Discover the Spectacular Beauty of Kiev: Ukraine's Vibrant Capital
I spend few days in Kiev before I went to visit Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, and I must say this city is very beautiful and it's one of my favorite capitals in East Europe. I will try here to share my experiences and show you the advantages of Kiev in Ukraine.
When I talk to people about my last trip to Ukraine, I hear a lot of:
Why the hell did you go there? Is there safe?
Is Kiev a safe place?
I also heard a lot of warnings from many people before my trip. Of course, there was a revolution here in 2014 called "Euromaidan", but it happened in many countries before and now it's over and people came back to their daily routine, so going to Kiev now is as safe as visiting other European countries.
Of course, a bit different situation is in the eastern part of Ukraine, where there are much more Russian people, but as far as I’m concerned, Kiev is a safe place to visit. Okay, so now it's time to better know the city.
The city of Kiev
Let's start by saying a few words about the city itself. During the day Kiev looks so quietly. The most people ride regularly by underground metro to work. People hang out in parks or goes to cafes and restaurants. There are almost no tourists, what make Kiev more authentic and some kind of a hidden gem.
Otherside, when the sun goes down, the city starts to be unrecognizable. There is a wide variety of loudly bars, discos and crazy nightclubs everywhere. People are very friendly and they really know how to party. And of course, the girls are very beautiful.
Why is Kiev an awesome city to travel?
Here I will write a few points why I liked Kiev so much and why it's an awesome tourist place to visit.
It's affordable
Ukraine is probably the cheapest country in the whole Europe. The meals cost less than 5 dollars and, for example, the metro ride costs about 20 cents. And if you won't get ripped for being a tourist, you probably won't pay for a taxi more than 4 dollars for driving the city.
It's clean
Kiev is a very clean city, mostly because the citizens by themselves are taking care of it by not throwing any trash on the street, but inside the bins. They also put a lot of effort into maintaining the cleanliness of the buildings.
It's colorful
The Ukrainian people are very patriotic with a huge sense of national pride. As the colors of Ukraine are yellow and light blue, you can see it everywhere, mostly on many flags and buildings.
There are beautiful girls everywhere
Well, there are legends about a beautiful Slavic woman and I must say that it's 100% true. I am very sorry if any of other girls are reading it, but for guys there I can tell that Ukrainian girls are very, very beautiful. Probably one of the most beautiful in the world.
Most interesting and beautiful tourist attractions
Well, this is the Kiev travel guide, so I also should write some information about the most beautiful buildings and tourist attractions. Here is my favorite list.
The Motherland Monument
The Motherland Monument can be seen from almost every part of the Kiev city. This sculpture is a part of the Museum of The History of Ukraine. It's made of stainless steel and it is 62 meters (203 feets) tall upon the museum building (the overall structure is 102 meters tall). It was made by Russians and it's called the "Hero of the Soviet Union".
The interesting fact is that the sword of this statue was cut because its tip was higher than the cross of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.
There is a possibility to climb to the top of the statue, but the museum accepts only a few people daily and you will also need a private guide to take you there. If you will be lucky enough to do this, you will spend about 15 minutes climbing, and then you will be able to see from a tiny window an awesome panorama of Kiev.
Near the Motherland Monument and the Museum of The History of Ukraine, you can also find huge Soviet monuments with war battles and a park full of war machines.
Pechersk Lavra Monastery
Set on 28 hectares of grassy hills above the Dnipro River, this white Orthodox church with its golden domes is really a feast for the eyes. Well, it's one of the most beautiful Orthodox monasteries I've ever seen.
The whole monastery complex is divided into two parts: the upper lavra (which is owned by the government and Kyiv Patriarchate) and the lower lavra with the caves, that belongs to the Moscow Patriarchate.
This is one of the most known tourist attractions in Kiev, so it's better to avoid it during the weekends. If you must go then, better see it early and head for the caves first. Warning: Remember, that women must wear a headscarf and either a skirt that extends below their knees to enter those caves.
St. Andrew's Descent (Andriyivskyy Descent)
Andriyivskyy Descent is one of the most beautiful and famous streets in Kyiv.
I felt astonishing when I first saw the St. Andrew's church there. It is really beautiful and amazing religious building in the city. There is also here the Castle of Richard the Lionheart - which is one of the most impressive buildings in Kiev.
The whole street is very colorful and has many beautiful buildings, so it's no surprise that there are a lot of people there. If you want to buy some souvenirs, this is a good place, as you can find here many stalls with almost everything.
Mikhail Bulgakov, a well-known writer from Kyiv lived on the St. Andrew's Descent in house number 13. The house was built in 1888 and now it's a museum.
Conclusions
In this Kiev travel guide, I tried to share with you my own experience while visiting the capital of Ukraine. I can definitely recommend this city to all the travelers who want to see a beautiful and colorful city when there are still not too many tourists.
Kiev is for sure underestimated city in Eastern Europe. It's also very cheap, so you can afford many interesting things to do and have a lot of fun here.
