Attractions of Kyiv

The Geological Museum of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv is located in the premises of the Institute of Geology of KNU.

The museum was founded in 1834 as the Mineralogical Office of the Department of Mineralogy and Geognosy of the University of Saint Volodymyr. The materials of the liquidated Volyn Lyceum, Lutsk Gymnasium and Vilnius University became the initial foundation for it. After the paleontological collection was added in 1997, the current Geological Museum was created.

The exposition is located on an area of 880 meters. The Geological Museum has departments of general geology and geological processes, history of the Earth and paleontology, mineralogy and petrography, geology and minerals of Ukraine.

The exposition of the museum demonstrates the position of the Earth in outer space, the peculiarities of its structure and development, the evolution of the organic world. About 10,000 samples of minerals, rocks, precious and decorative stones, fossilized remains of fauna and flora, among which many are unique, are exhibited.

The greatest treasury of Ukrainian antiquities of all time is the National Museum of History of Ukraine (NMHU), located in the historic heart of Kyiv, on the ramparts of the Kyiv Dytynets (Citadel).

The museum was founded in 1899 and officially opened in 1904 as the Kyiv Art, Industry and Science Museum. It was originally housed in a museum building built by architect Vladyslav Horodetsky, which is now occupied by the National Art Museum. The first museum department of archeology was headed by the discoverer of Trypillya and Chernyakhiv cultures, a prominent Ukrainian archaeologist Vikentiy Khvoyka.

After the Second World War, the historical museum moved to the current building in the style of classicism, which was built on Starokyivska Hill in 1937-1939 for the art school. Today, the National Museum of History of Ukraine is one of the leading museums in Ukraine in terms of the number and importance of collections. Its stock collections number about 850 thousand exhibits. These are world-famous archeological and numismatic collections, ethnographic collections, collections of weapons, monuments of decorative and applied arts, manuscripts, old prints, paintings and graphics, relics of the Ukrainian national liberation movement of the twentieth century. They are located in 33 halls and reflect the history of Ukraine from ancient times to the present.

In particular, you can see the mysterious binoculars of Trypillya vessels, an anthropomorphic idol of pit culture, an iron Scythian sword with a golden handle from the Bielsko settlement. The diorama "Kyiv of the X-XIII centuries" gives a clear idea of the medieval city. The grand royal carriage of Empress Elizabeth Petrivna, which she presented to Kyiv Metropolitan Raphael Zaborovskyi, impresses with its luxury. The pride of the National Museum of History of Ukraine is the holographic exhibition "Golden Treasury of Ukraine", where you can see in detail the hologram of the famous golden Scythian pectoral. The largest numismatic collection of the museum in Ukraine has 120 thousand units.

In addition to classic tours, the National Museum of History of Ukraine offers author's themed tours, theatrical tours with a deep immersion in the atmosphere of the era, interactive children's tours and quests. The museum shop offers historical publications, postcards, souvenir plates, magnets, etc.

Admission to the museum is free every last Monday of the month.

The National Academic Drama Theater named after Ivan Franko is the most popular in Kyiv.

The theater building was built in 1898 on Mykolayivska Square, which appeared on the site of a filled-in pond, which was located in the estate of the Kyiv professor Mering.

The theater premises were built by architects Eduard-Ferdynand Bradtman and Heorhiy Shleifer for Mykola Solovtsov's Society of Dramatic Artists theater, which later became the basis of the troupe of another Kyiv theater named after Lesya Ukrainka. The audience hall is decorated in Rococo style.

In 1919, the Solovtsov Theater was nationalized and transformed into the Second Lenin Theater of the Ukrainian SSR. In 1926, the theater building became a permanent stage for the theater group named after Ivan Franko. The theatrical season of 1926 in the renamed theater opened with the production "Eyelashes" based on the work of Mykola Hohol and adapted by Ostap Vyshnya.

People's Artist of the USSR and Ukraine Bohdan Stupka was the artistic director of the Ivan Franko Theater for a long time.

The most successful productions from the modern repertoire are considered to be "Natalka Poltavka", "The Konotop Witch", "Stolen Happiness", "Kaydash Family", and "Tevye-Tevel".

The National Museum of Natural History at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is located in the center of Kyiv, in an old building with original neoclassical architecture.

Founded in 1966. Now it is a large museum complex that unites 5 museums: archaeological, geological, paleontological, zoological, botanical.

In 24 halls on an area of 8,000 square meters, more than 30,000 exhibits are collected, which tell about the origin of the Earth, its structure and evolution, plant and animal life, as well as the history of the material culture of the tribes and peoples who inhabited the territory of Ukraine in ancient times.

A prominent place is occupied by a complex of dioramas - about 30 landscape expositions and biogroups. In particular, in the paleontological exhibition you can see the dioramas "Paleozoic Sea", "Northern Black Sea Coast at the end of the Miocene" and "The site of primitive man in the Kyik-Koba cave", skeletons of a Deinatherium, a mammoth, a hairy rhinoceros and a giant deer, reconstructions of settlements from Paleolithic sites in Mezyn and Mezhyrich.

The Archaeological Museum of the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences is located on the basement floor. In particular, a set of painted Upper Paleolithic mammoth bones from the Mezyn Paleolithic site, interpreted as the world's oldest musical instruments, is presented here.

The National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" (NTUU KPI) is one of the oldest and largest technical universities in the world.

At the time of creation, it consisted of 4 departments. The first buildings were built according to the project of the architect Hieronim Kitner. Dmytro Mendeleev was the first chairman of the examination commission. Currently, the university has more than 30 faculties and institutes, and more than 40,000 students study at the same time.

Building No. 6 houses the State Polytechnic Museum named after Borys Paton - the only institution in Ukraine that presents the history of the formation of the main branches of domestic technology and Ukraine's contribution to the history of the development of technology in the world. 13 sections are located in 9 halls, the collection includes more than 10,000 exhibits, of which 3,000 are on permanent display.

In 2008, the History of Aviation and Cosmonautics named after Ihor Sikorskyi department of the museum opened in the restored premises of the former aviation and automobile workshops. In the "Aviation" section, the main emphasis is on the history of the birth of this industry in Ukraine. The basis of the section "Cosmonautics" is the collection of the museum of veterans of the Baikonur cosmodrome. A monument to Ihor Sikorskyi was erected.

In 2012, in the university park in front of Building No. 1 of KPI, the sculpture "Steps of Knowledge" was installed - a seven-meter stack of books topped with an academic cap.

The Literary Memorial House-Museum of Taras Shevchenko sheds light on the Kyiv period of the poet's life.

It is located in the house of the official Ivan Zhytnytskyi, built in Kyiv in 1835 on the former Goat Swamp (now Maidan Nezalezhnosti). The poet lived here from the spring of 1846 until his arrest on April 5, 1847.

The Kobzar Museum was created in 1928, now it is a branch of the Taras Shevchenko National Museum. The fund collection consists of unique values: memorial items of Shevchenko, his etchings, autographs, photographs, the first works of the poet.

Mykhaylo Sazhyn's watercolors, unique engravings of Kyiv landscapes, 19th century photos, works of outstanding artists on the Shevchenko theme, works of decorative and applied art are presented.

According to the memories of contemporaries, the room in which Shevchenko lived has been recreated. Special attention is drawn to the poet's desk, where unique exhibits are presented: a pen, a quill, an inkwell, a coffee pot, Taras Shevchenko's flask, a pipe given to the poet by Mykola Kostomarov.

The Water Information Center "Water Museum" was organized in Kyiv in 2003 in the premises of ancient water towers and reservoirs on a hill in the City Garden (formerly the Tsar's Garden).

The exposition of the Water Museum acquaints visitors with the nature of the water cycle, water intake technology, water supply and sewerage. You can take a trip along the sewer to the treatment facilities of the Bortnychy aeration station, observe the melting of glaciers, the formation of rain and the eruption of the geyser.

For children, the Water Museum offers the opportunity to change the riverbed, play with soap bubbles, test the power of a water pump, and touch live fish.

The constructivist building of the National Center "Ukrainian House" appeared at the foot of Volodymyrska Hill in the center of Kyiv in 1982.

The building was intended to house the Kyiv branch of the Central Lenin Museum, which occupied these premises from 1982 to 1993. In 1993, the exposition of the former museum was dismantled, and the building was handed over to the newly created center "Ukrainian House".

From 2004 to 2012, the exhibition of the Kyiv History Museum was temporarily housed here, which was "evicted" from the Klovsky Palace, and now occupies a new building on Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street.

Currently, the National Center "Ukrainian House" provides services for the organization of summits, symposia, congresses, congresses, conferences, presentations, scientific-technical and trade-industrial specialized and international exhibitions, business forums, literary and artistic promotions, concerts, screenings films, corporate parties, balls, art exhibitions, openings. He is a permanent partner of the Kyiv ethnic music festival "Folk Virtuosi" and in December 2019 started his own holiday festival "DoDomu for Christmas", which the organizers plan to make an annual event.

The Taras Shevchenko National Museum in Kyiv is the leading center of Shevchenko studies and the richest treasury of works by the most famous artist of Ukraine.

Here is the largest collection in Ukraine of his paintings and graphics, as well as manuscripts of his poetry, rare photographs of the poet and his friends, the first editions of Shevchenko's works with his autographs, personal belongings of Kobzar. In total - 4 thousand exhibits in 24 halls.

The main museum exhibits are the originals of Shevchenko's most famous paintings: "Odaliska", "Kateryna", "Mariya", "Gypsy fortune teller", a portrait of Anna Zakrevska, several self-portraits. Also of great interest to visitors is the portrait of the poet Vasily Zhukovskyi by Karl Bryullov, which was drawn in a lottery to buy Taras from the serfs.

The exposition of the National Museum of Shevchenko is located in a mansion of the XIX century, which once belonged to the patron and businessman Mykola Tereshchenko. After the reconstruction in 2014, the interior of the museum turned into a modern cultural and artistic center, where interactive exhibitions, children's and educational programs are practiced.

The Shevchenko National Museum also includes the Shevchenko Literary Memorial House-Museum and the Memorial Museum "House at Priorka", which were opened in burgher houses where the poet lived in 1859 during a visit to Kyiv.

The National Cultural, Art and Museum Complex "Art Arsenal" (Mystetskyi Arsenal) in Kyiv is a leading Ukrainian cultural institution that integrates various types of art - from contemporary art, new music and theater to literature and museum work. Founded in 2005 on the initiative of President Victor Yushchenko.

The museum is located in the complex of historic buildings of the Old Arsenal opposite the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. This is the best preserved building of the Old Pechersk Fortress of the XVIII century, which later became the citadel of the New Pechersk Fortress. The large two-storey rectangular building was erected in 1784-1801 by the military engineer Carl de Chardon from yellow Kyiv bricks without external plastering, which is why contemporaries called the Arsenal porcelain. Also preserved is part of the main fortress wall with bastions, Vasylkiv and Moscow gates, two powder cellars. From the beginning of the XIX century the Arsenal was at the disposal of the Kiev military garrison, during the XX century the military unit was located here, the defensive Kiev repair plant worked.

Since 2005, the restoration and transformation of the monument of architecture and military engineering into a modern cultural and artistic space has been carried out. So far, less than half of the total exhibition area, reaching 60,000 square meters, is used for exhibitions of contemporary art and various art events.

In the future, the Art Arsenal will become a progressive museum complex that will present the history of Ukrainian art from ancient times to the present and will host collections of masterpieces from the world's leading museums. Now there is a Small Gallery, which presents young Ukrainian art, as well as chamber projects of leading domestic artists. The largest annual event is the Book Arsenal International Festival.

According to the project "Inclusive Travels in Ukraine: accessibility of museums of Ukraine", this largest cultural, artistic and museum complex in Ukraine is successfully implementing a program to increase inclusiveness.

The magnificent 19-domed Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv is the oldest architectural monument of Rus, one of the largest Christian churches of its time, a UNESCO world cultural heritage site.

The temple complex of the Sophia Monastery is located in the historical center of Kyiv, on Starokyivska Hill, within the City of Prince Yaroslav.

According to the latest research, Saint Sophia Cathedral was founded by the Kyiv prince Volodymyr the Great in 1011, and it was built no later than 1018. Earlier it was believed that the cathedral was erected in 1037 in honor of the victory of Yaroslav the Wise over the Pechenegs, as indicated in the Tale of Bygone Years. A grandiose building for those times with a very complex structure was built by Byzantine craftsmen on the model of the Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Constantinople.

The temple acquired the current Ukrainian Baroque style during the reign of Hetman Ivan Mazepa as a result of the reconstruction initiated by Metropolitan Petro Mohyla, carried out in the 17th century by the Italian architect Oktaviano Manchini. The interiors have preserved priceless ancient Rus mosaics and frescoes, including the iconic mosaic image of the Mother of God of Oranta.

Saint Sophia Cathedral was the main temple of the Kyiv state, under its arches ceremonial entrances to the grand prince's throne, church cathedrals and receptions took place. Buried in the church are Prince Yaroslav the Wise, his wife Iryna (Ingigerda) and son Vsevolod with his family, Prince Volodymyr Monomakh, and many Kyiv metropolitans. A valuable source of historical information is numerous ancient graffiti, which can be considered an unofficial chronicle of the Saint Sophia Cathedral and the entire Rus-Ukraine of the 11th-18th centuries.

Today the National Reserve "Sophia of Kyiv" unites 77 architectural monuments. Around the cathedral there are monastic buildings of the 17th-18th centuries: the house of the metropolitan, the fraternal building, a bursa, a refectory, a bakery, cells and a hotel. The complex is surrounded by a wall with Zaborovskiy gates and a southern entrance tower. The bell tower, which serves as the main gate, is open to the public.

On the square in front of the bell tower, there is the grave of Volodymyr, Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, who was buried at the entrance to Sophia on Black Tuesday, July 18, 1995 after a violent clash between believers and police.

There is also a tactile model of the cathedral with relief plaques in front of the entrance. The reserve is made more accessible thanks to an inclusive information center.

Separate objects of the reserve are the Golden Gate, Saint Andrew's Church and Saint Cyril's Church in Kyiv, the Genoese Fortress in Crimea.

The building of the Karaite Kenasa was built in Kyiv in 1900 by the architect Vladyslav Horodetskyi at the expense of the "tobacco kings" Kohens.

The construction of the kenasa was ordered by the Kyiv community of Karaites, who are considered to be descendants of the ancient Khazars (Turks by origin, Jews by religion). The Kohens were the most influential representatives of the city's Karaite community.

The kenasa building is made in an unusual Moorish style. It was considered one of the most beautiful in the city, impressive with the luxury of decoration and the skill of execution. The exterior finish is made of the most progressive material at that time - cement. The walls are 1.5 meters thick at the base. The building was crowned by a dome with a spire.

In Soviet times, the kenasa building housed a puppet theater, a cinema, and since 1981 - the Actor's House.

The Actor's House hosts performances and concerts, presentations of magazines and books, creative evenings, anniversary celebrations and benefits, scientific conferences, and art exhibitions.

The historic Andriyivsky Uzviz Street has long been connecting the Upper Town with Podil.

The rough stone-paved road winds steeply between old one- and two-story houses. This is a colorful place that preserves the spirit of old Kyiv, favored by artists and souvenir sellers, and there are always many tourists here.

In the upper part of Andriyivsky Uzviz there is Saint Andrew's Church, below are museums, theaters, art galleries, antique shops, restaurants and cafes.

The Bulhakov Museum is open in the Turbiny House (Andriyivsky descent, 13), where the writer created the White Guard. A monument to Bulhakov has been erected near the museum.

"Castle of Richard the Lionheart" (Andriyivsky descent, 15) is a profitable house of the merchant Orlov in the English Neo-Gothic style. Opposite - the stairs to the top of the Castle Hill (the wooden castle stood during the Polish-Lithuanian rule in the XV-XVII centuries).

The Museum of One Street is located in building No. 2B on Andriyivsky Uzviz.

A small one-story house on Oleksandrivska Street (now Petra Sahaydachnoho Street) belonged to the Balabukh merchant family from a long time ago.

Balabukh became famous thanks to the production of candies from the signature "Kyiv dry jam" (candy), which were called "balabukhs" or "balabushkas". These delicacies were supplied even to the imperial court.

Judging by the location in relation to the streets, the Balabukh house was built before the fire of 1811. In 1839, a new two-story building in the style of late classicism with features of the Ukrainian Baroque, built according to the project of the architect Lyudvik Stanzani, appeared nearby, in which a pastry shop worked.

During Soviet times, the restaurant "Zaporizhzhia" (now the restaurant "Khachapuri and Wine") opened in the Balabukh estate. In the beautiful square between the houses, sculptures of a Cossack and a kobzar are installed.

The monument to the Baptism of Rus (Column Magdeburg Law) on the Dnipro embankment is the first monument in Kyiv.

It was installed in 1802 over a spring that once existed in Khreshchaty Yar at the foot of Volodymyr Hill, where, according to legend, Prince Volodymyr baptized his children. Since the reason for its construction was the confirmation by Tsar Oleksandr I of the Magdeburg Law of Kyiv-Podil, the monument is also called the "Column of the Magdeburg Law".

According to the plan of the architect Andrit Melenskyi, the monument was originally a two-story chapel with a golden dome. An octagonal pool with a fountain was located in the arched pedestal. During Soviet times, the dome was demolished, leaving only arched passages, but by the millennium of the Baptism of Rus, which was celebrated in 1988, the column with the dome and the cross was restored.

The monument is connected to the upper part of the Volodymyrsky Descent by steep stairs.