Moving to Kiev??

Generally, Kiev is safe. Most apartments have pretty solid doors and, provided you remember to lock them, there's no need to worry overly about laptops. You could be an unlucky victim of a burglary, as anywhere, but Kiev is not especially bad.

My wife confidently wlaks around central areas of Kiev late at night, never had problems. We're also from Surrey, UK BTW.

You will notice a more conspicuous mafia presence than in most western cities. Usual mafia stuff - protection rackets, prostitution, drugs etc. Dangerous to get involved. If you see a 200kg gorilla covered in bling with surgically enhanced peroxide blonde girlfried, don't try to hit on the girl.

Summary - there's trouble to find if you go looking for it, but it doesn't have to cause you trouble as a visitor.

there are simply no so many motorcycles here :)))

But there are too many Maybachs and Bentleys here :)

Well, I have submitted my request to transfer to Kiev. May or may not happen: if it does, I'll doubtless be posting back for more information!

Thanks..

Martin

Wow, most people living in Ukraine would do about anything to get out. I am married to a Russian, have many friends from Ukraine and visit there somewhat frequently. I love Thailand and actually began dreading trips to Ukraine and Russia once novelty wore off. Not much redeeming quality there except for lovely women looking for English speaking guy to rescue them and take them away. Can get that in Thailand though.

Negatives: food, weather, scenery, culture, crime, politics, and everyone is very sullen. Some stuff can be very expensive in most areas. Designer clothes and electronics can either be inaccessible or very experience. My wife has import business over there and the prices for basic stuff like Levis, IPhones, iPads and anything designer is crazy high. Alcohol is cheap, but you may need lots if that to cope with climate and atmosphere there.

Likes: I am partial to blonde hair, blue/grey eye hit women that dress to kill and the dark, oppressed culture was very intriguing when I first went.

Edited by: F430

Edited by: F430

I have lived and worked for several years in Kiev. Not as an expat in an apartment for $3000 or more per month but in a normal apartment well outside the city centre.
dislikes: metro on a hot day during rush hour, customer service, bureaucracy (bottle of Vodka or a few dollar bills help a lot to get things done quicklier) and roadsafety.
Likes: city and its sights are fantastic, country has many beautiful places to go to, cheap and good restaurants

bottle of Vodka .. help a lot to get things done quicklier

Are you kidding?

cheap and good restaurants

Are you kidding?

Are you kidding? No policeman, lady at ministry of justice and man at Ovir all helped me much quicklier
Are you kidding? I like the Domasniya Kuchnya type of restaurants which are cheap and if you know where to go quite good. Even the more up-class restaurants are cheap compared to western standards

No, policeman, lady at ministry of justice and man at Ovir all helped me much quicklier

For a bottle of vodka, like you said? :))

Even the more up-class restaurants are cheap compared to western standards

Well, guests from Western Europe usually say they are able to get used to all our things except prices at middle and high-class restaurants and prices of housing in the capital.

A good bottle of Vodka and/or some dollar bills preferably new $100 ones :)

The very high end places where the billionaires, wannabe billionaires and girls who want to meet them hang out are ridiculously expensive in Kiev and maybe Donetsk and so is housing in the citycentre, but housing in any major city centre anywhere in the world is very expensive.
I don't think middle class restaurants are expensive for western European standards

#18
I know very well about $100 but never heard about a bottle of vodka :) In villages - yes, but not in Kiev. That's what I meant.