Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine

Capital City

With a population of just 274,452, Khmelnytskyi is the second-largest city in Podolia, a far cry from the glitz of Kyiv. The bureaucracy is a persistent headache, with the city only officially renamed in 1954 to honor the Cossack leader Bohdan Khmelnytsky. Winters are brutally cold, with average temperatures plunging to -30°C, while summers can reach a scorching 38°C. The city's checkered history includes devastating pogroms in 1919 that left up to 1,500 Jews dead. For those seeking a quieter, more provincial Ukrainian experience, Khmelnytskyi may fit the bill - but it's no tourist paradise.