Ukraine is a fairly densely-populated Eastern European country. The official language is Ukrainian but dozens of others are also recognized, including languages from the Turkic family spoken in the Crimea. The country’s terrain includes plains, plateaus, waterways, and a few mountains, and the climate ranges from temperate continental to a humid subtropical one. Native animal species include the speckled ground squirrel, the sandy mole rat, and the Saiga antelope. Mainstays of the economy include information technology, heavy industry, and aircraft manufacturing.

The monumental Potemkin Stairs in Odessa were commemorated in a great classic movie scene, and they’re built so as to look a uniform width. Lviv’s old market square, Ploshcha Rynok, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the impressive variety of buildings, and much of Lviv History Museum’s collection is housed here. Uman’s Sofiyivka Park was built to equal the beauty of a count’s wife, and it includes waterfalls and grottoes. She repaid him for his romantic gesture by having an affair with his son.

Bread, potatoes, and buckwheat are common starchy staples. Typical vegetables include cabbage, mushrooms, and beets. Pork, beef, and fish are popular. Soups are a big deal in the Ukraine. Zelenyj borscht has sorrel and other vegetables, along with chopped hard boiled egg and sour cream. Try mlyntsi, crepes that can be filled with cottage cheese, meat, cabbage, or fruits. Big cities offer organic raw food, macrobiotics, and Ayurvedic offerings, as well as some natural foods markets. Save some space at the end of meals for treats like syrniki (fried quark pancakes) or zhele (jelly made with cherries, pears, chocolate, or other flavors).