In the past, many people knew about Ukraine only as a country where tourists come to Sri Lanka. But by now, it isn’t easy to have a person who does not know what Ukraine is and where it is. The main reason for that was the current crisis between Russia and Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine. Now some people are taking the side of Ukraine on the basis that war is never humane. Others take the side of Russia because of the love we have with Russia since childhood. But no matter which side you take, how many facts are there that we don’t know about Russia or Ukraine?
So, we decided to bring information about Ukraine that many people don’t know, not about this war.
01. Except for Russia, Ukraine is the biggest country
Ukraine is a vast country. To be precise, 603,628 square kilometres is a big state. In other words, Ukraine is the largest country in the European continent apart from Russia. After that, the second largest country is France. with 551,500 square kilometres. Bordered by Poland to the west and Russia to the east, the Black Sea to the south and Belarus to the north, Ukraine is the largest country in the region apart from Russia. There is a population of about 46 million. Germany and France have more prominent people.
02. Another set of Seven wonders of the world
We have heard about the Seven Wonders of the World. But Ukraine has seven wonders of the world. To be precise, there are 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ukraine. 7 Wonders of the World: Saint Sophia Cathedral, Chersonesus Ancient City, Kamenets Reserve, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Ancient Monastery, 200-year-old Sofievka Arboretum, 200-acre Aleksandria Park, Khotyn Fortress, immense cultural and historical Khortitsa Island, the largest island in the Dnieper River, is one of the 7 Wonders of the World.
03. People who can drink
European countries are at the top of the countries with the highest alcohol consumption in the world. Russia is also at number four. And Ukraine? Ukraine remains in the winning number 6 position. That means the average alcohol consumption per person is 13.9 litres per year! Generally, people think that vodka is popular in Ukraine as a country that was in the Soviet Union and a country close to Russia. Yes, Ukrainians drink vodka too. But vodka is not a national drink like in Russia. Horylka is actually the national drink of Ukraine. Vodka means “little water”. Then Horilka means “burning water”. This national drink, which is usually flavoured with chillies, lives up to its name.
04. Deepest train station
Ukraine has metro lines or electric subways. But Ukraine has the deepest subway station in the world. This record is claimed by the Arsenalna station located on the Kyiv City Metro Line (Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska). To be precise, this station is 105.5 meters deep from the ground level. The reason for building this station at such a depth is that the metro line and the station had to be created by bypassing the Dnieper River, which is spread around the city of Kyiv and within the city. You can get an idea of how low this station is if you say that it takes five minutes to go down the escalator steps from the ground level to the station.
05. Europe’s breadbasket
There was a time when Ukraine was known as the breadbasket of Europe. The reason for that is that at one time Ukraine inherited a huge agricultural sector. Especially during its time under the Soviet Union, Ukraine was responsible for feeding a large part of the Russian Federation. It is not wrong to say that it was a very difficult time for Ukraine. At that time, Ukraine had to suffer a lot because of the unquestionable level of grain supply targets given to Ukraine under collectivization by the Soviet Union under Stalin. On the other hand, during 1932-1933, the Holodomor or Great Famine that killed more than 7.5 million Ukrainians was the cause of this issue. In fact, many countries call this famine a genocide. So it’s no wonder that Ukraine is still on good terms with Russia, eh?
06. A metropolis full of coffee shops
Another world record that this country has set is that the city with the highest number of coffee shops or cafes per person in the world is located in Ukraine. The city of Lviv in Ukraine is considered to be the capital of coffee shops. In fact, there are three things that Lviv city is famous for among many tourists. That’s it, chocolate, coffee and lions! It is said that the coffee shops in the city have a real charm.
07. Chornobyl disaster
There is no way there is anyone who does not know about the Chornobyl disaster. On April 26, 1986, the explosion of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant with four reactors in the city of Pripyat is still considered one of the worst nuclear disasters in human history. Especially due to the radioactive fallout that occurred after the nuclear explosion, Chornobyl and the surrounding area became unfit for human habitation. Thirty years have passed since the accident, but people are still unable to live in the area due to high levels of radioactivity. Many people think that the city of Pripyat, where Chornobyl was located, is in Russia. Although belonging to the Soviet Union, Pripyat is actually located in the northern part of this country. In fact, even today, that area of Ukraine is a region with unpopulated towns where only animals like foxes hang around. (Lifie)
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