Kiev Local Customs

That's not funny at all and implies the system of voting and elections.
Now the situation is being changed thanks to the utmost solidarity in demonstrations and protests.
Consequently we're entering a re-elections stage and hope for the best!

* If you bring flowers, make sure it is an odd number of flowers.
* Never put an empty bottle on the table.(only alcoholic drinks bottles, when you are partying) Put the bottle on the floor.
* As a rule, you cannot "change hands" when pouring drinks. A person, who started to pour drinks, will be a bartender for the evening.
* Do not shake hands accross the threshold of a door. It is considered bad luck.
* Never whistle inside the house. It means that there will not be any money in the house.
* At the entrance of upscale restaurants, expect that your coat, briefcase or baggage will be checked.
* In Orthodox Churches women wear scarves or hats, and men take off their hats.
* Be prepared to take off your shoes upon entering a house. Most hosts will provide you with a pair of slippers.
* We wear a marriage ring on the right hand here in Ukraine.

What is recollected at once when the subject is the Ukrainian national cuisine? Except for bacon (impossible without it! :), two most known dishes in it are borshch and vareniki.

Vareniki - one of the most specific Ukrainian dishes. Their preparation, apparently, is simple: a dough, with the diversified stuffings. However rather tasty vareniki it is possible to prepare, only carefully observing all details of technology. Very few people knows, that gluing properties of the test at a moulding varenikov directly depend on temperature of water, and the flour should be especially thin grinding.

So, would like to bring to your attention:
It better than tartalini,
lingvini and ravioli,
(scuzi mia :)))
it is - VARENIKI

with a water-melon, small cherries, raspberry, grapes, apples, bananas, black currant, mulberry, red currant - so tasty!!! :)

It better than tartalini,
lingvini and ravioli,
it is - vareniki

Well, that's not exactly a tourist tip, but rather local insight. Also well might be you would be invited to become a guest at homeplace, or there would be holidays/birthdays celebrations - then flowers are very appropriate!
NB! The number of flowers should be odd - 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.
Cheers!

Most of the time that''s true. You have remember first of all that that''s not
strange traditions from the middle ages, but ordinary practical and comfortable
way of relaxing. Most of the times you have to take of your shoes in the houses
where they have carpet on the floor (not to make it dirty and not to danage it).
Appartments are small and streets are not so clean. Imagine you would take all
this dirt into your house and take it all around the house. With limited
financial possibilities to buy new carpet or furniture every few years - this
way of housekeeping is more than wise, isn''t it? No2: it is very relaxing to
take of your shoes and to stay a while beeing comfortable. You will be (most of
the times) offered a pair of soft slippers (just slippers or sick socks). People
even buy a few pairs of different size slippers for guests. Or make themselfs...
Going to the party/visit some ladies (many of them actually) take their own
shoes (or slippers) that match their clothes, size, style etc. :) to be not only
comfortable but also to be more elegant. In general on the parties this
tradition doesn''t really apply - too many people. I don''t know where are you
from, but Ukrainian/Russian parties are not so big as american for example (also
- size of the apartments and places are the reason to this).
If you don''t want to take off your shoes you don''t have to. That''s not a must
related to religion/believes... That;s normal respect to hostess that cleans the
house (sometimes without vacuumcleaner and modern cleaning chemicals).
Normally you will be not asked to take your shoes off, you''ll be just offered
slippers. Some people might ask you this probably. I never noticed this as far
as I always take the offer to take off shoes even if I refuse guest-slippers
(just more relaxing). I''ve got problems on the West with this as far as I find
it TERRIBLE to spend biggest part of the day in shoes (even comfortable ones).
Don''t mention winter time. :)
That''s all about the mistery of "taking off shoes in Russia" :)).

Here is a tip that may be "international" in the best sense and border-breaking. And since it is so much advanced in how the world should be I wish to dedicate these words about the experience of openness and friendliness I found when travelling Ukraine to those Kievian children I have had the real pleasure, the honour to make friends with. Looking at them made me wonder what is it that makes us grown-ups so sceptical when we meet each other? Is it fear? Is it the lack of curiousity? What has made us so bitter? So desperately selfish and alone in consequence, so hostile to strangers, intolerant against people who do not speak our language or dress differently? What the heck makes some of us act so low towards strangers in our home country when we are foreigners in every place in this world as well; almost everywhere. What makes us so ignorant? What makes us the sharks that we are? Where has our heart gone?

I am grateful for the purity of friendship I was offered by children and the lessons in truth, acceptance and simple wisdom they taught me again. I owe them my love; and I certainly owe them much more than this: I owe them to practise what they taught me. Will we understand their lessons...?

Well, although Ukrainians are less hospital than people from Transcaucasian but anyway we are quite famous in this regard too. When somebody pays us a visit, we try to do our best for the guests.
Feeding them to death is one of our traditions :)) Don't be afraid, cuisine is delicious. If some of you someday pays me a visit, I promise, I won't force you to eat pork fat (our national food and the favourite subject of Ukrainian jokes,, apart from 'nationalism' but it's another story... very exaggerated btw).
For foreigners paying us a visit, we always cook the national food : borstch, pampushky, varenyky, galushky, mlynci (pancakes) and many others.
No pork fat, LOL. Btw I dislike it myself too :)
Traditionally we like be sitting around a big table, eating and talking. And singing. Ukrainians is a very "singing" nation. Historically Ukraine is known by great vocal potential.
However I'm not big fan of "table singing", maybe because of my music school childhood. If people sing, they should do it well. Otherwise it is transferred into cacophonie of drunk shoutings, which I strictly dislike. Especially singing of people who don't have ear for music. It's terrible. But,,, maybe it looks exotic for foreigners, I don't know :)))

In 1991, Creative Society "Master" (a non-governmental and non-profit organization founded in 1988) opened the "Museum of One Street" dedicated to the history of Andreyevsky Spusk and its prominent inhabitants. For a few years this cozy museum was the only museum in Kyiv that managed to present the picture of the past without any political or ideological bias. Very fast, it became one of the most popular and best known museums in the Ukrainian capital. More than half a million people from all over the world have visited Museum of One Street since the day of its opening.
The Museum's collection contains more than four thousand exhibits --- books, documents, paintings, photographs, items of everyday life, etc. It is completely unique, since all of the world class exhibits are related to one subject ---- the history of a single street.
Creative Society "Master" is engaged in various activities ----- such as excursions, lectures, and exhibitions. "Master's" members are regular contributors to the Ukrainian media. In January of 1999 one of the Ukrainian publishing houses printed the first and so far only book on the history of Andreyevsky Spusk. A book written by "Master's" members. The staff of the Museum dedicate much of their time and effort to assist people in learning about Kyiv's history and about the historical heritage and cultural traditions of Ukraine.

The staff of the Museum are always available to take people around the ancient capital of Ukraine. The Museum can offer you various walking tours of Kyiv, from "St. Sophia----Kyiv's Historical Heart" to "Architectural Treasures of Kyiv," to "Andreyevsky Spusk---Journey Through Time". Other tours can also be arranged.

Museum of One Street
Creative Society "Master"
Andreyevsky Spusk, 2-B
Kyiv