IVAN FRANKO National University of Lviv International students guide IVAN FRANKO NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LVIV International students guide © Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, 2015 This publication has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Dear Students, We are more than happy that you decided to choose our university for your International experience. You gained the right to study at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (IFNUL), which is the most popular among students in Ukraine, and this year it took the lead in the top 10 universities in Ukraine by the number of applications. This guide will help you with your first steps and will give you some practical tips that we hope will be useful for you while planning your stay as well as during your studies at our University. If you are looking for advice before you come to Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (IFNUL), our International Office team will be very happy to help you. We wish you to find one more way to see the world, to gain experience that you couldn’t even imagine and to enjoy this period of your life. We hope you will always keep a piece of Ukraine in your hearts, after your visit to our University! We wish you interesting studies and memorable life experience at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv! Welcome to Lviv! Welcome to Ukraine! Prof. Volodymyr Melnyk Rector of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv CONTENT 6 UKRAINE History and Geography Climate Population Time Language Public Holidays in Ukraine International Relations Information Resources Religion 12 LVIV About City Information Centre Getting to Lviv Public Transport & Taxi in Lviv 18 IVAN FRANKO NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LVIV Study at IFNUL Tuition Fees Evaluation and Grading System Application Procedure and Deadline Termination & Suspension of Studies Preparatory School for International Students Student Responsibilities How to Enroll Degree programmes in Ukrainian Visa for an entrance to Ukraine 30 PRACTICAL INFORMATION Student Card Buddy System IFNUL Accommodation Insurance & Medical Service Library Emergency Services Catering Opening a bank account Cultural Events at IFNUL Cell Phones University Sport Facilities University Map Student Organisations 40 LEISURE & CULTURE LIFE Theaters & Music Churches & Cathedrals Cinema Cafes & Restaurants Museums Shopping 46 USEFUL INFORMATION IFNUL International Office Useful Phrases List of University Faculties Notes Contacts of Consulates 5 UKRAINEUKRAINE 6 History and geography Ukraine is the second largest country in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the east, Belarus to the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to the west, Romania and Moldova to the southwest, and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine. Ukraine became an independent state on August 24, 1991, after the parliament of Ukraine (Verkhovna Rada) adopted the Act of Independence and a subsequent referendum was held on December 1, 1991, in which more than 90% of the electorate expressed their support for the Act. Ukraine’s population of 44.4 million (2015) celebrates August 24 as a national holiday ‒ Independence Day. Population 77.8% of the population are Ukrainians. Other significant groups have identified themselves as belonging to the nationality of Russians (17.3%), Belarusians (0.6%), Moldovans (0.5%), Crimean Tatars (0.5%), Bulgarians (0.4%), Hungarians (0.3%), Romanians (0.3%), Poles (0.3%), Jews (0.2%). The industrial regions in the east and southeast are the most populated, and about 67.2% of the population lives in urban areas. Language Ukrainian language is one of the most beautiful UKRAINE languages in the world. Among all the languages the Ukrainian language is the second after Italian for its melodiousness. According to the Constitution of Ukraine, official language of our country is the Ukrainian. Russian 7 language is widely spoken, especially in eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, while the Ukrainian is mainly spoken in western and central parts of our country. Ukrainian language traces its origins to the Old East Slavic of the early medieval state of Kievan Rus’. Modern Ukrainian literary language was developed under the influence of such great and significant personalities, as: Taras Shevchenko, Ivan Franko, Lesia Ukrainka. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic script. International relations Ukraine’s foreign policy is focused on Euro-Atlantic integration. Ukraine is a member of different international organizations including the UN (United Nations), Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), WTO, IMF and World Bank and an affiliate member of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It is a member of the Regional Body GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova), and Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. In 2014 the Association Agreement, between Ukraine and European Union was signed. Religion Among Ukrainians who are affiliated with an organized religion, the most common religion in Ukraine is Orthodox Christianity, currently split between three Church bodies: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church ‒ Kiev Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church autonomous church body under the Patriarch of Moscow, and the Ukrainian UKRAINE UKRAINE Autocephalous Orthodox Church. A distant second by the number of the followers is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic 8 Church, which predominates in three western oblasts of Ukraine, including about half the population of Lviv. There are also large Roman Catholic Church community and Muslims community (to which more than 300,000 of Crimean Tatars are refered to). Climate Ukraine has a temperate continental climate with cool winters and relatively warm summers. Only the southern Crimean coast has a humid subtropical climate. Precipitation in Ukraine is disproportionately distributed, with the most falling in the west and the north, and much less falling in the east and the southeast. June and July are usually the wettest months, while February is usually the driest. Check the weather forecast on the website: http://meteo.gov.ua/en/ Time Ukrainian standard time is + 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Don’t be confused as Ukraine has Daylight Saving Time. Daylight Saving Time starts on last Sunday in March and ends on last Sunday in October. It’s wise to keep this in mind if you are planning your arrival or departure on those days. UKRAINE 9 Public holidays in Ukraine January 1 New Year’s Day January 7 Orthodox Christmas March 8 International Women’s Day April 20 (movable) Orthodox Easter (April 12 ‒ 2015, May 1 ‒ 2016) Easter + 49 days Orthodox Pentecost May 1, 2 International Workers’ Day May 9 Memorial Day June 28 Constitution Day August 24 Independence Day October 14 Defender of Ukraine Day Information resources About Ukraine: http://www.ukraine.com History of Ukraine: http://history.org.ua UKRAINE UKRAINE 10 UKRAINE 11 LVIV 12 About city Lviv is the largest city in the Western part of Ukraine. According to the 2013 statistics, the population of Lviv was 729 038 people. During the academic year, the city of Lviv boasts about 130 000 students. Because of a strong and visible presence of students in the city, Lviv is considered to be a center of modernity and innovations, creating an atmosphere of enthusiasm and optimism. Founded in 1256, Lviv has been an important center of commerce in Ukraine. The city is responsible for the production of electronic equipment, agricultural machinery, chemicals, processed food and textiles. Lviv is one of the most important cultural centres of Ukraine. The city is known as a centre of art, literature, music and theatre. Nowadays, the indisputable evidences of the city cultural richness is a big number of theatres, concert halls, creative unions, and also high number of many artistic activities (more than 100 festivals annually, 60 museums, 10 theatres). Lviv’s historic centre has been on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage list since 1998. When touring Lviv, it is worth to visit the historical part of the city. It includes the Ploscha Rynok Market Square LVIV with its Black House, the Armenian Cathedral, the Greek Cathedral, the Latin Cathedral, the Dominican Cathedral and the Boim Chapel. Or you can walk to the top of the Vysoky Zamok hill which overlooks the historical center. For entertainment, the Philharmonic orchestra and the Lviv Opera and Ballet Theatre are a real cultural treat. LVIV Lychakiv Cemetery is one of the biggest and more scenic in the region. 13 Information centre Tourist Information Centre (TIC) is located at the main square (Rynok Square 1) in the building of the City Hall. There you can find a wide selection of maps, brochures and other information materials about Lviv and its region. It also acts as a ticket agency offering tickets for a number of cultural events. Additional info you may find at TIC website: http://www.touristinfo.lviv.ua/en/ There are various cultural events, festivals and celebrations, which take place in Lviv. Be always updated about the cultural events in Lviv: http://lviv.travel/en/index Getting to Lviv By air Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport (LWO) is located at Lyubinska Str. just 7 km from the city centre. Lviv has established air service with 15 countries and its main destinations include Kyiv, Warsaw, Vienna, Munich, Dortmund, Rome, Milan, Moscow and Istanbul. More information about flight timetables and connections is available on the airport website: http://lwo.aero/en By rail Ukraine has extensive railway network which is operated by main railway company «Ukrainian Railways». It is possible to buy tickets at railway station or book them LVIV online. The company provides first and second class travel. 14 More information about domestic train timetables: http://uz.gov.ua/en/passengers/ Book train tickets online: http://booking.uz.gov.ua/en/ By bus A number of regular bus routes run from the largest cities of the European Union to Lviv.