Ukraine: Fun Facts

Which city was the capital of Ukraine before granting such a status to Kyiv?

• Lviv

• Dnipro

• Kharkiv

• Odesa

Answer explanation

Founded in 1654, Kharkiv is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine. From December 1919 to January 1934, Kharkiv was the first capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Ukraine has a desert

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Oleshkivski Sands is the second largest desert in Europe, which covers an area of about 1,600 square kilometers. It is located in the Kherson region. The area is sometimes referred to as the Ukrainian Sahara.

The deepest subway in the world is in Kyiv

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Arsenalna, a station on Kiev’s Sviatoshynsko-Brovarska line, is the world’s deepest at 105.5 metres below ground. It’s so deep that you could fit the whole Statue of Liberty in it!

Ukraine has one of the busiest McDonald's in the world

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The McDonald’s next to the main train station in Kyiv is claimed to be the third busiest in the world.

The first constitution in the world was created in Ukraine

• True

• False

Answer explanation

One of the world’s first ever constitutions was the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk, written by a Ukrainian Cossack in 1710.

It established a democratic standard for the separation of powers in government between the legislative, executive and judiciary branches, an idea perhaps made more famous by Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws, which was published in 1748. 

The first train was created in Ukraine

• True

• False

Ukraine is a home to the world's biggest plane

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Kiev was the birthplace of the world’s biggest plane, the Antonov An-225 Mriya (Ukrainian for "Dream"). It held several records such as the largest wingspan (88.4 metres) by an aircraft in operation and the heaviest aircraft ever built. Its maximum carrying capacity is 640 tons. Unfortunately, it got destroyed in the recent war between Russia and Ukraine. It was the only one ever made.

Ukraine is the country with the greatest meat consumption rates in the world

• True

• False

The Ukrainian language is ranked third among the world's

most beautiful languages

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The Ukrainian language is officially recognized as one of the most beautiful: it occupies the second place in the world by melodic (after Italian) and the third most beautiful vocabulary (after French and Persian).

One of the most popular Christmas carols (Carol of the Bells) is written by the Ukrainian composer

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Carol of the Bells is based on the Ukrainian song called "Shchedryk" written by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914. It was adapted as an English Christmas carol, "Carol of the Bells", by Peter J. Wilhousky of NBC Radio, following a performance of the original song by the Ukrainian National Chorus at Carnegie Hall on October 5, 1922.