Expats living in Ukraine and Russia

So I hear there are a lot of Canadian's living in this part of the world, so I thought I'd put up this forum for you all to chat.

I've been to the Ukraine and plan on traveling on the trans-siberian this summer through Russia with my girlfriend. Should be quite an adventure! And if any of you out there have done this, please share your experiences

Anyhow, this board is to help all of you living and traveling in Russia / Ukraine - Hope you make some new connections!

Hello
Just joined the forum the other day. We are still living in Canada but my husband's job will probably be taking us to Moscow in the next few months. Just wondering if anyone is living there right now and will be able to answer the many questions that we have. We are really looking forward to the move.

Thanks,
Prairiegirl

I worked in Russia more than 2 years (until recently) and I traveled everywhere from Murmansk to Vladivostok. If you want some info just ask

Hi,

It doesn't appear there are too many Canadians participating in this forum yet, but will add my name and contact info to the list that I hope is growing. This is my second trip to Ukraine since October 2010, and I will be here until February 6th, 2011 (since Dec. 30, 2010), returning again late spring or early summer for a much longer stay. I have a wonderful second chance relationship with a great lady from Zaporozhye (she's an MD with a number of certified specialities), and am here helping her renovate and settle into a new apartment. I have traveled from Kiev to Yalta so far, and look forward to seeing the rest of the country at some point in the future.

I am a retired environmental professional, having worked with all development sectors that you can possibly name, and was a senior manager with a provincial gov't department until my early retirement in Dec. '09. My 3 children are independent adults, and my oldest son lives between Rome and Basel, with 2 grandchildren. I am not planning a second career per se, but having been here twice now, and am convinced that there is much that could be done to assist Ukraine in finding its own environmental sustainability approach. Deficiencies in air, water and land management are evident everywhere, so through AMEC Earth and Environmental, CIDA, and my fed contacts, I hope to create some interest on the part of others to assist in developing some practical programs for future application in Ukraine. Canada has a presence here through CIDA, and PM Harper was recently here on an official visit, last Oct.

I really like this country, the culture, the history, cuisine, its people, and can affirm what many others have said about outdoor markets and so an as being very attractive. Learning Cyrillic and Russian is a challenge, but what of value in life isn't and I am making some progress. I am seriously looking at acquiring an iPhone and corresponding translation app to speed up my transition here .... especially so I can read signs and restaurant menus. So if there are any Canucks in or near Zaporozhye, I would be happy to connect with you, and am hoping to find those with much more experience in living here.

Signed,

really just a Miramichi River rat from NB

Kirk Gordon
docs36@gmail.com

Hi everyone,

I'm looking at teaching English in Ukraine next year and I've really enjoyed reading everyone's experiences. I'm really interested to hear more if anyone wants to share.

Thank you

Indeed a bit more information on how it is living in Russia or Ukraine would really be an interesting read.