Kharkov

In other news...

Wed, 06 May 2009 17:42:00 -0400

Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuri Lutsenko was detained by police at Frankfurt airport and prevented from boarding his flight because of drunken and disorderly conduct, police said on Wednesday.

A Frankfurt police spokesman said Lutsenko was prevented from boarding a flight to Seoul, South Korea, after airport officials noticed that he and his 19-year old son, with whom he was travelling, were severely drunk.

When they were stopped, both passengers flew into a rage, shouted and threw their mobile telephones, police said.

Please come again

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:49:00 -0500

Another lesson in customer service from Ukraine:

Waitress: еще пива?

Me: пожалуйста

A few minutes later the beer arrives…along with word that the restuarant is closing and we must leave.

Jazz / Funk?

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:27:00 -0500

Jazzster, one of a few places to hear live music in Kharkov, was advertising “Jazz / Funk” on their concert bill last night.

As many Ukranians will admit however, many things here are not as advertised.

The aged “Jazz / Funk” group entertained the audience with Bluegrass and Rock n’ Roll cover songs like House of the Rising Sun (minus the organ).

Ukranians have a LOVE AFFAIR for mayo. Really! Don’t...

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:19:00 -0500

Ukranians have a LOVE AFFAIR for mayo. Really! Don’t believe me? Just look at this picture I snapped the other evening at the supermarket. 100% mayo my friends!

Where to go: Coffee Life

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 06:05:00 -0500

Hungry for that western, corporate café experience in Kharkov? Check out Coffee Life on Pushkinskaya Street. Affectionately referred to as “Starbucks” or “Central Perk” by the Expat community, the month-old Coffee Life is just a stones throw from metro Beketova (opposite direction of McDonalds). Several of the staff speak English including the always friendly Anya and Dasha.

Not authentic enough for you? Don’t worry! Unlike their eerily familiar counterparts in the West, Coffee Life has a large selection of cigarettes and several choices of alcoholic drinks. The Tequila Sunrise, made with freshly squeezed orange juice, is particularly popular.

Free WiFi, good coffee and plenty of beautiful people. Beats the office right?

Kharkov Expats - The Group

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:28:00 -0500

In Kharkov, sometimes you feel like the only one. The only foreigner that is. With a little social bravery however you soon discover that you are not alone in your adventurous spirit / masochism.

Probably its already stamped on your forehead…but if you’re an expatriate in Kharkov and you’d like to make it official, join our newly created expats group on Facebook or В Контакте.

Official membership card available upon request.

Where to go: Ice skating at Dafi

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:18:00 -0500

There are a few skating rinks in Kharkov, some indoors and some out. The best I’ve found thus far however is at the shopping centre Dafi. From metro Geroiv Pracy (Geroiv Truda), take the long, muddy path to the mall, head upstairs via the escalator and turn right.

The cost is about 30UAH an hour including skate rental (decent ones). Weekdays are best if you want your alone time. Weeknights and weekends if you prefer a little more danger…..and glitter.

There’s also a nice cafe inside the arena and a food court just opposite it. A warm bowl of Borscht hits the spot after an hour on ice.

Joining the Kharkov Blog Set

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:28:00 -0500

A few people have been asking me to blog my experiences in Kharkov / Kharkiv. Frankly, I don’t have the time or ambition for a “proper” blog. Instead, I’ll throw my hat into the expat blogger ring with this microblog. Check back here periodically for tips, oddities and a bit more.

p.s. Here’s a quick word from Wikipedia on Kharkiv:

Kharkiv (Ukrainian: Харків), also called Kharkov (from Russian: Харьков) is the second largest city in Ukraine. It was the first capital of Soviet Ukraine, now the administrative center of the Kharkiv Oblast (province), as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Kharkivskyi Raion (district) within the oblast. The city is located in the northeast of the country. As of 2006, its population is 1,461,300.

Kharkiv is one of the main industrial, cultural and educational centres of Ukraine. Its industry specializes mostly in arms production and machinery. There are hundreds of industrial companies in the city. Among them are world famous giants like the Morozov Design Bureau and the Malyshev Tank Factory, leaders in tank production since the 1930s; Hartron (aerospace and nuclear electronics); and the Turboatom turbines producer.

There is also an underground rapid-transit system (metro) with about 35 km of track and 28 stations. A well-known landmark of Kharkiv is the Freedom Square (Ploshcha Svobody), which is currently the third largest city square in Europe, and the 7th largest square in the world.