Kyiv’s Independence Square isn’t just ground zero for staging protests and outdoor rock concerts.
It’s also the starting point of the capital’s first free English-language walking tours.
Lasting around 2.5 hours and devoted to seeing the ancient part of Kyiv, tourists disembark daily from the base of the globe near the main post office.
The tour guides are easily spotted, with a person hoisting a “Free Tours” flag.
After brief introductions, tour groups first take in the Stalinist architecture surrounding the square, then walk through what was once Kyiv’s southern gate and today is the yellow arch with Kyiv’s patron, Saint Michael.
He is also known as Batman because of his dark-colored body, perched atop glittering gold.
They then walk up the hill toward St. Michael’s Square, the site of many scenes in Mikhail Bulgakov’s “The White Guard.”
Once the various monuments are described, including one dedicated to the Holodomor of 1932-33, the tour explores the cathedral’s compound.
It exits where passersby try sticking a coin to a horizontal metal cylinder at a wishing well.
There, a brief lesson on the more than 100-year-old funicular is given. Then the group stops at the classically designed Foreign Ministry building.
The place gives a great feel for the enormity of the former Communist Party headquarters and how tiny a Soviet man must have felt in comparison to the party machine.
Next is Andriyivsky Descent and St. Andrew’s, the magnificent aqua, baroque-style church.
But instead of walking down the serpentine market street, the group breaks for refreshments at a local cafe before heading for Sofia Square.
Here stands the statue of Cossack leader Bohdan Khmelnytsky.
Erected in 1888, 900 years after the christening of Kyivan Rus, the guides explain why his battle mace isn’t facing towards Moscow whom he had fatefully asked for support against Polish pressure and the marauding Tatars.
The reason is that such a positioning would have put the horse’s rear end facing St. Michael’s Cathedral, so it was rotated to a less offensive position.
The world heritage site of St. Sofia’s Cathedral becomes the subject of the next lecture.
Built by Prince Yaroslav the Wise in the 11th century, it housed Kyivan Rus’ first school and a library as well as other civic institutions.
Golden Gate is next but not before the ridiculous-looking Cossack-saddled statue is shown near the border guard building.
At the city’s other entrance gate, the group is shown the statue of Yaroslav the Wise holding a model of St. Sofia Cathedral with outstretched arms.
It is obvious why Kyivans call the bronze statue: “The Waiter.”
The group then descends down Prorizna Street, past a few landmarks like the Leipzig Hotel and some more statues down the hill.
The trek ends at Khreshchatyk Plaza, home to the company’s tourist information center.
Free Tours was founded by Marina Kryvunchenko who, after taking free walking tours in Budapest and Prague, wanted to emulate the practice and show Kyiv to visitors for free.
“As a trained interpreter, this was the perfect opportunity for me to show tourists our beautiful city, especially since there were no such services offered in Kyiv at the time,” Kryvunchenko said.
The walking tours were launched a year ago. They are given by fluent, recent graduates who also offer weekend evening pub crawls for Hr 100.
The firm also cooperates with the double-decker bus tour company that runs daily 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tips are encouraged following the walking tour. Walking tours are given daily at noon and 4 p.m. near the main post office on Independence Square.
http://freetours.kiev.ua
(066) 851-85-58; (044) 278-80-04
Kyiv Post staff writer Mark Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].
