Ukrainian Capital Highlights
Kyiv’s Tourist Attractions from St Sophia’s Cathedral to the Caves M
Sep 14, 2006
After Russia, Ukraine is the largest country in Eastern Europe, and its capital Kyiv is a center worth experiencing. It's becoming modern and hip, but without losing its historic feel: in fact, the roots of all things Slavic are traced to Kyiv - "the cradle of Slavic civilisation". What should you do to get the flavour of this city?
St Sophia Cathedral Complex
The oldest existing church in Kyiv, the St Sophia Cathedral Complex, the original building was completed in 1031. You can climb the bell tower or view highlights like the eleventh century mosaics in the 13 cupola cathedral.
Caves Monastery
The Caves Monastery or Pechersk Lavra was founded by monks Antony and Feodosiy in 1051; the monks lived in caves and there bodies were also placed there when they died - the right temperature and humidity preserved them until now, and you can see them, now kept in glass-lidded coffins. The UNESCO World Heritage listed monastery complex is above the Dnipro River and includes several churches and museums. Note that women need head scarves (you can buy them there if necessary) and you should be appropriately dressed (for example, no T-shirts or shorts).
Khreshchatyk and the Bessarabska Market
The main street of Kyiv, Khreshchatyk, is usually closed to traffic on weekends and becomes a center for gatherings, music and fun. The southern end is home to the Bessarabska Market which features both a traditional fruit, vegetable and grocery market - a good place to stock up on caviar - along with modern restaurants, shops and cafes. The Independence Square or Maydan Nezalezhnosti can be found at the opposite end of Khreshchatyk.
Further Sights of Kyiv
Other sightseeing tips in Kyiv include the Chornobyl Museum, which documents the nuclear disaster of 1986 - the affected nuclear plant is just 60 miles north of Kyiv; St Vladimir's Cathedral built in Byzantium style; and the eighteenth century Mariyinsky Palace, set in a pleasant park.
One point of warning: every second guidebook or brochure you read in English will spell the names of places in Kyiv in a different way. Be prepared to take the chance that words that look similar usually refer to the same place - there are a lot of inconsistencies in the transliteration from the Cyrillic alphabet and between the Russian and Ukrainian languages.
