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Undo (2014) 

Sweden and Ukraine 

EUROVISION COUNTRY: Sweden 
KYIV DESTINATION: Scandinavian restaurants Ibsen and Grun 
In 1709 Sweden was the most powerful country in Europe. In order to maintain its power Sweden needed to form an alliance with the Cossack rulers of Ukraine in a common fight against Russia's Peter the Great. 
In this alliance Sweden said it would work to free Ukraine from Russian influence. This treaty was a rare recognition of the legitimacy of Ukraine as a separate state.
Sweden and Ukraine fought Russia, but lost at the battle of Poltava. The battle's outcome changed the course of history and started the ascendancy of Russia as a global power.
There's also an interesting story about the" lost Swedish tribe" which settled on the Dnipro river in the 18th century.  After the revolution many of them emigrated to Sweden, but not all stayed there with some returning back to the USSR.  A book has been written about their tale. https://bibl.sh.se/skriftserier/hogskolans_skriftserier/The_Lost_Swedish_Tribe/diva2_703599.aspx 
Those links are still visible. There is not one but two Scandinavian restaurants in Kyiv:
Grun http://www.grun.ua  is a new chain of restaurants with a modern Scandinavian interior and a range of Nordic influenced dishes.














For a more upmarket meal there's Ibsen. Situated near Klovska metro station, this is a restaurant for the super rich with main courses costing between €10-€100  http://ibsen.com.ua - the upper end reflecting the average income of many Ukrainians.

 


Swedish embassy:
Address:      3rd Floor, 34/33, Ivana-Franka St, 77515 Kyiv.
    Tel:               +380 44 494 4270

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