There is an ancient legend that in the beginning of the world God called for one person from each nation to distribute the lands of the Earth. Soon he was done and ready to rest. Suddenly he was approached by a Ukrainian man who had not yet received his land, “So what should I do now?” asks God. “I’ve already divided all the lands among the others. Alright, I’ve got a little piece of paradise on Earth which was intended to be mine but, so be it, I’ll give it to you.” And that’s how Ukraine was created.

It really is located in a heavenly place. The Ukrainian climate is basically mild, moderately continental. The Crimean peninsula lies in the subtropics. There’s no raining or hurricane season in Ukraine. At the same time, this country is not monotonous at all; the mild, snowy winter is changed by a bright, sweet-scented spring that turns into the warm sunny summer followed by the golden fall, with its glittering tree branches covered with crystal rime. The average temperature in January varies from -7°C at the North East to +4°C on the southern shore of the Crimea. The average temperature in July is from +18°C at the North West to +24 °C at the South East. There are neither ice grounds nor arid deserts in Ukraine. The whole country is occupied by cities, villages, fields, pastures, and forests. The soil is incredibly fertile here – a sample of it is even stored in Paris as the example of perfect black earth.

It’s easy to find Ukraine on the map since it’s the biggest European country. Its area is equal to 603.7 thousand square kilometers. Ukraine adjoins seven countries: in particular, Russia is its east, and Belarus is the northern one. At the south, Ukraine is washed by the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The Black Sea is joined with the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Marmora through which it exits to the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a popular health-resort zone. The Black Sea coast is called “the Sub-Mediterranean” because of its resemblance of its climate, flora, and fauna to the subtropical amenities of the Mediterranean Sea.

However, it’s not only the soft golden sand where the Ukrainians and the guests of the country may spend their vacation. Those who love mountain skiing go to the Western part of the country in the winter to the mountain chains of the Ukrainian (Eastern) Carpathians. That’s where the highest peak of Ukraine, The Goverla Mountain (2061 meters), is located.

There are more than 400 cities in Ukraine. The population of 5 of them (Kiev, the capital city, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Odessa, and Donetsk) exceeds 1 million.

Slavic culture is one of the oldest in Europe – it dates back to almost 2000 years! Moreover, it was Ukraine where the Kievan Rus – the center of the Old Slavic State - was situated. Numerous Ukrainian landmarks date back to those times. The outstanding examples of Kievan architecture are: Sophian Cathedral built in the XI century by Yaroslav the Wise whose daughter was crowned the Queen of France, the Kiev-Pechora lavra that was originated as a monastery in XI century, and the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral in the city of Chernigov. The most outstanding of Lviv’s numerous ancient monuments are: the Saint Nicholas’s Church (XIII century), the Armenian Cathedral (XIV century), and the Bernardian church (XVII century) and others. Port city, Odessa, is full of gorgeous buildings dating back to the era of classicism, such as the Vorontsov’s palace, for example. The remains of antique culture (3rd century BC) have recently been found on the Crimea, and are actively investigated by archeologists at the moment.

The wonderful nature of Ukraine just can’t give birth to ordinary people; numerous Ukrainians have glorified both their home and many other countries.

For instance, Igor Sikorsky, the inventor of the first helicopter, was born in Kiev. Andy Warhol (Andriy Worhola), the founder of pop-art, was born to a family of Ukrainian immigrants. Mila Jovovich is the daughter of a Ukrainian actress, and she was born in Kiev. Even Stephen Spielberg has also got an Odessian background – his grandparents used to live in Ukraine.