Lubyanka

The private factory of Christmas tree toys of the Bakun family is located near Kyiv, in the village of Lubyanka near Hostomel.

In 2007, Vasyl Bakun and his children Ihor and Kateryna established a traditional but more modern production of hand-painted glass Christmas tree balls here.

During the tour, visitors are shown various stages of toy production: blowing balls from glass tubes, silvering the balls with a solution of silver oxide, drying in special ovens, and finally, hand painting, which is done by students of art higher education institutions. Visitors can order a personal drawing or make an inscription on the ball.

The Lubyanka Christmas Tree Decorations Factory produces more than 2,000 types of Christmas tree toys, many of which can be bought in the company store at the manufacturer's price.

On the very first day of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, February 24, 2022, the factory and the village of Lubyanka were occupied by the Russians. Ihor Bakun, the son of the factory's founder, who worked as a glassblower for Christmas tree decorations and gave tours, was shot by the Russian military.

Currently, the Christmas tree decorations factory in Lubyanka does not accept tour groups. Instead, the factory organizes field workshops at schools or kindergartens.

The Saint Nicholas Church in the village of Lubyanka is the only surviving pre-revolutionary church in the former Borodyanka district.

The first wooden church in the village was built in 1758. In 1812, it was replaced by a new one, but at the end of the 19th century, due to the strong dilapidation of the building, it was decided to build a new church.

The project of the temple was developed by academician of architecture Volodymyr Nikolayev, the author of the projects of the Intercession Monastery, the Kyiv Philharmonic, the refectory church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, and others. The architecture of the Saint Nicholas Church is quite restrained and practically devoid of decor. The only exception is the complex 10-column entrance portico, which has survived to this day.

During the years of Bolshevism, the dome was dismantled, and the church was closed. Divine service was resumed in 1941 during the German-fascist occupation. Since then, the temple has not been closed.

In 2014, the Saint Nicholas Church received a protective status. In the same year, the new priest carried out an arbitrary reconstruction of the temple - the decor of the entrance group was knocked down, four concrete pillars were placed in the central cross and a bulbous crown on top, the temple was painted, due to which it lost its authenticity.