Honey-making and beekeeping are extremely popular in Ukraine; in fact, the related crafts make Ukraine famous throughout the whole world. Officially Ukraine is one of the world's leading five honey-producing countries. Recently beekeeping has become something of a high-profile craft,

File this in the 'What's That Supposed to Mean?' folder. We mean this recent Russian official statement in response to American plans to place defense technology in the Czech Republic or Lithuania, apparently to guard against eastward 'rogue states' like

Closing concerts, House of Organ and Chamber Music (77 Chervonoarmiyska), 29-31 July. Kyiv's House of Organ and Chamber Music is taking its annual break, but for the last three days of July you'll have the opportunity to get some musical

Kryhitka Tsahes in concert, Art Club 44 (44b Khreschatyk), 19 July, call for time Kryhitka Tsahes, that favourite Western Ukrainian alternative pop band with the name from a Hoffman play and the fetching and stylish blonde lead singer who's in

Exhibition of paintings, AtelierKarasGallery (22A Andriyivsky Uzviz), from 24 July Atelier Karas presents a new exhibition of one of Ukraine's top artists, Vadym Bondarenko. He's been working in Western Europe for years now, but that doesn't make him any less

Paintings by Oleksandr Sudakov, Artist's House (1-5 Artema), till 24 July This new exhibition at the Artist's House is in celebration of the 65th birthday of the great Ukrainian landscape painter Oleksandr Sudakov, and will feature scores of works not

Students' NU', paintings by students of the National Art and ArchitectureAcademy, Arts Development Assistant Fund (1/6 Frolivska), till 9 August Talented local art students Natasha Zhuravlyova, Oleg Gryshchenko, Andriy Skakun and Olena Tyhonyul present this exhibition of works called 'Students'

Salsa party, Art Club 44 (44b Khreschatyk), 24 July at 21.00 If you're tired of underground, dance, techno and r'n'b and everything in you is yearning for hot Latina dance, here's a perfect party for you - the salsa bash

Kazantip dance festival, Popovka village (Crimea), from 26 July till 30 August The KazantipRepublic is a resort right on the Black Sea down in beautiful Crimea, and every year it hosts a dance festival that's legendary among those who are

Universum', Operetta Theatre (53/3 Chervonoarmiyska), 31 July at 19.00 Extreme Dance Life is a so-called 'extreme' dance troupe (we'd like to think that means 'avant garde') that will set up shop at the Operetta Theatre to perform 'Universum', a programme

Hello, Summer!' exhibition of statuettes by Grigoriy Stolbchenko, Parsuna gallery (43 Khoriva), till 15 August This new exhibition at Parsuna gallery, the doll gallery down in Podil, is just the quirky thing needed for the summer season. For that we

DDT in concert, Maidan Nezalezhnosti, 26 July at 17.00 Legendary Russian rockers DDT, with their frontman Yuri Shevchuk, come to Kyiv to perform on Maidan Nezalezhnosti. DDT have been leaders in the Russian rock movement forever, and their more than

Ivan Rodichenko party, Patipa (10 Muzeyny Prov.) 20 July at 23.00 Get ready for another R'n'B party at Patipa. This time Ukrainian hip-hoppers will celebrate Ivan Rodichenko's 27th year in the show-business game. Rodichenko is the producer for XL de

In a recent Forbes.com ranking of the energy efficiency of the world's most industrialised 75 countries, Ukraine has earned the honour of coming in - wait for it! - dead last. Slightly better, but still bad, are fellow ex-Soviet Republics

It's the icing on the cake as far as goes the frivolousness of Ukraine's legislators: Rada deputies will receive a total of $3 million for - make sure you're sitting down - summer spa treatments. What's interesting is that the

More than three and a half years after the Orange Revolution supposedly ushered in an era of press freedom, is the media really better off than it was under the old authoritarian regime of President Leonid Kuchma? The answer seems

Taras Bulba Rock Festival, Dubno village, Volynsky region, 18-20 July The Taras Bulba Festival is probably the oldest music festival in Ukraine, being coeval with independent Ukraine. It unites rock, pop, and ethnic music and is held in the shadow

Zadunaets za porohom', Lesia Ukrainka Theatre (5 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho), 24-27 August at 19.00 The Benyuk & Khostikoev Theatre Company distinguishes itself with its ironical and topical productions and this time they've injected irony into a production suitable for children. This

What's Ukraine need? More Jesus! Ukraine already has its share of evangelical Christians, but there might soon be lots more if a come-to-Christ crusade set to kick off this month is succesful. The crusade is called Project 125 because it

Gnizdo festival, Kyivskiy region, Bila Tserkva village, Sykhiy Yar (auto market), 19-20 July The Gnizdo music festival is celebrating its fifth birthday this year, and the organisers are going all out to make it something special. This pop-rock festival is