A bustling metropolis of anywhere between three and five million inhabitants, Kyiv is Ukraine’s economic and political center.
It is also one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe and the birthplace of Kyivan Rus, which laid the cultural foundations for modern-day Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
The Mongol invasion brought an end to Europe’s erstwhile largest country, however, and eight centuries would pass until the city regained its place as capital to an independent Ukrainian state.
Countless invasions and occupations left chaos and destruction in their wake, but also an endearingly eclectic architecture – combining medieval churches, pearls of Art-Nouveau and gargantuan Stalinist avenues – and a vibrant culture that sets Kyiv apart from other post-Soviet capitals.
The city has spawned many leading artists and writers, including suprematism champion Kazimir Malevich and author of The Master and Margarita Mikhail Bulgakov. It has also been home to many world class scientific minds, such as aviation giant Igor Sikorsky, best known for the eponymous helicopters, or Nobel Prize winner Tadeusz Reichstein, credited with discovering the industrial process of synthesizing Vitamin C.
Known as the city of chestnuts, Kyiv is one of Eastern Europe’s greenest capitals, with vast areas of the city covered by parks and forests, not to mention the islands on the Dnipro River and their numerous beaches. Like Rome, the city is built upon seven hills. Large parts of these may have been paved over, but intrepid travelers can still wander the lost paths between them for hours on end.
Must see: The monastery of the caves, or Pechersk Lavra, and its ancient tunnels filled with mummified religious dignitaries and cells in which martyrs had walled themselves in. Kyiv’s other UNESCO World Heritage site, the former seat of power of Eastern Orthodoxy St. Sophia, also cuts an impressive figure. From there you can stroll down the picturesque Andriyivskiy descent to the old river port area of Podil with its many restaurants and cafes.
Stadium: First built as the Red Stadium of Trotsky in 1923, Kyiv’s Olympic Stadium has gone through multiple transformations, including a $600 million facelift just ahead of the games. The site of the Euro 2012 final is also the biggest venue among the host cities with close to 70,000 seats.
Take home: Andriyivskiy Uzviz is the go-to place for the typical tacky post-Soviet souvenirs – politician matryoshkas, KGB T-shirts, and pig fat-themed fridge magnets. You can also get pretty decent ushankas (fur hats) there.
Say: “Kyiv is so European – much nicer than Moscow.”
Don’t say: Chicken Kyiv jokes. Nobody will know what you’re talking about. More importantly, they’re not funny.
Quote: Mikhail Bulgakov: “There is no city in the world more beautiful than Kyiv.”
Kyiv Post staff writer Jakub Parusinski can be reached at [email protected]
