Ukaraine, one of the largest countries in Europe, long associated with its colossal neighbour Russia, it’s a country of varied landscapes and surprising cultural diversity. Ukraine's busy capital, Kiev, founded in the eighth century, displays a heady mix of architecture befitting of a city that was once capital of Kievan Rus, the precursor of the modern Russian state. The country  is also best known for its Orthodox churches, Black Sea coastline and forested mountains.