The famous Golden Gate in Kyiv
Kyiv can be beautiful at any time of year, but it is especially good in late spring and autumn. In May, the city's streets burst into candles of chestnuts, magnolias and lilacs bloom in the botanical garden, the air is saturated with sunshine and freshness. In autumn, the numerous parks and squares of Kyiv, covering the hills on which the city is actually spread, are painted in bright autumn colors – and that is also very beautiful. Moreover, in Kyiv it is often quite warm until November.
Strolling leisurely through the city, you can see most of the most beautiful and famous places. The sights of Kyiv, at least the main ones, are located so that you can move from one to another sequentially. For example, after inspecting Khreshchatyk, you can go up to the Golden Gate, which now works as a museum. The upper part of the Golden Gate in Kyiv is a reconstruction of the ancient original, and inside the pavilion there are ancient fragments of walls found during excavations.
From the Golden Gate it is not far to St. Sophia's Cathedral (the Cathedral of St. Sophia). St. Sophia's Cathedral was built in the 11th century. This temple was repeatedly plundered throughout its existence, several times it was partially destroyed, but more damage was done to the outer walls, while inside many ancient frescoes, mosaics and graffiti have been preserved. From St. Sophia's Cathedral, past one of the most famous monuments of Kyiv – a statue depicting Bohdan Khmelnytsky on horseback, you can walk to Mykhailivska Square, where another very beautiful monument rises – to the Kyiv Princess Olga. And the crown of Mykhailivska Square is St. Michael's Cathedral.
Nearby is Andriyivskyi Descent – a legendary street where Mikhail Bulgakov lived. Andriyivskyi Descent is very colorful. Here almost every house houses either a museum, a shop, a restaurant, a theater studio, or an art gallery. On this street stands St. Andrew's Church – elegant, slender, towering over the nearby buildings.
Along Andriyivskyi Descent you can go to Podil – an area that, according to chronicles, was the first to be settled by people, from which the city began. But the current Podil is not particularly rich in attractions. It almost all burned down in a terrible fire in the 19th century, and was then rebuilt according to the drawings of an architect from St. Petersburg, which was reflected in the appearance of the street. For tourists, the only interest may be the main square of Podil – Kontraktova Square, around which there are several churches, a monastery, the ancient Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, and so on.
Of course, when talking about the city on the Dnieper, and making recommendations for tourists, one cannot fail to mention the most important sight of Kyiv – the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. This unique historical and cultural monument includes museums and temples, a male monastery operates on the territory of the Lavra, and most importantly, there are caves here where the relics of saints rest.
In Kyiv there are many houses of original architecture, but the most famous is perhaps the House with Chimeras, built by architect Vladislav Gorodetsky. This building can be examined for a very long time, noticing new and new details. On cloudy days it looks somewhat gloomy and ominous, and on fine days it seems like a fairy-tale castle where amazing creatures rule.
When going on a trip for several days, not everyone has the opportunity not only to get acquainted with the city and its attractions, but also to visit at least one of the many theaters of Kyiv, go to a museum. Each traveler has their own interests and priorities, but I want to mention two museums in Kyiv that invariably make a strong impression on all visitors – this is the Museum of Historical Treasures, located in the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, and the Museum of Folk Life Pyrohovo, which can be reached by minibus in about half an hour. It is hard to stop when you start talking about Kyiv, but better than any guidebooks and descriptions is to see it with your own eyes.
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