My advice! Don't come to Ukraine.

i know what you mean i have been there i had bad experience too but not as bad as you...but the beauty of the country and the beautiful women will take me there again...))

gauravm7600 wrote:

i know what you mean i have been there i had bad experience too but not as bad as you...but the beauty of the country and the beautiful women will take me there again...))

I don't see any beauty if you compare it with other European country! maybe you mean cheaper.

Thank you for your information,  you are right, the country is going through many changes, and if you don't know how to protect yourself and have a good net of friends to know where you are and how to protect you,  you should be careful about visiting Ukraine.
Still I have missing brother and I have to find a way to know what happened to him.
Thank you

well my first trip to europe so i found it beautiful...))

MrMo wrote:

Thank you for your information,  you are right, the country is going through many changes, and if you don't know how to protect yourself and have a good net of friends to know where you are and how to protect you,  you should be careful about visiting Ukraine.
Still I have missing brother and I have to find a way to know what happened to him.
Thank you

yes i just knew about your brother i feel sorry for that, you are right. thank you and if i knew any information may help i will write you.
best of luck

Thank you
I do appreciate that.

My Dear,
You are from Bahrain which is small & calm country as well Kuwait where i born, Grown and live currently, for you such accident very common in big countries Where there are a lot of low income levels that lead to crime and theft
Communist effects extended from Russia to Ukraine, Romania and Moldova even small countries that lived under communist rule
And spread to the Arab countries such as Egypt and Syria, so what you saw in Ukraine its common because of  poverty and inequality and the communist principles established rules of bribery, nepotism in those countries that explain why police was negative in your case
and in Bahrain without being Bahraini or Expat with Wasta (nepotism) i'm sorry to say you are nothing! its in all GCC and Also Arabic countries, unfair is everywhere
at the end take care wherever you go in the world!
But
Ukraine is a beautiful country and safe in general, i never had any problems but i can't hide i always get warned by my wife, friends and family from such accidents but i never get this problem in Ukraine since i used to visit it regularly since 2012 and married to Ukrainian woman, i have my own apartment and i'm happy with every moment i spent and i will spend in Ukraine in future.

All the Best

vox1280 wrote:

My Dear,
You are from Bahrain which is small & calm country as well Kuwait where i born, Grown and live currently, for you such accident very common in big countries Where there are a lot of low income levels that lead to crime and theft
Communist effects extended from Russia to Ukraine, Romania and Moldova even small countries that lived under communist rule
And spread to the Arab countries such as Egypt and Syria, so what you saw in Ukraine its common because of  poverty and inequality and the communist principles established rules of bribery, nepotism in those countries that explain why police was negative in your case
and in Bahrain without being Bahraini or Expat with Wasta (nepotism) i'm sorry to say you are nothing! its in all GCC and Also Arabic countries, unfair is everywhere
at the end take care wherever you go in the world!
But
Ukraine is a beautiful country and safe in general, i never had any problems but i can't hide i always get warned by my wife, friends and family from such accidents but i never get this problem in Ukraine since i used to visit it regularly since 2012 and married to Ukrainian woman, i have my own apartment and i'm happy with every moment i spent and i will spend in Ukraine in future.

All the Best

Hi brother! nice to read your post, true what you've said "reasons that leads to crimes" but not true about "Wasta"things, well... yeah with simple things, but come on dude bribes are totally not existed in GCC!!!!  and if you had a problem whether you have someone or not, police will help!
unfortunately i don't see any good future for this country, when the police and medical services are corrupted... in Kharkiv and the capital at least.

P.S don't compare Ukraine with Arab countries nor GCC countries. Freedom of speech is not available in our countries, that's way i can write anything i want about Ukraine without being afraid to be killed or to be in jail LOL.

Worse in Bahrain  .  Much worse .  *** . 
I had good experience in Ukraine  . . Steer clear of  Bahrain  , Saudi Arabia,  Abu Dhabi or any Emirates  .

Hey Mody,
          I hope you are doing fine ,I am really sorry with what you experienced,anybody would be enraged with such situation,I know that there no such public  "law" in here but more over law enforcement control,that doesn't mean most of the local population are thugs and thieves .I know experiences like these will change your  outlook towards a country but these things don't take place only in Ukraine,this happens in the most of the countries and "Wasta" (bribery)a different issue ,it is well existing in GCC countries and major Asian countries,this comes from my own experience.
On the bright side you are not harmed and safe ,just stay safe and be positive 

I've been living in Ukraine for half a decade so I know there's a lot that goes on (especially with expats that is not appropriately addressed).

First of all, I wish to extend my "sympathy" to you as I understand how helpless you must have felt knowing fully well that you were on the RIGHT yet absolutely nothing was done to improve/justify your situation. I know of similar and even worse scenarios where people stood in situations hoping for those in authority to intervene but in the end was they simply turn a blind eye or sweep it under the rug. The people here don't really get what being ethical or professional means when considering such mannerism.

I won't be able to sleep well at night if I didn't add my voice to yours because I feel the information here might be of help to others. So to this I strongly advice the wider community NOT to come to Ukraine. The people here are cynical and self-destructive. As a foreigner, don't expect any sympathy from them if they themselves don't feel sorry for their own.

When it comes to the social life here, they might seem friendly initially but they're just a bunch of vipers. Everyone seems to want to extract something from you that might later be used against you. It's never for you, remember! It can be anything from personal, relationship to money, even the so-called love stories manufactured by the Westerners desperately looking for women here- It's just for the money/passport/escape and nothing more.

Keep your mouth shut and your wallets even tighter!

Although not all of them are like this, a majority are just like I explained above. They are more reproachful and condescending towards foreigners from Asia, Africa and the Middle East unlike to their masters from the West like the USA, Canada and W. European countries. Generally in Ukraine, they just follow the money.
Such sheeple!

Goldsparkle wrote:

I've been living in Ukraine for half a decade so I know there's a lot that goes on (especially with expats that is not appropriately addressed).

First of all, I wish to extend my "sympathy" to you as I understand how helpless you must have felt knowing fully well that you were on the RIGHT yet absolutely nothing was done to improve/justify your situation. I know of similar and even worse scenarios where people stood in situations hoping for those in authority to intervene but in the end was they simply turn a blind eye or sweep it under the rug. The people here don't really get what being ethical or professional means when considering such mannerism.

I won't be able to sleep well at night if I didn't add my voice to yours because I feel the information here might be of help to others. So to this I strongly advice the wider community NOT to come to Ukraine. The people here are cynical and self-destructive. As a foreigner, don't expect any sympathy from them if they themselves don't feel sorry for their own.

When it comes to the social life here, they might seem friendly initially but they're just a bunch of vipers. Everyone seems to want to extract something from you that might later be used against you. It's never for you, remember! It can be anything from personal, relationship to money, even the so-called love stories manufactured by the Westerners desperately looking for women here- It's just for the money/passport/escape and nothing more.

Keep your mouth shut and your wallets even tighter!

Although not all of them are like this, a majority are just like I explained above. They are more reproachful and condescending towards foreigners from Asia, Africa and the Middle East unlike to their masters from the West like the USA, Canada and W. European countries. Generally in Ukraine, they just follow the money.
Such sheeple!

Your replay sir made me feel that there are still good people on this planet! after reading almost all the other comments, you are 100% right with every word you wrote here, i wish the guys can leave the girls thing and speak bravely like you sir.

Thank you for your courage and openness!

There is a lot of truth in what you have said.  People will not help you.  I do have friends here and some are very good.  But a left over from the Soviet times is how people build walls around themselves.  Everything is secretive and no one wants to become involved.  They will look the other way or ignore the situation.

It is difficult living in Kharkiv for you learn not to trust anyone.  Most other foreigners I come across are too far left for me.  The ones that come looking for women, they are a story all to themselves.

The police and the court system.  Good luck.  No words are needed to describe it.

I have a saying that applies to Ukraine.  Everyone wants your money and no one wants to give you anything in return.  I trust no one beyond my wife.  The friends I have are more for just going out on a social setting.  My wife is Ukrainian, and she is a very good woman.  There are very few like her in this country.

About seeing things, I have seen enough also to write a book.  For Expats this place can become very expensive if you are not careful.  Good luck to anyone coming here.  If you do come here, come for a good reason and keep your money very safe.  On Cell phones, I got a really cheap inexpensive phone that only takes calls and messages.  I show nothing else. 

You learn to build walls just like them.  It is for a reason, it is called survival.  I mind my own business and stay friendly.  Yet I keep my eyes wide open all of the time.

I had a correspondence with this member and I found him to be a very immature and difficult personality... I quickly relinquished all communication. ***** I just returned from Ukraine after having spent 3 months in Kiev. It is a very modern and high class city, and I found the Ukrainians to be incredibly sophisticated and full of such integrity. Every necessity or luxury is available. Yes, the prices are convenient, but of course the best part overall is the people. I love Ukraine! )))

I don't want to participate in this discussion because I am Ukrainian. But I just saw this survey : http://indy100.independent.co.uk/articl … kbWdgjoXdZ

Dougcdc wrote:

There is a lot of truth in what you have said.  People will not help you.  I do have friends here and some are very good.  But a left over from the Soviet times is how people build walls around themselves.  Everything is secretive and no one wants to become involved.  They will look the other way or ignore the situation.

It is difficult living in Kharkiv for you learn not to trust anyone.  Most other foreigners I come across are too far left for me.  The ones that come looking for women, they are a story all to themselves.

The police and the court system.  Good luck.  No words are needed to describe it.

I have a saying that applies to Ukraine.  Everyone wants your money and no one wants to give you anything in return.  I trust no one beyond my wife.  The friends I have are more for just going out on a social setting.  My wife is Ukrainian, and she is a very good woman.  There are very few like her in this country.

About seeing things, I have seen enough also to write a book.  For Expats this place can become very expensive if you are not careful.  Good luck to anyone coming here.  If you do come here, come for a good reason and keep your money very safe.  On Cell phones, I got a really cheap inexpensive phone that only takes calls and messages.  I show nothing else. 

You learn to build walls just like them.  It is for a reason, it is called survival.  I mind my own business and stay friendly.  Yet I keep my eyes wide open all of the time.

thank you sir, all what you wrote is true, this shows your deep experience in Ukraine, we had a conversation and i believe that you know Ukraine more than others around, good luck.

GreyKyiv wrote:

I don't want to participate in this discussion because I am Ukrainian. But I just saw this survey : http://indy100.independent.co.uk/articl … kbWdgjoXdZ

i think you should participate or say something ... this link is not helping. you know your country more than us.

@ModyBahrain. I am Ukrainian, I live here and I do not have another mother country to move in. So I am biased.

AstralTraveler28 wrote:

I had a correspondence with this member and I found him to be a very immature and difficult personality... I quickly relinquished all communication. ***** I just returned from Ukraine after having spent 3 months in Kiev. It is a very modern and high class city, and I found the Ukrainians to be incredibly sophisticated and full of such integrity. Every necessity or luxury is available. Yes, the prices are convenient, but of course the best part overall is the people. I love Ukraine! )))

Your experience in the country is based on only 3 months as a visitor, compared to someone spending 5 years there... When you live in Ukraine for some time like him, maybe your opinion will change and be closer to the reality. It's one thing going somewhere on holiday, and quite another, actually living there. So I don't think you're in a position to argue with him.

After living in Ukraine for many years.  I cannot say I have not enjoyed my time living here.   Yet I had one thing you do not.  I have family here.  That is the big difference.  I have met people that are honest and good.  For a foreign student and even those who only stay here a short time.  We all have had a different experience.  Someone coming here should have their eyes wide open.

There are places in the United States that I will not visit and Detroit and Chicago are at the top of the list.  I do not regret my decision to live in Ukraine.  I was a world traveler and lived in Eastern Europe and visited the USSR.  Living behind the Soviet Bloc was not my first choice, but it was my job at the time. 

Be smart and be safe.

Look people...this is what you have got to understand: Ukraine is an extreme case of European-looking country with dirt cheap African prices and salaries. This obviously carries with it a whole bunch of unique problems and local stereotypes many of which are true. The problem is that due to the consequences of Soviet rule here and continuing Russian aggression also meddling in our affairs the country has for ages been very divided, with the mind set of its own and now finds itself even poorer than ever.

Obviously these set of circumstances is reflected in the national character and the behavior of the people here. I am Ukrainian myself, returning to the country after a decade abroad in US and Canada. I must say that for a foreigner it is not an easy place to break into. The country is very poor, backward, conservative and so are people's attitudes. It is true that our people lie, show off and build walls around themselves. It is also true that the level of help from the authorities you can expect is practically 0.-you will be on your own.

Now even on this forum I got in trouble trying to warn people with its founder Julian and one of the most ready deniers  GreyKiev. However, the important thing here is to help expats so :  I would say that with all the negatives now days Ukraine is one of the cheapest places to visit for the value it provides. Yet due to this situation just have to keep your eyes wide open at all times. Ukrainians are no different from others...they just find themselves in a difficult situation and that causes them to behave in a particular way. Be knowledgeable about it and you will be fine...

I am jumping a bit late in the conversation, but I think that the experience of ModyBahrain can happen everywhere and his view is kind of biased ! Yes, it is never fun to get your phone stolen, but remember that it is just a phone. This could have happen everywhere and in some other countries, you would have ended naked in the street if not dead !

As for the cops, do you think that in Geneva, Switzerland cops would care more about your phone ? When my ex-wives got her phone stolen in our building, cops at the police station refused to take her complaint saying that they were too busy to deal with a stolen smartphone !

Not to mention what could have happen to you in France, you probably wouldn't have lost only your phone !

Sorry, I understand that you had a unpleasant experience, but hey, you just got a phone stolen ! This could have happen everywhere and I doubt that in most of other foreign countries, your phone would have become the first priority of the police !

I live for two years and a half here and I already used to live here for a year a long time ago. I don't fear using my smartphone or taking my wallet out anywhere including in the metro or mashutka.

Again, you had a bad experience but many countries are far worse than that in terms of insecurity. As for people, they are the kind of same everywhere.  And sorry to say this on this forum, but expats that I meet are usually no less superficial if not far more than Ukrainians and if you keep in touch with them (the expats), it is seldom only for friendship.

...superficial EXPATS - that is something new. Expats are expats everywhere it is the hosting counries that differ my friend. The best part about Ukraine is not its people but prices which are very low for the quality you get. But as for making contacts with the locals - I doubt many meets the Western standards of helpfulness and friendship. I am one of them so I can say ...

even i faced something like that when i studied in kharkive but i miss it really - i liked the place and some of them , my teachers i can't forget them , friends , girlfriends ,
really i miss Ukraine , according the problems every country there r problems because this is not our country so we should be live carefully and smarter and we should make friends there , in this website i think there r many good friends because who is in this website he will respect the expatriates as website name . get more friends it will help u for everything .

Hi I was in Ukraine last year I had no problems but I hear the same things you are talking about, the citizens don't trust their government or police , I'll be going back soon good luck to you .

Interesting reading as I expect to be in Kharkiv in a couple of months. I guess I will be very careful. That said, I would like to say that last year in Paris, my pocket was picked in the metro. I was a trusting fool of an American, my wallet full of money and all my credit cards lost in a flash. But what I want to say is that I did not even bother to go to the police, knowing that nothing will be done. In USA, while I attended an evening class at NYU in New York, I came back, drove home and opened my trunk of my car and lo and behold, my briefcase was gone !! So friends, yes, travel with great care, but in every country there are the bad and the ugly, but also there are the good, people are basically people !!

UKRAINE IS BEAUTIFUL! !!!

Shay frankie wrote:

UKRAINE IS BEAUTIFUL! !!!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, ...... and in the attitude they take with them to any given country.
Those who expect an apple to be the same as an orange generally dislike their new home.

I think you need a little perspective. I will be in Ukraine in a weeks time and have no worries.

In London last year, and bear in mind this is just London, there were over 70,000 mobile phone thefts. Admittedly this includes phone theft from cars, buildings etc.
There is a current spate of thieves riding round on mopeds and spraying acid in peoples faces, then stealing their phones.

Moped riders stealing phones amounted to just over 16,000 in the last year, up to June this year.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 … -robberies

I just had to respond...i was in a relationship with a wonderful lady there who had a small son, on one of my trips to see her her son got sick, it was about 9pm on a Sunday.
IDK what i was thinking because i didnt really speak the language but i wanted to be the one who took care of it. The boy didnt want his mom to leave him so i had her write down what she needed and off i went into the dark city with almost everything already closed. I wandered around for a while thinking "what an idiot i am" then a young woman coming out of a movie theater saw me and must have guessed i looked lost. She tried to ask me if i needed help and i just showed her the note i had and in pathetic Russian and English i asked for directions on where i could get it. She called to her bf and they took me to a place that was closed (i was a bit nervous i will confess) but she rang a door bell and soon a light came on and a lady opened a small window in the door. The young woman passed her my note and i paid for the medicine and they took me back to the city center where we originally met. I tried to pay them for their time and effort but they refused. I have found most people in the Ukraine to be friendly and helpful, yes there are problems there the same as anywhere in the world but it has been my experience that i have met far more good people then bad. I loved it there on every trip, i wish i could retire there and just get lost in the language, culture and country. If you want to understand the soul of a country and its people you must open yours first. And thats my 2 cents worth

I have just read this entire thread and I also found myself needing to reply. I am fairly new to Ukraine, having only spent the last couple of years in and out. However, despite all that I have seen and experienced; I am still emigrating to Ukraine this month. Even after having trouble at a local cash machine this morning!!!

So, I am from England and I travel the world with my job. I spend anything from 1 week to 2 months in one country. I believe that I have enough worldly experience to bring some perspective to this conversation.

Whilst it is never nice to have something stolen, it is a fact of life nowadays. It can happen anywhere, in any country. Ukraine has many benefits which are not offered by other countries. But, at the same time there are many drawbacks too. It depends on your viewpoint and what you “expect” from this life.

I am not a materialistic person, so smartphones, tablets, laptops etc are just things. If someone steals it, I’ll buy a new one. Because Karma will deal with them. So long as my family and friends are safe and healthy, I really couldn’t care less about objects and things.

When I am out on the street, in any country, I will not flash my wares. In Ukraine, I travel on the bus all of the time, so when it is busy I keep my phone and wallet out of sight. I have my money ready before I get on the bus. When I am in London, travelling on the Underground, I do exactly the same. Because you are just as likely to have something stolen in London as Nikolaev, probably even more likely. And it is the same in any other country.

Less fortunate people will steal to feed their family or to support themselves. I have visited poverty stricken countries where this is more rife. My job takes me to the places tourists don’t visit, so I get a realistic view of normal daily life. There is a dark story behind the facade of most countries, so just be careful.

If we read all the bad stories about a country, we would never go anywhere. Ukraine is no different; there is good and bad. It just depends on what you want in life and what is acceptable to you. I would not tell anyone not to come here; I would recommend that you come with your eyes wide open and make up your own mind.

I am a US citizen and just spent 3 weeks in Kharkiv. I joined a swim club for 3 times a week for about $40. I used to travel by trolly car every morning and back for the huge cost of 3 gryvnas or about 12 cents each way. The restaurants are excellent and very very cheap. Dinner for two used to cost us about $20 max, and very good food, food and ambience that would cost me $80-100 in USA. The parks were beautiful, children were children. If there is a problem, it is that everything is written in cyrillic and no one speaks English. But I must say I feel really sorry for the Ukrainian people that they have such a wonderful country led by a very bad Government. The Medical Universities in Kharkiv are full of Indian students, the studies are quite good I was told by them. The pharmacies are fine, so I feel Ukraine could be a very good tourist destination and compete with Hungary if only the Govt would get its act together.

Xa xa xa very funny
Be more positive   Shiva power!!!

Passing time with beautiful girls or boys and beauty of country  is other thing , forcing thief and don't helping police and people is other thing
Such bad experiences are happening in those countries which have poor economy it is common .

ModyBahrain can understand it but he is sad why people and police didnot want to help him?
Why a thief steals in front of people easily?
When society and police ( representative of law) are silent in front of crime , this is calamity

My brother, I am very sorry that this happened to you. I am Ukrainian, and should say there are good and bad people here, unfortunately bad are in majority. I may face some problems as you occasionally since I am Ukrainian and know country better, but you know.. all these makes me want to move out from here asap. Previous week local drunkards stole internet cable at night to buy some vodka, and now I have to sit 2 weeks sharing mobile internet to my laptop. And shit like this happens to me here regularly.

@ Yurii Shynkarenko :

Sorry to read that you had some difficult times in Ukraine too.

Just for your information, this topic is very old and is no longer active.
Please feel free to participate to more active and recent threads.

Thanks,

Priscilla
Expat.com Team 

I lived & worked in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for 6 months. I couldn't stand that country, and it's funny a Bahrain national points out corruption in other countries, as if they are Snow White ... Really ...
I don't want to minimize the Ukrainian corruption, but Middle East is worse ! I know it from experience

dorinaperrot wrote:

I lived & worked in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for 6 months. I couldn't stand that country, and it's funny a Bahrain national points out corruption in other countries, as if they are Snow White ... Really ...
I don't want to minimize the Ukrainian corruption, but Middle East is worse ! I know it from experience

OP is not from Saudi Arabia and I do feel sorry for the guy!