Poland

Warsaw - a largest city and a capital of Poland since XVI century, when KIng Sigismundus Vasa moved it from Krakow.
It is located on the Vistula River, roughly in the middle of the country. Its population is estimated at over 1,7 miion people, and the Warsaw metropolitan area at approximately 2,785,000.
Vibrant city with shorter, but more dramatic histoty then former capital. Completly demolished by Germans after Warsaw Uprising (1944) during Second World War. That is why it is also known as the "phoenix city", as it recovered from that damage, being rebuilt with the effort of Polish citizens. Initially old buildings were rebuilt and new houses in socialist realism style were constructed, like Palace of Culture and Science in the centre. Currently impressive skyscrapers take more and more space in its downtown .
Warsaw's buildings are representatives of nearly every European architectural style and historical period. Its palaces, churches and mansions display a richness of color and architectural details. The city has wonderful examples of architecture from the gothic, renaissance, baroque and neoclassical periods, all of which are located within easy walking distance of the town centre.
Nowadays Polish capital is important centre of education, industry, science and trade (Warsaw Stcok Exchange). Warsaw has the biggest concentration of electronics and high-tech industry in Poland and the growing consumer market perfectly fosters the development of the food-processing industry.
Warsaw has given its name to the Warsaw Confederation, Warsaw Pact, the Duchy of Warsaw, Warsaw Convention, Treaty of Warsaw and the Warsaw Uprising and... a rock band Warsaw, later know as Joy Division.  

Gdansk - old Baltic port with long, dramatic history and interesting architecture. Belonged to independent Pomerania, Poland, Teutonic Order, Poland again, Prussia (Germany), Free City and back to Poland. Inhabited in the past by people of many nations - not only by Poles and Germans, but Dutch and Scots as well.
It is a place where II War War began and Solidarity movement was born.
Gdańsk is Poland's principal seaport as well as the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay (of the Baltic Sea), in a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdynia and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity (Trójmiasto). Gdańsk is situated at the mouth of the Motława River and in the delta of the nearby Vistula River, whose waterway system supplies 60% of the area of Poland. This gives the city a unique advantage as the centre of Poland's sea trade. Together with the nearby port of Gdynia, Gdańsk is also an important industrial centre. Historically an important seaport and shipbuilding centre, Gdańsk was a member of the Hanseatic League.
Todau the industrial sections of the city are dominated by shipbuilding, petrochemical and chemical industries, and food processing. The share of high-tech sectors such as electronics, telecommunications, IT engineering, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals is on the rise. Amber processing is also an important part of the local economy, as the majority of the world's amber deposits lie along the Baltic coast. The Pomeranian Voivodeship, including Gdańsk, is also a major tourist destination in the summer months, as millions of Poles and European Union citizens flock to the beaches of the Baltic coastline. 

Wroclaw - it is a main city of Lower Silesia, with over 1000 years of history. It is situated on the River Oder.
 After II World War came back to Poland when it lost its eastern territories. Due to that fact, a lot of its inhabitants have their origins in former eastern Poland, what is today Ukraine.
Wrocław is now a unique European city of mixed heritage, with architecture influenced by Bohemian, Austrian and Prussian traditions, such as Silesian Gothic and its Baroque style of court builders of Habsburg Austria (Fischer von Erlach). Wrocław has a number of notable buildings by German modernist architects including the famous Centennial Hall (Hala Stulecia or Jahrhunderthalle) (1911–1913) designed by Max Berg.
The city belonged to Bohemians, Poles, Austrians, Prussians and German Empire. It was also a capital of independent duchy.
In July 1997, the city was heavily affected by a flood of the River Oder, the worst flooding in post-war Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. Around one third of the city's area stood under water.[20] An earlier equally devastating flood of the river took place in 1903
Wroclaw is the third educational centre in Poland. Currently it is lively city with attractive nightlife and many places worth visiting. 

Poznan - a capital of "Wielkopolska" - Greater Poland - which is a region when the state was born over 1000 years ago. A city is situated on the Warta river.
It is known, not only in Poland, as a host of  hosts regular international trade fairs. The city's importance in trade began to grow long time ago, in the Jagiellonian period, due to its position on trading routes from Lithuania and Ruthenia to western Europe. For example It would become a major centre for the fur european trade by the late 16th century.
Unfortunately nn the second half of the seventeenth century and most of the eighteenth, Poznań was severely affected by a series of wars (and attendant military occupations, lootings and destruction). It started to regain its former position in last years of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and then under Prussians rules.
Two Greater Poland Uprisings against Prussia and Germany (1806, 1919-20) were the only two successful in Polish history. Poznan was also a place of mass protest against communist rule in 1956.
Nowadays it is an important centre of trade, industry, and education. Poznan was the host city for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2008, a key stage in the creation of a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Poznan is a candidate city for European Capital of Culture in 2016 

 


 

 



Ukraine

Kyiv - the biggest city and a capital of Ukraine, once even a capital of all Rus, medieval East Slavs state. one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe. It may have been founded in the 5th century as a trading post, perhaps part of the land of the early Slavs.
The name Kiev is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of four legendary founders of the city. They were: brothers Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv, and sister Lybid.
Completely destroyed during the Mongol invasion in 1240, the city lost most of its influence. It was a provincial capital in the outskirts of the territories controlled by its powerful neighbours; first the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, followed by Poland and Russia.
However, since XVII century it could gave been named an informal - or later formal - capital of Ukraine, independent only temporarily, most of the time belonging to Poland or Russia.
Currently Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural centre of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kiev Metro. Kiev was classified as a Beta world city- as of 2004.
And it is a home for... FC Dinamo Kyiv. 

Lviv - unofficial capital of Western Ukraine, before a capital of Polish voivodship  and a capital of Austro-Hungary province Galicia. A city of many cultures, for centurys important centre of trade and culture in Red Ruthenia, Poland and Ukraine. Due to that fact know laso as Lwów, Lwow, Lemberg, Leopolis.
The historic centre of Lviv with its old buildings and cobblestone roads has survived the Second World War and the Soviet presence largely unscathed. The city has many industries and institutions of higher education such as the Lviv University and the Lviv Polytechnic. Lviv is a home to many world-class cultural institutions, including philharmonic orchestra and the famous The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The historic city centre is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lviv celebrated its 750th anniversary with a son et lumière in the city centre in September 2006.
The city is located in Western Ukraine, approximately 70 km from the Polish border and 160 km (100 miles) from the eastern Carpathian Mountains. Lvov has 725 000 inhabitants.
Lviv's historic churches, buildings and relics date from the 13th century. In recent centuries, it was spared some of the invasions and wars that destroyed other Ukrainian cities. Its architecture reflects various European styles and periods.Lviv's historic centre has been on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage list since 1998. 

Kharkiv - is the second largest city in Ukraine. It is located in northeast of the country and its population is almost 1,5 milion inhabitants.
Kharkiv is a major cultural, scientific, educational, transport and industrial centre of Ukraine, with 60 scientific Institutes, 30 establishments of higher education, 6 museums, 7 theatres and 80 libraries.
Its industry specializes mostly in machinery. There are hundreds of industrial companies in the city.
Kharkiv is one of the most prolific centres of higher education and research of Eastern Europe. The city has 13 national universities and numerous professional, technical and private higher education institutions, offering its students a wide range of disciplines.
Of the many attractions of the Kharkiv city are the: Derzhprom building, Memorial Complex, Freedom Square, Taras Shevchenko Monument, Mirror Stream, Dormition Cathedral, Militia Museum, Intercession Cathedral, T. Shevchenko Gardens, funicular, Annunciation Cathedral, Children's narrow-gauge railroad and many more.
In 2007 the Vietnamese minority in Kharkiv built the largest Buddhist temple in Europe on a territory of 1 hectare with a monument to Ho Chi Minh 

Donetsk - relatively young, comparing to other host cities. The city was founded in 1869 by a Welsh businessman, John Hughes, who constructed a steel plant and several coal mines in the region; the town was thus named Yuzovka (Юзовка) in recognition of his role in its founding ("Yuz" being a Russian or Ukrainian approximation of Hughes). During Soviet times, the city's steel industry was expanded and since 1924 it was renamed Stalino (Staline) (Сталино, Сталiнe), again renamed after 1961, during the De-Stalinisation to its modern name after the Seversky Donets river.[1] In addition, some sources state that the city was briefly called Trotsk—after Leon Trotsky—for a few months in 1923. Today, the city still remains an important industrial centre for coal and steel in Ukraine.
 It has a population of almost milion people and is located  in eastern Ukraine on the Kalmius river. Administratively, it is a center of Donetsk Oblast, while historically, it is the unofficial capital and largest city of the economic and cultural Donets Basin (Donbass) region.
The city is currently home to two major professional football teams in Ukraine: Shakhtar Donetsk and Metalurh Donetsk, both of which currently play in the Ukrainian Premier League. Important attractions of the city include the Cathedral Transfiguration of Jesus, the Donetsk National University, and others 

 

 

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