Exploring Kyiv with a local
This is a guest post by Vera Petryk, an author for kyiv.com
Kyiv is a city of 1500 years history, amazing people and great entertainment. I was born and raised in the city and although I traveled a lot I can tell you that this city is very special.
Modern capital of Ukraine, Kyiv has numerous things to be done but let’s start with the history as there could be no culture without it. Reversing 1500 years back you would get to the center of the Kievan Rus- a vast empire that started in Kyiv. Back than it was named “Kiev” because of the Russian pronunciation the new version “Kyiv” was gained when Ukraine got its independence. So, what are the places of history?
First of all there is Kyiv Pecherskaya Lavra, a little religious town inside the mega polis. It has beautiful churches, cathedrals but most important it has caves of the II century that are by the way free of charge to the visitors. These caves are very important to the citizens as they keep hallows of the saint’s. Believe it or not they are being kept there for 10 centuries without preservation. This place is one of the 5 UNESCO World Heritage spots in Kyiv so you can be sure in its veracity. If you found your way out of the caves I recommend visiting one of the museums located on the territory of the Lavra. The most famous is the museum of the miniature. Right there you will find the world smallest book or a golden chess placed on a pin head. Important tip is to remember that Pecherskaya Lavra is sacred so be sure to wear long skirt and cover your head if you are a girl.
Next place I would recommend is the entire district of Podol. The oldest and the most picturesque historical center of the city amazes with colors, music and entertainment. The best way to explore it is to take funicular, which is, by the way, the second oldest in Europe. When you get to the top you will see two oldest cathedrals- St Michel’s and St. Sophia (II century). From there you can make your way to the Andrew’s descent, which is a little open air flea market with tons of colorful ethnical and soviet souvenirs. While there visit the newest fairy tale city- located in the downhill it presents a colorful town where each building id of different color.
As for entertainment Kyiv has many options, you can go dancing to one of the Kyiv nightclub, sing karaoke, have a dinner at one of the luxurious restaurant or watch ballet in Kyiv Opera House. All together the city has a lot to offer when it comes to evenings. Most popular among locals are countless pubs with live music and local cuisine, these places are booked ahead for weekends and Fridays.
When you come to Kyiv you will understand that it is just a hundredth of what you can see and experience in the city. So pack your bag and visit one of the greatest cities in Eastern Europe.
photo credit: Stuck in Customs via photopin cc
