Kiev Travel Guide
The capital of Ukraine, the center of Kiev region - Kiev - stretches for 35 km from east to west and for 42 km from north to south along the picturesque banks of the Dnepr.
The city has a unique landscape and is widely known for its architectural ensembles, which are tactically inscribed in it. Despite the considerable loss, they create a complete image of the historic city, located along the waters of the ancient Dnepr-Slavutych. The area of Kiev is 827 square km and includes 14 administrative districts. There are built on only 42% of the entire area of the city. The rest of the city is water bodies, green areas and parks.
Modern Kiev is one of the largest cities in Europe, administrative, economic, scientific, cultural and educational center of the country.
The capital of Ukraine is situated on both banks of the Dnepr, in its middle stream, below the confluence of the left tributary - Desna. The northern part of the city is situated on the Podillya lowlands, the south-western one (right bank) - on Pridneprovskaya uplands, the south-eastern one (left bank) - on Pridneprovskaya lowlands.
No doubts that Kiev is one of the most beautiful cities of Ukraine. Located in the centre of Europe it attracts a lot of tourists. Kiev local time is UTC +2. Kiev has outstanding heroic history. From 1921 the city was part of the Soviet Union, since 1934 as a capital of Soviet Ukraine. After 57 years as the capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union, Kiev became the capital of independent Ukraine in 1991.
Today Kiev is the administrative, cultural, and financial core of Ukraine, represented by over 3 million citizens. Kiev has regained its former glory as one of the most beautiful capitals of Eastern Europe. It will be enchantment ‘at first site’ as you take your first stroll along the chestnut lined streets of the old part of the city, feeling as though a time machine has sent you back into the very heart of history. Millennial Orthodox cathedrals, crowned with golden domes and diverse styles of old buildings – all bear imprints of the ancient splendor of Kievan Rus, a mighty state of the Medieval Europe. Monuments once erected by old master builders and now restored and reconstructed anew can be seen reflected in modern high-rise architectural ensembles. Dozens of theaters, art galleries, and museums will invitingly open their doors for you.
Kiev's most famous historical architectural complexes are the St. Sophia Cathedral and the Kiev Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves), which are recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. One of Kiev's widely recognized modern landmarks is the highly visible giant Mother Motherland statue standing at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War on the Right bank of the Dnieper River. It is hard to describe the magnificence of Kiev sights and sightseeing, you should see it with your 
own eyes.
At night you can see the beauty of Kiev from the other side. Full of nightlights with its great architecture the capital of Ukraine becomes a wonderful place for a romantic car tour. Numerous nightclubs, disco bars, restaurants give great opportunity to fill nightlife of citizens and guests with wonderful impressions and emotions. Kiev travel guide will help you to know this beautiful city better. Below you can find the list of Kiev attractions. You are welcome to visit Kiev.
Photos of Kiev
Kiev at night
Wonderful sights of Kiev
Churches of Kiev
Kiev Monuments
Architecture of Kiev
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Assumption (Uspensky) Cathedral – the Main Temple of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
The main temple of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra – Assumption Cathedral (Uspensky Cathedral) is located in the centre of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, in front of the Saint Gates, in the middle of the central square of the Upper Lavra. This temple, one of
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Andrew's Descent in Kiev
In every city there is an old street, in whose lives there are inextricably united reality and history, fantasy and reality. This living history in Kiev is Andrew's Descent. The name of the street is associated with the presence of the Apostle Andrew in
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Khreshchatyk and Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti)
Khreshchatyk is the main street of Kiev with the length of more than 1 km. The street starts from the European Square, and ends – at Bessarabska Square. The history of the street can be divided into two parts: before the XIX century and after.
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Askold's Grave
Askold's Grave is situated in the park on the right bank of the Dnieper in the burial place of Prince Askold. According to legend, the princes Askold and Dir were killed in this place, but the body of Dir, in contrast to Askold, was buried not in the
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St. Andrew's Church in Kiev
One of the famous sights in Kiev is St. Andrew's Church, built by order of Empress Catherine in honor of the Apostle Andrew. It was erected in 1754 by the architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. According to legend, the mountain, on which the cathedral is
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St. Michael Golden-Domed Monastery in Kiev
St. Michael Golden-Domed Monastery in Kiev, one of the oldest monasteries, attracts tourists with its history, architecture and rich decoration. The name "Golden-Domed" comes from ancient times: historians believe that such an epithet of the monastery
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National Philharmonic in Kiev
National Philharmonic of Ukraine is located in the capital, city-hero of Kiev. Initially the National Philharmonic was located in Kharkov, the former capital of Ukraine. After the proclamation of Kiev as the capital of the State, Philharmonic moved to
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Botanical gardens in Kiev
Nowadays Kiev is one of the greenest cities in the world. This honorary title was achieved due to
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Kiev Subway
The date of foundation of the Kiev Subway is 1916. However the preliminary works began only in 1938 that had been temporarily suspended due to the beginning of the Great Patriotic War and continued after its end. Subway crosses all 10 districts of the
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Vladimir Cathedral in Kiev
The main temple of Ukrainian Orthodox Church, St. Vladimir's Cathedral has different and interesting history of construction and extraordinary interior. It is located on the Boulevard of Taras Shevchenko, and annually attracts millions of tourists and
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Monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky in Kiev
Monument to great Ukrainian political leader Bohdan Khmelnitsky is located on the Sofia Square and is one of the symbols of Kiev and monument of culture and architecture of the XIX century. The history of the monument is very interesting and unusual:
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Museum of the Great Patriotic War (Mother-Motherland)
The National Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 is the memorial complex, which is located in Kiev on the right bank of the Dnieper on the outskirts of Pechersk. Museum of the Great Patriotic War was opened on 9 May 1981, the ceremony was
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Exhibition of Dinosaurs in Kiev
From September 10 in Pechersky Landscape Park at the Singing Field there is held the exhibition "World of Dinosaurs", where one can see more than 50 exhibits of dinosaurs, recreated in full size on the latest scientific advances.This exhibition is an
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Monument to Prince Vladimir in Kiev
Monument to Prince Vladimir, also known as the Monument to Vladimir the Great, is located in the park "Vladimir Hill" (Vladimirskaya Gorka) and is one of the oldest sculptural monuments of Kiev and the symbol of this city. The first mention of the
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Bridge of Paton in Kiev
Bridge named after E.O. Paton, which is pedestrian, automobile and tram until 2004, longer than 1.5 km (the length of the bridge is more than Khreshchatyk Street) was opened in the middle of XX century, in 1953. Being the part of the small circular
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People’s Friendship Monument in Kiev
The opening of the Friendship Monument, devoted to the reunification of Ukraine and Russia, was held in Khreshchatyi Park in 1982 and was dedicated to the sixtieth anniversary of the Soviet Union and the celebration of the 1500th anniversary of Kiev. The
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Academic Theatre of Russian Drama by Lesya Ukrainka
National Academic Theatre of Russian Drama named after Lesya Ukrainka is located in Kiev, in the building of the former theater Bergognie in the very heart of Kiev - in the center of the historic part of the city, on the corner of two old streets (Bogdan
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Monument to the founders of Kiev
According to the “Primary Chronicle” by Nestor the Chronicler, as well as other Russian chronicles, dated XI-XII centuries, the contemporary city of Kiev was founded by three brothers - Kyi, Schek, Khoryv and their sister Lybid. The newly
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Speed Tram in Kiev
In the capital of Ukraine, city of Kiev, there was held a long-awaited event – there was finally launched the speed tram. The launch date was transferred thrice. The very reconstruction has lasted for 3 years, though it supposed to be finished in
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Park of Glory (Pechersk) in Kiev
The Park of Eternal Glory, located in the Pechersk district of Kiev, more than 50 years ago was called the Anosov Garden. Now on its territory there is a memorial complex “Park of Eternal Glory to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War”, in
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History of Kiev
Kiev is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities of Eastern Europe. It has heroic and glorious history. According to the legend Kiev was founded about 1500 years ago by three brothers - Kyi, Scheck, Khoryv and their sister Lybid. The city was named
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The biggest Flower Clock in Europe
On August 23 before the Independence Day of Ukraine in Kiev there was opened the biggest Flower Clock in Europe and in the world. The draft of Clock was based on the works of Ukrainian national painter Leonid Andrievskiy. Flower Clock mechanism was
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The Caves of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
Kiev-Pechersk Lavra – is the orthodox male monastery, the most ancient and one of the most prominent monasteries in ancient Kievan Rus. For centuries the main sightseeing of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra are the caves, built by the saint founders of the
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The temples of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra
Located at the hills of the right bank of river Dnieper Kiev-Pechersk Lavra meets gests with a wonderful view of temple cupolas which are glittering at the sun. The view of temples of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra from the left bank of river Dnieper is really
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Flower Exhibition in Kiev
On the slopes of Pechersk Landscape Park in Kiev from 22 August till 1 September was held the traditional annual 54 Kiev flower exhibition timed to the Independence Day of Ukraine. In 2009, the theme of this exhibition was “Fairy Tales of the
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The House with Chimeras. Kiev. Ukraine
The House with Chimeras is one of the most famous sights in the Ukrainian capital. It was created by famous Kiev architect Horodetskyi. There several legends about the building of the House with Chimeras. They say that Mr. Horodetskyi's daughter died
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Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev
Saint Sophia Cathedral was built in XI century. It is located in the heart of the city. There preserved through the centuries 260 m² mosaics and 3000 m² frescoes. It’s hardly anywhere else in Europe to find a church where preserve so many
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Golden Gates in Kiev. Ukraine
Until modern times there preserved few monuments of ancient Russ during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise, and the Golden Gates is one of them. The construction of the gate is mentioned in chronicles in 1037.Of course, Kiev, gaining strength, had to be
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Church of the Tithes in Ukraine
The first Christian construction built by Vladimir the Great became the Church of the Tithes in 986-996. Prince of Kiev allocated one-tenth of his income to its keeping that resulted in the name of the Tithe. Although in the documents it was called the
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Mariyinsky Palace in Kiev. Ukraine
Throughout its 250-year history, the Mariyinsky Palace experienced blossoming, landscaping, desolation, reconstruction, forgetfulness and fame. The daughter of Peter I, Empress Elizabeth, who was surprised of the beauty of Kiev, had chosen the place for
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House of weeping widow in Kiev
On the Lutheran street in Kiev there is situated the incredible building - house number 23. This manor was built by E. Bradtman in Art Nouveau style in 1907 due to order of the Poltava merchant Sergei Arshavskiy.On its facade above the windows there are
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Florovsky Monastery in Kiev
Ascension Florovsky Monastery in Kiev, founded at the beginning of XVI century (the name of the founder remains unknown), is not only the functioning monastery, but also the historical monument. According to some data it was built at the end of the XV
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The building of the Presidential Administration in Kiev
The majestic building that raises in Pechersk over Lipki, on Bankova Street, 11, was built in 1939 for the staff of the Kiev military district. It is the monument of Kiev culture and architecture. The building project was created by the famous Kharkov
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National Bank of Ukraine
National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) is the central bank of Ukraine and it was created when the country became the independent state. The Ukrainian Constitution governs all actions of the NBU, which are as follows: implementation of a monopoly to issue
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Cyril Church in Kiev
Cyril Church is one of the oldest temples with six cupolas. It was built in the early XII century on the outskirts of the city. The main cathedral of the Cyril monastery was intended as a tomb for Olgovichi. At the end of XII century in this sacred place
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Nicholas Roman Catholic Church (House of Organ and Chamber Music) in Kiev
Nicholas Church is the Roman Catholic Church of St. Nicholas, which has been used as the house of organ and chamber music since 1980. The building of the church began in 1899 and there were used many innovative technologies. For example, the foundation
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Babi Yar in Kiev
Babi Yar is the tract in the northwest of Kiev, which became famous as the place of mass execution of Soviet prisoners of war and civilians, mostly Jews and Gypsies, during the Great Patriotic War. Having decoyed Soviet citizens in the Babi Yar, the
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National Opera of Ukraine
National Opera of Ukraine, which was formerly named the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine named after Taras Shevchenko, is located in the center of Kiev and was established in 1867, immediately winning the title of one of the best in
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Alexander Church in Kiev
Alexander Church, located near the Independence Square and Khreshchatyk, is not only the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Kiev, but also the main Catholic Temple of this city. It was named after Tsar Alexander I, who ordered to build the church. The
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National University of Kiev-Mohyla Academy
National University of Kiev-Mohyla Academy is one of the oldest higher educational establishments of Ukraine. It was founded in 1615, closed 1817, reopened in 1819 and finally revived only in 1992. During its rich history the University was named school,
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Klovsky Palace in Kiev
Klovsky Palace was built in 1756 in baroque style. The palace was originally intended to accommodate members of the royal family during their visit to Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, although it was never used as intended. The royalty preferred to stay in the
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Taras Shevchenko University in Kiev
The Kiev National University named after Taras Shevchenko is the oldest university on the territory
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Castle of Richard the Lionheart in Kiev
The house № 15, called Castle of Richard the Lionheart, is situated between the Andrew's Descent (Andreevsky Spusk), the old Kiev street, and the Vozdyhalnitsa Hill, the historical area, mentioned in Old Russian annals. It’s widely thought that the
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Vladimirskaya Hill in Kiev
The Park Vladimirskaya Hill (Vladimirskaya Gorka) is justly one of the most beautiful parks on the Kiev’s territory. The Park was founded in the middle of the 19th century: there is the Memorial to Prince Vladimir, the Kiev’s symbol, who made
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