Ukraine and take the train to Lviv or Kyiv or rent a car (i shamelessly assume you're American from the silly answer). If you look for some luxury travel, maybe a country at war is not a smart idea though.
24:17 oh my god, here she looks like Luna Lovegood.
Praying for Ukraine 🇺🇦 and Isreal even if our parlement don't
I think you should add Julia's contacts too
Good video! Freedom for Ukraine! 🇺🇦
ДЯКУЮ! ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
in the moment//// 5-21 /////you must to sing #oi u luzi chervona kalina// like Hlivniuk from Bombox
Ukraine super
Thank you.
I miss Kiev ❤
*Kyiv
Your sound on your video sucks. I can hear the background noise and vehicles just fine, but it sounds like Yulia is whispering and you are mumbling.
Love Kjev
EXCUSE ME, ARE THERE NO WAR?
Excuse me, did you watch past the first minute of the video or maybe forgot to take your medication?
How dangerous do you think it is for go for 2 or 3 days? Were you concerned?
It’s relatively safe. Just mathematically, the chances of you being involved in a car accident are much higher than that of the war consequences.
We were there for 9 days in September (5 in Kyiv, 4 in Lviv). There were only two air alarms. If the situation stays the same I agree that it is relatively safe in summer. However, winter might be more problematic
All embassies are opened. Very true winter is terrible, maybe closer to summer time.
@UnitedKingdom-ix6zknot recommending going somewhere where u have never ever even been is crazy
@@Nxghtcry Not really, they won't insure you if you get hit or accident and personally its disrespectful to see tourists having their jolly holidays in a war zone and returning to their safe havens after.
If you didn't need to come out of train on the border
That means that very stupid sounding thing about them changing the train gauge every time they cross border is true! Wow
I enjoyed your video. It was very well done and you captured the best things concerning the people and the current situation. It’s been 9 months now since you posted. I was wondering if you have been back and have you been able to go to the eastern oblasts where the people were brutally killed by Ukrain Nationals because they spoke Russian along with their Ukrain. The truth about this war and the people who are responsible will be revealed in time and the world will be so glad that those people living in Ukrain and Russia can have peace. Thank you for your bravery. Be safe with your travels. Godspeed. LT
Stop repeating Russian propaganda. No one is being discriminated by a language!
@@marynagasynets5741 I’m sorry you’re offend. It is the truth, and you know it. When you deny the Truth, my dear, you are exposing your own ignorance. May God Bless you and keep you safe.
@@marynagasynets5741
BTW
The people effected on both sides of this awful war are descended from my ancestors. They are my people!
My ancestry is from the Caspian and Carpathian Steps. My DNA is U4 found in Ukraine 4,000 years ago in the Yamnaya Culture.
I’m proud to be of the original people who migrated from Anatolia through the Steps on their way North, East and West. My maternal ancestors are found in Baltic and Slavic, and around the Caucasus 47,000 years ago.
My Geographical references are Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Northeastern Europe, Northwestern Europe, south across the Mediterranean to Libya and other region of Northern Africa, genetic remnants from when the Roman Empire expanded its horizons south.
Donare and support Ukraine!!!!!!
Those who understand and can, mostly do. This is first crowdfunded (ex.g. at least 10% of drones and even more trucks) war in history. It does make life and death difference.
🇺🇦 🕊 ❤️
16:55 I found PEPSI!