Foreign Affairs of Ukraine

Ukraine has wide relations with Canada, the USA, Great Britain and many other countries of the world. Recently a great number of various joint ventures and economic, cultural and political projects have appeared in Ukraine.

Our specialists in different scientific fields improve their qualification abroad. We also have programmes of students’ and schoolchildren’s exchange. English, Canadian and American children visit Ukrainian families go to Ukrainian schools, while Ukrainian children stay at their host families abroad.

These exchange programmes help us to understand each other better, to study culture and traditions of other countries. A lot of Ukrainians have emigrated to Great Britain. That’s why in 1947 the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain was founded. This association has some Help Funds that sponsor different important actions. The association gives help to the Ukrainian students who study in British Universities. The same associations and societies exist in many other countries. I’d like to say that many people who are Ukrainian by origin live in Canada. Many of the Ukrainians living now in Canada and other English-speaking countries don’t lose connections with Ukraine. A lot of public organizations, educational establishments, religious organizations make considerable contribution to the development of our culture, literature and art. By the by, Canada was the first among the western states that recognized the state independence of Ukraine. From year to year the number of spheres of our relations with the countries abroad grow.

Ukraine and English-speaking Countries

Now Ukraine is a sovereign state. Ukraine is one of the members of the United Nations Organization and participates in the work of many international organizations. We have wide relations with Canada, the USA and Great Britain. Foreign Embassies of these countries work in Kyiv. Scientific cooperation is also very important. Cooperations in culture, education and sport are very important too. We exchange students and teachers with Canada and the USA. The Ukrainian orchestras, pop and opera singers, ballet dancers are warmly received. A lot of tourists from English-speaking countries visit Ukraine every year.

We have some joint political projects with the United States of America and Canada. Such big plants of ours as Cherkasy joint-stock company «Azot», Gorlovka chemical plant «Stirol» sell their products at international market.

Тема: Херсон. Історія та сучасність.

Kherson

Kherson is the southern Ukrainian city. Kherson is the region capital, a large sea and river port and railway junction. It is situated in the steppe of the Black Sea Lowland on both banks of the Dnieper River directly north of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. If you want to go to the Black Sea it will take you 1.5 hours by car or 2 hours by bus. The city was founded by Prince Potemkin on June 29, 1778, on former fortification Oleksandrivskyi Shanets ruined by the Turks. It was named in honor of Chersonesus of Taurus founded by Greeks in the 5th century B.C. The first mention of Kherson in the chronicles occurred in 1737.Admiral Ushakov and his soldiers built many ships here in the 18th century and fought with Turkish army. Russian army won. In 1803 the town became the centre of Kherson Province. In 1944 the city became the capital of Kherson region. Among the city's architectural monuments are the remnants of the fortress walls and gates, the Black Sea Hospital, the naval arsenal (18th century), and the Cathedral of the Transfiguration (1781), the Greek-Sophia Church (1780), the Gates of the fortress (18th century), the Holy Spirit Church with a Bell Tower (1836). The climate here is dry. Winters are cold and summers are hot, and the winds often blow. In summer many people go to the river bank or to the Black Sea, and there are many fruit and vegetables: apples, cherries, strawberries, peaches, grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, etc. Population of Kherson is nearly 360, 000 people. And they work on the city's enterprises. Ocean tankers, freighters, agricultural machinery, electric machines, glass products are produced there. There is an oil-refining plant, fat-processing plant, and many wine-making factories. Highways, air and railway lines connect the city with all other cities of Ukraine and Russia. Today it is a large sea- and river-port. There are two bridges over the Dnieper which joins Kherson and a smaller town Tsurupinsk. There are wonderful views of the river and the countryside. There is fresh air and good climate, so many tourists visit Kherson in summer. Kherson is over 200 years old.

It is a large educational centre. It has 4 higher educational institutions, 14 technical secondary schools and several research institutes. The total area of Kherson is more than 200 km; the most part of it is covered with parks and public gardens. There are two arboreta and the Botanical Gardens. 10 years ago the main branches of industry here were ship-building, textile and building of agricultural machines. But there is an economic crisis in Ukraine nowadays, so many factories closed down, Nowadays the main branches of industry are ship-building and mined food factories, but there is not enough work for all people. Those who work don't earn much. There are many good colleges and universities such as the Teachers' Training University, the Industrial University, the Shipbuilding University and the Agricultural University. There is a good drama theatre and a puppet-show. If you like palming you can listen to the philharmonic orchestra; can go to the Art Museum. There are good pictures of the painters of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. There are also many bars, cinemas, clubs, gyms and a swimming-pool. People sometime call Kherson a green city because there are many parks. The Kherson Region includes 18 districts, 9 towns, 30 settle 677 villages.