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Dnipro, once closed city, today's welcoming hub

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Nedobudovanyy Hotelʹ "Parus"I visited Dnipro in 2024, when I delivered first-aid supplies to Ukraine, and I had a great time in this city that was closed during the Soviet era to protect its missile manufacturing facilities. Foreigners were prohibited from visiting the city, and even Soviet citizens needed permission to enter the city. The legacy of the Soviet era is everywhere. Dnipro probably no longer makes rockets, but it has a Rocket Park. The iconic Unfinished Hotel Sail (Nedobudovanyy Hotelʹ "Parus"). Its construction started in the 70s and was stopped near the end of the USSR. Monument to fallen soldiers in Afghanistan.  The Soviet War in Afghanistan was a disaster. I can understand that these youngsters were brainwashed to believe they were fighting a noble war for the people of Afghanistan and for their motherland.   Brutalis buildings: One universal scene in Ukraine is that Churches stand out as often the most beautiful buildings in their areas.  Cathedra...

Odesa, jewel of Black Sea

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I visited Odesa for the first time during my first trip to Ukraine in October 2022 for two reasons: I bought tickets for Mykolaiv Zoo soon after the full-scale Rashist slaughter started, primarily to support the zoo.   I almost went to Odesa in the late 1980s when I was selected for a highly competitive scholarship in the Soviet Union, which was still one of the two superpowers. It was not very difficult for me to decline this offer because I wanted to go to the free West. Many fellow students were vying for this spot, which I vacated, and they even wanted me to help them secure it. The one who got it was assigned to Odesa I.I. Mechnykov State University. He told me a lot about Odesa when he returned for a summer break.   I visited Odesa again during my 4th trip to Ukraine. I have visited the top five Ukrainian cities by population: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, and Lviv. Odessa is undoubtedly the most livable city, though I enjoy visiting every one of them.  Sp...