Attractions of Kyiv region

Saint Cyril's Church in Kyiv is a unique monument of architecture and monumental painting.

The church was founded by the Kyiv prince Vsevolod Olhovych in the first half of the 12th century and was the family tomb of the Olhovychs. After Saint Sophia of Kyiv, it is the second church in Kyiv that has survived to this day from the time of Kyivan Rus in almost its original form. In the 17th-18th centuries, it acquired the features of Ukrainian Baroque.

The interiors of the Saint Cyril's Church are impressive with monumental painting, including 800 square meters of 12th-century frescoes with unique plots that have been preserved almost completely, as well as works by the outstanding artist Mikhaylo Vrubel, works by famous and unknown Ukrainian artists of the 19th century.

In 1929, Saint Cyril's Church, given its exceptional historical and artistic value, was declared a state museum-reserve. In 1962, the Saint Cyril's Church became part of the State Architectural and Historical Reserve "Sophia Museum". In 1994, it received the status of a monument of national importance.

Today, the Saint Cyril's Church Museum is a department of the National Reserve "Sophia of Kyiv".

Since the 1990s, services have been restored in the church, which are held every Saturday and Sunday, as well as on major Orthodox holidays.

The Church of Saint George the Victorious on Zamkova Hill (Castle Hill) in Bila Tserkva was restored in 2013 at almost the same place where in 1032 Prince Yaroslav the Wise laid the foundation of the first church and the city of Yuryev.

According to legend, the white stone church that survived after the Mongol-Tatar invasion gave the city its current name. In Lithuanian-Polish times, a castle was built on the site of the child, and the church was dismantled. Its foundations were discovered in the 1980s by archaeologist Ruslan Orlov.

Restoration of the Church of Saint George was initiated in 2011 by the Charitable Foundation of Kostyantyn Yefimenko. The project was developed by the architect Vyacheslav Mishchenko, based on the plan of foundations discovered by archaeologists and the appearance of typical ancient Rus temples of the XI-XIII centuries. In the basements, it is planned to open a museum of Zamkova Hill with an exhibition of finds made during construction. The original, preserved foundations will be covered by a glass pavilion.

A monument to Yaroslav the Wise has been erected nearby.

The ruins of the flooded church of Saint Illya are the only preserved structure of the flooded village of Tsybli, which was moved to the high bank of the Dnipro in connection with the construction of the Kaniv Reservoir.

The temple was built in 1912 on the site of a wooden church of the 18th century. The architecture of the Illina Church with five onion domes had features of Pskov-Novhorod architecture with elements of classicism. A bell tower with a tent-like top was attached to the temple.

Currently, the church is in a dilapidated state and stands on the shoal. You can get to it by wading or by boat.

The Roman Catholic Church of Saint Isidore of Seville was built in Bezpechna in the 19th century.

The stone building is made in the Neo-Gothic style.

The church is located in the cemetery. Nearby is a grave with a stone cross and the inscription "Boleslaw Kuklinski".

The Cossack Church of John the Theologian is an example of folk wooden architecture, the oldest wooden church in Pereyaslav. It is located on the territory of the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life. Transported from the village of Ostriyki (Bilotserkivske Starostvo).

A Cossack cemetery with stone crosses has been recreated around the church. Nearby is a three-tier bell tower (XVIII century) from the village of Busheve, Kyiv region. A church bell weighing 25 tons is installed in it.

Another wooden church is located nearby - the Church of the Intercession (1778) from the village of Sukhyi Yar. In Soviet times, it housed the Museum of Atheism, and now it is the Museum of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The Church of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene was built in the 18th century at the expense of Countess-patron Oleksandra Branytska (Enhelhardt), who vowed to build 12 Orthodox churches. It was the only temple built outside the historical center of Bila Tserkva - on Zarichchya.

The Church of Saint Mary Magdalene is built in the classical style, the bell tower is attached directly to it.

During the Soviet rule, it was one of the few functioning churches of the White Church. In 2001, the construction of the great monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene began.

The wooden church of Saint Archangel Michael in Boiarka was built in 1901 on the ramparts of the Slavic settlement "Transformation", which is also called the Budayivka settlement after the old name of Boiarka - Budayivka.

From 1756 to 1894, the churches of Saint Joan the Myrrh-bearing, Resurrection of Christ, and Archangel Michael were located on this site, which were later destroyed. After the opening of the railway station "Boiarka" and with the growth of the village, the project of the wooden church by the architect Mykola Hordenin was approved.

With the advent of Soviet power, the Saint Michael's Church was closed, but remained intact, and during the Second World War it became active again.

The church houses the icon of the Savior, which is associated with a miracle - in 2005, an imprint of its outline appeared on the glass covering the icon.

Near Saint Michael's Church, there is an ancient church cemetery where the Ukrainian writer Volodymyr Samiylenko is buried.

Saint Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral was built in the 12th century by Prince Svyatopolk (Mykhaylo) Izyaslavych on the site of the Dmytrivsky Monastery. Dedicated to Archangel Michael, who is considered the protector and patron of Kyiv.

In 1240, the cathedral was destroyed by the Tatar-Mongols, but soon it again became the cathedral of the monastery of the same name. It was rebuilt several times (a major reconstruction was carried out in 1710). It was almost completely destroyed during the Soviet regime in 1934-1937 to clear the place for the government quarter.

In 1999, the Saint Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery was rebuilt, and in 2001-2004, frescoes stored in the Hermitage were returned to the cathedral.

The Saint Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery History Museum functions in the premises of the bell tower and Barbarian cells. Unique antiquities of the 11th-19th centuries that were found on the territory of the monastery are presented, in particular, a copper gilded high-relief of Archangel Michael from the leading pediment of the cathedral. Employees conduct tours of the museum and the territory of the monastery.

A monument to Princess Olha surrounded by figures of the Apostle Andriy and Saints Cyril and Methodius (1911-1996) was erected on Mykhaylivska Square in front of the cathedral.

Behind the cathedral is the Volodymyrska Hill Park with the upper station of the funicular and the famous monument to Saint Volodymyr the Baptist.

In August 2015, a Wall of Memory of the Fallen Defenders of Ukraine appeared on the walls of the Saint Michael`s Monastery.

On December 15, 2018, after the Unification Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, the Saint Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery came under the control of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and became Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery came under the control of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and became the Cathedral of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The Church of Staint Nicholas was built in Hostroluchchia in 1832 at the expense of local landowners Kateryna and Karl Lauzberg. It was consecrated in 1836 by Bishop Gedeon of Poltava and Pereyaslav. An architectural monument of local importance.

The stone church has one main dome and four additional decorative ones. A bell tower is connected to the church by a long gallery, topped by a high spire. The building is made in a classic style.

Restoration is currently underway. Divine services are held. It belongs to the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The Church of Saint Nicholas in Kyiv was built by the architect Vladyslav Horodetsky at the beginning of the 20th century on the order of the Catholic community of the city.

Saint Nicholas church became one of the first objects, during the construction of which reinforced concrete was used - a new building material at that time. Two 60-meter towers in the medieval Gothic style are richly decorated with artificial stone sculptures. On the left is a three-story house for the sanctuary.

Since the Soviet times, the Saint Nicholas Church has been used as the National House of Organ and Chamber Music of Ukraine, since 1992 the service has been resumed.

A monument to the great Polish poet Yuliush Slovatskyi was erected near the church in 2012.

In December 2024, Saint Nicholas Church in Kyiv was damaged by a Russian missile strike. At the time of the Russian strike on Kyiv, a service was in progress in the church. The blast wave damaged the facade of the church, destroying the main stained glass composition in the shape of a Gothic "rose". The blast wave destroyed the window frames of the stairwells that lead to the spires of the north and south towers, known as the Crossflowers.

The Church of Saint Nicholas Naberezhny (Naberezhno-Mykilska Church) on Podil in Kyiv is one of the best works of the outstanding Ukrainian architect Ivan Hryhorovych-Barsky.

According to legend, the first wooden church of Saint Nicholas Naberezhny was founded in the 11th century at the place of a wonderful rescue of a drowned baby in Pochayna. The temple was first mentioned in written sources in 1552.

The stone church of Saint Nicholas Naberezhny on the Embankment was rebuilt in 1772-1775 in the late Baroque style according to the design of Ivan Hryhorovych-Barsky. Nearby in 1863, according to the project of the architect Mykhaylo Ikonnikov, a tented belfry with a warm church in the diocesan style was built. Painting was carried out in the middle of the 19th century. The iconostasis installed in 1852, designed in the forms of late classicism, is of significant artistic interest.

A granite cross with the inscription "To those who laid down their lives on the altar of Ukraine" was installed near the church of Saint Nicholas Naberezhny.

The Church of Saint Nicholas Prytyska in Kyiv is one of the oldest in Podil.

According to legend, the fallen icon of Saint Nicholas was "pressed" by a thief who tried to rob the church. According to another version, the name comes from the image of Nicholas Prytyska, which stood near the pier ("prityk").

The exact date of the founding of the original wooden church of Saint Nicholas Prytyska is unknown. (probably it was built in the 16th century on the site of an ancient Rus temple), and the stone building was erected in the 17th century at the expense of a merchant nicknamed "Iron Hrosh".

The Church of Nicholas Prytyska was reconstructed three times after fires. The last reconstruction was carried out according to the project of the architect Andriy Melensky, preserving the original forms.

Nearby is a two-story church building in which priests lived, a church school and a library.

The Church of Saint Nicholas Prytyska belongs to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The church dedicated to Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker is located in Kyiv on a historical site known as "Askold's Grave" (in ancient times - the Hungarian tract).

In 882, Prince Oleh killed the Kyiv rulers Askold and Dir here. Since the time of Princess Olha, the wooden church of Saint Nicholas has stood here (according to another version, the burial place of the first Christian prince Askold is located higher, on the top of the hill in the area of the current Slava Square).

The stone church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker in the form of a rotunda was built in the 19th century according to the design of architect Andriy Melensky.

In 1918, Kyiv patriotic students who died in the battle with the Bolsheviks near Kruty were buried at the Askold grave. During Soviet times, a park was built on the territory of the cemetery. Recently, the cross in memory of the heroes of Kruty has been restored.

Currently, the Church of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker on Askold's Grave belongs to the community of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

A memorial sign was installed (1997, architect Yanosh Vih) dedicated to the events of the 9th century, when the tribes of Ugrians (Hungarians) stopped at the Askold grave on their way from the Volha region to present-day Hungary.

Nowadays, in the lower part of the Church of Saint Nicholas, three memorial signs have been installed, on which the history of the latest Russian-Ukrainian war is engraved: the first - in honor of the "Cyborgs" who defended the Donetsk airport, the second - to the defenders of Debaltsevo, the third - to the heroes of Ilovaisk. A chapel called "military" was also rebuilt and restored. Paintings in the chapel were made by the famous artist Maryna Sochenko. The paintings depict prominent military figures, from the Kyiv princes and hetmans to the present day - portraits of Symon Petlyura, Yevhen Konovalets, Andriy Melnyk, Stepan Bandera, Roman Shukhevych, Oleh Olzhych, Olena Teliha, as well as Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred.

Therefore, Askold's grave becomes the pantheon of the Ukrainian people.

The Cathedral of Saint Oleksandr is the oldest surviving Catholic shrine in Kyiv.

The church was built in the style of classicism according to the project of the architect Lyudvik Stanzani at the expense of the Polish community of the city, headed by Count Potocki in 1842.

It is located on the south side of Volodymyrska Hill, at the corner of Kostelna and Tryochsvyatitelska streets.

In Soviet times, the building of the Oleksandr Church was used as a planetarium, then as a museum of atheism. In 1990, the Church of Saint Oleksandr was returned to the Roman Catholic community.

In 2001, Pope John Paul II visited the Oleksandr Church during his visit to Kyiv. On June 6, 2021, the church was elevated to the status of a Cathedral.

The Church of Saint Spyridon of Trymiunsky was built in Shamrayivka in 1839-1841 according to the will of Countess Oleksandra Branytska from Bila Tserkva.

To atone for her sins, Countess Branytska vowed to build 12 churches on her land, and some of them were completed after her death.

The Spyridon Church in Shamraivka is an example of provincial classicism. The temple is single-domed, cross-shaped in plan, ascetically decorated. An architectural monument of national importance.