People & Food
This oblast’s capital is the "Coffee Hub" of Ukraine, where 18th-century Austrian traditions meet a modern, world-class chocolate industry.
Lviv Oblast
Often called the "Mother of Slavic Cities," this oblast’s center was the political and religious heart of the Kyivan Rus for centuries.
Kyiv Oblast
This oblast is the only one in the country to border four different foreign nations and is home to the rare wild "Valley of Narcissi."
Zakarpattia Oblast
This central-eastern powerhouse is the heart of the Ukrainian space industry, specializing in rocket design and heavy iron-ore mining.
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
This central oblast is the birthplace of Taras Shevchenko and is a national leader in the production of nitrogen fertilizers.
Cherkasy Oblast
In the "Venice of Ukraine" (Vylkove), residents historically navigated canals by boat and developed a unique cuisine featuring frog legs and local grapes.
Odesa Oblast
This southern peninsula was the site of the 1945 Yalta Conference and is the ancestral home of the Turkic-speaking Karaites.
Autonomous Republic of Crimea
Beneath this region lies "Optimistic Cave," a labyrinthine gypsum cave system that is the longest of its kind on the planet.
Ternopil Oblast
Known as the "Cradle of Shipbuilding," this southern oblast’s port cities have built the vast majority of the region’s naval and commercial fleet.
Mykolaiv Oblast
This western region is famous for its "fortress triangle" and contains the massive, seven-towered castle of Kamianets-Podilskyi.
Khmelnytskyi Oblast
This highland region is the home of the Hutsul people, famous for "Banosh" (cornmeal) and a rich tradition of wood-carving and mountain hospitality.
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
This northern region contains the 11th-century Transfiguration Cathedral and was a powerful medieval principality that rivaled Kyiv.
Chernihiv Oblast
This southern region is famous for its surreal "Pink Lakes," which get their vibrant color from salt-loving algae and high mineral content.
Kherson Oblast
This region contains the Soledar salt mines; their cavernous underground chambers are so large they have hosted orchestral concerts.
Donetsk Oblast
Known as the "Sugar Capital," this oblast was the historic center of the sugar-beet industry and is home to Europe's largest floating fountain.
Vinnytsia Oblast
The national "benchmark" for Ukrainian dumplings is found here; a massive monument to this dish sits in the city center.
Poltava Oblast
Originally founded as a military fortress named Elizabethgrad, this central oblast became a 19th-century cultural hub for Ukrainian drama.
Kirovohrad Oblast
This northwestern territory features the Shatsk National Park, home to Lake Svitiaz—the deepest natural body of water in Ukraine.
Volyn Oblast
This easternmost oblast was historically the center of the Soviet locomotive industry, producing heavy-duty freight trains for the entire continent.
Luhansk Oblast
This northeastern border region is home to a "Miracle Apple Tree" that has rooted itself over 200 years to form a colony of 15 connected trees.
Sumy Oblast
This region’s diet was historically influenced by a mix of Romanian and Austrian tastes, making it the primary center for corn dishes in the west.
Chernivtsi Oblast
This oblast is the birthplace of the "Peresopnytsia Gospel," the 16th-century manuscript used today for the swearing-in of Ukrainian presidents.
Rivne Oblast
This eastern region is defined by its striking "Chalk Hills," where white cliffs formed from ancient marine remains dominate the landscape.
Kharkiv Oblast
This oblast is the historical home of the Zaporizhzhian Cossack "Sich" and is now a global center for hydro-electric power and motor engineering.
Zaporizhzhia Oblast
This northern region sits on the ancient "Crystalline Shield," making it the nation’s leader in the extraction of granite, labradorite, and amber.
Zhytomyr Oblast