No one knows their home turf better than the locals, so it’s no surprise that a new English-language guidebook called “Kyiv by Locals,” written by four Kyivans, has some of the best and most up-to-date information about the Ukrainian capital.
The four — Alina Rudya, Nina Gorbacheva, Zoya Lytvyn, and Olga Bezkhmelytsyna — selected their favorite city venues and tourist attractions to cover, and interviewed famous Kyivans about the places in the city they love to go to.
Unlike most guidebooks about Kyiv, each venue mentioned in “Kyiv by Locals” has a handy info box with its address, the nearest metro stations, and relevant websites and social media pages.
The book also has a great look and feel: printed on soft matte paper, it has adorable cartoonish illustrations and a stylish layout.
It starts with basic information about the city’s history, geography, emergency numbers, public transportation and tipping culture. The book’s several chapters are in the form of to-do lists: where to stay, where to eat, where to drink and party, along with a metro map and useful phrases in Ukrainian.
Even the photos in the book were taken by ordinary locals. The authors encouraged photographers and regular Kyivans to post their snaps of the city life on Instagram with the hashtag #kyivbylocals. More than 4,500 people participated, posting pictures of Kyiv streets and cafes. Around 200 photos ended up in the book.
This first edition of the book only has 140 pages, giving a broad overview of the city. All the same, apart from the usual tourist attractions there are some more unusual listings — the best examples of Soviet architecture, for example, or a guide to Kyiv’s left bank, a list of cultural events and festivals held in the city, and one-day trips from the capital.
At the end of each chapter there is a map showing all of the places mentioned. One drawback is that the one-page maps don’t show all of the street names, which might be confusing.
As for venues, the guidebook has a useful list of restaurants divided by cuisine, as well as a list of the best burger joints, confectionaries and coffee shops.
The “Where to Drink and Party” chapter lists the city’s best bars and clubs, including two aimed at LGBT people — Pomada and Lift.
The book also has some quirky novelties, such as a list of 10 things to do in Kyiv, which includes taking a selfie with the cat sculpture on Peizazhna Alley, and instructions for drinking the traditional Ukrainian strong spirit, horilka.
All in all, “Kyiv by Locals” is currently the most practical guidebook for the city available in bookstores. If you’re new in town and don’t know any locals personally, it’s the ideal way to get up to speed on city information.
“Kyiv by Locals” is available in the online store Yakaboo for Hr 240 and in the Index 50 store at 50 Vozdvyzhenska St. For more details visit www.kyivbylocals.com.
Other guidebooks for Kyiv and Ukraine:
“Different Kyiv.” Hr 50 www.interesniy.kiev.ua
“Ukraine. Travel Guide.” Hr 147 www.bukva.ua, www.yakaboo.ua
“Lonely Planet Ukraine.” Hr 570 for paperback edition and Hr 400 for web version www.shop.lonelyplanet.com
“A Motor-Car Trip Through Ukraine.” Hr 215 www.interesniy.kiev.ua
“Awesome Kyiv,” “Awesome Ukraine.” Hr 150 and Hr 200 respectively www.osnovypublishing.com
