The town of Chernobyl, Ukraine is directly connected with arguably the most famous – or infamous – disaster in nuclear history: the explosion at Reactor #4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on 26 April, 1986. During a scheduled test that Saturday, an explosion and ensuing fire in the reactor core sent a large […]
Lviv, at the far western end of Ukraine, bears strong Polish heritage in its architecture and is strongly Ukrainian in its identity. It’s old European streets, combined with a plethera of modern and charasmatic cafes, bars, and clubs – not to mention very low prices – make a trip to Lviv an easy choice if […]
Mention train travel in the former Soviet Union, and almost inevitably the discussion will at some point turn to the infamous “platzkart,” or third-class wagons. For those Westerners who have never traveled platzkart, the concept has taken on an almost horror-story-like quality over the past few decades, conjuring up images of cramped, uncomfortable quarters and […]