DOING BUSINESS IN UKRAINE
Edition 1
Edition 2
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Introduction
Geography
Ukraine is located in Eastern Europe and covers 603, 700 square kilometers, making it the largest country in Europe. The Dnipro River with its many tributaries unifies central Ukraine economically, connecting the Baltic coast countries with Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
The mouth of the Danube River provides an outlet for Ukrainian trade with the Balkans, Austria, and Germany.
Population
The population of Ukraine is 47 million people. In terms of population, Ukraine ranks fifth in Europe (after Germany, Italy, Great Britain and France) and twenty-first in the world. The Ukrainian population is 68 percent urban. Ukrainians account for 73 percent of the total population of Ukraine.
Language
Ukrainian is the official language of Ukraine; however, in Crimea and some regions of Eastern Ukraine, the majority of the population speaks Russian.
Time
Ukrainian time is two hours later than Greenwich Mean Time. Ukraine covers one time zone. Time differences between Kyiv and some major cities are shown in the following table.
City |
Hours ahead of or behind Kyiv |
Moscow |
+1 |
London |
-2 |
New York |
-7 |
Paris |
-1 |
Singapore |
+5 |
Tokyo |
+7 |
Business Hours
Ukrainian offices are generally open from 9:00 am to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and closed Saturdays and Sundays.
To avoid delays, appointments should be arranged well in advance, and
telephone calls to senior officials in Ukrainian organizations should be
made early in the morning.
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Public Holidays
Holiday |
Date |
New Year’s Day |
January 1 |
Christmas Day |
January 7 |
Women’s Day |
March 8 |
Easter |
April 23 |
May Days |
May 1–2 |
Victory Day |
May 9 |
Trinity |
June 19 |
Constitution Day |
June 28 |
Independence Day |
August 24 |
Period from 20 December till 15-20 January is traditionally festive
and it is recommended not to arrange any negotiations or launching
projects. In Ukraine this period is called "dead season". The same period
is the first half of May, when the number of holidays has been starting.
And it is usual thing when companies give 2 weeks vacation for their staff
for this period. That is why it is recommended to take into account it
your business schedules these two periods:
20 December – 20 January
1 – 15 May
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