Things to do in Kiev
St Michael's Gold Domed Monastery crowns the Old Town, from which cobbled Andriyivskiy Uzviz leads to picturesque Podil, home to The Chernobyl Museum. Main street Kreshchatyk leads south to Lypky where The House with Chimeras (the Horodetsky House) nestles among the area's other architectural gems. Further south, historic Pechersk hides mummified monks in the ancient Kievo Pechersk Monastery. Most museums open 10am-5pm. Note that many have different prices for Ukrainians and foreigners.
The Chernobyl Museum
Nuclear meltdown
The Chernobyl Museum, in the old mercantile quarter of Podil, is a moving
memorial to the April 1986 nuclear disaster, with declassified records and
photos, stuffed mutant animals, and the identity cards and histories of many
victims.
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Cost
UAH10; children & students UAH3
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat & Sun 10am-4pm
Address
1, Prov Khoryva, Kiev 04071
Telephone
+38 044 417 5422
Transport
Kontraktova Plosha Metro
The Kiev Fortress
Political history of fortress
The 19th-century Kiev Fortress, south of town in Pechersk, has a gruesome
history. Its Kosy Kaponir - now a museum - was a political prison in
the early-20th century, and the Lysa Hora (Bald Mountain) was an
execution site.
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Cost
UAH14; concessions UAH2.50
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-5pm
Address
24a, Hospitalna, Kiev 01133
Telephone
+38 044 288 2359
Transport
Palats Sportu Metro, then two stops by trolley bus 14 or marshrutka (private minibus) 14
Rodina Mat
Motherland memorial
Facing the River Dniepr in downtown Pechersk, the 62-metre-high Rodina Mat
(Motherland) statue honours Ukraine's estimated 7.5 million victims of the
Second World War. A lift to the top offers citywide views, and its military
equipment museum entertains all ages.
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Cost
UAH10; students UAH3; children UAH1. Access to observation tower UAH50. Museum of Military Equipment UAH2
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Exhibition of Military Arms and Equipment: Daily 9am-7pm
Address
44, Ivan Mazepi Vulitsa, Kiev 01015
Telephone
+38 044 285 9452
Transport
Arsenalna Metro then trolleybus 38 or bus 24
Website
St Michael's Gold Domed Monastery
Ancient religion remade
Originally dating from the 11th century, St Michael's Gold Domed Monastery's
Cathedral, in the heart of the Old Town, was rebuilt in 2001, having been
demolished by the Soviets in 1934. Its bell tower museum records its full
history.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily 8am-8pm
Address
6, Trokhsvyatitelska Vulitsa, Kiev 01601
Telephone
+38 044 278 89 56 ecclesiastical academy; +38 044 279 2248 monastery
The House with Chimeras (the Horodetsky House)
Surreal Style Moderne architecture
The elegant Lypky district offers many architectural landmarks, but The House
with Chimeras built in 1904 by an architect determined to prove the
potential of concrete is the most surreal. It is currently the President's
private residence.
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Cost
Free: the interior is not open to the public
Opening Hours
24 hours: the interior is not open to the public
Address
10, Bankova Vulitsa, Kiev 01024
Transport
Kreshchatyk or Teatralnaya Metro
Kievo-Pechersk Monastery
Sacred caves, mummified monks
South of the centre, in the parkland lining the River Dnieper, the
Kievo-Pechersk Monastery (Lavra) dates from 1051. While its grounds
include numerous cathedrals and museums, visitors flock to its underground
caves, containing the mummified bodies of its earliest monks.
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Cost
UAH16; concessions UAH8; students UAH13
Opening Hours
Oct-Mar: daily 9.30am-6pm; Apr-Sep: daily 9am-7pm
Address
25, Sichnevoho Povstannia Vulitsa, Kiev 01015
Telephone
+38 044 255 1109; +38 044 255 1173
Transport
Arsenalna Metro then trolleybus 38, bus 24, or various marshrutka (private minibus) including numbers 66 or 470
