Attractions of Kyiv

The Museum of Useless Things in the area of the Livoberezhna metro station in Kyiv is called the "Museum of Antiques" or the "Museum of Recycled Materials".

It was opened in 2007 on the territory of the "Kyivmiskvtorresurs" plant, which is engaged in the procurement and processing of secondary raw materials. Back in the middle of the 20th century, interesting things began to be systematically selected from the garbage here, and later, having learned that the factory accepts antique items, people began to bring them here.

Among the unique rarities are the very first vacuum cleaner in the Russian Empire, an ancient set of hairdressing tools, a set of torture tools for the tsarist gendarmerie, a sledge, a hemp processing machine.

An entire stand is dedicated to the Soviet theme, with about 40 different figures of the leader of the revolution, and the famous 7-meter statue of Lenin, brought from Crimea, is installed in the yard of the plant.

The large exhibition is located on the street under a canopy, and the small one is in a wooden old-fashioned house.

The Kyiv Museum of Wax Figures is a private collection of the Sazhyn's family.

The idea of creating a museum came to them in 1997 after getting acquainted with the exposition of the branch of the London Museum in Amsterdam. In 2000, it took three years to present to the audience an exhibition of twenty figures, which formed the basis for the creation of the future museum.

Currently, 60 figures of political figures of the past and present, famous writers, popular actors and singers, glorified athletes are presented in five halls.

In the gallery you can see: politicians (Mykhaylo Hrushevsky, Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and others), writers, poets (Lesya Ukrayinka, Taras Shevchenko, Mykhaylo Bulhakov), musicians (Andriy Makarevych, Viktor Tsoyand others), actors (Heorhiy Vitsin, Yevhen Morhunov, Yuriy Nikulin others), athletes (Valeriy Lobanovsky, Liliya Podkopayeva) and others.

The "Museum of One Nation on Poshtova Square" in Kyiv is a public initiative to preserve and popularize the archaeological site of Ancient Kyiv - the remains of the medieval coastal quarter in the underground space of Poshtova Square.

According to historians, it was at this place, by order of Prince Volodymyr Svyatoslavych, that pagan idols were thrown into the Dnipro River, and it was here in 988 that the mass baptism of the people of Kyiv took place.

In the spring of 2015, during the construction of an underground shopping and entertainment center on Poshtova Square, a street from the time of Kyivan Rus (XI-XII centuries) was excavated. Found parts of wooden houses and workshops, remains of the customs house, old stockades, fragments of ceramic dishes, princely seals, weapons, jewelry, etc. Separately, a wooden fortification building of the 17th century was found - the remains of the Khreshchatyk gate tower.

The construction of the shopping center was stopped, and archaeological research and conservation of the monument began. In 2019, the archaeological site "Section of the Coastal City Quarter of Medieval Kyiv" received the status of a monument of national importance. Discussions about museification are still ongoing.

"Museum on Poshtova Square" was founded in 2019 as an open-air historical museum by members of the initiative group of the public movement, which came out in defense of the monument of archeology and history of national importance on Poshtova Square in June 2018 for the preservation and development of the monument. In February 2022, it was registered as the Public Organization "Museum of One Nation on Poshtova Square".

Activists of the public organization "Museum of One Nation on Poshtova Square" conduct regular tours of the underground space. Here you can see the remains of the medieval coastal quarter, visit the exhibition "Kyiv History of Bricks" and the photo exhibition "De-Occupied" by the famous photographer Victoria Skuratovska.

Pre-registration is required to get on the tour. The entrance to the location is opposite the funicular, to the left of the entrance to the Church of the Nativity of Christ.

The Znoba-Holembiyevsky creative dynasty museum-workshop was created in 2006 in the house on Pechersk in Kyiv, where since 1965 the Ukrainian sculptor, People's Artist of Ukraine Valentyn Znoba lived with his wife, the artist Tetyana Holembiyevska.

The exhibition presents a large collection of author's sculptures of three generations of artists - Ivan Znoba, Valentin Znoba, Mykola Znoba and their creative families.

Mykola Znoba continues to live and work in the house, supporting the creative atmosphere of the workshop. There is a garden of sculptures in the courtyard, the main one of which is the figure of the Cossack Mamay in front of the entrance to the house, the original of which was installed on Maydan Nezalezhnosti.

The museum-workshop of the Znoba-Holembiyevsky creative dynasty often serves as an artistic venue for meeting cultural figures, artists of various directions and styles.

The Kyiv Literary and Memorial Museum-Apartment of Mykola Bazhan was opened in 2004 to mark the centenary of the poet's birthday in the house where the Bazhan family lived for about forty years.

The original interiors of the office, living room, art library, the room of the poet's wife and father have been preserved in the apartment. Antique furniture, objects of decorative and applied art, other personal belongings of the poet convey the special atmosphere of intellectual life of the second half of the 20th century.

A collection of works of fine and decorative applied art, collected by the owner himself and his wife, is presented, including paintings by Mykola Pymonenko, Fedir Krychevskyi, Ivan Trush, Kateryna Bilokur, Mykola Hlushchenko and other artists.

The literary part of the exposition illuminates the creative path of Bazhan. Extant editions of the artist's poems, manuscripts, translations, photos from movies shot according to his scripts, etc. are exhibited. Mykola Bazhan's personal library has more than 8,000 books.

The apartment museum of Mykola Bazhan is a branch of the National Museum of Literature of Ukraine.

In the same building is the Literary Memorial Museum-Apartment of Pavlo Tychyna, who was a neighbor of Bazhan.

Since 1998, the Kyiv Circus has had the status of the National Circus of Ukraine, which gives it the right to be called the main circus arena of the country.

The first stationary Kyiv circus Hippo-Palace of the rich horse breeder and trainer Petro Krutikov was built in Pechersk in 1903 according to the project of the architect Vladyslav Horodetskyi. At that time it was the largest in Europe.

The current fundamental building of the National Circus of Ukraine was built according to the project of the architect Valentin Zhukov in 1960, becoming one of the three main arenas of the USSR.

Today, the National Circus of Ukraine has its own artists of various circus genres, a ballet troupe, and one of the best musical groups.

Excursions "Traveling through the circus building" are held, during which visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the real circus atmosphere, learn interesting historical facts, architectural features of the building, details of the creation of performances.

The National Military History Museum of Ukraine is located in the Officers' House on Pechersk in Kyiv.

The museum tells about the development of military affairs over many centuries: the Cimmerian-Scythian period, Kyivan Rus, the Cossack era, the First World War, the National Liberation Struggle, the Second World War, the Cold War, the formation of the armed forces of independent Ukraine.

The exposition is based on authentic weapons that were used in different historical eras on the territory of modern Ukraine. In the halls of the museum, you can view military chronicles, documentary and artistic military-historical films.

The museum also conducts patriotic education classes, where you can independently disassemble and assemble automatic firearms.

The National Museum "Chornobyl" in Kyiv is a multifunctional historical and cultural institution that preserves and tells the story of the nuclear accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 as the most severe radioecological catastrophe of the twentieth century.

The museum was opened in 1992 at the initiative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the historic building of the Fire Tower of the early XX century, which originally housed the Podolsk Fire Department, and later the Kyiv Regional Fire Department, which coordinated the liquidation of the Chornobyl accident.

The exposition covers an area of 1100 square meters has more than 7 thousand exhibits: declassified documents, secret cards, photographs, special devices, personal belongings of the liquidators, items from the exclusion zone.

Perceptions are expanded by modern audiovisual and information media, art installations. The current three-phase diorama "Chornobyl NPP before, during and after the accident" is presented, as well as the current model of the 4th power unit of the Chornobyl NPP. The electronic "Book of Memory of the participants of the liquidation of the Chornobyl accident" is supported.

The museum offers excursions in Ukrainian, Russian, English and German, audio guides, tours to the Chornobyl zone from the museum's partners.

The exhibition halls of the museum are located on the second floor of the building. In order to ensure comfortable movement through the territory of the "Chornobyl" museum for visitors in wheelchairs, the possibility of using an electric lift from the first floor is provided. The main video locations of the museum exposition are adapted to the needs of visitors with hearing impairments.

The National Museum of the Holodomor Genocide in Kyiv preserves the memory of the victims of a terrible crime against the Ukrainian people, organized by the Bolshevik government in 1932-1933 by creating an artificial mass famine in Ukraine.

Founded in 2008 as the National Museum "Memorial to the Victims of the Holodomor in Ukraine", it was also called the National Museum "Memorial to the Victims of the Holodomor".

The memorial complex authored by the People's Artist of Ukraine Anatoliy Haydamakais located on the Dnipro cliffs in the Par k of Eternal Glory in Pechersk in Kyiv. Through a symbolic entrance past two sculptures of angels, visitors enter the "Mill of Fate" square with a touching sculpture of a girl with spikelets in her hands "Bitter memory of childhood."

The center of the memorial is the "Memory Candle", surrounded by crosses resembling the wings of a windmill, with sculptures of storks on top. The sides of the candle are decorated with ornaments of crosses resembling Ukrainian embroidery.

The Museum Hall performs the functions of a museum. Here are 19 volumes of the "National Book of Memory of the Holodomor Victims", memorials to the victims of the tragedy, archival documents, photographs, eyewitness accounts and maps of the project "Digital Atlas of the Holodomor". On the interactive touch screens you can see the results of decades of research by historians about the places of mass burial of Holodomor victims.

Visitors are invited to watch a modern video in the technique of 3D mapping, use an audio guide in 34 languages, tactile layouts.

The construction of the second stage of the memorial is underway, which will house the main museum part of the complex.

According to the project "Inclusive Travels in Ukraine: accessibility of museums of Ukraine", this impressive memorial to the victims of the artificial famine of 1932-1933 is one of the most inclusive museums in Ukraine.

The Men's Monastery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a lonely monastery in the Tserkovshchyna tract (Khutir Vilniy) at the exit from Kyiv on the Novoobukhivsky highway.

The emergence in the 11th century is associated with the name of one of the founders of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Reverend Feodosius Pecherskyi, who secretly secluded himself here in the Hnyletskyi caves during Great Lent. Later, the Immaculate Hnyletsky Monastery with an underground church was founded in the caves, which was destroyed in the XIII-XV centuries.

In toponymy, the names have been preserved: the Tserkovshchyna tract and the Khodosivka village - distorted Feodosiivka.

The caves were reopened by Saint Innocent only in the 19th century, and in 1902, the Nativity of the Virgin Monastery was founded near the caves, which was named the "Hermitage Immaculate".

In Soviet times, a colony for minors, a camp for prisoners of war, then a hospital, a sanatorium of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (it still operates) were located here. One of the temples was destroyed, an assembly hall was arranged in the premises of the other.

Divine service in the Church was restored in 1999 under the auspices of the Holosiivsky Hermitage, and the Saint Nicholas Church was restored. Monks conduct tours to the caves.

The Aviation Museum of the National Aviation University in Kyiv was opened in 1972. Its exposition is dedicated to the history and achievements of the educational institution, includes rare old prints, photographs, models of aviation equipment and much more.

There are 28 exhibition stands in a cozy hall with an area of 350 square meters.

The historical part of the exposition tells about the activities of the Kyiv Aviation Society, the work of the first Kyiv aircraft designers, record flights of Ihor Sikorsky, the opening of regular air traffic on the route Kharkiv - Kyiv, the creation of the first Soviet passenger plane K-1 and other events of socio-economic life in Kyiv to open a higher educational institution of aviation profile. The following stands cover the activities of the school in different periods.

The aviation training hangar of the museum houses aircraft of a wide range of design schemes, from different periods of development and operation. Here you can see airplanes, helicopters and gas turbine engines, which reflect the various stages of the development of domestic aviation.

The complex of buildings of the Nicholas Artillery College was built in Kyiv in 1915-1917 by the architect Dmytro Zaytsev, who used elements of the Romanesque-Gothic style in his project.

The school had time to prepare 5 graduations. In 1919, the Kyiv Artillery Courses were opened on its base, then the Kyiv Artillery School, the Kyiv Artillery College, and the Kyiv Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Engineering College.

Until 2013, it was the main building of the National Defense University of Ukraine. Since 2013, it has housed the Higher Specialized Court of Ukraine for consideration of civil and criminal cases, and since 2017, the Civil Court of Cassation of the Supreme Court of Ukraine has been located there.

With the beginning of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the issue of returning the building of the former Nicholas Artillery School to the National University of Defense of Ukraine for the purpose of full-fledged training of officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be raised for general consideration.

The 43-meter obelisk "Kyiv Hero City" was installed in 1982 on Halytska Square (formerly Peremohy Square, Yevbaz), where two of the most beautiful highways of the capital of Ukraine diverge - Taras Shevchenko Boulevard and Beresteyskyi Avenue.

On September 15, 2023, the elements that were subject to the Law on Decommunization were removed from the obelisk - the Soviet stars on the sides of the high marble stele and the annotation board in Russian were removed, and the inscription "1941" was changed to "1939", the year when the Second World War began war.

The open observation deck of the "Oleksandrivskiy" residential complex is located on the roof of a 25-story high-rise building.

From a height of 100 meters, a large-scale panorama of the entire right-bank part of Kyiv opens.

The observation deck is equipped with chairs and binoculars. Visitors are provided with free Wi-Fi, coffee/tea, blankets.

The observation deck "Red Yard" was opened in one of the botanical gardens named after Hryshko - on the place where in the 11th century there was a country residence of the great prince of Kyiv Vsevolod, son of Yaroslav the Wise.

The Red Yard fortress was built in 1071, 25 years later it was burned down by the Polovtsy, but it was soon restored and still served the grandson of Vsevolod - Yuriy Dolhoruky.

The observation deck "Red Yard" is stylized as a fortress from the time of Ancient Rus: wooden gates, palisade, watchtower, wooden platforms and a path. From here there is a wonderful view of the Dnipro, the Potona Bridge, the left bank, the Vydubytskyi Monastery and the Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.

Entrance through the territory of the botanical garden named after Hryshko.