Attractions of Kyiv region

The Great Khodosivka Hillfort (Kruhlyk Settlement) is located on the southern outskirts of Kyiv between the villages of Khotiv, Lisnyki, Khodosivka, and Ivankovychi. Inside the settlement are the villages of Kruhlyk and Kremenishche.

This is one of the three giant hillforts of the forest-steppe of Ukraine, an archeological monument of national importance, which is part of the Khodosivka archaeological complex and is part of the Serpent's Wall system.

The settlement belongs to the early Iron Age (VI–V centuries BC). It was a settlement of Scythian ploughmen, surrounded by a protective rampart with a total length of 10-12 kilometers. Now this rampart has a height of up to 8 meters, in some places a defensive ditch can still be seen along it. In the days of Kyivan Rus', the rampart of the hillfort was built into the system of the Serpent's Wall (Zmiyevi valy) as the last line of defense in front of Kyiv.

The remnants of the Ancient Rus' system of earthen fortifications, located on the southern outskirts of Kyiv and in other places on the territory of the Middle Dnieper region, are called snake ramparts. Their total length, according to various estimates, reaches from 900 to 1500 kilometers. Presumably, the ramparts served to protect the southern borders of the Kyiv state from nomads. The history of their construction and functions have not been sufficiently studied.

The legend tells about the legendary hero Mykyta KozhemIaka, who harnessed the Zmiy Horynych (Slavic dragon, snake) to a plow and plowed giant furrows, from which the name of the wall came.

According to archaeologists, most of the Serpent's Wall were built in the X-XI centuries. Earth ramparts with wooden structures inside were up to 15 meters high, and were fortified with a wooden palisade along the crest. They formed a front in the direction of the steppe - to the south and southeast. At least 4,000 construction workers were to participate in the construction work, and the work could last about 4-5 years.

Fragments of the Serpent's Wall have been preserved along the tributaries of the Dnipro: Vita, Chervona, Stuhna, Trubizh, Sula, Ros and others. One of the best places to look is the section of the shaft on the road from Kruhlyk to Ivankovychi. There is a parking lot nearby. A wooden sign mistakenly indicates that these are Cossack ramparts of the 16th century.

The complex of shopping rows in Bila Tserkva was built at the beginning of the 19th century by Count Branytskyi.

Built in the style of early classicism, the enclosed guest courtyard faces the square with large arches with formal porticos along the axis of the four facades. Porticos played a large compositional role, closing the perspective of four mutually perpendicular streets, planned along the axes of the square Market Square. The originally designed shopping complex with an area of about 5,000 square meters was designed for 85 benches. The opening of shopping streets significantly stimulated trade in Bila Tserkva and contributed to the expansion of the Jewish community.

The old shopping rows is still used for its intended purpose - shops and cafes are located here. Various festivals and cultural events take place on the territory.

The Soviet Occupation of Ukraine Museum was created in 2001 by the efforts of the Kyiv branch of the All-Ukrainian Society "Memorial" named after Vasyl Stus.

The exposition reflects the crimes of the communist regime in the period 1917–1991 and is divided into 10 sections: "Not to be forgotten. The Chronicle of the Communist Inquisition in Ukraine", "People's War", "Ukrainian Solovki", "Kyiv Martyrologist", "Lost Memory" , "Language exposition", "Broken destinies", "Destruction of spirituality".

Copies of documents, in particular from the declassified archives of the Security Service of Ukraine, photographs of private individuals, memories and testimonies of eyewitnesses and their relatives, video and audio materials are presented.

Starokyivska Hill is the historical heart of Kyiv. It is here, according to legend, that Prince Kiy founded his city in the 5th century, which is reminded of by a memorial sign - a stone with the words "From here the Rus land has left..." Now the National Museum of the History of Ukraine is located here.

On Starokyivska Hill, the ramparts of the prince's hillfort and the foundation of the first stone Christian church founded by Prince Volodymyr in Rus - the Tithe Church (989-996) in the Byzantine style (the prince took a tenth of the income for maintenance) have been preserved. It was destroyed during the Tatar-Mongol invasion, burying the last defenders of the city under it. Restored in the 19th century in the Byzantine-Moscow style, destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1929. The Church of the Tithes History Museum operates.

A four-hundred-year-old linden tree planted by Metropolitan Petro Mohyla grows nearby. The foundation of Princess Olha's palace (10th century) was discovered. In 1937-1939, the Museum of the History of Ukraine was built.

On the nearby Saint Andrew's Hill, where, according to legend, the apostle Andrew announced the birth of one of the eternal cities of the world, the baroque Saint Andrew's Church (1749-1754) was built according to the project of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Nearby is a monument to the heroes of the movie "After two hares" Holokhvastov and Pronya Prokopivna.

The State Museum of Aviation named after Oleh Antonov in Kyiv is the largest technical museum of Ukraine, a structural subdivision of the National Aviation University. Located near Zhulyany airport.

The museum was created for the 100th anniversary of aviation. Almost all major types of aircraft and helicopters that were in the service of the USSR Air Force or flew in civil aviation were collected on the territory of 14 hectares. The historical collection includes models of aircraft, prototypes of which have not survived: the world's first aircraft of the Wright brothers "Flyer-1", a light bomber "Anatra-Anasal", a YAK fighter. In the collection of ANs - the three most popular aircraft: An-2, An-24, An-26.

The exposition of the design bureau of Mikoyan and Hurevych includes four generations of MiG combat aircraft. The Tu-22M strategic supersonic missile bombers are impressive. Civil aviation is also represented by Tupolev's planes.

In total, the museum has more than 70 planes and helicopters, as well as missiles, weapons and engines.

It is possible to rent exhibits (holding events inside the aircraft: filming, presentations, etc.).

The tomb-chapel of the Sveikovskyi (Świejkowski) family in Tetiiv was built in 1805 next to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, founded by them. A sculpture of Saint Yan Nepomuk once stood in front of the main entrance to the church, so the church was also called by his name.

The chapel is built in the forms of classicism and outwardly resembles an ancient temple. On the four-column Ionic portico there is an inscription in Polish: "Tym ktorzy zmartwychwstaną" ("To those who will rise"). Above the forged door is the coat of arms of the Świejkowski family.

The Sveikovskyi chapel is an architectural monument of national importance. Now it belongs to the Roman Catholic parish of All Saints in the city of Tetiiv. Holy Mass is held on Sundays.

The Syrotkin House - an elegant building in the Renaissance style at the corner of Volodymyrska and Prorizna Streets was once the tallest residential building in Kyiv.

Once upon a time there was a small building that belonged to the nobleman Andriy Tarnovsky. In 1898, he sold the plot to the merchant Mykola Hryhorovych-Barsky. Soon, the construction of a profitable building started here according to the project of the architect Karl-Johan Szyman.

Construction was completed in 1902 by the new owner, merchant Oleksandr Syrotkin. On the first floor of the new building was the famous Marquis cafe in Kyiv, which is mentioned in the novel "The White Guard" by Mykhaylo Bulhakov: "The lamps, wrapped in gypsy shawls, cast two lights - a white electric one down, and an orange one up and to the side. The ceiling was covered with a star of blue dusty silk, big diamonds sparkled in blue beds and reddish Siberian furs shone."

In Soviet times, the popular restaurant "Leipzig" operated.

After the recent restoration, the building is preserved.

The monument to the outstanding Ukrainian poet and public figure Taras Shevchenko in Kyiv was erected in 1939. - 75 years after his death.

The question of perpetuating Shevchenko's memory in Kyiv has been repeatedly raised since 1904, but due to bureaucratic red tape, the project was never implemented before the Soviet-Ukrainian war. It was not until the 125th anniversary of the poet's birthday that a decision was made to erect a monument opposite the Red Building of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv University, on the site of the monument to Emperor Nicholas I.

The monument was created by sculptor Matviy Manizer and architect Yevhen Levinson. The height of the bronze figure is 6.45 meters. It is installed on a red granite pedestal with the inscription: "T. H. Shevchenko. 1814-1861" and words from the "Testament".

The monument is located in the park named after Taras Shevchenko, which is considered the most comfortable and orderly in Kyiv. In the park you can see a fountain in the shape of the Black Sea. This is a favorite place of amateur chess players of Kyiv. Here is the oldest public toilet in the city, built before the Bolshevik coup of 1917.

A monument to the poet Taras Shevchenko in Vasylkiv was erected in 1993 on one of the city's central squares.

The monument is distinguished by its "humanity" - the Ukrainian genius is depicted not as a stern old man with a judgmental look, as usual, but as a young and inspired poet who sat down to rest with a book in his hands.

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv is one of the best higher education institutions in Ukraine, the largest university in terms of the number of students and majors. This is a classical research-type university, a leading modern scientific and educational center of the country.

The Imperial University of Saint Volodymyr was founded in 1833 on the basis of the Polish Kremenets Lyceum (Jesuit Collegium), which was moved to Kyiv, and was opened in 1834 on the day of commemoration of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Volodymyr.

The main (red) building, built in 1842 in the form of classicism according to the project of the architect Vikentiy Beretti, received colors that corresponded to the color of the ribbon of the Order of Saint Volodymyr. Symmetrical library buildings (1914, 1940) are located on the sides. The yellow building was built in 1850 as a male gymnasium building.

The first rector of the university was the outstanding Ukrainian scientist Mykhaylo Maksymovych. Kyiv University received its current name in 1939 in honor of the outstanding Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, who worked in 1845-47 in the University's Archaeological Commission. Mykola Kostomarov, Mykola Hrushevskyi, Volodymyr Antonovych, Mykola Starytskyi, Mykola Lysenko, Maksym Rylskyi, Mykhaylo Bulhakov, Viktor Hlushkov, Vyacheslav Chornovil and many other outstanding scientists and public figures studied and taught here.

The Kyiv National University History Museum, the Zoological Museum, the Archaeological Museum and the Linguistic Educational Museum of KNU are located in the Red Building. In addition, the museum complex of the university includes the Geological Museum, the Astronomical Museum and the Museum of the Oleksandr Fomin Botanical Garden.

Taras Shevchenko Park with a monument to the poet, a fountain in the shape of the Black Sea, and a "five" for chess players is located between the buildings of the university. Behind the Red Building is the Oleksandr Fomin University Botanic Gardens (8,000 varieties of plants).

On October 10, 2022, during a Russian missile strike on Kyiv, the university's main academic building suffered significant damage. In addition, the university's museums were damaged as a result of the shelling. In particular, the blast wave damaged the windows of the Zoological Museum, as well as destroyed the stands that housed numerous exhibits and collections.

The Park named after Taras Shevchenko is located in the center of Kyiv in front of the Red Building of the Kyiv National University. It is considered the most comfortable and orderly in the capital.

Opened in 1860 as "University Square" on a wasteland. In 1896, a monument to Russian Tsar Nicholas I was erected in the center of the square. In 1939, on the 125th anniversary of the birth of Taras Shevchenko, a monument to the poet Matviy Manizer was opened.

In the park you can see a fountain in the shape of the Black Sea. This is a favorite place of amateur chess players of Kyiv. Here is the oldest public toilet in the city, built even before the Bolshevik coup of 1917.

The museum exposition, dedicated to the stay of the poet and artist Taras Shevchenko in Yahotyn, is located in the reconstructed wooden outbuilding of the former Ryepnin-Volkonsky estate in Kyiv region.

Shevchenko visited Yahotyn several times in 1843-1845, living in this wing. Here he painted portraits of the owners of the Yahotyn estate, painted the surrounding landscapes. Copies of some of his works are now on display in the museum's exposition in six thematic halls.

Of particular value are some items from the Ryepnin estate that Shevchenko used, such as a desk and a chair in the Cabinet Hall.

Also presented here is a unique painting by an unknown Italian artist "Blind Man with a Boy" from the personal collection of the Ryepnin princes.

In the "Living Room" paintings by contemporary artists reproduce some moments of the poet's life in Yahotyn.

The exposition "Taras Shevchenko's Outbuilding" is a department of the Municipal Institution "Yahotyn Historical Museum".

Museum in the Dark "Third after midnight" in Kyiv - the first museum in Ukraine, where all tours are held in complete darkness and accompanied by blind guides.

The museum space with an area of 150 square meters recreates in 5 locations typical real-life places - a street, an apartment, a park, an art gallery. But everything that surrounds visitors, they can perceive only by touch, as well as hear sounds and smells.

During the 90-minute tour, visitors are invited to go through all 5 rooms, experiencing ordinary everyday situations, but without using eyesight, which gives the opportunity to learn more about the capabilities of the human body and how blind people live.

The museum also offers tours of the city "Feel Kyiv" with a blind guide and an online quest for children "5 senses", which in the format of the game helps children develop senses and empathy.

In 2023, the museum "Third After Midnight" opened in Lviv.

The burial church of the Pidhorsky family in Antoniv was built in 1810.

The stone temple has an unusual pyramidal shape of a ziggurat - a stepped vault is erected above the square building, which ends with an obelisk in the form of a truncated pyramid.

The temple-tomb also served as the parish church of the Catholic community of Antoniv and the surrounding villages.

Now the church is half-ruined.

The Transfiguration Cathedral is the main Orthodox church of the Bila Tserkva, a vivid example of the transition in church architecture from baroque forms to classicism.

The Orthodox Cathedral was built in 1833-1839 at the expense of Countess Oleksandra Branytska on the site of the dilapidated Mykilska Church, founded in 1706 by Hetman Ivan Mazepa. There was a belief in the city that the one who builds a new church on the site of Mykilska's Church will face inevitable death. The countess died in the year of completion of construction and was buried in the cathedral, built on her order.

The stone building has a height of 40 meters, but it looks rather squat. The dome, located above the central part, crowns a massive vault, which has a hemispherical shape. The walls are decorated with pilasters.

In 1930, the Transfiguration Cathedral was closed, in 1956 it was restored. Now the temple is active. There is a chapel nearby, which is a preserved fragment of Mykilska's Church.

In 2023, by decision of the city council of Bila Tserkva, the buildings of the Transfiguration Cathedral and the Mykilska Church were handed over to the Bila Tserkva Diocese of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Ukraine.