Attractions of Kyiv

Koncha-Zaspa is a resort area on the banks of the Dnipro, an elite country village within Kyiv.

Covers the forest park area between the Stolychny Shose and the Dnipro to the village of Kozyn. The name comes from the Koncha tract and Zaspa farm, which were located here. Before the revolution, it belonged to the Vydubychsky and Introduction monasteries.

After the transfer of the capital of Ukraine from Kharkiv to Kyiv, Koncha-Zaspa was turned into a closed reserve, a departmental sanatorium and a town of government dachas were built. Now it is the most prestigious suburb of Kyiv, where representatives of the top political and business elite live.

This house was designed and built in Kyiv by the architect Pavlo Alyoshin by order of the official on special orders of Kovalevsky.

Made in the style of a medieval castle, with a huge predominance of Romanesque style elements in the decoration of the facades. When designing the mansion, the architect faced a difficult planning task: to place a manor house with a stable, a cowshed, a garage and a garden on a small plot measuring 46 by 35 meters. The architect even had to use the underground space - under the paving of the yard there was a cellar with a glacier and a shed for firewood and coal.

Interesting features - a faceted tower with a helmet-shaped dome hides the fact that the building is built at an angle of 78 degrees, at which the streets adjoin each other; drain pipes are hidden in the wall so that their shadow does not visually break the facade; and on the bas-relief from the side of Shovkovychna Street, the architect is depicted in his own person in the form of a cat.

An incredibly beautiful building in the shape of a fairy-tale castle is located in Khreshchaty Park near the European Square.

The Puppet Theater was founded in Kyiv in 1927, until now it occupied several different premises. The current building was built according to the original project of the architect Vitaly Yudin in 2005 on the site of the children's stereo cinema "Dnipro". 2 auditoriums: large (300 seats) and small (110 seats), there is also a "Throne Hall" and an aquarium with rare sea creatures.

There is an exhibition-museum of dolls at the theater. Excursions "Getting to know the puppet theater" are conducted (by prior order).

Nearby is the light and music fountain "Thumbnail".

Contemporary art gallery "ArtPrichal" in Kyiv opened under the new Havansky bridge, in the area of pier #1-2.

The curator of the gallery is the famous photo artist Oleksandr Ktytorchuk.

The gallery is located under the arches of the bridge, the structures of which are painted with bright graffiti.

ArtPrichal hosts exhibitions of paintings and photographs, presents art installations by modern artists and sculptors, organizes dance parties, hosts film festivals and conducts master classes.

Kyiv Children's Railway (Mala Pivdenno-Zakhidna) was opened in 1953 on the territory of the current Syretsky Park, near Babyn Yar.

The 2.8-kilometer-long road is laid along a ring road, in one place it crosses a ravine on a 20-meter-high viaduct. At the time of its opening, it had a Gr-336 steam locomotive (made in Germany) and 5 wooden wagons, later it was reequipped several times. The last reconstruction was carried out in 2001.

Trains run between two stations: "Vyshenka" and "Yablunka". The Children's Railway operates two TU-7 diesel locomotives and the same Gr-336 steam locomotive that started the history of the Children's Railway.

Open from May to August on weekends.

The Kyiv funicular is an exotic rail transport that directly connected Podil with the Upper Town in 1905. It became the second in the Russian Empire after Odesa.

Before the construction of the funicular from Poshtova Square to Mykhaylivska, only winding paths and wooden stairs led down the slope of Volodymyrska Hill, which created significant transportation difficulties for the townspeople. The funicular was an ideal solution that allowed transporting people and goods for a short distance on steep slopes.

The construction was carried out for two years by means of the Belgian joint-stock company, which had a monopoly on trams and horse-drawn carriages in Kyiv. The wagons' equipment and bogies were made in Switzerland. After the accident in 1928 (the cable broke and two carriages collided, but no one was injured), the funicular was reconstructed, the road was extended by 40 meters (before that, the lower station was located on Borychiv Tik Street), new comfortable carriages were manufactured at the Kyiv Electric Transport Plant. Two more reconstructions were carried out in 1958 and in 1984-1986.

The design of the junction in the middle of the road is interesting. Here, the outer rails are continuous, and the inner rails are separate. Accordingly, the inner wheels of the wagons have two flanges, and the inner wheels are cylindrical.

A diorama of the Volodymyr hill is located in the pavilion of the upper station of the funicular.

National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery" opened in 1922 in the former house of Kyiv industrialist and philanthropist Fedir Tereshchenko, located opposite Shevchenko Park and the main building of the Shevchenko National University.

The mansion was built in 1880-1884 by architect Volodymyr Nikolaev, designed by Andriy Gun. From the beginning, the architects planned a hall to house a public art gallery with lighting through the glass ceiling. The basis of the museum fund was the Tereshchenko family's own collection of paintings. A significant part of it are works relating to n art culture.

The collection includes more than 13 thousand works of painting, sculpture, graphics, decorative and applied arts. The exhibition reflects all stages of development of n painting from the XIII century to the present day. Works by Borovikovsky, Vasnetsov, Shishkin, Ge, Tropinin, Aivazovsky, Repin, Vereshchahin, Nesterov, Kuindzhi, etc. are presented, including world-class textbook masterpieces.

The pride of the museum is a unique collection of works by Mykhaylo Vrubel, including "The girl on the background of the Persian carpet" (1886), "Oriental Tale" (1886), illustration to the poem by Mykhaylo Lermontov "Demon" (1890). There is also a fairly large collection of works by many great masters of almost all former republics of the USSR.

A monument to the artist Illya Repin has been erected in front of the entrance to the gallery. In the courtyard of the museum there is a monument to the Russian Emperor Oleksandr II, which stood before the revolution in the lobby of the Oleksandr Library (according to urban legend, it is a monument to Nicholas I, which stood in the park on the site of the current monument to Taras Shevchenko).

The Kyiv Municipal Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet for Children and Youth "Kyiv Opera" on Podil in Kyiv is better known as the Music Theater.

It is this name that is still preserved on the facade of the building, erected in 1933 in the style of Soviet constructivism according to the project of the famous architect Mykola Shekhonin as the "Kharchovyk" workers' club of the trade union of workers of the meat-canning industry.

For some time, the building was called "Slavutych" Palace of Culture.

Today, the auditorium of the Kyiv Opera has 436 seats, including the balcony. In 2016, a chamber stage was opened in the Round Hall for performances and concerts.

Currently, the repertoire of the theater includes about 60 plays. The most popular children's show is the musical "The Adventures of Buratino" by Oleksandr Bilash. The comic opera "Les mamelles de Tirésias" by Francis Poulenc and the modern production of Giuseppe Verdi's opera "La Traviata" received high marks from the audience and critics.

Availability information:
- the entrance to the theater is equipped with a ramp, the width of the doorway at the entrance allows unobstructed access for people in wheelchairs
- men's and women's restrooms located on the first floor of the theater, equipped with cabins for people with disabilities
- the ground floor of the theater is accessible to people in wheelchairs: the entrance to the hall has no stairs, wide aisles between the rows.

The Holy Dormition Kyiv Pechersk Lavra is the oldest monastery in Rus, one of the main Christian centers of Ukraine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The monastery complex is located on the Pechersk hills above the Dnipro in Kyiv and is the architectural dominant of the historical landscape of the Kyiv mountains.

Kyiv Pechersk Monastery was founded by Saint Anthoniy of Pechersk in 1051, under Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Initially, it was a complex of manually dug underground passages and rooms on the territory of the present Far Caves. In 1062 the first ground structures appeared, and at the end of the 11th century - the Upper Lavra complex. Assumption Cathedral (1073-1089, restored in 2000) - the oldest stone building of the monastery, where Prince Kostyantyn Ostrozkyi is buried. The Great Lavra Bell Tower (1731-1745), 96.5 m high, is the tallest bell tower in Ukraine, and for a long time was the tallest building in Kyiv and all of Eastern Europe (374 steps, open to the public). Trinity Gate Church (1107) was built at the expense of Prince Svyatoslav Davydovych (Mykola Svyatosha), preserved wall paintings of the XVIII century. The Church of the Savior in Berestiv (XII century) served as the tomb of the Monomakh family, the daughter of Volodymyr Monomakh Euthymius, his son Yuriy Dovhorukyi and grandson Hlib Yuriyovych are buried here. In general, the architectural complex of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra has more than 50 buildings for various purposes.

The Lower Lavra complex is a functioning Orthodox monastery of the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate. The main relics are the relics of the reverend fathers of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, who lived in the period from the XI to the XV century. In particular, the Rev. Anthony of Pechersk and Jerome of Pechersk, as well as the epic hero Illia Muromets are buried in the Near Caves. The relics of 49 canonized saints rest in the Far Caves.

On the territory of the Upper Lavra there is the National Historical and Cultural Reserve "Kyiv Pechersk Lavra" with the Museum of the History of the Lavra, the Museum of Microminiatures of Mykola Syadristy, and other permanent and temporary exhibitions. In addition, the Lavra also houses the Treasury of the National Museum of History of Ukraine, the Museum of Ukrainian Folk Decorative Art, the Museum of Books and Printing, the Museum of Theater, Music and Cinematography (tickets are sold at the entrance to each museum).

At the entrance to the monastery there is a tour desk, guides are sold in different languages, you can use the audio guide. When visiting existing temples and distant caves, women should be in skirts below the knees and with their heads covered (you can rent a skirt at the entrance to the caves).

On January 5, 2023, the Assumption Cathedral and the Tabernacle Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra were returned from the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate to state management.

The Kyiv Planetarium of the "Znannya" Society of Ukraine is one of the largest planetariums in the CIS.

It was founded in 1952 by the world-famous astronomer Serhiy Vsekhsvyatskyi. For the needs of the planetarium, the church of Saint Oleksandr was converted (later returned to the faithful). By 1988, a new building was built next to the "Olimpiyskiy" NSC.

The star hall of the planetarium has a dome with a diameter of 23 meters and a height of 11.5 meters. It accommodates up to 320 spectators. In the center of the hall is the main apparatus - the "planetarium", a machine for demonstrating stars and celestial phenomena. Auxiliary projectors are used for more efficient conducting of programs in the Star Hall.

A kaleidoscope of planetary encounters under the starry sky includes artistic programs and educational lectures to support the school's astronomy, geography and science curriculum. The possibilities of the planetarium make it possible to explain the laws of nature with great clarity.

A new cultural and entertainment center AtmaSfera360 with a spherical cinema, a game area and an art area is operating at the Kyiv Planetarium.

The Kyiv river port was founded in 1897 after the completion of the construction of the Kyiv harbor, but even in the times of Ancient Rus, there was a wharf on the site of the current river station, from which goods arriving by water were delivered to Podil, the main trade center of Kyiv.

The wharf functioned throughout the entire history of the city, and from the 19th century, regular steamboat traffic along the Dnipro began, and wharves began to be built along the entire right bank of the river. The port is located in the central part of the city, which makes it particularly convenient for cargo delivery.

In 1953-1961, a new building of the River Station was built on Poshtova Square according to the project of architects Vadym Hopkalo, Vadym Ladny and others. The tower of the building resembles the mast of a sailing ship.

In April 2023, the restoration of the historical building of the River Station in Kyiv, which lasted more than two years, was completed.

The embankment in the area of the River Station is a favorite recreation spot for citizens and guests of the city. From here you can go on an exciting water trip along the Dnipro by buying tickets for a motor ship or renting it as a whole.

The Kyiv Television Tower is the tallest building in Ukraine (382 meters), at the time of its construction it was the tallest free-standing lattice structure in the world. It is still among the ten tallest TV towers on the planet. It is located on Syrets in Kyiv, next to Babyn Yar.

The Kyiv TV tower on Syrets was built in 1968–1973 to replace the old TV tower, which was located on the hill above Khreshchatyk, next to the TV and radio building. The new TV tower provided television signal coverage for almost 100 kilometers around Kyiv.

The tower is all-metal, latticed, entirely composed of steel pipes of various diameters. The construction was carried out by a unique method of superstructure "from the mountain to the bottom" without the use of lifting cranes of tag-helicopters. The central pipe with a diameter of 4 meters serves as an elevator shaft. Technical premises are located on two levels.

The TV tower is a strategic object with limited access, no tours are conducted to it.

In 1990, a new high-rise television center was opened nearby, nicknamed the "pencil" for its characteristic shape (Yuriya Illyenka Street, 42). It earned a bad reputation because it was built on the site of an old Jewish cemetery. Since 2006, the television center has been home to a Television Museum.

On March 1, 2022, Russian forces launched two targeted missile strikes at the construction of the Kyiv television tower. The tower's unique structure survived, but the hardware and transformer substation that powers the TV tower were damaged.

Kyiv Zoo is one of the largest zoos in Europe and one of the oldest zoos in Ukraine.

Founded by the Kyiv Society of Animal Lovers in 1908 on the basis of the university botanical garden, 5 years later it moved to Shulyavka. It covers an area of about forty hectares. More than 7,000 animals of 414 species are represented. Horace the elephant and Tony the gorilla are the most popular among visitors.

In 1996, the Kyiv Zoo became a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums and actively joined international programs for the reproduction of rare and endangered animal species. Scientific work is carried out here on the acclimatization of animals inhabiting distant countries, on the preservation and reproduction of rare species of animals, such as bison, Amur tiger, Przhevalski's horse and others.

There is a cafe and a pet store on the territory.

At this place, in 1615, the Kyiv Epiphany Brotherhood founded the Fraternal Monastery with an Orthodox school, which started the first higher educational institution in Eastern Europe. On the initiative of Metropolitan Petro Mohyla, the college acquired the status of an academy, and in 1701 it was named after him.

The old building was erected in 1703 under Hetman Ivan Mazepa, the baroque dome of the Annunciation Church was added later, the New Building was built in 1819, and at the beginning of the 20th century they were connected by the arc-shaped Central Building, which faces Kontraktova Square.

In Soviet times, the Higher Naval Political School was located here.

In 1991, the academy was revived as an international university, one of the most prestigious in Ukraine.

In the square opposite, there is a monument to the poet and philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda (1976), who studied and taught at the academy. In the yard - a sundial (1826). The Art Gallery operates at the NaUKMA cultural center.

The landscape alley in the historical heart of Kyiv was laid in the early 1980s according to the project of architect Avram Miletskyi.

The alley runs above the Honchari tract along the line of defensive structures of the 10th-13th centuries. From here, from the heights of the historic Upper Town, picturesque views of Podil can be seen.

Since 2009, the sculptor Kostyantyn Skretutskyi began to decorate Landscape Alley with fairy-tale characters: centipede cats, fountain elephants and giant sparrows, etc. The collection is constantly replenished with new sculptures.