thinking on moving to the Ukraine

[Mark and Anna 10]

I am wondering is their anyone that is an american citizen who may have retired and moved to the Ukraine, I whould like to know what all is involved in moving their as far as documents are concerned. I would like to talk with someone who made that move and can fill me in to what all I need to do. I am disabled and receive disability payments I know what I need to do in that matter. so if you did move and can let me know I would greatly apreciate your help. Mark

[Tnic 5]

Hi Mark,

I'm an expat that has thrown in the towel and soon to return to native soil. I don't know how much time you've spent in country so will only say that if you expect US standards you'll be sorely disappointed.

My biggest gripe is the crumbling infrastructure here. The public works area needs serious money for big upgrades in roads (and sidewalks), water, gas, electric...everything. It's all old, soviet era ####### and is falling apart from neglect. The neglect is due to greed at the highest levels of govt as everyone involved with where the funding goes grabs a piece of the pie until there's not enough to maintain things at an acceptable level.

-I'm tired of having someone else decide when I can be warm (the heating water is centrally supplied and is shut off in early Apr through sometime in Nov).

-I'm tired of someone else deciding when I can shower or flush the loo. In Simferopol the water lords shut of ALL water at 10 pm "to save money".

-I'm tired of nearing breaking an ankle or worse every time I walk outside due to the crumbling, uneven walkways.

Well, I think I'll stop there. If you're really determined to come and live it's certainly doable and much cheaper than in the States. I started out with a lot of negatives, but there ARE plusses too. The people are great when you get to know them. And now that spring has sprung I can return to my favorite past time of um, "people watching" at a sidewalk cafe nearby. click, click, click...

Disclaimer: Don't get caught "people watching" by your wife.

For more info on becoming an expat in UA check out expatua.com There are many hoops to jump through to get your Temp Res (TRP) then Permanent Res (PR) and you'll find all the up to date info there. HINT, do a site search first, trust me, just do it.

Your first step will be to get your D visa from the nearest UA Consulate. Its a 45 day "family visa" of sorts that you must have. Enter UA on the start day of the visa or a day or two later, but NEVER before the start date. DAHIKT.

Udachi,

Tim

Edited April 22, 2013 by Tnic

[dave97232 12]

I'm not an expat, but one thing I want to add to Tim's comments.

You said you are disabled. Have you been to Ukraine? Does your disability interfere with your ability to use the stairs?

Be prepared for a lack of handicap accessibility. You need to be able to climb up and down a lot of stairs if you are going to get around in a city in Ukraine. As Tim said, sidewalks are crumbling and lack wheelchair ramps to the street crossings. Crossing major streets requires going down stairs to a tunnel underneath the street. Many buildings including many 5-story apartment blocks, have no elevators, and the stairs are crumbling and it is pitch black at night. Some of the buildings that do have elevators, have very tiny elevators that I imagine would be very difficult to fit a wheelchair or other assist equipment into (although I admit I haven't checked it out), and they don't always work anyway. Even ground floor businesses are often in courtyards that have a gate at the entrance, and require you to step over a part of the gate to get in.

[AmyWrites 593]

I've never been to Ukraine, just lived in Moscow for a while, so it should be better than most of Ukraine....

Don't go to Eastern Europe to live in if you're disabled. Your quality of life there, aside from pretty women to gawk at, will be very bad in comparison.

[Mark and Anna 10]

I'm not an expat, but one thing I want to add to Tim's comments.

You said you are disabled. Have you been to Ukraine? Does your disability interfere with your ability to use the stairs?

Be prepared for a lack of handicap accessibility. You need to be able to climb up and down a lot of stairs if you are going to get around in a city in Ukraine. As Tim said, sidewalks are crumbling and lack wheelchair ramps to the street crossings. Crossing major streets requires going down stairs to a tunnel underneath the street. Many buildings including many 5-story apartment blocks, have no elevators, and the stairs are crumbling and it is pitch black at night. Some of the buildings that do have elevators, have very tiny elevators that I imagine would be very difficult to fit a wheelchair or other assist equipment into (although I admit I haven't checked it out), and they don't always work anyway. Even ground floor businesses are often in courtyards that have a gate at the entrance, and require you to step over a part of the gate to get in.

Yes I have been their three times 3 months each time, My disability is with hearing and sight I am blind in one eye and have no hearing at all, I can read lips with out a problem. ( at least in english i can !) te other problems I have is I have no sense of taste or smell which I just consider a inconveniance. thank you for the information . Mark

[SMR 368]

Yes I have been their three times 3 months each time, My disability is with hearing and sight I am blind in one eye and have no hearing at all, I can read lips with out a problem. ( at least in english i can !) te other problems I have is I have no sense of taste or smell which I just consider a inconveniance. thank you for the information . Mark

Idle question that peaked my interest as someone who doesn't read lips: Can you see accents and is it harder to read lips of a non-native speaker? I mean, if a Ukrainian is speaking English, do you have any trouble since they might move their mouth different? Really just curious as I assume you have worked this out already.

[Tnic 5]

You should ok then Mark. Your loss of hearing and partial sight likely has your head on a swivel whenever you're out anywhere. That comes in handy to avoid getting flattened crossing the street at the wrong moment.

Your lack of taste won't affect anything either and your lack of smell could be considered a plus in many back courtyards (especially summer) . I DO like the food here, but much of tastes the same. I've never seen such an array of cheeses that are literally indistinguishable from each other, but they'll still say to me, "oh eto ne vkusna, vi hacho eto" Um, oookay then.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Tnic

[tom&tanya 48]

Yes I have been their three times 3 months each time, My disability is with hearing and sight I am blind in one eye and have no hearing at all, I can read lips with out a problem. ( at least in english i can !) te other problems I have is I have no sense of taste or smell which I just consider a inconveniance. thank you for the information . Mark

The sense of taste issue can come in handy when eating jellied meat!

[james&olya 1,121]

a minor issue to us but maybe a real sore spot for them, drop your 'the' as in 'the Ukraine'! It is simply Ukraine. I think we should be forgiven adding that useless article since we use it in front of 'United States'. But when you reflect on it there is a grammatically correct reason for doing that which does not apply to Ukraine (or Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, etc. It can apply to places like the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom.)

[Tnic 5]

Don't know how I missed that one James. I usually call it out too.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I'm not an expat, but one thing I want to add to Tim's comments.

You said you are disabled. Have you been to Ukraine? Does your disability interfere with your ability to use the stairs?

Be prepared for a lack of handicap accessibility. You need to be able to climb up and down a lot of stairs if you are going to get around in a city in Ukraine. As Tim said, sidewalks are crumbling and lack wheelchair ramps to the street crossings. Crossing major streets requires going down stairs to a tunnel underneath the street. Many buildings including many 5-story apartment blocks, have no elevators, and the stairs are crumbling and it is pitch black at night. Some of the buildings that do have elevators, have very tiny elevators that I imagine would be very difficult to fit a wheelchair or other assist equipment into (although I admit I haven't checked it out), and they don't always work anyway. Even ground floor businesses are often in courtyards that have a gate at the entrance, and require you to step over a part of the gate to get in.

We have a flat in Donetsk and I lived in Odessa for two years. when I retire we plan to live at least part of the year there but I agree with all said above. Alla is seriously reconsidering this now as each time we visit she becomes more aware that a lot of infrastructure things in Ukraine truly stink! I told her when we were engaged that the average American woman would throw down her grocery bags and run away screaming "#### YOU!!!!!!!!!" if she had to live like that.

Her first full day here, Alla and I went to go grocery shopping. It was raining. She said "I hate going to the store in the rain" I said "Go in the garage, get in the car, I will push the button and back out, I will drop you off under the canopy at the store and a raindrop will never touch you" "Oh, yes!" She said "I forgot we have a car!"

The first year she could not wait to go back for 2 months. 2nd year, she went back for 1 month and was griping after 2 weeks. Now she gripes all the way there and back, "No hot water again!" "Why is the electricity off?" "NO internet! what happened?" And this is in the central part of a city of more than 1 million people...Donetsk is no village! when she arrived here, she did not want to drive a car...now she hates to take a bus and whines every second. It is almost intolerable!

And what was said about handicapped people is right on. You are just out of luck! I had a heart attack a year after Alla arrived...had bypass surgery and I am better than ever. She says "If this happened in Ukraine, you would have died on the sidewalk and people would step over you"

Ukraine is NOT a good place to be if you are not in good health or handicapped. I was warned the day I arrived..."This is Ukraine, do NOT get sick"

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

a minor issue to us but maybe a real sore spot for them, drop your 'the' as in 'the Ukraine'! It is simply Ukraine. I think we should be forgiven adding that useless article since we use it in front of 'United States'. But when you reflect on it there is a grammatically correct reason for doing that which does not apply to Ukraine (or Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, etc. It can apply to places like the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom.)

Thank you, I was going to say it but everyone gives me grief when I do. Maybe it is HOW I say it...I doubt it, but could be.

[batallion9 50]

The sense of taste issue can come in handy when eating jellied meat!

Had my first jelled meat in January. My future inlaws thought I was weird when i scraped the goo off the meat to eat.I didn't know it was suppose to be that way, I thought it was like the stuff in potted ham.

[Scott65 27]

It sounds like I have some new experiences to look forward to having. Jellied meat..... Hmmmmm. LOL!!

I think I'd be living there now if it weren't for a 12 yrs old who is my responsibility. Although I have experienced the decaying infrastructure, no heat and turned off water. My other concern would be work.

Anna continually reminds me of the corruption. But, I look at it this way.... At least Ukrainians know they are being screwed out of the gate. Here we have the pretense that the government is on our side and working for us.. HA!! What a farce!

[vbtwo 54]

Yeah, infrastructure sucks. I took a bus from the airport to Dnepropetrovsk. The bus pretty much had to swerve left and right the entire way to avoid giant potholes on the road. Half the time he just went the wrong direction on the left side of the road as that half seemed to be better and just had to go back over to the right side whenever an incoming car was coming, sometimes had to go over to the shoulder (which is pretty much grass and gravel) as that was better than the road.