Kharkiv, Ukraine

Capital City

Forget the hype - living in Kharkiv, with its population of 1,430,885, means grappling with heavy bureaucracy and a long, harsh winter. While the city boasts a robust IT industry and scientific research institutions, the post-Soviet transition has been rocky, with the 2022 Russian invasion leaving the city under intermittent shelling. Kharkiv is best suited for those with a high tolerance for red tape and a taste for bleak weather.