Kyiv
The interior is the most astounding aspect of Kyiv's oldest standing church. Many of the mosaics and frescoes are original, dating back to 1017–31, when…
Must-see attractions in Kyiv
Kyiv
Tourists and Orthodox pilgrims alike flock to the Lavra, set on 28 hectares of grassy hills above the Dnipro River in Pechersk. It's easy to see why…
Kyiv
Be it celebration or revolution, whenever Ukrainians want to get together – and they often do – 'Maidan' is the nation's meeting point. The square saw pro…
St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery
Kyiv
Looking from St Sophia's past the Bohdan Khmelnytsky statue, it's impossible to ignore the gold-domed blue church at the other end of proyizd Volodymyrsky…
Kyiv
It's hard to characterise this beachfront hippie haven on Trukhaniv Island. It derives its name from the smattering of raised wooden chill-out huts that…
Kyiv
The rotating exhibits at this world-class gallery feature elite names in the world of European contemporary art and design, all financed by billionaire…
Kyiv
This 15th-century women's convent remained open during the communist era. Pass through the bell tower to the peaceful grounds, which contain several…
Kyiv
On 29 September 1941, Nazi troops rounded up Kyiv's 34,000-strong Jewish population, marched them to the Babyn Yar ravine and massacred them. Victims were…
Kyiv
As you journey into Kyiv from the airport, at some point this giant statue of a female warrior will loom up on the horizon and make you wonder, 'What the…
Kyiv
Kyiv's newest tourist attraction is Mezhyhirya, the estate that once 'belonged' to ex-president and wannabe Ukrainian dictator, Viktor Yanukovych,…
Pyrohiv Museum of Folk Architecture
Kyiv
Some 300 traditional structures, some dating back to the 16th century, have been transplanted form various parts of Ukraine to this open-air folk museum…
Kyiv
It's hard to convey the full horror of the world's worst nuclear accident, but the Chornobyl Museum makes a valiant attempt. It is not so much a museum as…
Kyiv
Many of the 'chimeras' that adorn the awning of Kyiv's weirdest building are depictions of architect Władysław Horodecki's hunting trophies – antelope,…
Kyiv
Located at the base of the towering Rodina Mat, this museum was built belatedly in 1981 to honour Kyiv's defenders during the Great Patriotic War (as WWII…
National Museum of Ukrainian History
Kyiv
Located more or less at the spot where history began for Kyiv, this huge museum has been fully modernised in recent years and represents a fantastic…
Kyiv
The much-loved author of The Master and Margarita lived in this house between 1906 and 1919 – long before writing his most famous book. The house became…
Kyiv
Izolyatsia is a self-described platform for cultural initiatives and contemporary culture occupying an old shipyard in north Podil. Originally from…
Kyiv
Part of Kyiv's fortifications during the rule of Yaroslav the Wise, the famous Zoloti Vorota was erected in 1037. Modelled on Constantinople's Golden Gate…
Kyiv
This museum's 'Western Art' wing houses Kyiv's most impressive collection of European paintings, with Bosch, Velázquez and Rubens among the many masters…
Kyiv
In a historic neoclassical building designed by Władysław Horodecki, this long-running museum has a wide-ranging collection of Ukrainian paintings…
Kyiv
Kyiv's main drag is named after a river, which these days runs underneath, enclosed in an underground pipe. Getting gussied up and strolling Khreshchatyk…
Kyiv
At the far end of Vichnoy Slavy Park, which is centred around a Soviet-era war memorial, you will find a shrine from an entirely different epoch. Former…
Kyiv
According to legend, a man walked up the hill here, erected a cross and prophesied, 'A great city will stand on this spot.' That man was the Apostle…
Kyiv
The long, steep hill running along the Dnipro River from Olympic Stadium and Mariyinsky Palace to Rodina Mat continues south for several kilometres,…
Kyiv
The gold-and-blue baroque masterpiece that dominates the view as you walk up Andriyivsky uzviz was built in 1754 by Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli…
Kyiv
Although not one of Kyiv's most important churches, St Volodymyr's Cathedral arguably has the prettiest interior. Built in the late 19th century to mark…
Kyiv
Starting by the National Museum of Ukrainian History, the alley skirts around a large ravine offering great views of the city. It's always full of people…
Kyiv
Lying behind the Universytet metro station building, the landscaped gardens are best visited in spring when just about everything there is blooming.
Kyiv
Beneath the Great Bell Tower on the south side of the Upper Lavra, the Museum of Microminiature provides something even for atheists within this holiest…
Kyiv
Prince Volodymyr ordered the Desyatynna Church built in 989 and devoted 10% of his income to it, hence the name (desyatyn means 'one-tenth'). The church…
Friendship of Nations Monument
Kyiv
The Friendship of Nations Monument is a giant metal parabola celebrating the 1654 'unification' of Russia and Ukraine. It's on an elevated plaza with…
Kyiv
The fascinating history of the St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery is explained in great detail (in Ukrainian and English placards) in a museum located in…
National Museum of Literature of Ukraine
Kyiv
A must for aficionados of Ukrainian literature, this museum is housed in the former main building of the Pavlo Galagan Collegium, built in 1871. It…
Kyiv
Few churches appear more frozen in time than those of the Vydubytsky Monastery, nestled into a hill beneath the Hryshko Botanical Gardens. If you found…
Kyiv
This Pechersk-based facility is more than a museum, it's a crucible for preserving Ukrainian folk culture in the 21st century. In addition to permanent…
Kyiv
This museum lays out individual histories of Andriyivsky uzviz buildings. The sheer jumble-sale eclecticism of the collection – showcasing the lives of,…
Kyiv
This museum in the Upper Lavra, behind the Dormition Cathedral, has an astounding collection of precious stones and metal found or made in Ukraine. The…
Kyiv
Once a storage for gunpowder and harnesses, these days it is a playground for visionary curators – each exhibition becomes an event of national importance…
Kyiv
Located at the far side of Zhulyany airfield, this open-air museum displays dozens of Soviet aircraft designed to carry people or tanks, land on ice or…
Kyiv National Museum of Russian Art
Kyiv
With 2000 paintings, only a fraction of which are on display at any one time, this museum, set in an impressive tsar-era mansion, has the largest…
