What Ukrainians associate New Year with?

KYIV, December 31, 2011 (UKRINFORM). A third of Ukrainians associate New Year with the smell of a Christmas tree and tangerines at home, according to a survey conducted by Research & Branding Group from December 4 to December 14 to study the attitude of Ukrainians to Christmas and New Year holidays. Another 36% of respondents associated New Year with a favorite holiday since childhood. One in four Ukrainians associate this holiday with a decorated Christmas tree. Some 26% of Ukrainians associate New Year with a good festive mood, and another 2% of those surveyed - with New Year's feast.

Sweden is getting closer to Ukraine.

Within the frame of EUROPE IS OUR HOME project the Santa Lucia holiday has been selebrated for the first time in Poltava on December 13th. In Poltava there is only private school where pupils study history and culture of Sweden. Not long ago they initiated Swedish language course for pupils. Mostly they have taken part in the celebration that taken place in Poltava Art Gallery. Wearing a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head, Santa Lucia walked at the head of a procession of girls, each holding a candle. Some of those who participated the holiday have been to Sweden recently. They prepared an exhibition of photos taken in Sweden to bring this still mysterious and little-known country closer to Ukrainians.

Seven Wonders of Ukraine

December 2, 2011 (UNIAN) Seven Wonders of Ukraine contest announces results of online voting Mykola Tomenko, chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine: Castles, Fortresses, Palaces contest, has announced the results of an online voting for the final determination of winners of the competition. The TOP10 included
1. Akkerman Fortress (Bilhorod-Dnistrovsk) in Odesa region,
2. Vorontsov Palace in the Crimea,
3. Kamianets-Podilsky Fortress in Khmelnitsky region,
4. Upper Castle in Lutsk, Volyn region,
5. Metropolitan Palace in Chernivtsi,
6. Kachanivka Palace in Chernihiv region,
7. Khotyn Fortress in Chernivtsi region.

Tomenko said that after the awarding ceremony a brochure will be published "Seven Wonders of Ukraine: Ukraine - a Country of Miracles," to be available in several languages. Next year, organizers of the event as part of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine contest plan to determine the TOP 10 parks in the country.

Future programmers get acquainted with Poltava history

My dear readers,

Currently I am working as a teacher of programming in Poltava Teachers Training College. So as you can see my passion for the military history is pretty far from my principal activity. Nevertheless I am always very glad to be able to share my knowledge about the battle of Poltava and about the city itself with my students. On the picture you can see a few future programmers and teachers of informatics near the oldest church in Poltava (Vår Frälsares kyrka) that witnessed the decisive battle of the Great Northern War. In spite of chilly weather they happened to know many interesting about the city they live in. The guided tour ended in a small but cosy café where our friendly chat has been supplemented with flavored coffee and cakes.

Defense Ministry to receive two upgraded Su-25M1 planes

KYIV, November 23, 2011 (UKRINFORM). Two Su-25M1 planes, which were modernized at the state-owned MiGremont enterprise, will be transferred to the Ukrainian Air Force, the press service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has reported. The permanent place of the deployment of the aircraft will be the 299th Assault Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force, which received two Su-25M1s and a Su-25UBM1 in 2010.

Poltava libraries have received 15 sets of computer equipment with full software

KYIV, November 12, 2011 (UKRINFORM). Librarians from Ukraine's central Poltava region have been named the winners of the Bibliomist Program initiated by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the Global Libraries program. "Thanks to the victory the city libraries have received 15 sets of computer equipment with full software. Poltava residents will also be provided with unlimited free internet access in our libraries," said the director of Poltava Central Library System Tamila Duzenko.

This is not the first victory of the Poltava librarians. Since the early year, international grants in Poltava region were extended to 10 centralized library systems. The Bibliomost program operates in Ukraine since 2009. Until 2013 the grantors plan to earmark 25 million dollars to purchase the latest equipment for Ukrainian libraries and ensure their transformation into modern data centers.

KYIV, November 10, 2011 (UKRINFORM). Ukraine regards with understanding the construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which should ensure the transit of additional volumes of gas produced in northern Russia, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Boiko has said.

"We regard with understanding the construction of Nord Stream, realizing that additional volumes of gas that will be produced at the Shtokman field and on the Yamal Peninsula require additional transit flows," he said.

At the same time, Boiko said that the Ukrainian gas transport system would remain the most economically attractive route for Russian gas transit to Europe.

"Our national interests correspond to the position that our gas transport system should be operated at full capacity. And we are demonstrating the reliability of our gas transport system, as well as its potential and economic attractiveness, to all of our European partners and Russian colleagues," Boiko said.

As reported, on November 8, the leaders of Germany, Russia, France and the Netherlands launched the first line of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which was completed in June 2011. This line is expected to transport 27.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The second section of the pipeline, which is almost 70% finished, is to be commissioned next autumn.

Ukraine is the largest supplier of Russian gas to Europe. Gazprom's plan on gas transit through Ukraine this year is 102.7 billion cubic meters, of which over 99 billion cubic meters will be supplied to Europe.