There are so many fun facts about Ukraine that make this country such an endearing and fascinating place to visit. Read on to find out the top 30 facts about this magnificent nation!

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Fun Facts About Ukraine

Fun Facts About Ukraine

Once a part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has truly made its mark on the world map. It’s an important country for agricultural exports like sunflower oil and food grains. Despite recent hardships, Ukraine has a vibrant culture and a fascinating history.

If you want to know more about this country, go on and read these fun facts about Ukraine!

1. One of the Busiest McDonald’s is in Ukraine!

McDonald’s is crowded no matter where you go. However, the one located in Vokzalna Square in Kyiv, right near the train station, is the third-busiest McDonald’s in the entire world! Random, but interesting, right?

2. Ukraine Is the Second Largest Country in Europe

There are 45 countries in Europe, and Ukraine is the second-largest of them all!

Ukraine covers an area of 603,500 square kilometres whereas Russia, the largest country in Europe, has an area of 17,098,242 square kilometres.

3. The Largest Plane in the World Was Built in Ukraine

The Antonov An-225 was the largest plane ever built with six turbofan engines and a take-off weight of 640 tonnes by the Antonov Design Bureau.

Unfortunately, on February 2022, the plane was destroyed when Russia invaded Ukraine and captured the Antonov Airport.

4. Mount Hoverla Is the Highest Peak in Ukraine

Ukraine is mostly filled with charming plains and fields. Hence, you’ll find mountains only in the west (the Carpathians), and south of the Crimean Peninsula (the Crimeans) directions.

The largest peak in Ukraine, Mount Hoverla, is a part of the Ukrainian Carpathians and has a height of 2,061 metres or 6761 feet.

Mount Hoverla is also the perfect stop for adventure lovers as there’s a hiking trail. The whole hike may take between five and six hours.

5. Ukraine Is Called the Breadbasket of Europe

Here’s one of the fun facts about Ukraine.

The country is also known as the “breadbasket of Europe”. It is because Ukraine contributes 9% to 10% to the world wheat market.

Ukraine also exports other important items like barley and corn.

6. Ukraine Has Stunning Women

In my opinion, women from all countries have their own distinct features and are gorgeous in their own way.

Yet, according to The Traveller’s Digest, Ukrainian women are considered the third-most prettiest women in the world.

7. Ukraine Has the Second Deepest Metro Station in the World

There are many underground metro systems all over the world. Yet, the Arsenalna Station on Sviatoshynsko – Brovarska line in Kyiv, Ukraine is the second deepest one in the whole world.

The Arsenalna Station is located 107 metres or 351 feet deep! Before 2023, it used to be the deepest metro station. However, the Hongyancun Station in China is now the deepest station with a depth of 116 metres or 381 feet.

8. Chernobyl Is a City in Ukraine

On April 26, 1986, a nuclear power plant at Chernobyl in Ukraine exploded and released huge amounts of radiation into the air. It led to the death of more than 30 people.

Apart from the deaths, the nuclear disaster also damaged the forest cover and farmlands near Chernobyl. The livestock born later also had deformities.

The Chernobyl disaster led to increasing anxiety levels and suicides too.

9. Ukraine Has a National Soup

Have you ever come across a country that has a national soup? Well, these fun facts about Ukraine are surprising!

Borscht is a delicious Ukrainian soup that consists of beef, cabbage, beet, tomatoes, and even potatoes at times.

Due to the addition of beet, the soup has a lovely reddish-pink colour, which makes it look even more appetising.

10. You Need To Visit the Tunnel of Love in Ukraine

If you’re a hopeless romantic, here are some fun facts about Ukraine for you.

Located in Klevan, Ukraine, the Tunnel of Love is one of the most gorgeous places in the country. It’s simply an industrial railway track covered with lush-green trees, extending for about four kilometres.

It doesn’t matter if you have a romantic partner or not, you can just visit the place by yourself as the place is straight out of a fairytale.

11. Ukraine Is a Very Young Country

The region of present-day Ukraine is pretty ancient. Yet, the country is relatively new.

The reason behind it is the dissolution of the Soviet Union. On 26th December 1991, the Soviet Union disintegrated into other countries like Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Therefore, if you think about it, Ukraine only started existing as a country in 1991!

12. Ukraine Has a Snake Island!

If you’re scared of snakes, don’t worry much about these fun facts about Ukraine!

Zmiinyi Island, also known as Snake Island, is located in the Black Sea. Currently, there aren’t more than 100 people living on the island. Keep in mind that this Snake Island is different from the one found near Brazil.

Also, the Greeks named the island the “White Island” due to the white marble formations.

13. Ukraine Has 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Let’s discover some historical fun facts about Ukraine. After all, the country is a true jewel for history lovers.

Ukraine has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites – seven cultural and one natural site.

The first UNESCO-listed site in Ukraine is Saint Sophia Cathedral. It’s the oldest Christian church in the East Slavic region and was built in the 11th century. It is believed that the church’s construction took more than 20 years!

The Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians is also a famous and the only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ukraine. It covers an area of 920 square kilometres.

Have you ever come across wooden churches? Well, Ukraine has the Wooden Churches of the Carpathian Region that were built between the 16th and the 19th centuries.

Apart from these three sites, the other UNESCO sites include the Lviv Historic Centre Ensemble, Struve Geodetic Arc, Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans, and Chersonese.

14. Chicken Kyiv Is Not Ukrainian

A major misconception people have is that Chicken Kyiv or Kiev is Ukrainian. But, here are a few surprising fun facts about Ukraine for you!

There are many countries that claim ownership of Chicken Kyiv. For instance, according to Russian food historian William Pokhlyobkin, the chicken was invented near Mikhailovsky Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

According to some sources, it might’ve originated in France too as some French claim that the recipe was stolen by Russia.

Therefore, there’s no known origin of Chicken Kyiv, but one thing that’s clear is its delicious and creamy flavour.

15. Vyshyvanka Is the National Costume of Ukraine

Ukraine has many unique customs that haven’t been made popular. So, let’s discuss some cultural fun facts about Ukraine.

The national costume of Ukraine, Vyshyvanka, is a lovely combination of colourful embroidery and patterns. In fact, the word itself means “traditional embroidered shirt” in both Ukrainian and Belarussian languages.

The outfit is mainly a form of hand-made linen plain white blouse with stitched flower or ornamental patterns. Both men and women wear Vyshyvanka.

16. Ukrainians Wear Wedding Rings on the Right Hand

Here’s one of the quirky fun facts about Ukraine!

Unlike most countries where couples wear wedding rings on the left hand, Ukraine does the opposite.

Women in Ukraine wear wedding rings on their right hand’s ring finger to show commitment and love. They also have different types of rings for different occasions.

For instance, Ukrainians wear silver rings for engagement and gold rings for marriage.

17. Ukraine Is the Largest Sunflower Oil Producer in the World

Ukraine is known for exporting many products, a major one of them being sunflower oil.

The country also has the world’s largest sunflower field, which is famous for producing over one million tons of sunflower oil annually!

Along with sunflower oil, Ukraine has the highest sunflower seed production, as it produces over four million tons of sunflower seeds.

Sadly, due to the war, Ukraine’s sunflower oil production decreased from two million tons to one million tons.

18. Ukraine Has the Atlas Festival

Let’s talk about some culture-related fun facts about Ukraine!

Since 2015, the Atlas Music Weekend Festival is the largest music festival in the entire country. It is traditionally held at the Expo Centre in Kyiv and generally takes place in July.

The festival saw more than 500,000 people every year due to the brilliant lineups of both local and international artists prior to the onset of the war.

19. Ukrainian Is the World’s 3rd Most Beautiful Language

If there’s one language that’s truly music to the ears, it’s Ukrainian.

In 1934, a language competition was held in Paris. According to the results, Ukrainian was the third most beautiful language as per its vocabulary, phonetics, and other such factors.

20. Ukraine Is Home to One of the Earliest Universities in Eastern Europe

Ukraine is a well-educated country, and an early university in Eastern Europe was also built here.

The Ostrog Academy, or the Ostroh Academy, was one of the earliest universities in Eastern Europe. It was established in 1576 in Ostroh, which is part of present-day Ukraine, by Prince Konstanty Ostrogski.

Initially, the university only covered limited subjects, but later on included studies related to astronomy, mathematics, law, and philosophy too.

Today, you’ll find the National University of Ostroh Academy in Ostroh, Ukraine!

21. Ukrainian Has Some Age-Old Artefacts

Here’s one of the historical fun facts about Ukraine.

Throughout its history, Ukraine was a part of many civilizations. Therefore, archaeologists discovered artefacts from civilizations like the Scythians, Sarmatians, the Greeks, and many more.

Certain artefacts found in Ukraine include Gold jewellery from the Scythian civilization, pottery pieces from the Trypillian culture, and weapons from the old state of Kyivan Rus.

22. Ukraine Has the World’s Longest Wind Instrument

An instrument named “Trembita” is the longest wind instrument in the whole world. It is a type of Ukrainian folk musical instrument, which can reach up to a length of even 4 metres (13 feet) or more!

Apart from folk music, the instrument is also used by Ukrainians for shepherding and communication purposes.

23. Ukraine Has a Number of Ghost Towns

If you’re thinking that this is one of the spooky fun facts about Ukraine, it isn’t.

Sadly, there are many cities and villages in Ukraine that were once thriving human settlements. However, over the years, they became deserted due to natural calamities or human-made disasters.

One popular ghost town in Ukraine is Pripyat. The city was home to more than 50,000 inhabitants. Yet, after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, the radiation levels increased drastically in the region. Hence, each inhabitant was evacuated. Till now, the city remains deserted!

Other cities like Pervomaisk were important as military settlements during the Soviet Era. After its decline, the population dwindled.

24. Ukraine Means “Borderland”

Let’s discuss some naming-related fun facts about Ukraine.

The name “Ukraine” originates from the old Slavic language, and translates to “Borderland” or “the land on the edge”.

It is believed that present-day Ukraine often used to lie on the outskirts or borders of the major Slavic civilizations. Therefore, the region was a blooming area of different cultures of many civilizations.

25. Ukrainian Flag Has a Simple Meaning if You Look Closely

Have you ever looked at Ukraine’s flag and wondered what it means? After all, the country’s flag has a minimalist design.

The Ukrainian flag consists of two equal horizontal bands of blue and yellow colours.

The blue band stands for the endless skies and the yellow band stands for wheat fields. Just picture a wheat field with a clear blue sky in the background and you’ll see that it resembles Ukraine’s flag!

26. Kyiv Is the Country’s Spiritual Capital

Kyiv is the largest city and also the capital of Ukraine. The city is also considered a “spiritual capital” for a reason.

As Kyiv is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, it has several religious sites like The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for Orthodox Christians.

You’ll also come across stunning cathedrals like the Saint Sophia Cathedral and St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral.

27. Ukrainian Cuisine Has a Lot of Variety

Are you ready for some food fun facts about Ukraine? Here we go!

Ukraine has one of the most refreshing cuisines that I’ve seen. It mostly contains fresh vegetables and grains. Most dishes are also quite less fatty as they are rich in protein-rich foods.

A few of the top dishes in Ukraine include Borscht, which is a type of beetroot soup. Holubtsi, a form of cabbage rolls, and Deruny, most commonly known as potato pancakes, are also extremely famous!

Bread-based dishes like Pampushky are also well-known. Pampushky consists of a bun filled with delicious garlic butter.

28. Ukraine Has a 100% Literacy Rate

These fun facts about Ukraine are going to get your mind blown!

Ukraine has always had impressive literacy rates in the last few years. Yet, it peaked in 2021 when the country had a 100% literacy rate.

Even in 2001, Ukraine had an impeccable literary rate of 99.43%.

There are only a few countries with a 100% literacy rate such as Finland, Andorra, and Norway.

29. Ukraine Gave Up All of Its Nuclear Weapons

This is one of my favourite fun facts about Ukraine!

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine became the third-largest nuclear power in the entire world! It is because the Ukrainian soil was dumped with more than 1,500 nuclear weapons, and had one-third of the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons.

However, Ukraine soon decided to give up its nuclear weapons and get safety in return.

Therefore, on December 5, 1994, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Russia (ironically) signed a memorandum. It was stated that the countries would provide safety to Ukraine in return for giving up its nuclear weapons.

30. Ukrainians Drink a Lot of Alcohol

If you ever go to Ukraine, you’ll find that the people there love to consume alcohol. They see drinking as a way of relaxation and also socialisation.

Working-class Ukrainians also love to drink vodka whereas many others prefer wine, beer, and whiskey.

Sadly, according to WHO, Ukraine is also one of the top countries in WHO’s category of “years of life lost” due to alcohol use.

30 Fun Facts About Ukraine