Questions for Stirlitz (self-promotion w/o bickering)

[Stirlitz]

Here you can ask me any questions. Whatever and as many as you like. However, I am not going to answer all of them, only the ones that I like Please do not ask me how much juice I need — a lot.

For those who do not know me you can visit my web site in my profile to get an idea. I discovered the Russian Women Guide in 2004 but I have not been active on the forums for a few years. Now I have a lot of translation work and do guiding/interpreting only occasionally if it is worth my time and hassle. So to be serious, I do not really need any promotion. But I am missing talking on the forums to people from different cultures and I need some practice talking English even in writing. My current job is somewhat boring: I translate manuals for engines, bulldozers and other stuff. Most of the manuals have been translated before and the new ones only differ a little so I have to edit/alter, copy/paste more than actually translate from scratch. So I do not wish to end up like many translators who cannot interpret and are only used to written translations. Years ago I discovered that boards offered very good practice in English even though you did not actually get to talk. I am also missing many good friends whom I met over the boards and some of whom are still around. So I would be glad to chat.

[Voyager]

Hi Stirlitz, I've moved your thread into "FSU Service providers", because it's for guides & translators, as opposed to agencies.



Where do you work as a guide? Only in Ukraine?

[Stirlitz]

I started it in Agencies because Brass suggested so. But it does not matter.

I work mainly in Ukraine though I have been to Russia on business a couple of times. I am located in the south so I often work there but I do travel in other parts of Ukraine. To the west quite seldom.

[Voyager]

Are you originally from South Ukraine or Crimea?

Or do you just prefer to live there?

[Stirlitz]

I was born in Odessa and had lived there until 2003 in the downtown. Then I decided to move to the Crimea and bought a house there. Next year I got married in Odessa and had to move back but I kept my Crimean house. My wife does not want to live there. So I stay in Odessa most of my time but I go to the Crimea nearly every month for a week or two. So I have two homes. It is many more costs than living in one place but it is worth it. In Odessa it is an apartment in a high rise in an uptown. In the Crimea it is a cottage in a small village far from cities.

[mendeleyev]

Stirlitz, it's nice to have you here.

I have a few questions which hopefully will be of interest to our members.

- When Westerners visit southern Ukraine, what are the most common points of interest?

- What is the most common piece of advice you offer to visitors from the West?

- What about Westerners do Ukrainians especially appreciate?

[Stirlitz]

The most common points of interest are as follows.

In Odessa:
 
- Opera House,
- Potyomkinskaya Steps,
- Mother-in-Law’s Bridge,
- Vorontsov’s Palace,
- Monuments to Catherine the Great, Duke de Risheleu, Count Vorontsov, Pushkin, etc.,
- Cathedrals,
- Salty Lake Kuyalnik,
- Catacombs (impressive),
- Some museums and exhibitions including in the catacombs.

In the Crimea:

- Yevpatoria/Saki lakes,
- Bahchisaray khan palace,
- Bahchisaray 12th century cave monastery,
- Bahchisaray cave town,
- Sevastopol Hersoness excavation site,
- Sevastopol Panorama (1853-56 war museum),
- Sevastopol Dioorama (1944 war museum),
- Sevastopol Aquarium (live fish exhibition),
- Sevastopol harbor and monument to sunken ships,
- Sevastopol cemetery of the Crimean War (northern side),
- Balaclava submarine base museum,
- Alupka Vorontsov’s Palace (maginificent),
- Livadia Palace (Yalta 1945 Conference),
- Massandra Palace,
- Massandra Botany Garden,
- Ai-Petri Mountain,
- Marble Cave in the mountains between Simferopol and Alushta,
- Sudak medieval fortress,
- Kerch Mitridat mountain with an excavation site,
- and many more sights and interesting objects (if you google Crimea points of interest you will get a long list).

Nikolayev and Herson have some sights but they are not really interesting in my view.

Visitors from the West should remember:
- much fewer people understand English than in Europe,
- always have a copy of your passport and your migration card with your apatment address on you,
- avoid talking English and running/standing out of the crowd in any way when cops are around, do not look at them, do not look foreign to them,
- it is safer in Ukraine than in the US so if you are not stupid and reckless you should be basically OK nearly anywhere most of the time, even at night unless you stand out (e.g. if you are black or speak English loudly) — actually, cops are the biggest hazard,
- euros are as welcome as (or even more desired than) US dollars though you cannot use them anywhere; you have to use local currency which can easily be exchanged anywhere in a big city (you do not need to look for a bank, exchanges are everywhere and they offer a better rate, longer hours and faster service than banks), you can use foreign currency to pay for your apartment, interpreter and other fees, but to buy food in a store you must use hryvnas,
- ATMs are crappy and may fail when you badly need money, so have some cash on you and several additional cards; do warn your ATM company that you are going to Ukraine,
- make sure to have cash in new notes, not torn, not rubbed or badly stained; banks/exchanges will not accept them,
- always have small change on you including coins and small bills (UAH1, 2, 5, 10, 20; UAH100 may be a big problem in a kiosk, and with UAH200/500 you will usually have to look for a big store),
- avoid taxi drivers at train stations and airports as they will charge at least twice the going rate — try to use a bus; if you hire a cab one way and pay $1 and then hire another and pay $2 it is not a rip-off, it is free market; negotiate before you get in; best of all is to use a radio taxi (call on the phone and order),
- push/pull the door of your apartment while working on the lock.

I am not sure about all Ukrainians but I like dealing with foreigners because they are polite, civil, trustworthy. However, it applies to my clients but I select them carefully and get very few losers who are as bad as local ones I think. But at any rate a wealthy foreigner is usually much nicer than a wealthy Ukrainian.

[Corp]

Hey Stirlitz, good to see you are still around.
For those who don't know, I was a former client a few years back on one of my trips and found that a guy could travel without the baggage of an agency... and yet have a "jack of all trades" guy like Stirlitz to buy tickets , translate, and basically get you good deals on rooms and so forth (which hopefully should cover some of the tab he charges.)

I wish you well!

[el_guero]

Stirlitz

I think your work as a guide must be interesting.

wayne

[Stirlitz]

Yep, I like it.

Thank you Danny.

[Stirlitz]

Today you can wish me Happy International Tourist Guide Day!

[Markje]

I would like to personally recommend stirlitz. I have made use of his services and thus can speak from experience.

[AvHdB]

I would like to personally recommend stirlitz. I have made use of his services and thus can speak from experience.

I will second the above.

Not sure he enjoyed so many museums, but he is a gear head.

[BillyB]

Today you can wish me Happy International Tourist Guide Day!

Why of course! Happy International Tourist Guide Day! I always honor this day....as long as somebody reminds me. One thing about Stirlitz is he's a patriot and signed up for the military when his country was in trouble. If he's willing to to risk his life fending off the enemy for his country, he'll fend off those insincere women that are trying to use you for sex and money.

[Texan77]

 Billy, I guess I am just ugly.  No one wanted to use me for sex, just visas, luxury goods, and especially money. 

Any idea what would be good to do with an eighteen year boy in Ukraine this year? We have been to see the dolphin show in Kiev, the zip line over the river a few years ago. Now he is excited about kite boarding, go carts. drone flying and anything to do with soccer. He also likes popular Ukraine music that children his age often listen to.

[andrewfi]

18 year old children?

A man, old enough to die for his country, old enough to get married, get drunk, vote for the leader of his country.

[Danchik]

Visitors from the West should remember:
- much fewer people understand English than in Europe,
- always have a copy of your passport and your migration card with your apatment address on you,
- avoid talking English and running/standing out of the crowd in any way when cops are around, do not look at them, do not look foreign to them,
- it is safer in Ukraine than in the US so if you are not stupid and reckless you should be basically OK nearly anywhere most of the time, even at night unless you stand out (e.g. if you are black or speak English loudly) — actually, cops are the biggest hazard,
- euros are as welcome as (or even more desired than) US dollars though you cannot use them anywhere; you have to use local currency which can easily be exchanged anywhere in a big city (you do not need to look for a bank, exchanges are everywhere and they offer a better rate, longer hours and faster service than banks), you can use foreign currency to pay for your apartment, interpreter and other fees, but to buy food in a store you must use hryvnas,
- ATMs are crappy and may fail when you badly need money, so have some cash on you and several additional cards; do warn your ATM company that you are going to Ukraine,
- make sure to have cash in new notes, not torn, not rubbed or badly stained; banks/exchanges will not accept them,
- always have small change on you including coins and small bills (UAH1, 2, 5, 10, 20; UAH100 may be a big problem in a kiosk, and with UAH200/500 you will usually have to look for a big store),
- avoid taxi drivers at train stations and airports as they will charge at least twice the going rate — try to use a bus; if you hire a cab one way and pay $1 and then hire another and pay $2 it is not a rip-off, it is free market; negotiate before you get in; best of all is to use a radio taxi (call on the phone and order),
- push/pull the door of your apartment while working on the lock.

I am not sure about all Ukrainians but I like dealing with foreigners because they are polite, civil, trustworthy. However, it applies to my clients but I select them carefully and get very few losers who are as bad as local ones I think. But at any rate a wealthy foreigner is usually much nicer than a wealthy Ukrainian.

Maybe it would be good to update some of this info. Now while most of what I'm about to say will pertain to Russia, I don't imagine Ukraine to be much different in these respects although there might be a few minor differences here and there.

You will find that in most countries where English is not the native language many fewer people will speak English outside big cities. E.g., most Italians outside Rome, Milan, Venice, etc. will speak no English at all. The same applies to Ukraine/Russia.

It's good policy to carry your passport and IC with you and have a copy of both stashed in a safe place just in case you happen to lose them. I always staple my IC to my passport on the opposite page of my current visa to secure it. Having/knowing your address isn't needed (and has never been needed in any situation I've had with police in both countries).

I've noticed that once you start speaking English, police usually leave you alone these days. Shake downs, at least in Russia, have all but disappeared. Never a bad idea to keep a low profile anywhere you are in the world. I also occasionally look at them with no consequences, but looking at police worldwide isn't recommended, and because fashion styles have become much more Western over the last decade, it's much easier to blend in than 12 years ago. Yes Manny, even white sneakers are much more prevalent among RM.

Ukraine/Russia are safer overall than the US and the people are less aggressive as well. Even the stray animals are less aggressive. Not sure about the police in Ukraine, but they're much less problematic than 10-15 years ago for foreigners in Russia. I think it's true in Ukraine as well, can't imagine it's not gotten better.

It makes sense now that Ukrainians can freely travel within the Schengen zone that euros would be more desirable. Dollars are just fine also.

Having fresh, new notes when exchanging money still plays today of course. Somethings never change.

ATM's have upgraded as one might expect. However, credit cards are accepted in most places and IMO are best when travelling abroad as fraud protection is baked in. I usually have a few roubles on hand just in case mostly out of habit as I rarely use them. Debit cards are just fine in shops/store/restaurants when making simple purchases and pulling cash out of ATM's these days for a foreigner really isn't necessary.

карта или наличные (card or cash, carta ili nalichnye) is what you will hear when it's time to pay. It's also still a good idea to inform your financial institution that you'll be in another country, although I've rarely had to do this.

Uber in Ukraine/Russia is readily available in big cities and offer the lowest prices anywhere in the world IMO. The days of dealing with independent taxi drivers have long been over. Just make sure you download Uber Ukraine/Russia as foreign apps will not work when you're in country. Apple Pay takes all the fuss out of using taxis safely without the usual nonsense some taxi drivers like to pull on foreigners regarding fares.

I have had problems with Apple Pay, so make sure it works in country before you get into a taxi. This would be one case where having a bit of money, at least to cover your fare, will come in handy. Arguments over price will not be an issue though. However, don't expect the driver to give you change (some might) should there be a difference in price to the money you have on hand.

Apts/flats have been heavily renovated in the last decade, so I assume that includes locks on doors.

It's been my experience that rich Russians are usually more worldly and educated and therefore more polite, even though they are more prone to flaunt their money in public.

Lastly, remember you are a guest in these countries and should act accordingly.

[Manny]

Yes Manny, even white sneakers are much more prevalent among RM.

It ain't just the sneakers that gives them away. 

[AvHdB]

. . . remember you are a guest in these countries and should act accordingly.

People have common sense, please use it.

[andrewfi]

. . . remember you are a guest in these countries and should act accordingly.

People have common sense, please use it.

Come, on, you absolutely KNOW that you just made an untrue statement.

[AvHdB]

. . . remember you are a guest in these countries and should act accordingly.

People have common sense, please use it.

Come, on, you absolutely KNOW that you just made an untrue statement.

Hope springs eternal! Andrew I am not an eternal pessimist.

[andrewfi]

Nor am I. I retain a shred of optimism that leads me to criticise unthinkers and the lazy dumb and to exhort them to do better.

[Danchik]

Yes Manny, even white sneakers are much more prevalent among RM.

It ain't just the sneakers that gives them away. 

(Attachment Link)

Seems you missed the point completely.

It wasn't about Americans being dressed like in the guy in the photo, it was about Westerners blending in much easier than 10-15 years ago because Western styles are much more prevalent these days.

I referenced you because you have made jokes about Americans wearing white sneakers before, yet Russian guys like them.

Oh BTW, while it was rather easy to spot an American in the past (Brits too ), I have never seen any American dressed like the guy in the photo in Russia in the past 10, and can't completely remember, but maybe 15 years. Vegas yes, maybe London/Paris too, but Moscow, no.

[Texan77]

It ain't just the sneakers that gives them away. 

(Attachment Link)

It is just  matter of what part of the Ukraine you want to see.

🔵 Bucking the world recession, Ukraine’s IT exports increased by 20% yoy, to $5 billion, according to new figures from the National Bank of Ukraine. IT now accounts for 8.3% of total exports, putting it in fourth place after food, metals, and migrant labor. In 2013, IT accounted for 1.3% of Ukraine’s exports. “Ukraine has earned a reputation in recent years as one of the world’s leading IT outsourcing destinations, but many feel it is time for the country to move up the tech food chain,” Peter Dickinson wrote in an Atlantic Council blog: “Ukraine’s Booming IT Sector Defies the Coronavirus Crisis.”
🔵 Of the 100 best IT outsourcing firms in the world, 11 are based in Ukraine, according to the 2021 Global Outsourcing 100 list, a ranking compiled annually by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals. Designed to help companies find the right IT help, the list includes from Ukraine, in alphabetical order: Ciklum, Eleks, Infopulse, Innovecs, Intellias, Miratech, Nix, N-iX, Program-Ace and Sigma Software.

🔵 The share of women in Ukraine’s IT workforce has tripled over the last decade, hitting 22% today, according to a study by GlobalLogic. Women now account for one third of all testers in Ukraine and 8% of developers, according to ITC.UA’s report on the study. Overall, employment in IT is growing by 15% a year.

[Valenki]

When I was in the Ukraine a girl wanted me to buy flowers from her on the street. I could clearly see that she was “high” on sniffing glue and she was only about 12-years-old. It broke my heart. I have seen tzigane sniffing glue and selling small plastic bags of it openly in front of the main railway stations in other  “eastern” cities. Are drugs a big problem in the Ukraine?