The Story of Kiev: Ukraine’s Capital

Modern-day Kyiv is part Kyivan Rus, part Soviet, part Ukrainian-nationalist and part capitalist mayhem. Its churches and trees and architecture and parks and history are captivating. Check out the mummified monks of the Lavra or visit the charming street of Andriyivsky Uzviz. Or, join the ever-present local crowds simply drinking in the atmosphere. Wander through hilltop parkland overlooking the Dnipro River and Soviet-built “burbs” on the far bank. Or, in summer, set out your towel on the city beaches of Hydropark. Stroll along the main street of Khreshchatyk, eat well, have a beer.

 

KIEV OR KYIV?

Kiev is the recognised transliteration of the name of the city in Russian, and also the old Ukrainian name which has been used for centuries (by the likes of national hero: Taras Shevchenko) right back to the times of Kyivan Rus. Kyiv meanwhile is the transliteration of the modern Ukrainian name of the city and the official name as far as all legal and political issues are concerned. Following the establishment of an independent Ukraine in 1991, there was a move by many Ukrainians to favour Kyiv as it symbolised a departure from all things Russian, and indeed Kyiv is now used by the UN and many other official bodies as the correct name. Here are some of the top things to do and places to see in Kiev

 

Zoloti Vorota: The Golden Gate

Erected in 1037 and modelled on Constantinople’s Golden Gate, Zoloti Vorota was the main entrance into the ancient city, with ramparts stretching out from both sides. The gate was largely destroyed in the 1240 Mongol sacking of Kyiv – what you see today is a 1982 reconstruction. Kneeling in front of the is a monument to Yaroslav the Wise who defended Kyiv from the 11th century Pecheneg invasion and founded Kyiv’s St. Sophia Cathedral (modelled on Hagha Sofia, Istanbul). Yaroslav’s statue depicts himholding a model of St. Sophia in his hands.

 

Andriyivsky Uzviz : The long and winding road

Andriyivsky Uzviz, literally “Andrew’s Ascent” – is said to be Kyiv’s most charming street. Named after the picturesque Baroque St. Andrew’s Church(1749-54) at the hill’s top, it has long been home to artists and artisans, as well as members of the city’s upper classes. “Kyiv’s Montmartre” is a name that has been attached to it, and its history is as old as the city itself. It was the original road between the aristocratic precincts of what used to be called the Upper City, and the bustling mercantile centre of dockside Podil, which begins where the Uzviz ends, at Kontraktova Ploshcha. At number 15, the so-called Richard the Lionheart’s Castle stands empty, looms, forebodingly – it’s said to be haunted.

Nowadays it’s definitely touristy but well worth a visit – this winding , cobble-stoned street is a teeming bazaar lined with street vendors who’ll sell you anything from old Lenin busts, and WWII Wehrmact medals, to communist propaganda posters – when they’re not too busy playing backgammon. Apart from the odd Mercedes Benz or Lada – it looks pretty much as it did a century ago.

 

Museum of One Street

At the foot of the Uzviz, the individual histories of the descent’s buildings are laid out in this fascinating museum. The collection recounts the story of the street via a meticulous collection of objects gathered over the ages from each address. It showcases the lives of dressmakers, soldiers, a rabbi, an Orthodox priest, a circus performer, and more. Sheer eclectism.

 

Kievo-Pechersk Lavra (Caves Monastery)

Tourists and Orthodox pilgrims alike flock to The Lavra – it’s Kyiv’s single most fascinating and extensive tourist site. Set in 28 hectares of grassy hills above the Dnipro River, the monastery’s tight cluster of gold-domed churches is a feast for the eyes. Its hoard of Scythian gold rivals that of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the underground labyrinths lined with mummified monks are exotic and intriguing. For Orthodox pilgrims this is the holiest ground in the country.

The complex is divided into the Upper Lavra, which is government owned, and the Lower Lavra which belongs to the Church and contains the caves. A lavra is a senior monastery while pecherska means “of the caves”. The Greek St. Anthony founded this lavra in 1051 after Orthodoxy was adopted as Kyivan Rus’ official religion. He and his follower Feodosiy dug out a series of caves where they and other reclusive monks worshipped, studied and lived. When they died their bodies were naturally preserved by the caves’ cool temperature and dry atmosphere. The mummies survive even today, conformation for believers that these were truly holy men.

The monastery also prospered above ground: The Dormition Cathedral was built from 1073 to 1089 as Kyiv’s second great Byzantine-inspired church, and the monastery became Kyivan Rus’ intellectual centre, producing chronicles and icons and training builders and artists. Wrecked by the Tatars in 1240, the Lavra went through a series of revivals and disastrous fires before being mostly rebuilt with its prevailing baroque influences in the 18th century. It was made a museum in 1926 but partly return to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarch) in 1988.

 

The Mummies

The mummies are located in the Nearer Caves entered via stairs to the underground passages inside the Church of the Raising of the Cross. Their clothed mummified bodies are preserved in glass cases, some of them with E.T.-esque fingers and toes sticking out. The coffins are arranged in niches in the tunnels, underground dining hall and 3 subterranean churches. Antoniy, the monastery’s founder and Nestor the Chronicler are just 2 of the 123 bodies down here. Tourists are only allowed into the first section of the caves as many are cordoned off for Orthodox pilgrims and clergy. Monks usually guard the entrance to restricted tunnels – they’re pretty good at spotting foreigners and non-believers. Many miracles are attributed to the bodies of the saints but the biggest miracle is that they are still there. Seventy years of atheist Soviet rule did much to destroy the Ukrainian Church, but somehow the caves survived with their saints.

Holy Radiation: The mummified saints’ bodies were preserved without any form of embalming. The Church claims this to be the “miracle of saints” and pilgrims still come to touch the shrouded bodies andtake in their “life power”. Soviet scientists were employed to disprove any supernatural belief in the caves – they concluded that the caves’ total lack of moisture prevented organic decay. Supposedly the Soviet scientists also determined that radiation from the bodies was emitted in elliptical patterns somehow linked to the magnetic poles of the Earth. An experiment with wheat plants then proved the saints emitted a “bio-physic power” that directly influenced the nuclear level of living matter. Then, in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster it was “scientifically proven” that this holy radiationprotected against atomic radiation, especially where prayers were offered to the saints.

 

Great Lavra Belltower

The Great Lavra Belltower is one of the most striking features of the Kiev skyline – it stand’s 96.5m tall and is renowned for its church bells. The bells are a popular attraction not only for Orthodox pilgrims, but also people practicing different healing and relaxation practices. It’s said that these particular bells have health-giving benefits due to their unusually pure consonances.

 

House with Chimeras (the Horodetsky House)

With its demonic looking animals and gargoyles, the House of Chimeras is Kyiv’s weirdest building. Built in an eclectic-modern styleat the start of the 20th century by architect Vladislav Gorodetsky – the Gaudi of Kyiv – it’s been more recently used as a presidential administration office.Gorodetsky devoted all of his free time to his passion for hunting. His dreams about the African savannah came alive in the wild forms of the structure.

 

The Chocolate House

Known for its superb Art Nouveau, Byzantine & Moorish interior,
stone garlands, leaves and small faces of lions grace the facade of the dark-brown house at 17/2 Shovkovychna Street. Former residents include a general, a baroness, a merchant, ministers, politicians and scientists. In the 1960s to1980s the building housed the Central Marriage Registry Office. Called the Chocolate house because it looks like a big slab of chocolate – it’s even said that you can feel a taste of cocoa in your mouth if you watch it for a while.

 

TsUM

Located off central Kreshchatyk Street, TsUM (the former Tsentralny Univermag, or central department store) retains its Soviet atmosphere despite shelves groaning with western consumer goods. An architectural landmark, originally built by Constructivist Alexei Shchusev in 1936, the Kreshchatyk-facing side was rebuilt in 1960. See 360º view.

 

The Metro

Kyiv is built on top of the Dnepr’s ravine, the metro stations are dug extremely deep – and this may be the longest escalator ride you’ve ever been on! Construction began only after WWII in 1949 and many of the oldest stations – on the red line – are classic examples of Socialist Realist design, some of which are amazingly beautiful. There are currently 44 stations and 3 separate lines: blue, green and red – with 2 extra lines planned for future construction: grey and purple.

 

Banyas

A traditional Russian sauna or banya is much more than a steamy room. It’s an essential part of national tradition and culture, and a favourite winter pastime. For Ukrainians, the banya is one of the traditions they eagerly share with their Russian neighbours, and in Kyiv as across Ukraine the banya is seen as an ideal venue for corrupt business deals and wild parties, and generally a favoured spot over the New Year holidays.

Local banya traditions go as far back as the time of the Kyivan Rus and beyond, with the first written records dating from the 10th century. Olga, the cunning princess of Kyiv at the time, is said to have taken revenge on a neighbouring tribe called The Drevlyany by inviting their ambassadors to visit a banya and locking them in. Since those early records of banya culture references have found their way into literally every record left by foreign travellers. Legends arose of a mysterious northern land where in specially devised torture chambers naked people were smoked over hot fires, flogged with birch, scolded by boiling water then thrown into the snow and plunged into the icy water. Ironically, this gruesome description is pretty close to the what happens during a real banya ritual.

A genuine Russian banya is constructed according to traditional specifications. Today, however, few authentic public Russian banyas exist in major towns, and more often the concept is more about the ritual and it’s essential attributes: steam, a venik (bunch of dried, bound twigs, usually birch, oak or juniper, used to beat the skin) and, finally the banschik, an insider or specialist who can professionally prepare the steam and lash you with the venik. Other musts include icy water procedures, herbs and tea, beer or vodka.

 

The Hydropark

Thanks to a dam a few kilometres downstream, the Dnieper River is full of islands and city beaches which are heaving with sunbathers and swimmers in summer. Cross the Metro, Venetianor Rusanivka Bridges, to visit the Hydropark: a 2-island recreation park, necklaced with yellow sand beach and cracked, cement embankments from the Soviet era. This is the best place in Kyiv to people watch the locals in their element, against a back-drop of the majestic Kievo-Percherska Lavra across the river. Every tribe has their own section of beach – there are gay, straight, clothed, and nude beaches. The Hydropark also has an interesting giant outdoor gym with equipment cobbled together from used track parts and salvaged scrap metal. It’s a testosterone-fuelled meat market – although you might spot one or two women flexing their muscles here. On weekends and summer evenings the gym is packed with sweaty Speedo-clad dudes strutting their stuff.

 

Destinaton: Ukraine