Main sightseeings in Kyiv

«There is no city in the world more beautiful than Kyiv»

Mikhail Bulgakov

In the heart of Eastern Europe the cradle of Slavic cities is located - a famous and ancient city of Kyiv. It is situated on seven hills along the great Dnieper river. Today Kyiv is the capital of independent Ukraine. Tourists will be interested in becoming familiar with many attractions of this ancient and ageless city. We’ll discuss some of them more thouroughly.

World famous Kyiv Pechersk Lavra – also known as the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves - is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery, the first in Kievan Rus. Every religious person considers his duty to visit this holy place for Christians at least once in life. Plenty of relics are stored in its ancient caves. Stunning architectural ensemble of monastery performed in Ukrainian Baroque style doesn’t leave indifferent its visitors and pilgrims.

The next landmark is St. Sophia Cathedral, which was founded by Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise in the beginning of XI century. In 1990 St. Sophia Cathedral and Kyiv Pechersk Lavra were enrolled in UNESCO World Heritage list. The walls of the cathedral are decorated with unique frescoes which date back to XI century; the images of saints that comprise all Christian pantheons are depicted on the walls of the cathedral and its towers. Mosaic "Orant" particularly impresses all the visitors.

Opposite to St. Sofia Cathedral one can see unique St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral. It was the first temple with gold-plate domes. Originally built in the Middle Ages the monastery comprises the Cathedral itself, the Refectory of St. John the Divine, built in 1713, the Economic Gates, constructed in 1760, and the monastery's bell tower, which was added circa 1716–1719. The exterior of the structure was rebuilt in the Ukrainian Baroque style in the 18th century while the interior remained in its original Byzantine style. The original cathedral was demolished by the Soviet authorities in the 1930s, but was reconstructed and opened in 1999.

The Golden Gates of Kyiv is a major landmark of the ancient Kyiv and one of four historic gateways in the ancient city fortress. Fortification was erected during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise. Currently it serves as a museum and can be found on the corner of Volodymyrska street and Yaroslaviv Val Street (Yaroslav's Moat).

Andrew’s Descent (Andriivskiy Spusk) is a historic descent connecting Kyiv's Upper Town neighborhood and the historically commercial Podil neighborhood. The street, often advertised by tour guides and operators as the "Montmartre of Kyiv", is a major tourist attraction of the city. The descent 720 metres in length is constructed of laid cobblestones. It winds down steeply around the Zamkova Hora hill, ending near the Kontraktova Square in the Podil. The Andriyivskyy Descent is marked by a couple of historic landmarks, including the Castle of Richard the Lionheart, the 18th century baroque Saint Andrew's Church erected by Italian architect Rastrelli, famed Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov's house and other monuments.

The St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Cathedral is the second Roman Catholic cathedral built in Kyiv. Today the building is shared between the Roman Catholic Church of Ukraine and the National House of Organ and Chamber Music. It was constructed during1899–1909 and was built in a Gothic type construction, by Kyiv architects V. Gorodetsky and E. Salya. Historically, it belonged to the Latin Rite Catholic community.

Another Catholic church, the St. Alexander Roman Catholic Cathedral, is the oldest Catholic church in the city and is located near the European Square behind the Ukrainian House in Kyiv.

Mariyinsky Palace is an official ceremonial residence of the President of Ukraine in Kyiv and adjoins the neo-classical building of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine. It is a Baroque palace on the hilly bank of the Dnieper River. The palace was ordered to be constructed in 1744 by the Russian Empress Elizaveta and was designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Palace was completed in 1752. The first royal figure to stay in the palace was Empress Catherine II, who visited Kyiv in 1787.

On of the monumental erections is Mother of the Fatherland. The sculpture is a part of Museum of the Great Patriotic War. The stainless steel statue stands 62 m tall upon the museum building with the overall structure measuring 102 m and weighing 560 tons. The sword in the statue's right hand is 16 m long, with the left hand holding up a 13 by 8 m shield with the State Emblem of the Soviet Union. The Memorial hall of the Museum displays marble plaques with carved names of more than 11,600 soldiers and over 200 workers of the home-front honored during the war with the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Hero of Socialist Labor.

House with Chimaeras or Gorodetsky House is an Art Nouveau building located opposite to the President Administration. Architect Vladislav Gorodetsky originally constructed the House with Chimaeras for use as his own upmarket apartment building during the period of 1901–1902. The building derives its popular name from the ornate decorations depicting exotic animals and hunting scenes, which were sculpted by Italian architect Emilio Salya. The name does not refer to the chimaera of mythology, but to an architectural style known as chimaera decoration in which animal figures are applied as decorative elements to a building.

The Museum of History of Ukraine, National Museum of Art, the Museum of One Street, the Museum of Mikhail Bulgakov, the Museum of Water regard to popular Kyiv attractions. One should definitely visit the national museum of architecture and life "Pyrohiv." Pyrohiv - is an ethnographic open-air museum. All historical and ethnographic regions of Ukraine are presented in its area of over 150 hectares. It's a good place for walking.