City of blossomed chestnut trees

Come to Kiev in the beginning of May and you’ll enjoy charm

of blossomed chestnut, lilac and magnolia trees.

There are many marvelous places in this city. You can just stand still for a

moment and try to listen to its music, admire its unique landscape, touch its

eternal beauty. WizzAir gives you a good opportunity to visit Kiev for those who

love and know this city, for those to whom each street, each house is a living

history which you cannot separate from the present days. And also for those who

want to experience the spirit of the ancient Eastern European city.

WizzAir has flights to Kiev Boryspil Airport from Hamburg-Lubeck, Oslo Torp,

London Luton, Dortmund, Cologne, Munich-Memmingen, Katowice/Crakow,

Venice, Antalya and Simferopol (the local flight).

You can enter Ukraine on the visa-free basis and stay for 90 days if you’re a

citizen of any EU country, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Canada, USA and Japan.

Foreigners are supposed to receive registration cards on board of the aircraft

when they fly to Ukraine – save these cards to present the customs officers upon

leaving the country. Wizz Air flies to Boryspil International Airport. It is located

34 km east of Kyiv, Boryspil is a small but very modern airport. The smaller

airport, Kyiv (Zhulyani), is 8 km from the centre of the city and handles mostly

domestic flights.

Kiev (Kyiv) is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, its official

history dates back to the 5th century, although the settlement in this location had

been present much earlier. By late 9th century Kiev became the chef-lieu of the

emerging state of the Eastern Slavic tribes, and between the 10th and early 13th

century, it reached its golden age as the capital of the first Ukrainian state known

today as Kiev Russ which predated modern Ukraine, Belarus and western part of

Russia (including Moscow region).

Today Kiev is the capital city of Ukraine with population

of about 3 million citizens (unofficially claimed number is up to

4.5 million inhabitants). Kiev is the largest economical, political,

educational and cultural center. It is situated on the Dnepr River

and can be proud of its architectural monuments that are

recognized as the world treasures. Kiev offers endless

opportunities for tourism. Traveling to this city may be one of the

most pleasurable experiences in your life. Ukrainians’ lifestyle

will be as interesting to foreign visitors as the capital’s major

attractions and museums. Its beautiful landscapes, parks and

gardens are charming and captivate. Hospitable Ukrainians will be

delighted to introduce Slavic culture to their foreign guests.

Climate in Kiev: it’s very warm in May in Kiev,

temperatures are around +20-25, but nights are cool. Summer

time lasts from the middle of May and to middle of September and can be pretty

hot.

Top 5 hotels in Kiev

The Premier Palace Hotel - is a luxurious hotel located in the center of Kiev, it’s in

the walking distance from the main street Kreschatik.

The Radisson SAS Hotel - is a new hotel located in the very heart of the old town of

Kiev.

The Hyatt Regency Kiev hotel - is located in the centre of Kiev, Ukraine's political

and business capital. You can overlook the breathtaking Old City that features many

Kiev's main historical sightseeing places.

Opera Hotel – is a modern hotel, a few minutes of walking distance from the city

center.

Hotel Ukraine – 3*** hotel, but located in the heart of Ukraine, the Independence

Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti). It is the city's main square and one of the most

popular places for meetings.

You can find some 2-4 stars & budget hotels too, for example: Hotel Dnipro, Lybid,

Podol Plaza hotel, Riviera, Rus, Bratislava, Express, Kreschatik, Slavutich, Tourist

and others.

Sightseeing in Kiev

Khreschatyk Street and Independence Square “Maidan Nezalezhnosti”

Maidan Nezalezhnosti is the city's main square and one of the most popular places for meetings. Every weekend the

traffic is blocked on Khreschatyk Street. The tourists can walk up and down the middle of the street. Khreschatyk is

the central, most famous and the most visited street. It is almost 2 km long with Stalinist architecture anywhere,

Khreschatyk’s gently curving design and wide chestnut-lined sidewalks make it a lovely place

for a relaxing stroll. The reconstruction of Independence Square was finished in 2002 and

profoundly changed the city's image.

St. Sophia’s Cathedral Kiev’s oldest church was built in 1037 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise - who was laid to rest

inside. It commemorates the victory of the Kyiv Russ over the Pechenegs (an Asian nomadic

tribe) and glorifies Christianity. It was named after St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Constantinople. The Cathedral complex

is recognized in Ukraine as a national reservation and also receives support from UNESCO. St. Sophia is famous for

its outstanding mosaics and frescoes dating to the eleventh century.

St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral This gold-domed cathedral is located just opposite of the Sophia Cathedral, on Mikhailovskaya Square. It was

constructed, repaired and reconstructed many times over the last nine centuries. Outside the square, there are statues of

Princess Olga, Apostle Andrew, St. Cyrill and St. Mephodius which were also reconstructed in 1996.

St. Andrew’s Church and Andreevski Spusk (Andrew’s Descent)

Andreevski Spusk is the Montmartre of Kiev. There is a market of

arts and crafts on this street and many artists are closely connected

with it. Mikhail Bulgakov lived in the Turbin house on Andreevski

Spusk for more than a decade and is now Bulgakov's museum. Saint

Andrey's Church was also declared a museum in 1968. It was built

in the 18th century for Empress Elisabeth Petrovna who also laid

herself the first foundation stone of it. She engaged her favorite

architect F. B. Rastrelli, the interior was decorated by many artists

too.

Kiev opera

Kiev has one of the most beautiful operas in the world and the prices are unbelievable.

Golden Gate

This fortified wall, defining the limits of the city and serving as a protective barrier from invaders in the past centuries.

It dates back to 1037, during the reign of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. The place was restored to its present condition in

1983, and now serves as the Golden Gate historical museum. The structure is located in the downtown of Kiev, two

blocks from the National Opera House or just outside of Zoloti Vorota metro station.

Podol

Podol district of Kiev is very popular for its special atmosphere, many bars, cafes and restaurants, proximity to the

river and sightseeing places. On Kontraktova Plosha you can visit Gostinny Dvor, the Church of the Blessed Virgin

Pirogoshya, the former Greek monastery or the Kiev Mohylanska Academy. Near Poshtova Plosha there is the river

station where boats depart for sightseeing tours on one side and the funicular will take you back uptown on the other.

St. Vladimir's Cathedral

The Cathedral was built from 1862-1882 in the so-called Russian pseudo-Byzantine style. The wall-paintings of the

cathedral remain unforgettable to this day. The cathedral belongs to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Just for one walking tour: The Friendship of Nations Arch on the European Square and thru Kreschatiy

park to Mariyinskiy Palace The Friendship of Nations Arch looks like the steel rainbow. It was erected in 1983 to commemorate the unification of

Ukraine and Russia in 1653. The monument is supposed to symbolize friendship and mutual respect between the two

nations. Crowds swarm the monument’s platform to enjoy spectacular views of the Dnipro River.

Thru Kreschatiy park and Lovers' bridge there is a walking route to the Mariyinskiy Palace, the gorgeous blue and

cream palace, which was designed by Bartholomew Rastrelli and was built under the supervision of the Russian

architect Ivan Michurin. The palace is located on top of the hill in the

beautiful park overlooking the Dnipro river. Today the palace is used for

official state receptions such as presidential meetings and international

conferences.

Pecherska Lavra The cave monastery was founded in the 11th century by St Antoniy. The

caves were dug out by the priests who lived there as hermits. Nowadays,

the caves are cherished by the Christians. The tourists can

visit the mummified monks, and pilgrims still have access to

the underground church there. Nowadays it is a UNESCO

heritage with lots of tourists visiting. The caves are small and

narrow, stretched several hundred meters long and up to 20 meters under ground.

Motherland Statue and War memorials

The 530-ton metal statue is 68 m high, it stands on the 40 meter tall pedestal and she's holding a 12-ton

sword in her right hand and the USSR symbol in the left. L. Brezhnev opened the monument in 1981.

Every year the Fire of Glory is lit here on The Victory Day (May 9th).

The Horodetsky Building House with Chimeras

Built by V. Gorodetskiy in the beginning of 20th century, this house is quite extraordinary. It is called the House with

Chimeras because the facade is decorated with strange sculptures of elephants, rhinoceroses, frogs, lizards and such.

It’s close to the President of Ukraine Administration.

A lot of sightseeing? Are you hungry now? Where to eat?

If you want to find a good restaurant to try delicious Ukrainian meals just look at the list on web of Group of

"Mirovaya karta" restaurants. It is one of the biggest restaurant corporations in Ukraine at

http://www.karta.ua/eng/index.html or Kozyrnaya Karta restaurant network at http://www.2k.ua/eng/main.php If you

want to save money but get very good Ukrainian food it’s so easy to find in city center the network of famous

Ukrainian fast food restaurants Puzata Hata at http://www.puzatahata.com.ua/eng/ The most popular word here is –

smachnoho! (Bon appetit!)

Are you full up now? Do you want to continue seeing some fantastic

places of Ukrainian culture, history and traditions? Kiev has two outside

museums: Mamaeva Sloboda and Pirohovo.

The ethnological centre, Cossack village in Mamayeva Sloboda, was

open in Kyiv on July 2009. It’s located at 2, Mykhaylo Dontsya Street, not too

far from the Shulyavs’ka (red line) metro station. Mamayeva Sloboda is the

bright embodiment of glorious Cossack tradition, which can be spotted in its

architecture and landscape. A characteristic feature of the Cossack village

became revival of the forgotten Ukrainian traditions. A separate cultural

program will be prepared there for each national and religious holiday.

Pirohovo is an open-air Museum of Ukrainian Folk Architecture, Rural Life and Folk Art, stretching on the

vast territory of 150 hectares. In this village-museum there has been gathered a unique collection of folk architecture

from all regions of Ukraine. The visitors of the museum are welcome not only to admire rare exhibits but also to visit

folk crafts shops and a traditional restaurant serving Ukrainian cuisine. Pirohovo is located in the suburbs. It is easy to

get there by taxi, or you can use trolleybus № 11 from «Lybidskaya» metro station or a mini bus (“marshrutka”) # 156

from Besarabska market, Kreschatik Str or a mini bus (“marshrutka”) # 172 from «Drujby narodov» metro station.

Have a nice trip to Kiev, ancient city in Eastern Europe!!!

Welcome to my home town!

Author & photos by Denys Andrushchak