This year, as always, Kyiv offers plenty of entertainment during the winter holiday season, including concerts, Christmas markets, fairs, and festivals. The Kyiv Post looked through the town’s festive program and picked the best entertainment opportunities for those spending holidays in the city.
Visit a contemporary genius’s art exhibition
Those interested in contemporary art would not miss the chance to visit the paintings exhibition “Where is the Verity?” by Ivan Marchuk, a renowned Ukrainian artist whom the Daily Telegraph included in the list of the living geniuses in 2007.
The exhibition is held in the central office of Ukrainian post office company Ukrposhta and displays Marchuk’s 47 artworks representing his various periods – from the artist’s earliest works to his recent masterpieces. Marchuk invented his own art techniques which he calls “plyontanism.” The name originates from a Ukrainian word “plyontaty” – “to confuse.” Instead of painting with strokes, Marchuk weaves amazing lace-like networks on his canvas.
Marchuk has created more than 5,000 art pieces. His paintings are exhibited in the best art galleries around the world. The artist almost never sells his paintings, although art critics estimate them to be worth thousands of dollars.
Ivan Marchuk’s art exhibition is open through Feb. 28 in the Ukrposhta central office (22 Khreshchatyk St.) Open daily from 12 p.m. till 9 p.m. except Mondays and Jan. 1. Entrance fee is Hr 50 for adults, Hr 20 for schoolchildren, students, retired and people with disabilities.
Choose the best books for winter reading at the Medvin book fair
They say that a book is the best gift. The annual book fair Medvin offers a great opportunity to buy an excellent last-minute gift to please yourselves or your beloved ones, or stock up on the books to read during the long winter nights. This year, the three-day Christmas book fair will present the books of Ukrainian publishers like A-ba-ba-ga-la-ma-ga, Staryi Lev, Genesis, Clio and many others.
The book fair visitors will be offered various workshops on creating handmade Christmas décor – snowflakes, wreaths, painting Christmas tree bubbles and making Christmas flower compositions.
Medvin book fair is open on Dec. 23-25 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in NSC Olimpiysky (55 Velyka Vasylkivska St.). Entrance is free
Go skiing in Kyiv’s Protasiv Yar
Protasiv Yar, the city’s only ski complex not far from Kyiv center, is the best place for extreme winter fun lovers. It meets all the requirements for comfortable and enjoyable skiing, sledding, and snowboarding. Protasiv Yar has two ski slopes – for experienced skiers and for beginners. It also has two drag lifts. There is also night skiing.
Season tickets go for Hr 3,000 – 9,000. Price for entrance varies between Hr 25–40, and ski lift charge is Hr 12-25. There is an equipment rental.
Protasiv Yar ski complex is located at 23A Protasiv Yar St. It is open daily. For more information go to gora.com.ua.
Experience traditional Ukrainian Christmas in Mamayeva Sloboda
Mamayeva Sloboda outdoor museum will hold a Christmas celebration in accordance with Ukrainian traditions. Ukrainian folk bands Rozhanytsia, Terlych-Trava, Dobryvechir will sing Ukrainian carols, kolyadky, all day long on Jan. 7. The festive program also includes dances around the fire, craft workshops and a nativity play. One may ride a 17th century sleigh pulled by horses and simply enjoy the views of the snow-covered old mills and traditional houses of the park.
The visitors will be treated to Ukrainian dishes and Cossack-era spirits – vyshnyak, slyvyanka, medovukha and varenukha. For children, there will be a sale of traditional Ukrainian handmade toys – like clay whistles and wooden animal figurines.
Mamayeva Sloboda (2 Dontsya St.) is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entrance fee is Hr 50 for adults, Hr 35 for pensioners, schoolchildren and students, free for people with disabilities and the Ukrainian military.
Enjoy the many Christmas fairs in Kyiv
Sparkling illumination, richly decorated Christmas trees, lots of fun and tasty food – everything one may find at the Kyiv’s many Christmas fairs. Here are the best ones:
Christmas markets and other outdoor entertainments in Kyiv. (Stella Shabliovska)
VDNH
The winter holidays celebration at the National Expocenter VDNH is becoming a tradition. Thousands of Christmas lights, an 8-meter high Christmas tree, a 4,000-square-meter ice rink, a Christmas souvenir market, and lots of hot sausages and mulled wine await the VDNH visitors.
VDNH Expocenter (1 Akademika Hlushkova St.) is open daily on Dec. 10 – Jan. 15. from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sofiiska Square
For the fourth year in a row, Sofiiska Square will be the main spot for the New Year and Christmas celebrations in Kyiv. The square hosts Ukraine’s main Christmas tree, a 26-meter-high live pine decorated with 1,000 Ukrainian traditional wooden Yavorivska ornaments. Concerts, fire shows, enjoyable contests, and a Christmas market selling festive goods will put any Grinch in a holiday mood.
Sofiiska Square. Christmas fair open through Jan. 19 daily from 10 a.m. till 8 p.m.
Poshtova Square
This year Poshtova Square in Podil becomes another spot for celebrations with its European Winter Fair. The fair’s visitors may get acquainted with European traditions of Christmas celebrations and enjoy traditional German, Scandinavian, French and British Christmas treats all while listening to the music of Ukrainian and foreign DJs.
The fair has a photo zone featuring the holiday decorations of various European countries. One can get a photo printed as a postcard and mail it on the spot.
Poshtova Square. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Dec. 19 – Jan. 8.
