I doubt Ukraine would have been among the top 100 countries on my list of places to visit if you had asked me a year ago.I just didn’t consider traveling to Ukraine.To be honest, I had never given it any thought. Until… I received an invitation to attend my brother-in-law’swedding.
There was a revolution in Ukraine only a few months ago. Protesters and police officers were killed in multiple riots that broke out in the city center’s Independence Square.
Naturally, I was apprehensive about traveling to a politically unstable nation because, at the time of our visit, Russia had recently seized control of Crimea and the country had an interim president. We were adamant about going to celebrate the wedding even though everyone I spoke to had reservations and I can’t even remember how many times they voiced these worries.
Our group of nine took a plane into Kiev late on a Wednesday afternoon after the FCO advised that it was safe enough to travel to the areas we were going to. On Friday, we took a three-hour train ride to Cherkasy, the location of the wedding, after spending Thursday exploring the city. At the President Hotel, we were greeted by our hosts, my brother-in-law and his now-wife. I have yet to mention that I foolishly left my camera behind. Failure of a travel blogger! Therefore, my iPhone 5 is responsible for all of the pictures you see from my trip to Ukraine.
We quickly changed before heading to dinner at Chachapuri, a charming Georgian eatery named after the traditional Georgian bread dish stuffed with cheese and egg (I believe the Ukrainian-English spelling is chachapuri).
Dinner in Chachapuri
The menu looked so good, but there were so many options that I wasn’t sure where to begin. We started ordering a few dishes each after my brother-in-law, who had previously dined there, told us that, quote, “it’s a bit like tapas.” I’m pleased to say that the Georgian wine I chose to have on the side was excellent.

The restaurant’s canapés were served first, accompanied by a shot of chacha, a clear brandy. We took our shots with a collective “Bud’mo” and raised our arms. The red and green spreads on top of the bread are completely unknown to me; my best guess is that they were ground beef (the red one) and some sort of pine nut/basil mixture (the green one), but I could be totally off! Though not particularly flavorful, they were still tasty and pleasant.
I quickly realized that we might have made a minor error as the food began to arrive. They brought out phallic-shaped meat and mushroom kebabs, as well as delectable salads and dumplings that looked better than they tasted. And then there was food, food, and more food.
While the dishes were great for sharing and the food was similar to tapas, they were large—like the size of a real meal. The fact that each person ordered three dishes was obviously a bit of a blunder. We did, however, make good progress. We spent about £10 and left feeling full and enchanted by the delectable Georgian wine.
Since my mother-in-law had previously visited Ukraine, she had made plans for us to go on a private guided tour of Kiyv the next day. Therefore, Helen, our guide, picked us up immediately after breakfast. When we first met, Helen informed me that two people with the same name could make a wish. I did, so I won’t.
Helen explained the history of Kiyv to us as we drove. Did you know that according to legend, Kyi, Shchek, and Khoryv were the three brothers who founded Kiyv? You do, then!
This is what we observed…
(Note: this is not my “Top 10 Things to Do in Kiyv” or “Ultimate Guide to Kiyv” type of post. I simply did that. However, I had fun with it, and I’m sure most others will too!
The Great Patriotic War Museum
The Museum of the Great Patriotic War was our first destination. The German-Soviet War heroes are honored at the museum. Along with enormous statues of the Ukrainian people at that time, both soldiers and civilians, army vehicles and equipment are on display.