The following are also associated by Ukrainian people with their nation.

Characteristics. Ukrainian mentality was formed influenced by many factors: geographical location at crossroads of West and East, specific climate conditions and complex historical destiny. There is a certain stereotype of the Ukrainians which is well known both in their native land and in other countries. For instance, the Ukrainians are supposed to be great eaters and to eat large amounts of their traditional food: borsch, lard and varenyky. People all over the world usually play jokes on their appetite.

At the same time Ukrainians are well-known for their hospitality. It became a tradition in Ukraine to meet guests with bread and salt and to offer them Ukrainian traditional meals.

Ukrainian people are also renowned for their dancing and singing ability. They really enjoy music and many of them like to perform in choruses and folk dance groups. These characteristics are, of course, not reliable descriptions of in­dividual people. Nevertheless, they indicate some common features in the value attached to certain kinds of behaviour in this country.

Clothes. White blouses and shirts with em­broidery, chaplets for young girls and orna­mented headscarves for women are the ele­ments of Ukrainian national folk cos­tume. Footwear includes red high boots for wo­men and black high boots for men. These costumes are hardly ever worn in every day life but they are well-known signs of Ukrainian identity.

Musical instrument. A stringed instrument called the bandura is regarded as distinctively Ukrainian.

Ukraine has big cities.The biggest and the most important of them is Kyiv.

Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine. Kyiv is considered one of the largest and most beautiful cities in the world. Its history goes back to the remote past. According to the historiography Kyiv was founded in the letter half of the 5-th or the early 6-th century.

A well-known legend which came to us, says that the founders of the city were three brothers Kyi, Shchek and Khoryv. So the city got its name after the eldest brother Kyi.

With the foundation of Kyivan Rus Kyiv became its capital. Nowadays Kyiv is not only the capital of Ukraine, it is a cultural, scientific, adminis­trative and industrial centre.The main street is Kreschatik.

From its past the city inherited a great number of historical monuments. Among them Saint Volodymyr’s Cathedral, Sophia’s Cathedral, Saint Andrew’s Church, Kyiv — Pecherska Lavra, which remind people that Kyiv has always been the centre of Slavonic culture and Orthodox Church.

Kharkiv is the second largest city in Ukraine after Kyiv.

It is an administrative centre of Kharkiv region, the his­torical capital of Slobidska Ukraina.

The history of Ukrainian Cossatstvo is closely connected with the region.

The generally accepted date of foundation of Kharkiv is 1654/1655. First it was a fortress.

But its favourable geographic location contributed to the transformation of the fortress into a trading, technological and industrial centre.

For 16 years Kharkiv was Ukraine’s capital which helped it to become a large scientific, cultural and educational centre. In terms of industrial enterprises, higher educational insti­tutes, colleges and research institutes

Kharkiv ranks the second place in the country after Kyiv.

Odesa is a very special city, a true gem on the Black sea coast. It is 200 years old. The founder of Odessa was Due de Richelieu (later Prime Minister of France). The city developed as a port and trading centre, attracting many people from all over the world. With its beautiful harbour on the Black Sea, Odesa has become Ukraine’s “Southern Window” to Europe and an important cultural resort within a very short period of time. The port is the city’s heart. Ukraine’s independent com­mercial fleet is moored here and the harbour is always filled with an endless stream of tankers and cruise ships.

Zaporizhzhya is a beautiful city in the south of Ukraine. It is a land of plenty, situated behind the Dnipro rapids, which were once inaccessible. This city is a cradle of Zaporizke Cossatstvo, famous beyond the bounds of Ukraine. Khortytsya, the largest island on the Dnieper is a green emerald of Zaporizhya. Dniprohes, the most powerful electric station in Europe in the 30-s is situated here.

Lviv, is the ancient capital of Galychyna.

Lviv, “Lion city” was named by its founder the Galycian-Volynian King Danylo Galitsky, in hon-: ur of his son Lev. The city was first mentioned in Galycian-Volynian Cronicle in 1256.

Busy trade led to the city’s dramatic develop­ment and prosperity. As early as the 15-th century thecity had its own mint, water supply system and regular international post. The streets were paved «nth cobbled stones and new houses were constantly beingbuilt.

Lviv is a great cultural centre of Ukraine. Besides its 16 museums, a philharmonic dety and circus several theatres perform in Lviv.