Interesting facts about Ukraine

ukraine flag

Ukraine is a large country in Eastern Europe known for its Orthodox churches, Black Sea coastline and forested mountains.

The name Ukraine is believed to originally mean “borderland” or “region”. In English ‘The Ukraine’ used to be the form used now it is just called ‘Ukraine‘.

Ukraine is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Belarus to the northwest, Poland and Slovakia to the west, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south and southeast, respectively.

The official language is Ukrainian.

As of 1 January 2016, the population of Ukraine was estimated to be 42,617,345 people.

Ukraine has an area of 603,628 square kilometers (233,062 square miles), which makes it the largest country with its entirety within Europe.

Kiev is the capital city of Ukraine, bisected by the Dnieper River and known for its religious architecture, secular monuments and history museums.

kiev

The country consists almost entirely of level plains at an average elevation of 175 meters (574 feet) above sea level. It is surrounded by mountains to its west and extreme south.

Mount Hoverla at 2,061 meters (6,762 feet), is the highest mountain in Ukraine and part of the Carpathian Mountains.

mount hoverla

The Ukraine coastline is 2,700 kilometers (1,678 miles) long and includes the northern and western shores of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

More than twenty thousand small lakes dot the Ukraine landscape, covering a total area of about 18,139 square kilometers (7,000 square miles).

ukraine lake

The animal life of Ukraine is diverse, with about 350 species of birds, more than 100 species of mammals, and more than 200 species of fish. The most common predators are wolves, foxes, wildcats, and martens, while hoofed animals include deer, wild pigs, and sometimes elk and mouflons (a species of wild sheep).

The Carpathian National Natural Park is the first and the largest national park in Ukraine, created in 1980 to protect the unique natural riches of the Carpathian Mountains. The area of the park is 515.7 square kilometers (199.1 square miles)

carpathian national natural park

Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev is an outstanding architectural monument of Kievan Rus’. The cathedral is one of the city’s best known landmarks and the first heritage site in Ukraine to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List along with the Kiev Cave Monastery complex.

saint sophia cathedral

Kyiv Pechersk Lavra also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery which gave its name to one of the city districts where it is located in Kiev. Since its foundation as the cave monastery in 1051 the Lavra has been a preeminent center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe.The Kiev Pechersk Lavra contains numerous architectural monuments, ranging from bell towers to cathedrals to underground cave systems and to strong stone fortification walls.

kiev monastery of the caves

The Saint Andrew’s Church, a masterpiece of rococo architecture in Kiev. It was designed for Empress Elizabeth I by Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli and built under the direction of I. Michurin in 1747–53. Its site on the crest of the steep slope to the river makes it a striking landmark.

saint andrew's church kiev

St Volodymyr’s Cathedral is a cathedral in the center of Kiev. It is one of the city’s major landmarks and the mother cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kiev Patriarchy, one of two major Ukrainian Orthodox Churches.

st. volodymyr's cathedral

The Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans in Chernivtsi, Ukraine was built between the years 1864 – 1882 to the designs of the Czech architect, Josef Hlávka. The Residence, whose buildings are now part of Chernivtsi University, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

chernivtsi university

The shortest main street among all capitals in a world, and in the same time one of the widest and most beautiful is Khreschatyk street in Kyiv. It’s length is 1225 meters (4,019 feet).

khreschatyk street

Arsenalna Metro Station located in Kiev is the deepest in the world (at 105.5 meters (346 feet)). The station was built in 1960,very close to the House of Parliament. According to some reports, the tunnels near Arsenalnaya house secret shelters built specially for the political elite.

arsenalna metro station deepest in the world

The oldest map known to scientists, as well as one of the most ancient settlement of Homo Sapiens were found in Ukraine, in the village of Mezhireche. They are 14.5 – 15 thousand years old. The map is cut out of the bones of a mammoth. The settlement is made of the same material.

The oldest oak tree of Ukraine is 1300 years old, is Yuzefin hole, Rivne region. Its diameter is 7.9 (26 feet) meters, the height is 20 meters (65 feet).

The official Guinness world record: Ukrainians made the world’s largest glass of Champagne56.25 liters (14.86 gallons).

largest champagne glass

The first frame hive was invented in Ukraine in 1814 by Petro Prokopovych. During last years Ukraine surely takes a place in the three worlds leaders in honey producing. Ukraine leaves behind European countries in honey producing and, at the same time, is the first in the world in honey producing per capita (1,5 kilograms (3,3 pounds))

beehive frame

Ukrainian cuisine is very much a part of the population’s culture, lifestyle and customs. Well-known for its great diversity and amazing flavors, Ukrainian cuisine has had a number of influences including Russian, Polish, German and Turkish. Popular ingredients in the cuisine of Ukraine are meat, mushrooms, vegetables, berries, fruit and herbs. As Ukrainians are extremely hospitable their meals are served in very generous quantities. Borsch is the national dish, and has become known worldwide.

Ukraine is tech-savvy. They’ve got the 4th largest number of IT professionals in the world, behind the US, India, and Russia.

The world’s worst nuclear power plant accident, the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster, took place in the now abandoned Ukrainian town of Pripyat.

The Ukraine currency is called the Hryvnia.

A Ukrainian powerlifter, Dmytro Khaladzhi holds 63 Guinness World Records.