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Interview with long stay visitors to Ukraine
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A Canadian Visitor's Look On Life In Ukraine
 Interview taken by Oleg Lavrentyev
Discover Ukraine is conducting interviews with foreign visitors to Ukraine who are staying here for a long time. We are interested to know what are the foreign guests' impressions of Ukrainian lifestyle, traditions, communication style, standards of life, security, education, health institutions, business, etc. As the tendency to relocate to Ukraine is growing, we would like to provide our Web site readers with unique information about our country, which may be very beneficial to them. Here is one more interview in the series of articles - taken from a Canadian citizen Dewey Thiele who has spent years in Ukraine and has become familiar with all tiny details of local life.
 1.What was the most challenging time for you in Ukraine — the beginning of your stay or some time later during your stay, and how long did the adjustment period last for you?
The first year was the most challenging and difficult period. The norms of the culture proved puzzling at times, particularly with respect to negative attitudes towards North Americans, and overt discrimination against Asians and Africans. Language has been problematic as we tried to learn the Russian language in a culture that was politically trying to convert a nation to Ukrainian. Ingrained attitudes of mistrust that have developed during previously oppressive regimes have made it difficult to communicate on a meaningful level.
2.What was the most difficult thing to adjust to? (language, climate, food, etc.)
The most difficult adjustment was learning the language and the social norms for social contact, especially with regard to personal space issues. The near total absence of a ‘service’ attitude was very difficult and often offensive. Food and climate were not an issue for us.
3.Name three (or more) things that you could not have and missed while staying in Ukraine?
Having reasonable ‘service’ from daily contacts in the marketplace was a real stress. We missed some simple food items like plain peanut butter at a reasonable price and availability, and cooking molasses. Beyond that, we could find anything that we needed or wanted.
4.Name three (or more) things that you enjoyed most of all about Ukraine?
We have really enjoyed making new friends. The young people were initially full of hope in their future, as they saw the new Ukraine developing. We have enjoyed the countryside, the simplicity of the country life and openness of the young people to new ideas
5.Were you satisfied with your accommodation and would you offer any particular advice to those who are planning to relocate to Ukraine?
Housing is unreasonable in price for the value you receive in terms of the poor quality of normally expected availability of clean, drinkable water, warmth in your home, hot and cold water, and electricity. We have had to move due to the unreasonable demands for more money for less and less value from landlords. The absence of domestic housing controls that would serve the best interests of the majority working population is most discouraging and disappointing to see in a developing country that has so much wealth and potential.
Generally expect to pay more for less in value and quality for any type of accommodation, whether in housing, apartments, hotels, motels, or dormitories.
1.Were you satisfied with transportation facilities and would you offer any particular advice to those who are planning to relocate to Ukraine?
Public transportation has been affordable and easily accessible, although service attitudes are generally substandard, especially with respect to service to visitors to the country. Double standards and higher pricing of items offered to foreigners is prevalent throughout the service industry. Public transportation on buses and trains is often provided by outdated, and mechanically unsafe transport vehicles/wagons.
The metro system in Kharkiv is affordable and well run, but restrictive for night travelers. Theft on over-crowded transportation is problematic and stressful in lieu of the corruption within the legal system. There is no recourse for foreigners.
Road traffic is chaotic as many drivers have questionably obtained their driving permits without any formal driver training and bribery paid to traffic officers to enable violators to get out of being held responsible for traffic violations is rampant. Foreigners driving in Ukraine is suicidal financially and for reasons of safety.
2.Was the local food good for you and did you enjoy eating national Ukrainian food?
The food was great. National Ukrainian foods are readily available and generally affordable except in so called 3-4-5 star hotels/motels, where prices are unreasonably exorbitant for both quality and service.
3.Did you have a chance to travel about the country? Which cities (areas) did you like most of all?
We have traveled throughout the country. Prices in Kiev and the Crimea have become unreasonable for quality of services available. Security is an issue wherever you travel. The Carpathians are well worth seeing and exploring. We have found more people of western Ukraine to be friendlier and accepting of visitors than are people in the eastern regions.
The cities of Kharkiv, Lviv, and Chernivtsi are especially beautiful and offer a wide variety of things to see and experience.
Kiev tends to be very over-crowded and the people are not ‘friendly’ or ‘service oriented’ towards foreigners. There is an obvious pre-occupation with trying to ‘gain’ personal wealth from the presence of foreigners in Kiev, Yalta, and Sevastopol. This is evident through inflated prices, scams perpetrated on visitors, street theft, the presence of unfriendly and dishonest security individuals who obviously function without fear of being held accountable by the legal and judicial system.
4.Which city(-ies) of Ukraine would be the best for relocating families from North America?
Relocation is dependant upon the availability of work and the reasonableness, safety and security of all people, regardless of the work available. We have found Kharkiv to be a great city to live in and would recommend it to foreigners with precautions, due to the presence of corruption at all levels of public life and safety.
5.Have you dealt with the Ukrainian medical system or private doctors and what are your impressions?
We have had to seek medical help from the Ukrainian medical system. Foreign run private clinics are unreasonably expensive and wish only to accommodate the wealthy. We have had good service through personal friends within the medical community, receiving good service at reasonable cost in medical and dental clinics. Facilities are generally poorly furnished. The medical needs of the common people is obviously not a priority for those who have the political ability to improve the life of the majority.
6.Have you dealt with the Ukrainian educational system or private teachers and what are your impressions?
As an experienced educator and education administrator with 35 years experience in Canada, I have found the public and private educational system in Ukraine to be pathetically inadequate, corrupt, and unfair. Students are systematically manipulated by a prejudicial system of corruption and jealousy that is void of any real controls that would insure the opportunity for the citizens of Ukraine to acquire an education that would enable them to become the best that they can be, regardless of age, sex, religion, social status, or income levels.
Our experience with private teachers and tutors has been excellent. They are knowledgeable but tend to be dogmatic and inflexible.
7.What monthly budget per person would be sufficient to cover the necessary living expenses for long stay visitors? ($500? 0r $700 or any other sum?)
Individual life styles will determine priorities and therefore ones personal wants for housing, food and clothing costs. A reasonable life style can be managed in rental accommodation in the suburbs, using public transportation for about $ 800 to 1000 USD per month for a single person or married couple.
8.Any additional notes or remarks that characterize Ukrainian lifestyle?
Rural Ukrainians appear to hold to a higher standard of personal conduct and moral character than their urban neighbors. There is much wealth present in Ukraine, but the presence of corrupt and incompetent administration and officials at all levels, has made life for the majority of Ukrainians much less than could be accomplished through fair and just people. There is a prevailing mistrust of westerners, and an overtly and aggressively practiced prejudice towards foreigners of Eastern and African origins. This is evident in the markets, in business, in education and in personal social interactions.
9.Your suggestion to those who are planning to relocate to Ukraine in the near future:
Ukraine is a developing country with tremendous potential to become a world power, provided that it can reduce the present dominance of corruption that is rampant at all levels of personal, public, business, and political life.
Personally I would avoid investing in real estate due to the rampant corruption prevalent in this industry. The legal system is unjust and not to be trusted, as laws are changed to accommodate the political powers that be at any given moment in time.
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