Kiev Warnings Or Dangers

This isn't really a warning or a danger but it is something to be mindful of. When i visited Kyiv, I was approached by two young children outside the Rynok who had their hands out and gesturing that they wanted money. I said no in Ukrainian and carried on walking, the children followed us for a little while and then a young boy who was around 8/9 punched my father in the back.

There was also a young gentleman outside Independence Square who asked us if we spoke German or English who told us a tale of how he put the wrong petrol in his car and needed to borrow some money to fix his car. Again we walked away.

We didn't feel any sense of danger but it is something to be mindful of when enjoying the city.

03Nov11 Flew from Moscow Sheremetova terminal C to Kiev Borispol airport terminal B on Aerosvit flight VV452.
Wife discovered gold earings missing from her case after arrival and baggage storage at Ukraina Hotel. Box left, contents taken. Hotel staff denied responsibility and cited their own experiences of thefts on flights through Borispol. Police not interested - Kiev accused Moscow and Moscow accused Kiev. Have flown through Sheremetova many times over 10 years without problem and now see/hear similar reports from Internet/friends regarding thefts at Borispol so..............

Advice: Don't put valuable items in checked in baggage - particularly if flying through Borispol.

Hey, there's always alot of funny things to do but what makes me laugh is reading these foreign reviews on Kiev and Ukraine which I have been doing for the last hour. Now I had to spend some time signing up here 'cause I'd hate myself for not replying to arturowan on his "don't seem to care about their future or the future of their country" thing. Now I was born in Kiev and live here most of my life, you know, It's got its own "things", occasions and "weird" behavior but, man, what city and/or country doesn't? I've been to Paris a week ago and our bus, while being at the parking lot that charges 60 EUR/a day with the fence all over the place, had it's sidemirror stolen and how it worked out was the black low-life manager waving his hands and just being an ***. Now I'd be wrong, I guess, If I become some sort of a racist on the very basis of this issue. In a fact, you may get in trouble without leaving your own house if that's what you're up to. Back to the topic, myself personally and the thinking people here do not appreciate your attitude about our concerns on our future. Be sure we have them though. And it will be changing things, not punishing them.

Kiev is a lovely city: hills, green, clean, nice prices, no more police checking foreigners, several cultural highlights, easy going local people!
Two remarks: learn to recognize the cyrillic letters, as locals speak few english (mostly russian or ukrainian) and take care walking around the streets after midnight: just take a taxi, a Lada is normally cheaper than teh smooth-western cars (it is not unsafe or dangerous, but you need to be more careful than daily hours)

Bottom line: try Kiev, you'll like it!

Kiev is getting safer.

I jus arrived from a visit to Kiev and I decided to join this site and share fresh information in return for the help I got from here to prepare my trip. Although my first visit to Kiev, this was not my first visit to Ukrania.

The police is making an effort to clean the city from all forms of criminal behavior including their own. This has probably something to do with the fact that next year the European Soccer Championship will be played in Poland and Ukrania, been the final match in Kiev. This will bring a large ammount of visitors of all nationalities and all colors.

There is a lot of police (and I mean a "a lot") everywhere in the center (not so much in the sorounding areas of Kiev) and, yes! they were asking about some form of Id, but the people stopped by police during the day look suspicious, like they had some drug or alcohol related problems. I did not see police hunting tourist during day time.

However, long traditions of corruption take a long time to erradicate and they can still tray to earn some money when the nigth falls. It works this way: First they catch you doing something wrong, then they inform you that it is their job to stop that kind of behavior. After that they tell you that you can be punished for that but they are nice and let you go if you don´t do it again. Finally they ask you if you can be nice to them.

In my case I was stopped for crossing alone one of the main streets in a place with no traffic ligths (only tunnels) at 00:30 at night on a Monday (very few people in the streets). The were very friedly, asked me if I liked kiev, we talked about my country of origin (Spain) and let me go, but the older one informed me that it was the younger one birthday and if I wanted I coud give him a present. I speak some russian (in fact all the conversation was in russian) and wished him a happy birthday, but no present or cash was given and we said goodbye with a smile.

I met other tourists who had been drinking and were accused of been noisy. They did pay some small ammount of money to get away.

Basically, my advice is: Have your passport with you at all times, "play by the rules", do not pick money from the street (It happened to me that somebody drop his wallet of transparent plastic and with cash, in front of me), do not get too drunk if your are going to walk around, and enjoy friendly people, excellent unexpensive ukrainian food, and a very beautyfull town. After all, many of the police agents in Kiev are good police and are there "to protect and to serve" you. And do not be afraid to take the underground or a buss and get away sometime from the center of town and see some othe areas. Kiev feels safe!

Ukrainian law requires that travelers declare all cash in excess of USD 1,000 upon entering Ukraine. Visitors must fill out a customs declaration and ask customs officials to stamp it. According to Ukrainian law, foreign citizens may bring up to USD 10,000 cash or up to USD 50,000 in traveler's checks into Ukraine without a special license. Travelers must declare the cash orchecks. If customs officials determine that a traveler entering or leaving the country has undeclared cash on their person, they can and often do confiscate the undeclaredfunds, in accordance with Ukrainian law. When leaving the country, travelers are allowed to take out a maximum of USD 1,000 in cash, or as much cash as they declared upon entry into Ukraine. A traveler wishing to depart the country with more than USD 1,000 must be able to present a customs declaration proving s/he brought the corresponding sum of money into the country. If you wish to bring in more than USD 10,000 you must obtain a special license after entering Ukraine. Details for obtaining this license are available on the U.S. Embassy web site in a document entitled "Ukrainian customs procedures for transporting currencies, monetary instruments, or precious metals" at:
http://usinfo.usemb.kiev.ua/amcittravelukrcustomseng.html

NOTE! Original works of art manufactured before 1950, regardless of origin, cannot be exported from Ukraine. Art and antiques, such as paintings, samovars, metals, icons,
musical instruments, etc., acquired in Ukraine and intended for export are subject to clearance from the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture. The procedure is performed Monday-Friday, 10-5 PM only.

My first visit to Kiev was in 2005 - the year after Ruslana won the Eurovision Song Contest for 'the new Ukraine' - which the progressive government at the time used as a convenient excuse to abandon the still Soviet immigration requirements & allow EU passport holders to enter without a visa. I was warned by locals to expect an interrogation & belongings search at the border, but instead received the warm smile of a woman passport inspector who let me through after 1 simple ?
When I returned in 2007 - my entry & exit was just as smooth, so I was not expecting any obstacles when I repeated the journey in 2009
Despite the defeat of Victor Yushenko in the intervening election, the new P.M. - Yulia Timoshenko, had been elected as a progressive (& her son-in-law is a fellow Englishman) so I was stunned by the relapse to Cold War border paranoia that had been resurrected...
Ironically, my entry was not hindered, but for being given unduly suspicious stares by the passport inspector. As it was 5 weeks before my return, I thought it unlikely he'd be on duty on my return, or that he'd remember me if he was - but not only was he on guard at midnight when I reached the border, he was obviously awaiting me, with a colleague, both of whom had in the meantime devised the daft theory that I was travelling on a fake passport (despite having 4 existing official 'vkhod' - IN & 'vikhod' - OUT stamps).
I had to endure 20 minutes of ?'s in Russian to ascertain whether I was British, even though I can only speak English - all the while having my passport held to my face, & having to position my head in different positions...
This paranoia aroused some humour amongst Ukrainain passengers, that a westerner might choose to be an 'illegal' in Ukraine!
In 2011 my treatment was not so 'Soviet', but again, on both border crossings, I was treated with suspicion in regard to my EU passport, despite the fact that this is all the embassy requires tourists to identify themselves with. But, tourism is still not understood in Ukraine & those in uniform retain the attitude that anybody entering is either a spy or smuggler!
Despite which, for all their suspicious ?'s, out of 8 opportunities to examine my luggage, not once have those in uniform, bothered to look at it - Ukrainian logic confounds me...

Ukraine as a country is still so far behind its western neighbours it still has not got 'the tourism thing' - those catering to foreigners, do so intent to make the maximum amount of hard currency out of them as they can exthort in a single transaction. Ukrainain folk do not, in general, have much concern for their future or that of their country, consequently, they do not expect to see you again, & in anycase, many regard you as having more money than sense, for having crossed the border...
'TAKSEESTA' are those you need to be especially alert to, & nowhere more so than the 'autovoksal, Moskva Ploshad' (Moscow square) - where they operate in collusion to deter the unwitting arrivee from realising there are separate cashiers offices serving tickets for GUNSEL & AUTOLUX - the main operators of long-distance & shuttle services to the airport. Their trick is to make 'a wall', footballer-style, as if attempting to deflect a penalty, or in this case, a customer from finding the ticket office doors...
The best advice is to try your best not to look lost if you are arriving here for the first time, & head confidently towards the main building, saying, "NYET SPASIBA!" to any followers. They can be persistent & once I was even chased with 2 heavy bags, into the station building, pursued by a score of 'takseesta', all identically attired in obligatory black caps, jackets, jeans, & shiny leather shoes...
It was an intimidating experience & confirmed the worst stereotypes of 'commie-country-types', like that acted out in Bond films - but if you pursue your goal to buy your bus ticket, they do leave you alone. Everybody with wheels in Ukraine regards himself as a 'takseest' - do not deal with those who are unlicensed - they will lock your luggage in the boot of their car, then demand an extortionate sum to retrieve it. A janitor at the station once threatened to hit me with his broom, if I did not pay what his 'takseest' comrade demanded - & do not think the Militia will wish to receive any complaint - they are also bribed to look the other way...