Lviv.pdf

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LVIV

”In Your Pocket: A cheeky, well-

written series of guidebooks.”

The New York Times

June - August 2010

Out of Town

Trekking in Carpathian

National Park

Summer Café Scene

The very best Lviv can offer

№ 4

www.inyourpocket.com

9 772076 230506

coNteNts

Out of Town

Trekking in the Carpathian National Park

E S S E N T I A L C I T Y G U I D E S

What to see

Essential Lviv

Churches & Cathedrals

Museums

Contents

Getting around

Mail & Phones

The Basics

Arriving, Money and more

Planes, trains & car rental

Euro 2012 Lvivstyle

Shopping

A short overview of the city’s preparations

Where to go shopping in Lviv

Culture & Events

Lifestyle directory

Galleries, cinemas, culture centres

Lifestyle, Health & Sports

Where to stay

Business directory

A fine selection of places to spent the night

Banks, Lawyers, Foreign representatives

Dining & Nightlife

Restaurants

Maps & Index

Old town map

Cafés

City map

Nightlife

Street register

Bars, pubs and clubs

Index

lviv.inyourpocket.com

June - August 2010

4 foReWoRD

aRRiViNg

Welcome to a city of unique old-world charm; the

scene of an accident where East broadsided West,

but left only a dent. With its remarkably preserved

Renaissance architecture, gently bending streets and

hidden ancient niches, Lviv is a Ukrainian city with a

European soul.

Known as the centre of Ukrainian art and culture,

the city boasts many of the country’s brightest and

best museums, art galleries and theatres. It is also

Ukraine’s Mecca - there are magnificent and inspiring

churches and cathedrals on just about every corner.

Although Lvivians have the reputation as church-

goers, they haven’t forgotten how to party. Pubs,

clubs, restaurants and coffee houses are plentiful,

and it’s usually a local who’s stoking the celebration

into the early morning hours.

Lviv has had an enthralling and violent history.

Founded by King Danylo of Galicia in honour of his

son Lev in 1256, the city has had many rulers includ-

ing Poland, Sweden, the Austrian-Hungarian Empire,

Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The dubious

Hitler–Stalin Pact of 1939 granted control of Lviv to

the Soviet Union. This occupation spurred numerous

resistance movements in the 1940s and 50s includ-

ing the much celebrated and controversial Ukrainian

Insurgent Army. With the fall of the Soviet Union in

1991, freedom was finally seized. Lviv continues to

be a shining example of independence, and Ukraine

owes much of its contemporary identity to the stream

of patriotism which emanates from this radical

western gem.

On April 17, 2007, Ukraine and Poland were chosen to

co-host the Euro 2012 football competition. As one of

Ukraine’s host cities, Lviv anxiously awaits the fanati-

cal joyous surge expected to fill the city. However,

due to bureaucratic hurdles planners have made only

trivial progress on the necessary new stadium, road

reconstruction and airport expansion. It may take a

miracle to save the city’s chances to host. In Your

Pocket will continue to monitor the situation.

We are proud to offer this guide designed to highlight

the very best Lviv has to offer.

Europe In Your Pocket

By bus

All international buses arri ve at Str yis’k yi Av tovok zal;

h owever, some buses, includin g rou tes from Warsaw

and Krakow, may make a first stop in centre not far from

Shevchenka prosp. Ask your driver to be sure. At the bus sta-

tion, ticket offices and schedules are located on the ground

floor. Upstairs you’ll find a waiting hall, a small hotel and a

cafeteria. To find the left-luggage office, head downstairs

from the central hall.

Getting to town Stryis’kyi Avtovokzal is located relatively far

from the city centre. Taxis are your obvious quickest option;

depending on your haggling skills, fares are available for as

little as 40Hr. For an unbelievable value, take trolleybus No.

5 to Shota Rustaveli Street (I-4) for the meagre fare of 1Hr.

Though it may be cramped, marshrutkas No. 7, 37, 57 and 71

shuttle passengers to centre for 1.50Hr. Bus No. 18 connects

Stryis’kyi Avtovokzal with Lviv Holovnyi Train Station.

Stryis’kyi Avtovokzal Stryis’ka 109, tel. (+380) 32

294 98 17. Q Open 24Hrs.

The toilet is definitely the airport’s most elusive feature (if

we had room in this guide we’d draw you a map). It’s actu-

ally located across the parking lot from the main terminal.

Look for the little white brick building with a red roof next to

the Satellite Café. The attendant will ask if you need paper,

just nod your head yes and save it for later if you don’t need

it right away.

Getting to town Follow the heard of fellow travellers through

the terminal corridors to the waiting gauntlet of cabbies.

The 70Hr fare to centre is relatively cheap for Ukraine, but

the real bargain is by trolleybus 9 (1 Hr) or marshrutka 95

(1.5 Hr). It’s about 20 minutes by taxi and 40 by trolleybus/

marshrutka on one of Ukraine’s bumpiest roads.

Lviv International Airport Lubyns’ka 168, tel. (+380)

32 229 81 12, www.airport.lviv.ua. Lost & Found tel.

(+380) 32 229 83 19.

By train

With platforms wrapped in lofty steel awnings, run down

trains and suspicious glances, arriving to Lviv’s central

rail station can be like stepping into a Cold War era spy

movie. Once the nostalgia has worn off, exit the platforms

by proceeding down the stairs then follow the exit signs to

the station’s halls.

A currency exchange ( ), ticketing booths ( )

and schedules are located in the main hall. There is also a

floor plan displayed of available services if you happen to

get disoriented. Purchase international tickets from booth

No. 2. (Quiet please, the street dogs huddled in the corner

are trying to sleep.)

A restaurant (open 11:00 - 23:00), Express Bank with West-

ern Union, telephones and resting hall ( ) No. 1 are located

in the left wing. Admission to hall No. 1 is 3Hr per hour and

the Internet can be accessed for 6Hr. A café and ATM are

also on site. Additional ATMs, a kiosk selling snacks and

beverages and a bar are located in the corridor connecting

the left wing to the main hall.

The bulk of station’s services are located in the right wing.

Entering from the main hall you’ll find a barber shop, an

agency offering excursion services and resting hall No. 2.

This hall has two cafés, newspaper stands and a pharmacy.

Entrance is free of charge.

Proceed through the corridor past hall No. 2 for a currency

exchange and a news stand that sells maps of Lviv. There

are three left luggage ( ) areas/lockers

available in the right wing. No. 1 is the largest and is the only

post that handles bags of all sizes. Depending on the size of

your bag, expect to pay from 5-20Hr per day. Police services

are also located in the right wing.

Toilets are scattered throughout the building. The easiest to

find are located in the corridors leading to the platforms.

Getting to town Getting from the station to centre is

relatively easy. Taxis are abundant near the main exit. A

gauntlet of taxi drivers await at the exit of the main hall. A

trip to centre should cost around 30Hr and Lviv’s cabbies

are much friendlier and less scheming than those in other

major Ukrainian cities. The parking lot beyond the cabbies

is bustling with busses and mini-busses, most of which

connect to outlaying cities, towns and villages. Your best

public transport option is tram No. 1, which heads directly

to centre. The same tram with a different name, No. 9,

takes passengers in the opposite direction from centre

to the train station.

Lviv Holovnyi Train Station F-6, Dvirtseva pl. 1, tel.

(+380) 32 748 20 68.

We now publish a record 58 guides and mini-gui-

des across 22 European countries , with more

than four million In Your Pocket -branded products

printed and distributed annually. The latest to join the

list were Kranjska Gora and Otepää : winter capitals

of Slovenia and Estonia respectively.

This year we will also be launching new guides in

Den Bosch (the first In Your Pocket in the Nether-

lands), Venice, Glasgow , Vienna , Kranj , Celje and

Bovec , as well as a few other cities we are keeping

a secret for now.

We welcome enquiries from anyone who would like

to take part in our Pocket Revolution, starting up an

IYP. Simply send us an email requesting more info:

the address is publisher@inyourpocket.com .

By car

When entering the country by car, foreigners are required to

sign a document at the border swearing that they will bring

the car out of the country before a certain date. Foreign cars

are allowed on Ukrainian soil for a maximum of two months.

This document should be carried along with your driver’s

license and your car’s registration papers at all times. Auto-

mobile insurance is obligatory in Ukraine. It may be possible

to buy green card insurance valid for Ukraine in your home

country to avoid problems - if not you must purchase it from

the Ukrainian company at the border. The latter might cost

less than the former, however if you don’t speak Ukrainian

or Russian it is easy to get deceived by border officials and

buy something which is totally useless. The minimum term

of insurance is two weeks, with prices depending on the

size of the engine.

By plane

When travellers refer to the Lviv International Airport it’s

usually in the context of either a twisted joke or terrifying

tale. We found a sleepy port lacking in up-to-snuff con-

veniences, but staffed by friendly Lvivians. The signature

massive potholes that once dotted the runway have been

repaired, and as the city gears up to host Euro 2012 the

airport will surely transform into something more familiar

and welcoming.

Laid out in sectors 1-4, getting around the airport is quite

easy. Sectors 1 and 2 are located in the main terminal and

handle international arrivals and departures. You’ll also find

the main tourist information booth, an information desk,

customs, a VIP hall, telephones, lost and found, car rental

booths, first aid, 24 hour police services, waiting rooms, news

stands and a bank. The information booth was closed on

our visit, but the information desk located through the door

beneath the flight departure schedule was open and staffed

by a knowledgeable and friendly English speaking local. Most

domestic flights arrive at sectors 3 and 4 located in the

smaller terminal. As you exit the bus and enter the terminal,

wait for the luggage cart to pull up alongside and retrieve your

bags. If you happen to miss out on the cart, proceed to the

baggage room inside located adjacent the Sixt car rental. A

café and airline ticketing and information booths can also

be found in this terminal.

E S S E N T I A L C I T Y G U I D E S

Editorial

Editor Brigham Marriott

Researcher Alexander Khomiak

Natasha Martisova

Layout & Design KIS Ltd.

Photos © Lviv In Your Pocket

Cover photo: Natasha Martisova

Sales & Circulation

General Manager

Alla Zhylina, alla@kis.kiev.ua

Kyiv Managers

Ludmila Mednikova, mila@kis.kiev.ua;

Yuriy Ivaschenko, ra@kis.kiev.ua

Lviv Representative

Denys Rynsky, lviv@inyourpocket.com

Odesa Representative

Iryna Baklanova, odesa@inyourpocket.com

Maps

Text and photos copyright Neolitas-KIS

of this publication may be reproduced

in any form, except brief extracts for

the purpose of review, without written

permission from the publisher and

Pocket is used under license from UAB

In Your Pocket (Vokieciu 10-15, Vilnius,

Lithuania tel. (+370-5) 212 29 76).

Editor’s note

The editorial content of In Your Pocket

guides is independent from paid-for

advertising. Sponsored listings are

clearly marked as such. We welcome all

readers’ comments and suggestions.

We have made every effort to ensure

the accuracy of the information at the

time of going to press and assume no

responsibility for changes and errors.

Publisher

Neolitas-KIS Ltd.

Nyzhnioyurkivs’ka 3, Suite 25

Kyiv 04080, Ukraine

tel./fax (+380) 44 467 78 20

kyiv@inyourpocket.com

Registration No. KB 14928-3900P

Company Office & Accounts

Minimedia Ltd.

Drahomanova 6, Lviv 79005, Ukraine

tel.: (+380) 32 243 11 88

(+380) 67 341 70 34

Printed by Litera-Druk, Kyiv

Published 4 times per year

Lviv In Your Pocket

lviv.inyourpocket.com

June - August 2010

6 Basics

Basics

Basic data

Lviv, Lvov, Lwów

State Service for Control Over the Passage of Cultural Values

Across the National Frontier of Ukraine (J-3, Smol’s’koho 10,

tel. (+380) 322 75 80 81/72 79 91.)

All customs declarations, filled out upon arrival to Ukraine,

must be kept throughout the period of your stay, and must

be handed over upon departure. This declaration can not

be renewed if lost.

Disabled travellers

Lviv is not what you would call a disabled-friendly city. High

curb drops and steep steps are the rule and public transport

system lacks even a hint of accessibility. The wheelchair

symbol used in this guide means that the establishment in

question specifically caters to disabled guests.

Electricity

Ukraine supplies its residents and visitors alike with electri-

cal current of 220 volts AC, 50Hz. All sockets require two

round pins, but not always of the same size. Many thinner

Russian sockets are being replaced by their European

cousins. Those with Russian sockets can buy a cheap

adapter for their European appliances. Adapters for more

foreign electrical societies are not easy to find in Lviv, so

bring your own.

Floors

Ukrainians consider the floor on the ground to be the first

floor and so one.

Money

The national currency is the hryvnia (Hr), which replaced the

transitional karbovanets on September 2, 1996. Don’t be

confused if your amount is given in roubles. You haven’t been

transported to Russia or taken back in time to the USSR - some

people just have trouble letting go of the past! Paper bills carry

denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200 and 500 hryvnias.

Another word to the wise: two versions exist of the 1, 2, 5,

10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 hryvnia bills, and both are accepted

everywhere. There are 100 kopecks in a hryvnia, with 1, 2, 5,

10, 25, 50 kopeck and 1Hr coins. You’ll have no problem finding

currency exchange points, but rates are better from central

street kiosks. If it’s traveller’s checks you need to cash, look

for a big respectable-looking bank. You can find a number of

ATMs around Lviv and many hotels and restaurants now take

Visa and MasterCard - American Express is not very popular.

There have been scattered reports

of credit card fraud

in upscale restau-

rants, though, so

you may want to

think twice before

charging it.

Roads

Carry your license and registration at all times to fully enjoy the

Ukrainian driving experience. The official speed limits are 60

km/h in cities, 90 on secondary roads and 130 on highways.

A zero tolerance drink driving policy applies in Ukraine.

Safety

They say that Ukrainians can spot a foreigner from a kilo-

metre away. This fact alone will not automatically make you

the target of crime. Lviv is, in fact, a rather safe place. As in

most cities, flashing large amounts of cash can cause trouble.

Wallets are known to disappear in public transport crowds,

so guard your pockets at all times. Being very drunk and/or

loud on the street is always a good way to attract unwanted

attention, especially from the police. By the way, it’s a good

idea for foreigners to carry at least a copy of their passport

and visa with them at all times.

Lviv

Population: 761 929

Ethnic composition: Ukrainian 88.1% , Russian 8.9% ,

Polish 0.9% , Belarusian 0.4%, Jewish 0.3% , Armenian

0.1% , other 1.3% .

Ukraine

Population: 45 923 233 (1 March 2010) .

Ethnic composition: Ukrainian 77.8%, Russian 17.3%,

Belarusian 0.6%, Moldovan 0.5%, Crimean Tatar 0.5%,

Bulgarian 0.4%, Hungarian 0.3%, Romanian 0.3%, Polish

0.3%, Jewish 0.2%, other 1.8%.

Territory: 603,700km 2 (the second largest in Europe,

slightly smaller than Texas), mostly consisting of fertile

steppes (plains) and plateaus. The only mountain chains

are the Carpathians in the west and the Crimean Moun-

tains in the extreme south.

Borders: Belarus 891km , coastline (Black and Azov

Seas) 2,782km , Hungary 103km , Moldova 939km ,

Poland 526km , Romania (south) 169km , Romania (west)

362km , Russia 1,576km , Slovakia 97km.

Rivers: Dnipro (1,204km) , Dnister, Donets, Buh,

Danube.

Highest point: Mount Hoverla 2,061m.

Local time: All of Ukraine is in the Eastern European Time

zone (GMT +2), along with its neighbouring countries

Belarus, Romania and Turkey. Thus, when it is 12:00 in

Kyiv, it is 13:00 in Moscow, 11:00 in Paris and Warsaw,

10:00 in London and 05:00 in New York.

Throughout its history, Lviv has had several names.

The city was known as Lwów when the Poles ruled, the

Austro-Hungarian Empire called it Lemberg and Jewish

residents referred to it as Lemberik. Currently, many lan-

guages have their own spelling and pronunciation. This

is the case with ‘Lviv’ (Ukrainian) and ‘Lvov’ (Russian).

As the city immerged to become the centre of Ukrain-

ian language and culture in the 1990s, the Ukrainian

version became increasingly common and useful, i.e.

using ‘Lviv’ while searching the Internet will definitely

result in more hits.

Alcohol

Ukrainian beer ( pyvo ) is quite tasty and extremely cheap to

boot. Tipsiness may set in early, though, as its alcohol con-

tent is higher than Western brands. Those preferring foreign

brands can find their favourites at finer shops and establish-

ments. Ukraine also produces a wide selection of vodka,

which flows freely at many parties and gatherings. Beware if

offered homemade vodka ( samohon ). While good samohon

can be better than some bootleg labels in shops, the overall

odds are against you and your stomach. Whether it’s Ukrain-

ian vodka or moonshine, be ready to offer a toast at some

point. A modest ’cheers’ ( bud’mo ) will do for a foreigner.

Borders

Ukraine is bordered by Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland,

Romania, Russia and Slovakia. Buses stop for about an hour

at borders; westbound trains for more than two, because

Ukrainian wheels don’t fit European tracks and thus have to

be switched! You should expect close inspection of your docu-

ments and belongings at border crossings. EU and American

travellers need a visa to enter Belarus, Moldova and Russia and

can’t be obtained at the border, so make sure you contact their

embassies in Odesa (see Directory/Foreign representatives).

Customs

If you are 18 years of age or over you can import, free of

customs duties and taxes, one litre of hard alcohol, two

litres of wine, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of

tobacco. Personal belongings are not subject to customs

duties or taxes, though a customs officer has the right to ask

you to make a written declaration in relation to them. (Avoid

bringing unessential, valuable, personal items! A colleague

of ours was told by a customs officer to declare her wedding

band. She declared the value of the ring, and - to make a long

story short - she ended up paying a $200 bribe in order to

avoid an outrageous duty.)

A person can bring in food products free of customs duties

and taxes if their total value does not exceed €50. However,

food products should not total more than two kilograms,

and there should not be more than one package of the

same product.

Goods with a total value of less than €200 may be brought in

free of customs duties and taxes. If the value of your goods

is greater than €200, but less than €1000 they will need to

be declared on a customs personal declaration form. If the

value of the goods is greater than €1000, the goods will be

subject to clearance in accordance with the import declara-

tion requirements for imported cargo.

Cultural goods may be brought in if they are not subject to any

international alert and you have documents which prove your

right of ownership. To take such goods out of Ukraine you will

need to obtain relevant authorisation documents from the

Smoking

You’re never too far away from a lit cigarette in Ukraine, and

in some bars and clubs the term second-hand smoke just

doesn’t seem to matter. Smokers enjoy a ridiculously cheap

selection of cigarettes hawked by one of the many babush-

kas and corner kiosks that are located throughout the city.

Just recently Ukraine outlawed smoking in most public places

and the workplace, except in specially designated areas. It is

the responsibility of each company to provide a designated

area for all smoking patrons or personnel. These special

places can not exceed 50% of the total allotted area of the

business. Since this law is relatively new in Ukraine, not every

business has begun to enforce it.

Toilets

Language

or Ж = ladies

or М or Ч = gentlemen

The country’s official language is Ukrainian. Since inde-

pendence in 1991, it has become much more popular and

widespread. Still, Russian is heavily used in Crimea and

Eastern Ukraine, and only in western regions is Ukrainian

truly predominant.

The following is a list of some of the most common words

and phrases a person is likely to need.

Public restrooms are a sore, dirty and not very aromatic

subject in Lviv. Make it a rule to go before you leave the

hotel and after each café/restaurant you visit and you

should be fine; pay toilets are in short supply in centre. If

you think you can just pop in to McDonalds and take care

of business, think again. You must first place an order then

open the bathroom door by punching in the code located

on the receipt. Good luck.

Tipping

Lviv tipping culture is developing slowly. While no general rule

exists yet, most restaurant-goers leave around 10% of their

bill. But your waitstaff will expect more from you as a foreigner!

Some places include a service charge of five to 10 per cent,

so read the fine print or ask.

Hello Вітаю (vi-TA-yu)

Goodbye До побачення (do po-BA-chennia)

Please Будь ласка (bud’ LAS-ka)

You’re welcome Прошу (PRO-shu)

Thank you Дякую (DIA-kuyu)

Excuse me Вибачте (VY-bachte)

Yes Так (tak)

No Ні (ni)

Enjoy your meal Смачного (Smach-NO-ho)

Cheers! Будьмо (BUD’-mo)

I don’t understand Я не розумію (Ya ne rozu-MI-yu)

I don’t know Я не знаю (Ya ne ZNA-yu)

Help! Допоможіть (dopomo-ZHIT’)

Hospital Лікарня (li-KAR-nia)

Ambulance Швидка (shvyd-KA)

Where is…? Де знаходиться...?

(de zna-KHO-dytsia)

Right, left Право, ліво (PRA-vo, LI-vo)

Do you speak English? Ви розмовляєте англійською?

(Vy roz-mov-LYA-yete an-GLIY-s’koyu)

Climate

Tourist Information

100

Tourist Information Cen-

tre C-3, Ploscha Rynok 1,

tel./f ax (+38 0) 32 25 4

60 79, w w w.touristinfo.

lviv.ua, tic@city-adm.lviv.

ua. Information centre provides information in English,

German, Italian, Check, Polish, Ukrainian and Russian.

Services: city information, guidebooks, travel maps,

magazines. Q Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00,

Sun 10:00 - 17:00.

-10

-20

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Lviv In Your Pocket

lviv.inyourpocket.com

June - August 2010

Tourist

information

centre

8 Basics

Basics

Ukraine’s political framework

Visas

Citizens of the EU, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Andorra,

Vatican, Iceland, Monaco, Nor way, San Marino, Georgia,

Mongolia, the U.S., Canada, Japan and the countries of the

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - except Turk-

menistan - can enter Ukraine visa-free and stay up to 90

days. Everyone else needs a visa, which must be obtained

from a Ukrainian embassy or consulate abroad before travel-

ling. Visas can be processed in as little as one day, with prices

varying depending on the type and length of visa requested.

Many Ukrainian embassies only handle visa cases on certain

days of the week, so call ahead.

Travel to Russia is not so simple. All foreign visitors, with the

exception of citizens from selected countries of the CIS, must

obtain a visa. Upon arrival, you will need to fill in an immigration

card. If you are staying more that 72 hours, you will need to

in this process). Transit visas are also required. For additional

information, call (+380) 32 275 24 63.

Travel to Belarus is also a bit tricky. Citizens of the EU, An-

dorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Croatia can apply for

30-day single and multiple entry business and private visas

without an invitation. The rest of us need an invitation, or we

can book through a travel agency authorized to issue state

travel vouchers. All visitors are required to purchase national

medical insurance, and must register their passports with lo-

cal police within three days of their arrival (hotels are usually

willing to aid in this process). Transit visas are also required.

For more information, call (+380) 322 37 27 30.

Moldova greatly relaxed its visa laws in 2007. Citizens of the

EU, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, Israel, Canada and the U.S.

can enter Moldova visa-free and stay up to 90 days. For all

other visitors, visas can be acquired at a Moldavian consulate

or at the Chisinau airport by presenting an application form

and photos. All visitors planning to stay more than 90 days

need an invitation and visa. For more information, call (+380)

44 280 77 21.

Citizens of the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Canada, the U.S.,

Japan, Australia, Israel and a handful of Latin American

countries can enter Romania visa-free and stay up to 90

days. Citizens of countries not on the list can obtain a visa

at the Romanian consulate in Kyiv. For more information, call

(+380) 44 234 00 40.

Poland , Hungary and Slovakia belong to the European

Schengen zone. Citizens of Canada, Mexico, the U.S., Israel,

Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore may

enter without a visa; however, the amount of time you are al-

lowed to stay varies from country to country. All others must

apply for a visa at the consulate of destination country. For

more information call the following consulates: Polish (+380)

322 97 08 61, Hungarian (+380) 322 64 58 22, Slovakian

consulate in Kyiv (+380) 44 234 06 06.

For a complete listing of consulates locations and phone

numbers in Lviv see Business directory/Foreign represen-

tations . In many cases, the consular section is responsible

for issuing visas and is located apart from the embassy

- save yourself time and confusion by calling before you go.

(Most of embassy located in Kyiv. For complete listing visit

kyiv.inyourpocket.com).

EURO 2012 Lvivstyle

To understand Ukrainian politics, imagine a carnival com-

plete with clowns, freaks and a main attraction where magi-

cians make billions of hryvnias disappear from taxpayers’

pockets. That said, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Ukraine

is a republic consisting of 24 provinces ( oblasts ) and the

Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The federal government

consists of executive, legislative and judicial branches.

Executive branch

The President is elected by popular vote for a five-year

term and is eligible for a second term. The President is

responsible for issuing decrees and orders, and prevent-

ing “any actions of the legislative, executive and judicial

branches of power that directly or indirectly infringe upon

interpretation of the fundamental Law of Ukraine.” In other

words, the President’s job is to ensure that nothing is ever

accomplished.

Ukraine has a new President! Viktor Yanukovych, front man

for the Party of Regions, was inaugurated in February fol-

lowing a closely contested election in which he beat out rival

Yulia Tymoshenko by just 3.5% of the vote. Many political

insiders have been quick to note the uncanny similarities

between Yanukovych and former US President George W.

Bush: neither is able to sting together a proper sentence

and both will go down in history as the face and definitely

not the brain of their respective administrations.

Legislative branch

The unicameral supreme council, known as Verkhovna

Rada, consists of 450 deputies and is presided over by a

Speaker. Elections were last held in 2007, and five parties

passed the required vote threshold of 3%. The current

make up of this bitterly feuding, fund sucking, time wast-

ing branch is as follows: the Party of Regions (172 seats),

President Yanukovych’s party, is extremely popular in

Ukraine’s industrial, Russian-speaking, eastern oblasts;

Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (152 seats) is led by the former

Prime Minister known for her trademark blond peasant

braids; Our Ukraine/People’s Self Defence (72 seats) is

led by former President Viktor Yushchenko and maintains

a base among voters in the west; the Communist Party

of Ukraine (27 seats) has been steadily losing support

since the fall of communism; Lytvyn Bloc (20 seats) is led

by current Speaker Vladimir Lytvyn, a man with gorgeous

silver hair; and seven independent deputies.

In March, a new majority coalition led by the Party of

Regions swooped into Verkhovna Rada and consolidated

power by appointing Mykola Azarov, a long-time ally of

President Yanukovych, to the position of Prime Minister.

The new coalition consists of the Party of Regions, the

Communists, Lytvyn Bloc and mercenaries from Our

Ukraine/People’s Self Defence and Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc.

The formation of this new coalition was made possible only

via the passing of a controversial amendment (basically

unconstitutional) which allows individual deputies to join

coalitions without party consent. Welcome to Ukraine,

where laws are made to be broken.

Judicial branch

The legal system, based on civil law with judicial review of

legislative acts, is topped by the Supreme Court and the

Constitutional Court. We thought of adding a joke here,

but realised that everything that happens in these halls

of “justice” is far too disturbing to make light of.

The UEFA Executive Committee has reached its final

decision concerning host cities for the EURO 2012

football competition to be held in Ukraine and Poland.

After much speculation and anxiety, we are ecstatic to

report that Lviv along with Kyiv, Donetsk and Kharkiv

will host! The Polish contingent includes Warsaw,

Poznan, Wroclaw and Gdansk. The EURO 2012 Final is

scheduled to be played in Kyiv!

Although notable progress has been made in Lviv, there

is still a lot to be done before the city is ready to host.

The good news is that Lviv currently satisfies UEFA’s

expectations for hotel room quantity. The following is a

list of the not so optimistic news:

Working in Ukraine

For most of the past decade, many foreigners took advantage

of Ukraine’s relaxed regulations and didn’t bother getting

work permits or even visas. Times have definitely changed,

and stricter requirements and regulations have forced many

of us to play by the rules. Many companies continue to pay

in cash under the table, but will offer assistance obtaining

extended visas. If you’re planning to work in Ukraine for

a long or indefinite period, it may be beneficial to obtain

either permanent or temporary residency. For permanent

residency you must be sponsored by a relative with Ukrainian

citizenship or prove Ukrainian heritage - this can be done by

providing the Office of Passport Registration and Immigration

(VVIR) with the birth certificate of a parent or grandparent

born in Ukraine and documents proving relation, i.e. your

birth certificate, parent’s birth certificate, marriage licence

showing change of name, etc. Though often complicated

and time consuming, local and multinational companies

can procure temporary residency for foreign personnel. No

matter what category you fall into, plan on big hassles and

a lot of time spent at VVIR, the Housing Bureau (ZhEK) and

the police station.

Lviv stadium model

The transportation situation - narrow streets crowded

with trams and marshrutka (route) taxis - is not up to

snuff with European standards. The belt route doesn’t

even satisfy local need, let alone an influx of stadium

bound football fanatics. Computer generated photos

are all the city has to show for progress on the planned

airport renovation. But what is this? A ray of light has

pierced what was recently a dark cloud hanging over the

city’s chances to host. According to the mayor, construc-

tion on the stadium is proceeding on schedule and has

been given a nod of approval by UEFA.

It would appear that the maddening swirl of botched

plans, delayed projects and investor scandals is coming

to an end. And with Ukraine’s economy breaking out of

recession, Lviv should be able to pull off preparations

in time to host the hundreds of thousands of fans sure

to rock the city to its core.

National holidays 2010

January 1

Orthodox Christmas

March 8

Women’s Day

April 4

Easter Sunday

April 5

Easter Monday

May 1-2

A day off for the workers

May 9

Victory Day

Market values

May 23

Trinity

June 28

Constitution Day

August 24

Independence Day

How do costs compare to back home? Here’s a handy

list of local prices to give you an idea.

McDonald’s Big Mac 15,00Hr €1,52 $1,89

Loaf of white bread 2,80Hr €0,28 $0,35

Snickers bar 4,00Hr €0,40 $0,51

Litre of vodka 50,00Hr €5,05 $6,31

Bottle of local beer (0.5 litre) 4,50Hr €0,45 $0,57

20 Marlboros

Street smarts

9,00Hr €0,91 $1,14

Street вулиця (vul.) (VU-lytsia)

Square площа (pl.) (PLO-scha)

Avenue проспект (prosp.) (pro-SPEKT)

Boulevard бульвар (bul’v.) (bul’-VAR)

Bridge міст (mist)

Embankment набережна (nab.) (NA-berezhna)

Highway шосе (shose)

Public transport ticket

25,00Hr €2,53 $3,16

pressing one men’s shirt

1 litre of petrol (euro 3)

7,60Hr €0,77 $0,96

(sho-SE)

Lane

провулок (prov.)

(pro-VU-lok)

Official exchange rates (as of April 20):

€1 – 9.90Hr US$1 – 7.92Hr £1 – 11.38Hr

Descent узвіз (uzviz)

(uz-VIZ)

Lviv renovated airport model

Lviv In Your Pocket

lviv.inyourpocket.com

June - August 2010

January 7

New Year

Dry-cleaning and

1,50Hr €0,15 $0,19

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