Veganism in Ukraine

Veganism is still a new concept in many parts of Ukraine. Although it’s starting to gain popularity in larger cities, specifically in Kyiv, Lviv and Odessa, where you can even find 100% Vegan Restaurants, in other regions of the country people might not understand your vegan requests at all.  Try learning to pronounce the local word for vegan: “Vehan”. But also be sure to learn some basic words in the local language to help you communicate your needs along the way.

Ukraine is definitely a country where vegans might want to rent a facility with your own kitchen, also consider bringing along your small travel blender to make your own plant-based delicacies. Don’t expect to find plant-based milk in most supermarkets, in fact, don’t expect to find much vegan stuff in the supermarkets at all. Beware of “V” labels, they don’t always mean vegan. To get a better understanding of some of the vegan products available in the country be sure to check out our  Snacks & Stores page for Ukraine.

Vegetables are usually sold at farmers’ markets functioning summer and winter alike, though since they sell seasonal produce only, in winter you will see mostly cabbages, pickles, and potatoes. If you are traveling in the countryside, people will sometimes display their own harvest on the road or their front yards in the summer to sell their surplus. In Kiev, you may find very well-stocked stores, which most people will not use since they cannot afford it, but you may want to go there to splurge on more than one kind of fruit (usually apples) for once.

Still have questions? Visit our Ukraine Forum tab to get all the answers.