Places To Visit in Kyiv
• The Arch (or the Yoke) at the end of Kreshatik Street (Kyiv’s
main downtown street) boasts one of the best views of the Left Bank and
is a great place to meet, talk, and enjoy a sunset.
•
The main opera and ballet house near Teatralna metro sometimes boasts
world class performances. Schedules are posted monthly throughout the
city. Tickets are affordable and are sold through theatre kassas located
mostly in the downtown area.
•
Pecherska Lavra monastery complex can
be made into a whole day affair. Along with being one of the most holy
sites in Ukrainian Orthodoxy, it houses a museum of miniatures which contains
some strange and interesting “art.” The lower and upper caves house mummified
bodies (you can only see
the hands, like these) now revered as holy relics by the Orthodox faithful.
You can also climb the 259 steps to the top of the famous bell tower,
still the tallest structure in the city, and enjoy the view.
•
The Mother of the Motherland is another favorite among visitors. A towering
figure made of nickel tiles, the statue overlooks the Dnipro River just
down the street from Pecherska Lavra. Surrounded by WWII artefacts and
Ukraine’s Afghanistan War Musuem, she also has a three-story WWII museum
inside her base. It is apparently possible to go all the way to the top
of the shield of this impressive statue for a breathtaking view, but rumor
has it that after a young's boys fal from this height, the possibility
no longer exists.
• The many city botanical gardens are easy to locate, cheap to
enter, and have some wonderful flowers and trees if you go at the right
time of year. Kyiv is famous for its chestnuts.
•
Andriivsky Spusk (descent) is Kyiv’s arts’ centre. It’s a myriad of shops
selling everything from Soviet submarine clocks to nesting dolls to original
art works to Harley Davidson t-shirts. While descending, don’t forget
to look up and see the eighteenth-century church that gave the street
its name. It’s believed the apostle Andrew preached the gospel at the
top of this hill.
•
St. Sophia’s Cathedral (now a government-run museum) is not far from St.
Andrews. For a small fee you can have an extensive look inside this very
old and beautiful building, the crowning venue of many Kyiv Rus rulers.
The church—dating from the late tenth century—is one of Kyiv’s oldest,
and much of the ancient artwork and decoration can still be seen inside
as well as in the nearby museum.
•
Standing across from St. Sophia’s is St. Michaels. The currently active
church was rebuilt in the late 1990’s; the original was destroyed by Stalin.
Inside you’ll find gigantic murals that display familiar scenes from the
Bible. Remember, though, that the churches are still visited by worshipers
who may not appreciate you posing in front of something they hold as sacred
– so, be respectful. Avoid taking photographs inside any church.
•
Who could visit Eastern Europe without a trip to the circus? One of the
cities main streets, Prospekt Peremohy, houses the permanent circus (seen
to the right), and it is no tent show. These people are serious about
their elephants, and a night with them is sure to entertain anyone. Just
across the street is the newly remodeled Ukraina department store, which
was once one of the largest shopping centers in the Soviet Union. 
• While it might not be the most uplifting place to visit, Babi
Yar (Dorohozhichy metro) is an important historical site. A striking Soviet
monument (shown on the left) marks the ravine where thousands of Jews
were killed during WWII. It is a grim reminder of the evil humanity is
capable of.
• One Street Museum and the House of Mikhail Bulhakov are two museums
located on Andriivsky Spusk as alternatives to souvenir shopping. One
Street Museum made Let’s Go’s top Eastern European Museum list. Bulgakov,
the most famous modern Ukrainian writer, lived in this house during his
early life. Many of his things are displayed there, as well as interesting
facts and stories about his life. The house itself is setting of one of
his novels, The White Guard.
•
Kreshatik Street, the main boulevard of downtown Kyiv offers a grand view
of the magnificient and turbulent city. Independence Square located at
the heart of the city on Kreshatik, houses a monument commemorating independence,
an underground western mall, Globus, whose glass ceilings dome up in the
square, and beautiful fountains (when they are running). On Sundays, the
street is closed to all traffic and people enjoy strolling, shopping,
and watching the various buskers who come out to play for donations of
kopecks.
•
Marinsky Palace and Park is one of the most beautiful places to walk in
Kyiv. Up the hill behind Khreshatik before you get to the Arsenala metro
station, this palace stands behind the Verkhova Rada, the parliment of
Ukraine. Walking through the park leads to Arsenala, and twenty minutes
further in this direction takes you to the WW II park in honor of the
Unknown Soldier and then to the Lavra Monastery.
•
Pyrohovo Folk Architecture Museum is the best day trip in Kyiv. Located
on the outskirts, this open-air museum contains samples of ancient Ukrainian
villages from all over the country arranged on sprawling hills, rolling
with hay and windmills. This retreat offers the ideal place to stroll
around for a day, enjoying fall or spring weather.
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