The following might be of some use to travelling Gooners:
British Embassy
British Embassy
01025 Kiev Desyatinna 9
4, Glybochytska Street,
Kyiv 04050
Telephone: 00 380 44 462 0011-4
00 380 44 494 34 00 Consular/Visa Section
Foreign & Commonwealth Office Advice
Ukraine has relatively low levels of street and car crime. However, foreigners offer lucrative targets and you should be vigilant. You should keep valuables and cash out of sight, especially in crowded areas and tourist spots, where pickpockets and bag snatchers operate. You should also beware of accepting drinks in bars from casual acquaintances, which could be spiked.
All supporters traveling to watch Arsenal play Dynamo Kiev on 21 October must obtain a visa before travel. Supporters should also be aware that the match will be heavily policed and that they are likely to be subject to several body searches entering the stadium. Alcohol is not permitted in the stadium and will be confiscated if found. Ukrainian authorities are intolerant of rowdy behavior.
You should carry your passport at all times. You should take care to protect passports and valuables.
Visitors to Ukraine should seek medical advice before traveling. Diphtheria is common. Drink bottled water or boiled tap water. Tick-borne encephalitis is also common in wooded areas. There is a high level of sexually transmitted diseases in Ukraine and HIV is at epidemic proportions. The prevalence of hepatitis is also rising.
The risk of radioactive contamination from the 1986 accident at Chernobyl is insignificant, other than within the exclusion zone immediately around the Chernobyl site. No special precautions are necessary.
There is a bilateral agreement on Emergency Medical Treatment between Ukraine and the UK. You do not therefore need to pay an insurance levy when you arrive. If any attempt is made to charge you, you should inform the British Embassy in Kyiv. However, the agreement covers only emergency medical treatment. You should therefore also take out comprehensive medical / travel insurance before traveling, to cover all other forms of medical treatment.
Language/Ethnicity/Population
Official language is Ukrainian. This is however only spoken fluently by a quarter of the population and by one in ten as their first language at home. Russian is almost universal (most Ukrainians who use Ukrainian as their first language speak Russian as their second). Most newspapers and TV/Radio is in Russian.
Ethnically just under three out of four of the inhabitants are ethnically Ukrainian, nearly a quarter are of Russian extraction, the rest being small Polish, Romanian, Belorussian and Jewish minorities.
Population:
Ukraine - 48 million
Kyiv - 2.6 million
Please and Thank You:
Please - bud' laska
Thank you - vam, spasybi
Currency/Exchange
Hryvnia (introduced on 2/9/1996 to replace the old Soviet Rouble. Pronounced "Reev-ni-a". Plural "Hryvnias")
There are bills for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Hryvnias. There are coins called kopiyka' for 1, 2 ,5 10, 25, and 50 kopiykas. (1 kopiyka is equal to 1/100 of Hryvnia.) Alo there are 1, 2 and 5 Hryvnia coins as well as some commemorative collectible coins.
Exhange only legal at banks and licensed bureaux de change/booths. DO NOT CHANGE ON THE STREET.
You can bring in up to US$1,000/Euros 875/£625 without declaration and up to US$10,000 (Euros 875/£6250) without prior permission.
Current Exchange Rates (approximate)
US Dollar = 5.31000
Euro = 6.14482
Sterling = 8.86702
Can't promise to help but if you have any problems you can ring AISA's Steven Powell on 00 44 7881 950613 (if ringing from the Ukraine) or 07881 950613 (if in Britain). Also give him a bell if you just fancy some convivial company for a small libation or two.
Alternatively you can leave a message at his hotel which is the Premier Palace (44) 244 1200. Ringing from Britain the number is 00 340 44 244 1200.
As always - enjoy! Party on!
For futher details of AISA membership ring Steven on 07881 950613 or e-mail him at: sl.powell@virgin.net
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