Which cities in the Ukraine are preferred?

[Kapitanleutnant]

Guys, for those with experience here......

Does one or two cities in particular standout over most the others as ones to visit for both woman, their attitudes, the city itself, accommodation.   

I've read some trip reports and it seems a hodgepodge of different cities.   Would it not matter much which city to go to on a self tour?   I've read from several that Odessa seems to be not the city of choice for meeting women.   

So I'm asking for some suggestions on cities to visit within the Ukraine.   

Thanks for your input

K

[Muzh]

I'll bet anything David will suggest Donetsk and you can bet you socks I will say Kharkov. David lives in Donetsk so he is partial to that one. My wife is from Kharkov, so the same.

If you want to go to a big city, these two are rather big size in the east of the country along with Dnitropetrovsk. Kharkov is the second largest in UA.

Keep in mind that cities in the western part of the country are quite a bit different in architecture and personality. I have a blog friend who is originally from Rivne and she showed some videos of her city and it is gorgeous. Not to mention the ladies.

Also, you'll find people partial to big cities while others to very small ones.

The only thing most will agree is that Kiev is overcomercialized. My first vist to Kiev was in 1999 and I can talk about great food (and drinks) at a great restaurant for $10 a couple. Today you'll spend more than that at a McDonalds. However, you cannot argue with it's beauty. Lots to see and enjoy.

[erudite]

I will also give Kharkiv (Kharkov) my first vote because that is where my fiance lives until the K1 is approved and for many many other reasons.  The most important of course is the quality and quantity of beautiful friendly women that are available year round.

[LAman]

I decided to pick 2 areas to concentrate on, Odessa because I met good friends there and Nikolaev is closeby. The other is Chisinau because it was less travelled to and I have a close friend there. These were picked after several trips to FSU. My favorite city.......by far St Pete's.

[SFandEE]

Poltava has been spoken well of for attractiveness of women.  I found it to be mid-sized city with some interesting history.  Met some nice people.  A bit out of the way, might be a good addition to a Kharkov trip.  The wisdom that makes sense to me about cities is being honest with yourself about the type of women you want to meet.  Although there will always be small town girls who want the big city lights and big city girls who would be very happy in a small town.

[Turboguy]

My votes would go to Kharkov, Lugansk, Donetsk Zap & Dneper.  I wouldn't touch Odessa with a 10 foot pole.

[ML]

If just talking about finding a woman, the best places in Ukraine are Kharkiv and Dnipropetrosk.  The worst is Odesa.

If you are into cultural things, then of course Kyiv stands out.

The women in western Ukraine are not very much into the international match scene for one reason or another.  Thus, the pickings will be quite slim for western cities compared to cities in eastern Urkaine of similar size. 

Just look at most web based match sites and compare the number of women, say in Lvov with a similar sized city in the eastern part.  My bet is you will find about 5-6 times more women on the sites from the eastern city.

[LAman]

My votes would go to Kharkov, Lugansk, Donetsk Zap & Dneper.  I wouldn't touch Odessa with a 10 foot pole.

Luckily I have a 12 ft pole!!!

[Shadow]

You are going to fly half way around the world to meet someone, why limit yourself ?
Try to find those who might be compatible with you first, then decide your location.

[ECOCKS]

I'd recommend Kyiv for the first-timer. Big enough pond for lots of fishing and plenty to do on dates, restaurants, cafes, museums, etc.

[Donhollio]

  Having spent months in Odessa, I can say this. The agency girls I met were popular ones, all spoke good English. Some knew the game after being exposed to all types of western guys. Not to say one couldn't make a love connection.
 I met a couple of decent agency girls in Odessa, but I found the non agency girls I met over the months and trips there to be every bit as decent as you'd find in cities mentioned above (been to them all) What it all comes down to is you finding the right girl, irrespective of the city. Enjoy the chase 

[dbneeley]

Over the years, Playboy has run many articles about "The Girls Of (fill in a place name)" In every case, they have found some incredibly pretty ladies from some very surprising places.

In the U.S., I happen to have found some areas do seem to have prettier ladies on average than others--but I have yet to come to that conclusion about Ukraine. Here, there are gorgeous women pretty much everywhere (along with many who are not so pretty, of course).

I fully agree that the first order of business is to find ladies who interest you and who express at least some interest in you, then go to their home cities. I would be far less concerned with where that might be, personally.

One good example: notice in this thread alone, we have some men (who have probably never been there) who say "I would never go near Lugansk" while those like Turbo who have actually been there say it is one of his favorites. (I have heard this from others, by the way). Because of a few very active scammers there some years ago, it attained a very bad reputation--so many avoid it while those who go are often very pleasantly surprised.

The "agency girls" in Odessa sound pretty jaded, with a relatively high concentration of pro daters. Thus, were I looking and planning on going there, I would find methods of meeting ladies who are not in most of the agencies. On the other hand, it seems like a fascinating place to visit--it is on the list of places in Ukraine I'd like to see with my wife, in fact.

Some have speculated that I would be strongly in favor of Donetsk as a destination--and that is true, with a couple caveats. First, I'd make contact with a few ladies from here before coming. I've heard that there is an agency here, but I have never heard of anyone using it. If you are with Lufthansa, too, it is quite convenient that they have flights directly here from Germany. (As I understand it, even if you're with another airline you can often fly for free on them as an inter-airline courtesy. If that's the case, it's still simple.)

David

[Shostakovich]

In the Ukraine I've been to Sumy, Kharkiv, Kiev, Donetsk, Yalta and Simerferpol.  In Russia its St. Petersburg, which, by far tops them all as a destination.  Loved Kharkiv, Kiev and the pension in the mountains up from Yalta, though Yalta itself was cheesey in the way that tourist traps often are. They say Odessa is scammer central though don't know much about that.    Sumy is a dog of a town.  It is not easy to get to either - lot's of willing ladies there, however.  I was not very impressed by Donetsk either, very industrial and polluted.  I'm surprised we do not see so many reports from Lvov, in the Western part of the Ukraine.  I've read that part escaped the Nazi machine and was not collectivized in Soviet times.  Thus the city has a more central European flavor, like Budapest perhaps.   

[Kapitanleutnant]

I've noticed several of you have commented that St. Petersburg was pretty desireable for meeting RW.    This is a bit of a surprise to me in that I thought it and Moscow were pretty much "dead" for finding an woman who was not so westernized (Americanized) vs going to the smaller (relatively speaking) cities of both Russia and the Ukraine.

I've heard St. Pete is a beautiful city and the women there back in the 90's when I was searching seemed to be all blondes and about 5'10", of which 5'8" of that was all legs! 

So.... I'm all ears about St. Pete if someone would like to share......!!

K 

[Gator]

Kiev is a delightful place to visit because there is so much to do.

I enjoyed Dnepropetrovsk more than any other city (interesting city plan with river and hill, mix of modern and old architecture, no pollution, almost urbane, helpful agencies, entertainment events, ...).  It is a very comfortable and interesting city for walking.

I heard that Lvov is in a class by itself, particularly being the gateway to the Carpathian Mountains.  I also heard that the Lvov women are happy with their situation and don't seek foreign men.

Avoid Lugansk and Zaporozhe, unless you enjoy nozzle cities. 

[Jumper]

With your location, all places mentioned are pretty close.

So I'd concentrate more on where you found the most women of interest ,
in your initial search mode.
as example:If tall leggy blondes are the initial attraction,I doubt that any of the cities have a much higher percentage/per populace , one way or another,but in initial correspondence one from any given city, may certainly stand out intellectually or in personality..
 
St. Pete seems to have the most interesting things to do, places to see on a pure tourism side,
but you did ask about Ukrainian cities
 You will hear tales of some cities being fished out,, which i find quite silly.The caveat is indeed in the method you use to search though.

I do not think you could go wrong with any of the cities listed as popular, Kiev, Kharkov,Dnepropetrovsk etc.
I fel the method used to look, and if agencies, the quality of the agency ,
would be a more determining factor to your odds of success than the city.
 Some areas have more "bad agencies"
this does not equate to bad places to look.
 
Kiev is beautiful, and being so close you should visit it simply as a tourist if nothing else.
You'd likely enjoy Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk, the #2 and #3 sized cities there.

I prefer smaller provincial cities,the vibe , the attitude,
 just because I generally only appreciate the architecture or sights if any big metropolis.
While I enjoy a visit, and living nearby to take advanatge of the things they have to offer,
you couldn't pay me enough to live in one, in any country.

So in Ukraine i find the provincial cities often remind me of a small town USA in "feel"
(while their populations are much greater)
and maybe amusingly from your other thread, I find that smiling on the streets is a bit more common
than in the *big* cities
Nikolaev is getting a reputation here as a scam center, but i was there recently and really liked the city,the atmosphere,and people.
 I particularly like Crimea, and if living anywhere near,  I wouldn't miss going.
That again is personal preference though, as i much prefer  the nature and natural beauty of Crimea to any cosmopolitan area.As mentioned Yalta can be touristy, it's a resort town after all. But
there are many places in Crimea to visit, and if you found women of interest in Sevastopol or Simferopol,,etc  it would make for a great holiday with a chance of meeting someone special.

Not entirely unlike finding an interesting women in NYC to visit , and also one in the Florida Keys....
Very different places, both areas  interesting for thioer own unique reasons..
yet obviously your interest in the woman themselves would determine where you went  


Good Luck

[ML]

I'm surprised we do not see so many reports from Lvov, in the Western part of the Ukraine.  

It is quite simple, as I mentioned up-thread and Gator touches on here also.

In the supply and demand equation; the supply is not there.

Women in western Ukraine simply do not make themself available proportionately on the web based dating sites as compared to the remaining areas of Ukraine.

The women in western Ukraine make themself available in the same fashion as the women from Poland and Hungary, which are right next door.

I am not aware that the economic situation is any better in western Ukraine than elsewhere in Ukraine, but something is causing the women there to be substantially less interested in finding a non-local man.

[Jumper]

It is quite simple, as I mentioned up-thread and Gator touches on here also.

In the supply and demand equation; the supply is not there.

Women in western Ukraine simply do not make themself available proportionately on the web based dating sites as compared to the remaining areas of Ukraine.

The women in western Ukraine make themself available in the same fashion as the women from Poland and Hungary, which are right next door.

I am not aware that the economic situation is any better in western Ukraine than elsewhere in Ukraine, but something is causing the women there to be substantially less interested in finding a non-local man.

Man Looking-

It is interesting?
it seems an invisible line is drawn >    Odessa/vinnitsia/ zhitomir? - central and to the east..

While the western cities - Rivne/L'viv/ Luts'k/Ivano-Frankirvsk/ Chernivtsi
(but not really very far from Vinnitsia/Kiev etc)
appear to have far less profiles/capita. (I wouldn't think as few as Poland,,but... )

If this is all mostly economics driven, as many suggest..
The economies of those cities seem to be relatively the same ?
In some cases better,in other cases worse west vs east..
I can't imagine the pure economic situation in Ivano- Frankirvsk is better than Dnepropetrovsk
as example..

[Jack]

As we are all expressing our opinions here,..


My number one choice, Lugansk. A goldmine of beautiful women who do not see many foreign men. 

I travel to a lot of cities every year, I see the best and worse cities for men who hope to find a wife. I would not travel to Lugansk twice a year, take men to Lugansk twice a year, if it were such a bad city.

When one goes to Lugansk he should also look at and consider Donestk.

One of the few remaining cities in Ukraine where a man can still find a model type woman, reminds me very much of Moscow 1994-95, is Zaporozhye. Why?  Women, beautiful model type women, are desperate to leave this industrial type city.

Other good cities,.....  Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Kherson.     When one goes to Kharkov he needs to look at and be open to seeing, communicating with women from Poltava and Sumy.  But one must be VERY careful of some of the marriage agencies in these two cities.  No two cites in Ukraine have the woman's photos more photoshoped than in Poltava and Sumy.   

When one goes to Dnepropetrovsk one must consider and include Zaporozhye,  45 minutes away from Dnepropetrovsk.   

In Kherson one must also consider looking at Nikolaev.  Nikolaev used to be a much better city but the scamming created by some of the larger video chat agencies have helped Nikolaev to be in the general location of Ukraine's today scam capital, Mariupol, followed by Melitipol and Berdyansk.   Nikolaev can be productive if one avoids the scam agencies and the young young hotties looking for much older men.

I have been to Western Ukraine, I have taken groups of men to Western Ukraine more than once, won't do that again.  Today's western Ukraine is former Poland.  Beautiful Slavic women?  Of course some, but not traditionally.  A lot of  Roman Catholics. Women who are ok with older men?  Not so many.  A LOT of differences between the mindset of the average Western Ukraine women. Of course their are exceptions but I try not to deal with the exceptions and proceed with more of the norm.

Odessa, which I know very well, is a good city to play and party in, but overall even worse than Kiev for finding a wife.  And yes, of course their are exceptions but I do not deal with the exceptions.   

Kiev is a wonderful, exciting, beautiful city.  Kiev has many wonderful women. Their is NO city in the FSU where the 80-20 rule is more prominent.  80% of all the men, and with the exception of the last two years, a lot of foreign men, seek and go after 20% of the same women. Many of these women in this 20% group started out with the best of intentions but after receiving so many offers from so many wealthy foreign men, many, if not most of these 20% woman have become tainted.

If men would look at those 80% of the women not getting all the attention they will do quite well.  What is the common denominator of these 20% women men are seeking?   Beautiful glamour photos, photos showing cleavage or lot's of leg's.   Of the 80% of the women that men are not seeking if half of those 80% also were to do glamour, sexy photos, they would also be in this 20% group.  This is why it is so important for men to look beyond those sexy photos. Many diamonds are being overlooked.

[ML]

Great post from someone who has had a lot more experience tha most.

Should be required reading for all . . . newbies and experienced.

Thanks Jack

[Jumper]

KaptL-
In the other thread I advised you to just write off the AFA Odessa tour deposit ,
and instead look into on of Jacks services....
 The above is why:
 on the ground , in country , extensive experience,
 and a tour that would have have a more sincere group of women attending,
in fact many that you had personally contacted.

[Muzh]

Kapitan:

You mentioned that your route will take you to MOCKBA. May I suggest you look into this site I found in the Moscow Times classifieds? Worth a try. Also, I have no financial interest here.

http://www.euro-dates.com/

[JR]

I've noticed several of you have commented that St. Petersburg was pretty desireable for meeting RW.    This is a bit of a surprise to me in that I thought it and Moscow were pretty much "dead" for finding an woman who was not so westernized (Americanized) vs going to the smaller (relatively speaking) cities of both Russia and the Ukraine.

I've heard St. Pete is a beautiful city and the women there back in the 90's when I was searching seemed to be all blondes and about 5'10", of which 5'8" of that was all legs! 

So.... I'm all ears about St. Pete if someone would like to share......!!

K 

I'll get you know in about a week. Tomorrow I leave for St. Pete and interestingly enough she is 5'10, blonde and all legs)))

[Kapitanleutnant]

LOL.........   Enjoy AJ!!!!   

[Nat]

When one goes to Lugansk he should also look at and consider Donestk.

You used to say that Donetsk isn't the right city for such purposes and that you don't do business in this city. What has changed?