Top 30 attractions of Kyiv, Ukraine

The ancient city, the capital of Kievan Rus, the cradle of Slavic culture - Kyiv will meet the tourist with thousand-year-old temples and monasteries, elegant European squares and, no doubt, a seething stream of historical events. This is the place where statehood was forged, and the pillars of the Russian Orthodox faith were established, where History continues its bizarre chronicle even now.

Kyiv is constantly becoming a venue for various musical and sporting events of the European level. A lot of national festivals take place here, especially in the summer. It will be interesting for a tourist to visit Vyshyvanka Day, dedicated to the traditional costume, or take a walk along Khreshchatyk on City Day, merging with a relaxed crowd of cheerful Kyivans.

What to see and where to go in Kyiv?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.

Kiev-Pechersk Lavra

One of the first monasteries of Kievan Rus, a revered and important Orthodox shrine. The monastery is included in the UNESCO heritage list. The Lavra was founded in the 11th century by the monk Anthony and his disciple Theodosius. The architectural complex of the Kiev-Pechora Lavra includes several churches, a theological seminary, cave monasteries, the State Library of Ukraine and a museum complex. The relics of the saints of God are kept in the Lavra.

Mikhailovsky Golden-Domed Monastery

An Orthodox monastery founded in the 11th century on the site of a former pagan temple, where rituals were performed in honor of Perun, Svarog, Khors and other deities of the ancient Slavic pantheon. The first church on the site of the future monastery was made of wood. At the beginning of the 12th century, in honor of the victory over the Polovtsy, the laying of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael began, at which the monastery was founded. On the square in front of the temple there is a sculptural group consisting of monuments to Princess Olga, Cyril and Methodius, the Apostle Andrew.

St. Vladimir's Cathedral

Orthodox church of the end of the 19th century, made in a picturesque and magnificent old Byzantine style. The cathedral is distinguished by its magnificent external and internal decoration. The facade is decorated with arched windows and openwork stucco moldings, Prince Vladimir and Princess Olga are depicted on the main entrance doors, the inner vaults are painted with bright thematic frescoes, on which M. Vrubel, V. Vasnetsov, M. Nestorov and other famous painters worked.

Saint Sophia Cathedral

Temple-Museum, built by the will of Yaroslav the Wise in the XI century. The cathedral was repeatedly attacked and destroyed: in the 13th century it was sacked by the hordes of Batu, in the 14th century it was besieged by the Uniates, and centuries later by the Crimean Tatars. The temple survived and in the 17th century, work began on its restoration. In the 90s. the building was included in the UNESCO heritage list, so religious services on its territory almost ceased. The exception is religious holidays.

Nicholas Church

Catholic Cathedral, where in the 80s. XX century, the House of Organ and Chamber Music was organized. In 2001, Pope John Paul II himself honored the temple with his visit. The church was built in the classical Gothic style at the beginning of the 20th century. Until that time, there was only one Catholic church in Kyiv, which did not accommodate everyone. Nicholas Church was built for ten years exclusively on private capital.

Andrew's Church

Temple of the mid-18th century in the Baroque style, located on a hill in the historical part of Kyiv. It is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Kyiv. According to an ancient legend, to which the Tale of Bygone Years refers, the Apostle Andrew the First-Called put a cross on this place and proclaimed that a great city would be here. A few centuries later Kyiv was founded.

Andrew's Descent

A street in the center of Kyiv, which appeared in the historical period of Kievan Rus. In ancient times, it connected the Upper and Lower cities. The official date of the appearance of Andreevsky Descent is 1711, when, by order of the governor, the passage between Andreevsky and Zamkova Hills was expanded. The passage became suitable not only for passengers, but also for carriages, horse riders and carts pulled by oxen.

Richard's Castle - Lionheart

The building is in the English Neo-Gothic style of the early 19th century. The locals poetically name it after the legendary King Richard the Lionheart. The builder of the building is unknown. Presumably, the castle was built for rent, later it was acquired by the Orlov family. There have always been ominous rumors about the castle. Allegedly, he often changed owners due to the fact that evil spirits lived inside. But later the legend was debunked, as bottle necks were found in the walls, producing an ominous howl.

House with Chimeras

An unusual mansion built at the beginning of the 20th century in the Art Nouveau style. Its architecture is very unusual for the Ukrainian capital. The facade and interior are decorated with statues and images of animals, fabulous creatures, inhabitants of the underwater world. The mansion was built according to the project of V. Gorodetsky. This master participated in the construction of the Church of St. Nicholas and the Ukrainian National Art Museum.

Building of the National Bank of Ukraine

An elegant mansion in the "Venetian" style, located in the Pechora Lipki area. The building was erected at the beginning of the 20th century according to the project of engineers M. Verbitsky and A. Kobelev. The façade was clad by the Italian sculptor E. Salya. During construction, many innovative solutions for the time were tried, including electric lighting and a steam central heating system.

Kyiv National University

Red building KNU them. Taras Shevchenko is the oldest building of this educational institution. In addition to performing practical functions, the building is a valuable architectural monument and a popular place for excursions. The Red Building was erected in the 19th century in the style of Russian classicism that was relevant at that time. It houses the rector's office, a number of university faculties and historical museums.

Khreshchatyk street

The main metropolitan street, presumably located near the place where Prince Vladimir was baptized. The length of the street stretches for only 1.3 km. from European to Bessarabskaya Square. Active development of Khreshchatyk was carried out in the XVIII-XIX centuries. The modern name has been fixed since 1869. Khreshchatyk becomes a pedestrian street during public holidays or significant public events.

landscape alley

Alley, created in the 80s. XX century as part of a large-scale project for the construction of the historical architectural reserve "Ancient Kyiv". The plans remained on paper, and the Landscape Alley remained the only completed object. From the observation deck near the Historical Museum offers a panoramic view of the Dnieper and Podil. Since 2009, a children's square has been organized within the alley.

Maidan

The central square of the Ukrainian capital. The place where the modern history of the state was made. In the second half of the 19th century, merchants settled on the site of the future square. There was a large market here, where folk festivals were held on holidays. The central attraction of Maidan Nezalezhnosti is an impressive monument erected in honor of the separation of Ukraine from the Soviet Union and the formation of an independent state.

Sofia Square

One of the oldest city squares in Kyiv. It is believed that it was in this place that Yaroslav the Wise defeated the Pechenegs in the 11th century. A monument to the great hetman Bogdan Khmelnitsky, a fighter against the Polish and Turkish invaders, was erected on the square. The commander is depicted on horseback in a courageous heroic pose. Another architectural landmark is the stone bell tower of St. Sophia Cathedral, built at the beginning of the 18th century. In 1709, the victors of the Battle of Poltava met here.

Contract area

The square has been known since ancient times as a venue for contract fairs (hence the name). Until the middle of the 19th century, it was considered the center of Kyiv. There are several popular attractions of Kyiv here: the Gostiny Dvor of the beginning of the 19th century, the contract house, the Church of the Virgin Pirogoshcha, the Kiev-Mohyla Academy, the Samson fountain and other buildings.

Taras Shevchenko Opera House

National Opera House of Ukraine, the largest and most famous in the country. It is a real architectural decoration of Kyiv. At the end of the 19th century, such works as "Eugene Onegin", "The Queen of Spades" by I. Tchaikovsky, "Aleko" by S. Rachmaninov, "The Snow Maiden" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov were performed on the stage of the opera house (the maestro personally attended the productions). The great Russian reformer P. A. Stolypin was killed in the theater.

National Museum of the History of Ukraine

The exposition began with a small archaeological exhibition organized in the City Museum of Antiquity and Art. The official opening took place in 1904. The museum halls exhibit archaeological collections, weapons, coins, unique books, porcelain and other historical artifacts. The total number of exhibits is more than 800 thousand copies. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum organizes temporary exhibitions.

Bulgakov Museum

The house-museum is located on Andreevsky Spusk in the historical center of Kyiv. The writer's family lived there until 1919. The name "House of the Turbins" was assigned to the building thanks to an article in a literary magazine in 1967. That is, the house became a haven for the Bulgakov family, and the heroes of one of his works - the Turbin family. The exposition opened in 1991, the collection was based on the private collection of the first director of the museum A. Konchakovsky.

Water Museum (Water Information Center)

The exposition is located in the water towers of the 19th century, which were renovated and restored in 2003. The buildings themselves are of considerable historical value and are of interest to tourists. During the tour, visitors will be able to learn about the structure of the Earth's hydrosphere, about various processes that are impossible without the participation of water, and about the harmful human activities that result in pollution and depletion of water resources.

Pirogovo Open Air Museum

In the museum you can learn a lot about the life and national traditions of Ukraine. On an area of ​​more than 150 hectares, there are 300 exhibits that tell about various aspects of the life and culture of Ukrainians. Here you can walk along the streets of the village, look at traditional Ukrainian huts, look into an old wooden church or have a family picnic on a green lawn against the backdrop of picturesque hills.

Mariinsky Palace

An architectural monument of the middle of the 18th century, built in the brilliant era of Empress Elizabeth. The famous architect B. Rastrelli worked on the palace. The building was used as a royal residence and a temporary home for important persons of the Russian imperial court. After a fire in the 19th century, the palace was destroyed. The restored building was surrounded by a magnificent landscape park, where Maria Alexandrovna, the wife of Alexander III, loved to relax.

Kyiv fortress

A complex of fortifications on the right bank of the Dnieper River. It includes several earthen fortifications, citadels, economic and administrative buildings. The history of the fortress goes back to the 5th century. Then there was a fortified ancient settlement on Starokievsky Hill. After the destructive campaign of Batu Khan against Rus' in the 13th century, the buildings fell into disrepair. The Kiev fortress again regained its military significance during the Russian-Swedish war of 1700-1721.

Golden Gate

An architectural monument of the XI century, the remains of the fortifications of ancient Kyiv. For the first time the gates are mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years. They performed not so much a defensive function as they were the main entrance to the city. During the construction, burnt bricks and a fastening solution of slaked lime were used, which ensured the strength and good preservation of the structure.

Motherland

A monumental female statue with a shield and sword, glorifying the victory in the Great Patriotic War. The monument is part of the memorial complex dedicated to the history of the Great Patriotic War (the official name is the Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II). This is one of the largest expositions in Ukraine. The height of the monument is 102 meters. When created, it was assumed that the statue would last 150 years and be able to withstand a strong earthquake.

Babi Yar

The ravine between the urban areas of Syrets and Lukyanovka, where the German invaders in 1941 massively shot the population. In a fairly short period of time, tens of thousands of Kyivans were killed and buried in mass graves here, the total number of victims exceeds 100 thousand people. Nowadays, within the territory of Babi Yar, there are memorials dedicated to the numerous victims of executions.

Park Vladimirskaya Gorka

City park on Mikhailovskaya Hill. Here is a monument to Prince Vladimir - the Baptist of Rus'. Thanks to the monument, the place was named "Vladimirskaya Gorka". There are three levels of the park along the slope of the mountain: lower, upper and middle terraces. From here you have a great panorama of the city blocks. Volodymyrska Gorka is one of the favorite places for walking in Kiev.

Botanical Garden named after N.N. Grishko

Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. On its territory is the Holy Trinity Ioninsky Monastery. The garden covers an area of ​​130 hectares and has a large arboretum where magnolias, irises, jasmine, lilacs, crocuses, daffodils, roses and dozens of other plants grow. In the greenhouse you can admire exotic species brought here from different parts of the world.

Kyiv funicular

The unique funicular of the beginning of the 20th century, which performs the functions of public transport, is one of the first in the Russian Empire. On it you can climb from Podil to the Upper Town. Previously, there was a staircase of 500 steps on the site of the funicular. Climbing it could be equated to a real physical training. The system can transport up to 4000 thousand people per hour, the travel time is no more than 2-3 minutes.

Hydropark

Entertainment complex with a system of beaches, attractions, boat stations. The park was created in the 60s. XX century. The Kyiv metro station of the same name is located on the territory. The modern Hydropark is a lot of entertainment venues, bars and discos that are ready to receive several thousand people every day, as well as a training town, places for team games and the Kiev in Miniature park.