Kyiv

See also: Vikings and the Old Norse, Russian Empire, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Soviet Union

The Ukrainians are understandably very proud of their capital's role in establishing European civilization in Eastern Europe. Kyiv is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe dating back to the 5th century although settlements at this location existed much earlier. By the late 9th century, Kyiv was at the center of an emerging Eastern Slavic state. Between the 10th and early 13th centuries, the city reached its golden age as the capital of the first Ukrainian state known today as Kievan Rus (Kyivan Ruthenia, or Rus-Ukraine). It was this state that shaped the religious and cultural foundations of the modern East Slavic states of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. Russia also claims its origin in Kievan Rus, and this claim continues to be a major bone of contention between Ukrainians and Russians.

In the middle of the 13th century, Kievan Rus was overrun by the Mongols. Later that century, Kyiv became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1569 the city was absorbed into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1654 the Cossack, Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky "liberated" Kyiv from that Commonwealth, but then promptly folded it into the Russian Empire, an action that continues to be a sore point for Ukrainian nationalists.

Full Russian annexation came in 1775 and the city remained under Russian rule with brief independence between 1918 and 1920 during the chaos that followed the Russian Revolution. Over these two centuries, Kyiv experienced growing Russification and Russian immigration. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it became the capital of independent Ukraine and is now discovering its place as a large European capital.

Average temperatures are maximum 26°C (79°F), minimum 15°C (59°F) in summer and maximum -2°C (28°F), minimum -8°C (17°F) in winter. Spring and autumn (fall) can be very brief. Heat waves featuring temperatures as high as 38°C (100°F) are rare but not unheard of in the summer months, and brief but potent cold spells with temperatures as low as -20°C (-4°F) are not uncommon in winter. Wintery precipitation can begin as early as October, and snowfall is fully expected by late fall and the winter months, when it can become intense enough to affect travel. However, snow cover is not always constant and even in the winter there can be periods when the ground lies barren. Warm clothes are a necessity from November through March, but dressing in removable layers will help travelers stay comfortable in any situation.

See also: Ukraine#By train

There are international direct trains to Chisinau (15 hr), Vienna (24 h) and Warsaw (17 hr). Ukrainian Railways has Intercity trains from Poltava (3 hr), Lviv (5 hr), Kharkiv (4 hr 30), Dnipro (5 hr 15 min) and Odesa (7 hr 15 min) among many other smaller cities - usually with two daytime trains and one slower overnight train. Direct trains from Crimea (under Russian military occupation) remain suspended.

• 🌍 Kyiv Central Railway Station (Kyiv Pasazhyrskyi, Київ-Пасажирський), 1 Vokzalna Square (just west of city center), ☏ +380 44 239 8951, +380 44 503 6050. All mainline trains arrive here. The station is wide, with a bridge across the tracks between the north and south terminal buildings - each has its own ticket offices and other facilities. The north side is the main entrance facing city center, with M1 "Vokzalna", Pivnichna suburban train station, and buses and taxis into town, all in the square just outside. South side has the bus stops for both airports. (updated Oct 2018)

Tickets can be purchases on Omio, BlaBlaCar and other bus apps.

• 🌍 Central Bus station (Автобусний вокзал «Центральний»), 3 Demiivska Square (M2 "Demiivska"), ☏ +38 095 444 44 44, help@ukrpas.com.ua. 09:00-21:00. International buses stop at the central station, which is a squalid place that is anything but central. There are frequent direct buses of variable quality from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, Germany, Czech Republic and Austria. Some of the popular operators include FlixBus, INFOBUS, AutoLux, euroTICKET and others. (updated May 2023)
• 🌍 Kyiv Bus Station (Автостанція «Київ»), 1 Vokzalna Square (at Central Train Station). (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Polissia Bus Station (Автостанція «Полісся»), 2 Tarasa Shevchenka Square (from M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha" take nortbound tram), ☏ +380 44 430-3554. For northern directions. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Pivdenna Bus Station (Автостанція «Південна»), 3 Akademika Hluskova Avenue (M2 "Ipodrom"), ☏ +380 44 257-4004. To/from Vinnytsa and other southbound destinations. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Darnytsia Bus Station (Автостанція «Дарниця»), 1 Leonida Kadeniuka Avenue (M1 "Chernihivska"), ☏ +380 44 559-4618. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Dachna Bus Station (Автостанція «Дачна»), 142 Beresteiskyi Avenue (M1 "Zhytomyrska", 700 m), ☏ +380 44 424-1503. Western directions. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Podil Bus Station (Автостанція «Поділ»), 15-A Nyzhnii Val Street (M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha" 500 m), ☏ +380 44 417-3215. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Vydubychi Bus Station (Автостанція «Видубичі»), 3 Naberezhno-Pecherska Road (M3 "Vydubychi"), ☏ +380 44 524-2182. To Kaniv and Cherkasy. (updated Sep 2023)

It's possible to organize trips down the River Dnipro to the Black Sea in summer. A travel agency in Ukraine can book these trips for you.

For shorter distances, there is no better way of getting around Kyiv than hitting the sidewalk, especially in the areas of the city center like Maidan Nezalezhnosti, Kontraktova Ploshcha, Arsenalna. The city center area consists of many hills, so be prepared and plan accordingly. The underground pedestrian crossings are ubiquitous and let you cross the busy streets without waiting for the traffic lights, many of them connect to the underground malls, being a specialty of Kyiv. Keep in mind they are often not equipped with elevators, just the stairs.

The base fare per trip is 8 грн with no difference for the length of the trip. Additional discounts apply for journeys paid in bulk. Each transfer means another trip (unless in the metro). E-Ticket guide can be found on the website.

There are 4 ways to pay for public transport trips in Kyiv:

1. Users of Google Pay, Apple Pay and contactless credit/debit cards can pay directly without the need for a separate ticket; just tap your card or device on the turnstile reader.
2. Single-journey paper tickets called QR tickets (not to be confused with the digital payment method listed below) can be purchased at the ticket office or ticket machines and scanned at the turnstile. These have replaced the old token system on the Metro.
3. Tap the prepaid Kyiv Digital (Київ Цифровий) multi-journey plastic card. The card can be purchased for 50 грн at all metro stations, and in T-Kiosks all around the city. You can top up the card at metro stations, via the Kyiv Digital app (iOS, Android), on EasyPay, and at EasyPay, PrivatBank, City24 terminals.
4. A digital version of the single-journey QR ticket can be purchased through the Kyiv Digital (Київ Цифровий) mobile app (iOS, Android) and used by scanning your phone screen at the turnstile.

All 4 are supported across the municipal transport network, including the funicular.

Tap / scan your preferred way of public transit payment only once when entering at the turnstile or at a ticket validator inside (depending on the mode of transport) and wait for a few seconds for confirmation. There is no need to scan again before exiting, since the price doesn't depend on the duration of the trip.

Buses and trams do not accept cash payment or sell tickets onboard, so remember to get a ticket or transit card ahead of time before boarding, if not using contactless payment. The modernised light-rail trams depart from dedicated platforms with turnstiles and ticket machines so there is no need to validate your ticket onboard; remember to choose the correct platform if catching a tram at the main railway station.

You can track public transport on the official website and EasyWay.

The Metro (Метро) is one of the pleasures of Kyiv. It is a clean and fast subway system, and it is easy to navigate once you realize that all three metro lines (red, blue and green) go through the city center. There are 52 stations operating, and ambitious plans for the lines' extensions. The official website can be found here.

All stations support contactless credit card/digital payment, but not necessarily at every turnstile - look for those marked with the corresponding logos, often indicated by bright yellow/orange color. A green arrow will appear, indicating that the payment has been successful. When passing through a turnstile, make sure you walk through the correct side of the turnstile i.e. scanning the ticket on your right, not to be hit with a metal gate that will slam shut.

The cost of using the contactless payment is the same as a single-ticket, and discounts are automatically applied if you travel frequently. You can also associate your contactless card with a monthly/half-monthly unlimited travel plan for further discounts. As of March 2020, a tourist pass is planned. It would provide with an unlimited number of trips in any municipal mode of transport for 24, 48, and 72 hours from the moment of activation. They will cost 100, 150, and 200 грн, respectively.

Most maps and signposts in the metro are translated into English. Every station has a unique three-digit number, with the first digit showing the number of the line (M1 for red, M2 for blue, and M3 for green). Once on board, every station is announced by loudspeakers and screens. These screens show a lot of weird ads between the stations, but flag an impending station before arrival. Upon departure, they then show the next station.

Metro stations where you can interchange have two different names - one for each line. If you are changing lines, the other station can be reached by an overpass in the center or near one of the ends of the platform.

Trains run every 30 to 150 seconds during business hours, every 5 min after 20:00, and every 10–15 min after 22:30. The last trains depart from the terminal stations around midnight, so your last chance to catch a train in the city center is between 00:15 and 00:25 (check the timetable of late departures, which is signposted on each station). Trains are often very crowded. Be prepared to push, as this may be the only way you get on the train during peak hours.

The Kyiv metro has some of the deepest stations in the world. The M1 "Arsenalna" is the deepest metro station in the world, at 107 m deep, and the M1 "Universytet" has one of the longest escalators (87 m long). Many stations have two long and intimidating escalators in a row.

Spend some time looking at the stations. The red line features impressive architecture, similar to that seen in the Moscow and Saint Petersburg metro systems. Elaborate mosaics in the "Zoloti Vorota" (Золоті ворота) station depict rulers and other historical characters of the medieval Kyivan Rus.

There are two types of city-run buses available – bus (автобус) and trolleybus (тролейбус) – as well as slow and moribund trams. Tap your phone (Google/Apple Pay compatible) at the orange ticket validator upon entering the vehicle. The message will signify the payment complete.

Unlike the buses in Western Europe, in Ukraine there is no need to neither wave for the bus to stop as it approaches, nor push a button to ask for a stop. They will always stop on every designated stop, which are marked by an inconspicuous sign on a telegraph pole.

The buses are often very crowded during peak hours, but the norm is to push your way in.

Travelling by tram mostly for on or to suburbs can be an option. In western Kyiv maybe a useful end station which is at the M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha". From here depart No.14 far to the westward and No.18 to the M1 "Vokzalna". Also, from M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha" depart to northbound No.11 to M2 "Obolon", No.19 to M2 "Minska", No.12 to northwest, a bit out of city limit to Horenka settlement. For more info, visit Kyivpastrans website.

• 🌍 Funicular (Фунікулер), 3 Petra Sahaidachnoho Street (lower station near M2 "Poshtova Ploscha"), ☏ +380 44 425-1252, +380 44 254-6590. Summer: 06:00-23:00, winter: 07:00-22:00. A historic way constructed in 1905 to get from the upper city down to Podil (or, naturally, the other way around) is to catch the funicular from Mykhaylivs’ka Ploscha to Poshtova Ploscha in Podil. You can enjoy views of the Dnieper and left bank on the way down. 8 грн. (updated Jul 2021)

You can also travel on so-called route taxis or minivans called marshrutky (маршрутки). These are privately run vehicles that travel assigned routes, which are listed on the front of the bus. They are easy to be confused with the public city buses, as both are shown on the apps like Google Maps. Marshrutka routes can be hard to figure out, but they have a list of stops on the window and a Metro logo for the metro stops. The best way to figure out where these go is to ask some of the locals. City maps usually picture all public transport, normal buses, trolleybuses, trams and marshrutky. The one downside to using marshrutky is that they tend to be a little overpacked (understatement) and very warm or cold, depending on season.

You can hail a marshrutka at the assigned bus stops. When you board, you pay the driver directly in cash or, if you're not near the driver, pass the money to the nearest passenger who will pass it to the driver. Your change will be returned in reverse order, but it is unwise to pass big bills. Kyiv Tsyfrovyi card / QR code can not be used in marshrutkas. The fare ranges for about 5 грн, and is usually stated on the front and sidewalk-side of the vehicle, so you will know how much you pay in advance. It is good to have some change, so you can pay exact amount.

When you are reaching your destination, simply yell out to the driver to stop "Na zupyntsi" with stress on "-pyn-"', which literally means "on the stop" in Ukrainian, or use Russian: "Na astanovkie", stressing on "-nov-" (some 100 m in advance to the bus stop you need). If you overshoot, you get a nice walk and a driver gets a little extra stress a day.

Taxis are the easiest way to get around the city, with low fares by Western standards. Marked taxis that can be hailed on the street are relatively rare compared to ridesharing app drivers. An Uber trip within the inner city (i.e. between any two of the major downtown attractions) should normally cost between 100 and 200 грн, exceeding 300 грн only during rush hour (as of Jan 2024); prices may differ with other services.

• Uber (Убер). (updated Sep 2023)
• Bolt (Болт). (updated Sep 2023)
• Uklon (Уклон). (updated Sep 2023)
• OnTaxi (ОнТаксі). (updated Sep 2023)
• Opti (Опті). (updated Sep 2023)
• Shark (Шарк). (updated Oct 2023)

Kick scooter is a funny way to shorten your time while getting around the city.

• Bolt (Болт). (updated Sep 2023)
• JET.UA. (updated Sep 2023)
• Scroll (Скролл). (updated Sep 2023)
• Zelectra (Зелектра). (updated Sep 2023)

There are more than 200 km of infrastructure for bicycles in Kyiv. While you can use your own bike, you can also rent one using one of the following companies:

• BikeNow (БайкНау). (updated Sep 2023)
• Veliki (Велікі). (updated Sep 2023)

With the taxi app rides ubiquitous and cheap, there is generally little reason to rent a car unless exploring outside the city. Kyiv city traffic is known to be quite heavy unless on weekends.

Traditional car rental apps like Booking or Kayak let you compare the options across multiple locations for the car to rent for multiple days and has to be returned to the same location (unless paying extra fees).

Car-sharing apps like Getmancar may be a better choice for short trips and let you save money in comparison to the taxi apps, the cars can be picked-up and dropped off in minutes flexibly in the zones all over the city (including the airports). Make sure to sign up on the app a day before - as the validation is not instantaneous.

• 🌍 Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Cave Monastery--Печерська лавра), 9 Lavrska Street (M1 "Arsenalna" is a couple of blocks away from the main entrance; you can take a trolley from the subway station - 2 stops), ☏ +38 44 280-3071. Winter 09:00-18:00, summer 08:00-19:00. One of the oldest and most important monasteries in Ukraine and in the territory of the former Soviet Union. Only the most important monasteries were designated as Lavras; there were only four, of which this Cave Monastery is the oldest. It was founded in 1077 by St Antoniy. The caves were dug out by priests who lived there as hermits. Nowadays, the caves are venerated by the faithful and tourists who visit the mummified monks, and pilgrims are still allowed access to the underground church there. There are two parts to the modern complex: the upper lavra, owned by the state and consisting of a number of museums (entry fee); and the lower lavra, owned by the Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarch) and consisting of the caves (you'll need 1 грн to buy a candle to enter). Do not miss the display of micro-miniatures in the Upper Lavra. It sounds lame, but it is fascinating. You can enter the caves in the lower part if you dress correctly (women must cover their hair and wear skirts, no shorts. Expensive scarves are for sale there). Women can only just get away with pants in the winter. Start at the Lower Lavra, visiting the caves, before the crowds descend for the day. There are two cave complexes, each housing the mummified remains of monks, as well as religious icons and other relics. Both caves are accessed through churches, with the entrance to the shorter caves at the end of a boardwalk. While it is free to enter the caves, you must purchase a taper candle in order to light your way. The caves are not recommended for the claustrophobic or overly tall. Once you're in there, it's hard, even impossible to turn around and go back out - you have to keep going. Without visiting expositions: 3 грн; including visiting exhibitions and guided tour: Adult 50 грн, pupil or student 25 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Pechersk Lavra fortification (Фортечні мури Києво-Печерської лаври). A system of walls, towers and other constructions built for the protection of the Cave Monastery. The fortifications consist of Upper Lavra: the Southwest Tower, or the tower of Ivan Kuschnik (Вежа Іоанна Кущника); the South Tower (Південна (Годинникова) вежа), or the Horlogium, 1818; the North Tower (Північна (Малярна) вежа), also called the Painting Tower; the East Tower containing the church of Saint Onufry (Онуфріївська вежа), Economic Gate and the Church of All Saints, West Gate Holidays to Holy Trinity Church, South (lower) gate 1792-95; North Gate, 19th century; Eastern Gate, 19th century; Wall with a gate at the Great Lavra Belltower, 18th-early 19th century and a retaining wall terraces with viewing platform. The Lower Lavra fortification parts are: The defensive walls of the Near and Far Caves, 19th century; entrance gate, 1840s; the lower gate at the entrance to the Near and Far caves, 1852-53; Retaining Wall of D. de Boskhuets, 18th century. Belfry Far Caves; Western gate of the lodge, 1883. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Great Lavra Bell Tower (Велика Лаврська дзвіниця), 15 Lavrska Street. The main bell tower of the ancient cave monastery. Built in 1731–1745. It was designed by the architect Johann Gottfried Schädel. Its total height, with the Christian cross, is 96.5 meters. A neoclassic construction with a total of four tiers, surmounted by a gilded dome. The diameter of the tower's lowest tier at its base is 28.8 m, and the thickness of the first tier walls is 8m. The tower's foundations exceed 7m meters. The tower is decorated with many architectural columns: the second tier with 32 Dorian columns, the third with 16 Ionic columns, and the fourth with 8 Corinthian columns. On the fourth tier there is a chiming clock, made in 1903, which has a total weight of 4.5 tonne. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Refectory Church (Трапезна Палата), 9 к29 Lavrska Street. A refectory and an adjoining church of Saint Anthony and Theodosius. Built in 1893-1895. The sturdy dome of the church incorporates some aspects of ancient Byzantium. The interior decoration of the building was designed by Aleksey Shchusev. The marble icons are in the Neo-Russian style. The paintings in the refectory and the church, painted in the beginning of the 20th century. In 1973-1977, the Refectory interior was thoroughly renovated. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Church of the Saviour at Berestovo (Церква Спаса на Берестові), 5 Lavrska Street (Out of the Walls 100 m). Berestovo was a suburban residence in the 11th century. - Its vaulting may have been unusually complicated, probably echoing the trefoil roofing of the porches. The outside of the church formerly displayed intricate brick patterns: double and treble niches, the meander, and decorative crosses. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Gate Church of the Trinity (Троїцька Надбрамна церква), 9 к27 Lavrska Street (Atop the Holy Gates, which houses the main entrance to the monastery). In 1108 being built as a Kievan Rus' style church, the Gate Church of the Trinity is now decorated in the Ukrainian Baroque style, having been reconstructed many times through its history. Inside: a three-story wooden gilded iconostasis, (1735); a large sixteen-candle chandelier (1725); The church's frescoes were based on Biblical scenes, and the exterior decor was based on Ukrainian folklore, including: "Faces of the Holy Martyr," "The Traders Cast Out of the Temple," and "The Council of Nicaea." Interior frescoes: Allegorical and historical Biblical topics are given in a noncanonical way; some of them are made with Ukrainian national ornaments. Wood-carved chairs, are installed along the western wall. The chairs are covered with oil paintings. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Near Caves or the Caves of Saint Anthony (Ближні печери), 15 Lavrska Street. Are historic caves and a network of tunnels with a total length of 383 m and depth of 5-20 m with the width reaching 1.5 m and the height 2.5 m. Here is buried the founder of the Cave Monastery of Saint Anthony. Of the three existing entrances to the Near Caves, the original was probably the western one, in which you can enter from the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. A candle is required to enter the caves. Candles are available for purchase for 3 грн, Free. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 All Saints Church (Всіхсвятська церква), 9 к82 Lavrska Street (Northern part of the complex). Founded in 1696–1698. Its style is Ukrainian baroque. The church facades are richly decorated with architectural elements. In 1905, local artists painted the interior walls of the church. The carved wooden iconostasis is multi-tiered and was made in the early 18th century. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Far Caves (Дальні печери), 15 Lavrska Street (Southeast corner of the complex). Relics of 49 saints, accompanied by plates with names and icons. The total length of underground corridors is 293 m. There are three underground cave churches: Annunciation, Nativity and Reverend Theodosius. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Dormition Cathedral (Успенський собор) (Opposite the man entrance (Gate Church)). The main temple of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Built in 1073–78. The cathedral consisted basically of one story built on a cruciform plan with a cupola supported by six columns. It had three naves, which on the outside terminated in many-faced apses. In the 17th century with more cupolas and decorative elements, in the Cossack baroque style were decorated. Inside was decorated with mosaics and frescoes. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine (Музей історичних коштовностей України), 9 к12 Lavrska Street. In the Kovnirivskyi building, which was a convent bakery built in the 17th century and reconstructed in 1744-1745. The main facade of buildings made in the same manner as the cell of the Old Cathedral. One of the leading museums of Ukraine and the world, the subject of the exhibition - historical and artistic monuments of precious metals and precious stones. The museum collection includes 56,000 pieces of archeology and applied art. Here you can find the 'Martynivka Treasure' (Мартинівський скарб), which is a hoard consisting of about 120 silver items of 400-900 probe found in Martynivka village (now Cherkasy Oblast) in 1909. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Book and print history museum (Музей книги та друкарства України), 9 к9 Lavrska Street. W-M 10:00-17:00. The museum contains a rich treasure book culture of the Ukrainian people (about 56 thousand units). The exhibition highlights the story of the book and of books from Kievan Rus to the present day. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Museum of Ukrainian folk art (Музей народного декоративного мистецтва), 9 к2 Lavrska Street, ☏ +380 44 280-1343. W-M 10:00-18:00. The collection is more than 75,000 works of traditional folk and decorative arts from the 15th to the 20th centuries. It's housed in the former Metropolitan's residence. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Theatre and Cinematographic Arts Museum (Музей театрального, музичного та кіно-мистецтва України), 9 к26 Lavrska Street, ☏ +380 44 280-1622. There is various documentary material that reveals the formation and development of Ukrainian drama and theatrical presentation. Here are Ukrainian folk musical instruments which afford the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the history of Ukrainian culture, literature and ethnology. The museum has a branch - the house-museum of M.K. Zankovetska, where an exhibition reflects the life and career of the famous Ukrainian actress. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 National Historical Library of Ukraine (Національна історична бібліотека України), 9 к24 Lavrska Street, ☏ +38 44 290-4617. More than 800,000 books, manuscripts and maps. (updated Sep 2023)

• 🌍 St Sophia's Cathedral (Собор Святої Софії), Sofiivska Square (M3 "Zoloti Vorota"). 09:00-16:00. The oldest remaining church in Kyiv. Parts date from the 11th century. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has the world biggest ensemble of frescoes and mosaics dating from the 11th century, including the Virgin Orans mosaic. Several green-robed ladies maintain order and will shout at you if you look like you are planning to take a photo. The gatehouse and other restorations were completed in the 17th century. Outside the gates, there is a statue commemorating hetman Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, who liberated Kyiv in the 17th century... then gave the city to the Russian Empire. 53 грн for admission to the complex and church (23 грн for children). Additional charges to climb the bell tower, visit the museum and have a guided tour. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, 8 Trokhsviatytelska Street (a short distance and easily visible from St. Sophia's cathedral). A working monastery that goes back to the 12th century. Destroyed during the Soviet era, with many of its art works hastily removed, some of which were transferred to the museums in Moscow and St Petersburg, some were moved to St Sophia Cathedral. Some mosaics housed in St Sophia subsequently fell into the hands of the Nazis but were returned... to the Hermitage in St Petersburg. Rebuilt in 1997-98. Impressive gold domes, best visited on a sunny day. Behind the complex is a pleasant park with views of the Dnieper and, to the left, the entrance to the funicular. (updated Jan 2024)

• 🌍 St Volodymyr's Cathedral (Патріарший кафедральний собор св. Володимира), 20 Tarasa Shevchenka Boulevard, ☏ +380 44 235-0362. Seven domed Ukrainian Orthodox brick cathedral in neo-Byzantine style, built in the 19th century. It barely escaped demolition by the Soviet authorities. Dome height (outer) 49 m (161 ft). (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 St Andrew's Church (Андріївська церква), 23 Andriivskyi Descent (M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha"), ☏ +380 44 278-1221. Closed for restoration since 2011; the best external view is from terrace of War Museum opposite. Baroque church, constructed in 1747–1754. Length 31.7 m (104 ft). Width 20.4 m (67 ft). Height 50 m (160 ft). Both the external and internal decoration on the church was carried out at the same time. Cast iron floor slabs were delivered from Moscow. Also, forms were made for the church's windows, doors, walls, and for space under the cupola. The planned iconostasis, designed by the Italian architect Rastrelli, was also added. The wood for the iconostasis, altar canopy, pulpit, and tsar's place were carved out in Saint Petersburg in order to save time. The iconostasis' icons were carried out by Petersburg artists. For gilding, 1,028 slabs of gold were used in the interior. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Saint Cyril's Monastery (Кирилівський монастир), 103 к10 Kyrylivska Street (Take to Stadion Spartak stop a tram No.12 or 19 from M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha"), ☏ +380 44 417-2268. A medieval monastery. Founded in 1140. Reconstructed by the Ukrainian architect Ivan Hryhorovych-Barskyi during 1750–1760. Saint Cyril's Church, including the medieval interior frescoes and the 1880s murals by the famous Russian painter Mikhail Vrubel, were fortunately preserved. The remaining constructions of the complex, the rest of the monastic walls, one corner tower (see picture), and two buildings constructed by Barskyi were also preserved. Of the monastery's cemetery, only two 18th-century graves remained. (updated Jan 2024)

• 🌍 Blacksmithing and metalworker's museum (Музей Ковальського та слюсарного мистецтва), 20B Andriivskyi Descent (M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha", 10-min walk). (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Literary and Memorial Bulgakov Museum. House of Turbiny (Дім Турбіних. Літературно-меморіальний музей Булгакова), 13 Andriivskyi Descent (M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha"), ☏ +380 44 4253188. Tu Th-Su 10:00-18:00 (ticket office open till 17:00). The legendary Andriyivsky Descent was the street where the great writer lived with his family and where he "lodged" the heroes of his immortal novel "The White Guard". 10 грн, cost of excursion 30 грн per person. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Chornobyl Museum (Національний музей Чорнобиль), 1 Khoryva Lane (M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha"; Tram : 12, 14, 18, 19), ☏ +380 44 417-5422. M-F 10:00-18:00; Sa 10:00-17:00. A fascinating and moving museum. No signage in English. The cost of audio-tour in English or German - 50 грн. 10 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 'Cultural wealth of Ukraine' Ukrainian icon museum (Міський музей української ікони "Духовні скарби України"), 12 Desiatynna Street (M2 "Poshtova Ploscha"), ☏ +380 44 278-8357. Tu Th Sa Su 11:00-19:00. The exhibition presents about 300 icons late 15th - early 20th century. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 National Museum of History of Ukraine (Національний музей історії України), 2 Volodymyrska Street (M2 "Poshtova Ploscha"), ☏ +380 44 278-4864, +380 44 278-65-45. Th-Tu 10:00-17:00. Museum represents different times from ancient till nowadays. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 One Street Museum (Музей однієї вулиці), 2B Andriivskyi Descent, ☏ +380 44 425-0398. The collection of the One Street Museum is dedicated to the history of the Andriyivskyi uzviz (Andrew's Descent) and its famous residents. Tu-Su 12:00-18:00. 20 грн. An excursion in Ukrainian or Russian - 100 грн, in English - 150 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Museum of the Magdeburg law, Museum of Self-Management of Kyiv (Музей Магдeбурзького права, Музей історії київського самоврядування), 2 Poshtova Square (M2 "Poshtova Ploscha"), ☏ +380 44 463-6796. A very interesting permanent exhibition about "On the history of government in Kyiv", devoted to 500th anniversary of providing the city of Magdeburg law. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Bee-Farming Museum (Музей Бджільництва), 9 Pokrovska Street (M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha" or M2 "Poshtova Ploscha"). The museum contains materials on the history of beekeeping, photographs of prominent scientists beekeepers are part of apitherapy. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Open-Air Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life (Музей народної архітектури та побуту), 1 Akademika Tronka Street (Bus #156 or #172 from M2 "Olimpiiska", M2 "Lybidska" or M2 "Vystavkovyi Tsentr" goes there for 8 грн. About 30-40 minutes), ☏ +380 44 526 5765. Daily. Covering 160 ha, the area shows how people used to live in different parts of Ukraine. Six restored rural Ukrainian villages, with old huts, wooden mills and churches from all over Ukraine have been carefully restored and function as living museums. English-speaking (sort of) guides with expertise on the whole site are available and well worth-it. Ukrainians come on sunny days to relax in the grass. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Luk'yanivs'ke Cemetery (Лукянівське кладовище), 7 Dorohozhytska Street (M3 "Dorohozhychi"), ☏ +380 44 440-13-22, +380 44 440-14-87. Daily. By the administration building has a museum room, telling stories about the cemetery and its famous "Dwellers". (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Pushkin Museum (Київський музей Пушкіна О.С.), 9 Kudriavska Street (M3 "Lukianivska"). W-M 10:00-17:00. The main part of the museum's collection are exhibits first half of the 19th century - a period called the "Pushkin". Among the most valuable items - books with author signatures of friends and contemporaries Pushkin political writings of famous public figures. The pride of the museum, editions of the works of the poet, including some sections of the novel Eugene Onegin. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Pedagogical Museum (Педагогічний музей), 57 Volodymyrska Street (M3 "Zoloti Vorota". Across from the building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine), ☏ +380 44 234-3688, pedmuz@gmail.com. M-F 10:00-17:00, closed 13:00-14:00. Former the meeting place of the Ukrainian Club, Rodyna, and the Ukrainian Scientific Society. The museum of Lenin, which was here until 1982. The first floor of the building now houses the escalators leading to M3 "Zoloti Vorota". (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Golden Gate of Kyiv or Zoloti Vorota (Золоті ворота), 40a Volodymyrska Street (M3 "Zoloti Vorota"), ☏ +380 44 278-6919. Tu 10:00-17:00, W-Su 10:00-18:00, in winter, closed. Built in the 11th century. Destroyed in the 17th century. The rebuilt Golden Gate is a crenelated tower 14 m in height. The entrance way is shielded on one side by a metal-covered portcullis of wood and on the other side by doors patterned. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Kyiv Fortress also known as the Pechersk Fortress (Київська фортеця), 24a Hospitalna Street (M3 "Klovska" — 1 km, M3 "Palats Sportu" — 1.3 km, trolley No.14 'muzey Kyivska phortetsya' stop, 100 meter). A 19th-century fortification building, that once belonged to the system of western Russian fortresses. Some of the buildings are restored and turned into a museum called the Kyiv Fortress, while others are in use by various military and commercial installations. It is semi-underground. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War (Національний музей історії України у Другій світовій війні), 24 Lavrska Street, ☏ +38 044 285-94-52, info@warmuseum.kiev.ua. Tu-Su 10:00-17:00. A fairly large museum, starting with World War II, going through Nazi occupation until Ukraine's independence. The museum is at the base of the massive Motherland statue. While the displays are mostly in Ukrainian. The museum has laminated cards in each room with varying languages including English, German and French. The museum also offers guided tours in several languages. 15 грн/adult, 5 грн/student, 1 грн/child, 30 грн to take photos within the museum, 50 грн to take videos for up to 1 hr. (updated Mar 2015)

Kyiv was pretty much destroyed during the invasion in World War II. The memorial near the motherland statue is pretty gripping. Lots of examples of classic Soviet-era memorial statuary, as well as some amazing exhibits of military hardware. The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War located in the base of the statue is a must-see for visitors interested in the impact the German invasion had on the Soviet Union. Well worth the visit even if you don't speak or read any Russian or Ukrainian (several English language tours are provided daily). It's well curated and full of artifacts (including weapons, battle maps, hundreds of original photographs, and a moving installation at the end of the exhibit symbolizing the great losses suffered). There is also a small museum of the Afghan conflict nearby. Try to enter coming from the top part of the Pecherska Lavra. This way you get submerged with old soviet music and dark statues. M1 "Arsenalna".

• 🌍 Babyn Yar Monument (Національний історико-меморіальний заповідник "Бабин Яр", Babi Yar), Dorohozhytska Street (M3 "Dorohozhychi"). A ravine which was the site of massacres of Jews, Gypsies, and other civilians by the Nazis and their local puppets during World War II. Approximately 60,000 civilians were shot dead at this site during the war (over 34,000 Jews in the first two days alone). Now a memorial to Soviet citizens murdered by the Germans. (updated May 2019)
• 🌍 German Military graveyard (on the road to Odesa, about 20 km away from Kyiv). About 10,000 German soldiers are buried here, after the battles around Kyiv in 1941 and 1944. 

A part of the city on far north. These territories far beyond of its historical neighborhood with the same name. Its current population is 290,000 inhabitants.- The Obolon district encompasses the territories of the former Minsk district and is still sometimes referred to by that name. It also includes the former town of Pushcha-Vodytsia that used to be part of the Podil Raion. The name Obolon comes from the Old-Ukrainian word оболонь → болонь → болоньє (obolon' → bolon' → bolon'ye), which roughly translates as "flood plain" or an area that is being engulfed by water. The district was built up in the 1970s as a microdistrict in Kyiv on the Obolon sands to satisfy the growth of the city. Due to the composition of the soil at the time, the majority of the buildings were at most nine-stories tall, and few trees were planted when compared to other parts of the city. That and few other reasons originally made the district not prestigious. With the second construction period (2000–2005), the district has seen new, comfortable apartment buildings constructed closer to the Dnipro river and has become an attractive residential area. The new apartments are also more expensive, although still cheaper than in the center of Kyiv. The district was connected by M2 in the 1980s, with a station M2 "Obolon" opened on November 5, 1980. Now, here is M2 "Minska" and M2 "Heroiv Dnipra", too.

• Yachting club. This place for kids and adults was opened in around 1990. Many of the Obolon lakes were cleaned up in order to make the area more attractive. The area closer to the Dnieper River is a popular relaxation place for Kyivliany (residents of Kyiv). (updated Jan 2024)
• Beer factory Obolon. The area is also well known for the beer factory. 
• Revival (Probudzhennia) Church (Пробудження, Церква євангельських християн-баптистів), 2 Levka Lukianenka Street (M2 "Obolon"). This is an evangelic Christians-Baptists church and a missionary center. It was opened in March 2001, with room for 500 seats. (updated Jan 2024)
• Intercession Cathedral on the Obolon (Свято-Покровський собор на Оболоні), 5A Pryrichna Street (M2 "Obolon"), ☏ +380 44 411-2000. Built in 1993. The temple complex occupies an area of ​​2.6 ha. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Mezhyhirya Residence, Водогін (ДВС), Obolonskyi district. Opulent residence of Ukraine’s deposed Russophile president Viktor Yanukovych, opened for paid tours after he fled the country in 2014. An exhibition of art, religious icons, and decorative objects from Mezhyhirye was displayed by Kyiv's National Art Museum of Ukraine that same year. 
• Minsk Square, Obolon (M2 "Obolon", at the intersection of Avenue Red Cossacks (now Moscow Avenue) streets of Novokostyantynivska and Damian Korotchenko (now St. Helena Teligi). In the 1850s-1950s, it was Trinity Square.). Named to Minsk since 1982. Near the square, is a monument to Archangel Michael, the patron saint of Kyiv. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Pivnichnyi Bridge (Північний міст) (M2 "Pochaina" (1.7km)). This built in 1976. It is a cable-stayed bridge, designed by the architect A.V. Dobrovolsky and an engineer by G.B.Fux, with the beam of the main span being held by a cluster of steel ropes which are fixed to a 115 m tall A-pylon. The bridge consists of two spans: one is 816 m long and 31.4 m wide span across the Dnieper and another which is 732 m long, 29.1 m wide and span across the Desyonka, what is a Dnieper tributary. It is a key structure on the northern end of the Kyiv Smaller Beltway, connecting Petrivka to the densely-populated north-eastern residential neighborhoods. The bridge was built as a part of a high-speed freeway. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Church of the Nativity (Храм Різдва Христового), 5 Obolonska Naberezhna (M2 "Pochaina" or M2 "Obolon" (1.5 km)). Built the popular architect of Ukraine, V. Isaac, in 2006-2007. - The temple was built in the style of post-modern, cross-dome. The church has five domes, four of them are located over the crossbar of the cross. The Mid-Dome decorated with glass, so that give the impression of transparency. When you see it from the outside, it seems inside is very bright. (updated Jan 2024)
• Chapel of the St. Catherine, 10 Polupanova Street (Tram 12, 19 to 'Polupanova St'), ☏ +380 44 5024981. This was a Greek Orthodox Private Chapel. Founded in 1738, when the decree of the Holy Synod was allowed to build a temple. The church was proposed to conduct services for the local Greek community. In 1929, during the Stalinist persecution, a church dedicated to St. Catherine was destroyed. In 2006 the local community was able to arrange a chapel in the newly acquired premises of the Center of Theological Studies. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Church of the Intercession on the Pryorka (Свято-Покровська церква на Приорці), 2 Mostytska Street (Tram 35 or 36), ☏ +380 44 430 0590. A stone church built in 1902-1906 this was replaced the former wooden 'Dimitriyevskoho' house, what is built in 18th century. The new iconostasis, preserved until today, was built in 1944 and decorated by the famous Ukrainian artist Ivan Izhakevichem. In 1953 the house was made major renovations. (updated Sep 2023)
• Church of Peter and Paul on the Kurenivka (Храм Петра та Павла на Куренівці), Petropavlivska Square (Tram 6, 18). The first wooden Church of Saints Peter and Paul Kurenivka, known since 1759 (according to other data - from 1735). Since 1944 the church building used plant, club, galvanic shop and factory. In 1986, the temple was destroyed completely. The new church opened in 2003. (updated Jan 2024)
• Krishna's Lucidity 'Big' temple (Товариство Свідомісті Кришни, Великий Храм), 16 Zorianyi Lane, ☏ +380 44 4347028. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Church of St. Cyril and St. Athanasius the Great, Archbp. of Alexandria and Athanasius (Кирилівська церква, Храм св.Кирила та Афанасія Олександрійських), 103 к10 Kyrylivska Street (M2 "Pochaina" 1.5 km, or M3 "Dorohozhychi" 1.1 km. Mental hospital area. Tram 12, 19 to 'stadion Spartak'). 10:00–17:30. This was established in the 12th century. Dorogozhychi quarter played an important role in the historical destiny of Kyiv. There the fate was solved for many princes pretending to the Kyivan throne on the one hand, and the fate of Kyiv itself, on the other hand. Numerous invaders carried out from here their multiple attacks on Kyiv, and Kyivan princes conducted bloody battles with them. Such a strategic importance of this location became one of the reasons for foundation of a monumental church-fortress. In 1139, Vsevolod Olhovych, Prince of Chernihiv approached Dorogozhychi, an important strategic point, on the Kyiv’s north-western outskirts, gained possession of the area and simultaneously obtained a convenient bridgehead at the approaches to Kyiv. In 1140–1146, Vsevolod Olhovych erects St. Cyril’s Church at Dorogozhychi. Construction of a church-fortress is a logical step of Vsevolod as a prince-worrier, and prince-strategist, for the sake of fortifying outskirts of the “capital city” so desired by many. St. Cyril’s monastery is an example of a unique functional combination, because it is a sacred center, patrimonial palace church, and at the same time it is a monumental church-fortress. The church was named after Cyril, the holy hierarch Cyril of Alexandria — Christian patron of the church’s founder, prince Vsevolod Olhovych. - The most precious treasure of the St. Cyril’s Church is its unique mural painting. - In the 12th century, walls of the St. Cyril’s Church were painted in fresco technique according to the Christian iconographic canons of that time. In the 17th century, the fresco painting of the Church was partially renewed by means of tempera. In the 1800s, during repair of the Church its walls instead of painting were just plastered and whitewashed. - In the 1880s, restoration works were carried out in the Church under the guidance of the professor of St. Petersburg University, A. Prakhov. At that time from under centuries-old layers of plaster and whitewash a unique Old Russian mural painting was discovered. However, soon after, in order to provide the mural painting for “grandeur” the frescoes were refreshed with oil paints. In the 1970s, a large-scale restoration works on frescoes’ discovery from under layer of oil paint of the 19th century were carried out. - Fresco painting: Monumental figures of twelve Apostles are located in window piers of the dome’s drum. Four Evangelists are portrayed on sails (architectural spherical triangles serving for transition from the drum’s cycle to the under-dome square). The representation of the EvangelisMark on the south-eastern sail has preserved the best of all.- Central arches supporting the dome’s drum are decorated with images of theSeban Martyrs placedewithin medallions literally interconnected by means of loops and hoops. These representations form as if “alive holy chain” protecting the celestial sphere. In the central apse there is a figure of the Holy Mother, Orans with her hands raised in prayer. Oil painting of the 19th century represents the major part of the composition; of the ancient fresco representation only an edge of the Holy Mother’s blue chiton and a podium on which she is standing have survived. Beneath the Orans the Eucharist fresco composition is located featuring the scene of the Apostles’ holy communion, in which the Christ is depicted twice: at the left He serves the body of Christ (bread) to the group of Apostles headed by the St. Peter, and at the right He serves the blood of Christ (cup of wine) to the group of Apostles headed by St. Paul. Similar plot depicting two figures of Christ is already known in miniature of Rossan Code in Asia Minor dated with the 6th century. According to the canon which can be recognized already in the Church of San-Vitale in Ravenna, in the St. Cyril’s Church the center of the composition represents a double dome on pillars over the throne onwhich a cross, a paten with seven round flat breads, a cup of wine and an asterisk are placed. - Belfry: Of the monastic buildings Ivan Hryhorovych-Barskyi constructed within the monastery, his most important construction was a free standing belfry, built in 1760. The belfry combined the idea of a tall campanile with a gate on the ground level and a chapel on the belfry's second tier. The two lower levels of the belfry had some elements of a Ukrainian tripartite church, consisting with the belltower placed over the central part of the nave. This architectural combination in a belfry with two apse-like lower elements on each side. The original roof above the belfry's chapel was a stepped-hipped roof, which was popular at the time. After the fire of 1849, the roof's over the chapel and the cupola were modified from the original. After the Ukrainian SSR's decision on the demolition of the belfry in 1936, the belfry was destroyed a year later, to be used as bricks in construction projects. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Firefighting museum (Музей пожежної справи), 6 Heroyiv polku "Azov" Street, ☏ +380 44 418 3502. (updated Aug 2020)

This is a historic neighborhood and an administrative raion (district) in Kyiv. It is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Kyiv, the birthplace of the city's trade, commerce and industry. It still contains many architectural and historical landmarks, and new archaeological sites are still being revealed. Numerous attractions of Podil particularly include: Frolivskyi and Pokrovskyi Convents, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, House of Ivan Mazepa, House of Peter the Great, Fountain of Samson, Zamkova Hora hill, Andriyivskyy Descent — the main link of Podil to the city's administrative Uppertown, Borychiv Descent, Kyiv River Port, Kyiv funicular, Poshtova Square, and the Kontraktova Square. Modern Podilskyi Raion, despite its tourism and culture importance, remains one of Kyiv's main business, transportation and industrial districts.

• Temple in honor the icon of the Mother of God Vsetsarytsia-Pantanassa (Храм на честь ікони Божої Матері Всецариця-Пантанасса), 1 Ryzka Street. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 M2 "Tarasa Shevchenka" (Тараса Шевченка). This is a station on Kyiv Metro's Kurenivsko-Chervonoarmiyska Line. The station was opened on December 19, 1980 in the northern part of the historic Podil neighborhood and is named after the famous Ukrainian poet, writer, and painter, Taras Shevchenko. It was designed by T.A. Tselikovska, A.S. Krushynskyi, and A. Pratsiuk. The station is located shallow underground and consists of a central hall with rectangular marble pillars. The walls along the tracks have been finished with dark red marble and ceramic tiles with a plant motif. The lighting comes from large round lamps hanging from the ceiling. At the end of the hall is a white stone bust of Taras Shevchenko, surrounded through the same plant motif that is located on the station's walls. The station is accessible by passenger tunnels on the Mezhyhirska and the Olenivska Streets (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Ascension Convent (Вознесенський Флорівський жіночий монастир), 8 Frolivska Street (M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha"), ☏ +380 44 4250181. Originated in the 16th century as the wooden church of Sts. Florus and Laurus. Its buildings occupy the slopes of the Zamkova Hora. - The main church, or katholikon, is a notable example of Ukrainian Baroque architecture. Its first stone was laid in 1722. Ten years later, the three-domed building was dedicated to the feast of the Ascension of Christ. Its Neoclassical bell-tower is of later construction. The wooden buildings of the monastery were entirely destroyed by fire in 1811. Only the katholikon and a 17th-century refectory were left standing amid the ashes. It was Andrey Melensky, a Neoclassical architect from Kyiv, who was in charge of the convent's reconstruction. The convent's notable residents included Princess Natalia Dolgorukova, one of the first Russian women writers. It was closed in 1929 but reopened after the Germans entered the city in 1941. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Національний університет «Києво-Могилянська академія») (M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha" 300 m SE). Motto in English: "Time is running, Academy is eternal". The library of the old Kyiv Mohyla Academy contained a notable collection of the books. However, the archive was plundered in the 1920s when the academy was closed. - The Halshka Hulevychivna house belonging to the university is the oldest civil building in Kyiv. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 House of Ivan Mazepa, 16B Spaska Street. (updated Jan 2024)
• House of Peter the Great. 
• 🌍 Fountain of Samson (Фонта́н Самсо́н). 
• 🌍 Zamkova Hora hill. 
• Gostynnyi Dvir. 

• 🌍 Bila Tserkva (uk:Біла Церква) (85 km S of Kyiv). For more, see Central Ukraine (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Fastiv (72km SW). For more, see Central Ukraine (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Kaniv (150km SE). Possible visit like a day tour. For more, see Central Ukraine (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Pereyaslav (Переяслав) (85km SE). Excellent "skansen" or outdoor folk museum, easily done as a day-trip from central Kyiv. For more, see Central Ukraine (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Vyshhorod (uk:Вишгород) (21km N). A summer winter resort. For more, see Central Ukraine (updated Jan 2024)

• 🌍 Hydropark (M1 "Hidropark"). Island in the Dnieper River. Kyiv is endowed with natural city beaches that line Dnieper. Many a summer day can be spent in the parks and on the beaches of the islands, where you can buy shashlyk from stalls, play beach volleyball, swim in the river or in the pools on the island, or just soak up the sun. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Syretska arboretum (Сирецький дендрологічний парк), 43 Tyraspolska Street (M3 "Syrets"), ☏ +380 44 227 8247, syrets-dendropark43@list.ru. 08:00-17:00. Different kinds of trees and shrubs on 6.5 hectares. It is a park-monument of landscape art of national importance - it is, above all, diverse flora (900 species). And an extensive opportunity for recreation and harmonious unity with nature. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Kyiv Zoo (Київський Зоопарк), 32 Beresteiskyi Avenue (M1 "Politekhnichnyi Instytut"), ☏ +380 44 2744769. 09:00-18:00 summer, 09:00-16:00 winter. Situated on about 40 hectares. The zoo has 2,600 animals from 328 species. 130 different kinds of trees and bushes decorate the zoo's lands. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Mamaeva Sloboda open-air museum (Центр народознавства Мамаєва Слобода), 2 Mykhaila Dontsia Street (7 km west from center, take a trolley No.27, 27 K (from M2 "Pochaina" or M1 "Shuliavska")). 10:00-18:00. A theme park on the 9.2 hectares site and represent a full replica of a historical settlement depicting Ukrainian nature, architecture and the way of life. The architectural ensemble, which consists of 98 units. 100 грн, Photography - 10 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 A.V. Fomin Botanical Garden or Botanical gardens of the Kyiv university of St. Volodymyr (Ботанічний сад імені академіка Олександра Фоміна, Київського університета Святого Володимира), Tarasa Shevchenka Boulevard (M1 "Universytet"), ☏ +380 44 2393190, botsad_fomin@ukr.net. Tours Sa-Th at 10:00, 13:00 and 15:00. 22.5 hectares, with 8,000 plant species. The garden is famous for its exotic plants. Building of greenhouse, which was built for the largest and the oldest palm trees in Northern Eurasia, long time had been considered one of the highest in the world. In 1935, the garden was named after the academician A.V. Fomin, who directed the garden for years. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Hryshko National Botanical Garden (Національний ботанічний сад імені М. М. Гришка НАН України), 1 Sadovo-Botanichna Street (From M3 "Pecherska" bus number 62 or bus number 14 to the stop Botanical Garden). Daily May-Aug 08:30-21:00, Sep-Apr 08:00-dusk; Greenhouse complex: W-F 10:00-16:00, Sa Su 11:00-17:00. The perfect place for a stroll in any season. There are unique floristic complexes on 130 hectares: "Forests of the plain part of Ukraine", "Ukrainian Carpathians", "Steppes of Ukraine", "Crimea", "Caucasus", "Central Asia", the "Altai and Western Siberia", "Far East". 20 грн, Greenhouse 5 грн. (updated Sep 2023)

• 🌍 Palace of Sports. Indoor complex in the center of Kyiv. The hall hosts ice hockey, basketball and boxing competitions. Apart from sporting events, it's also the venue for Eurovision Song Contest and other concerts (updated Feb 2021)

• Kyiv has many recreational running routes with different road surfaces. If you like plain terrain, opt for Mariiinskyi Park in the city center. You can even extend your route and run across the Lovers’ Bridge to the Puppet Theatre. If you fancy moderate hills, go for Spivoche Pole, with lots of open air and field tracks for those who do not like blacktop surface. For moderate mountainous lovers, there is Hryshko Botanical Garden with views to Paton Bridge and the Dnipro River.
• Kyiv Shooting Club offers firearms shooting, providing different kinds of weapons available even for non-licensed travelers.
• Ice skating is possible inside the city’s shopping centers. The largest indoor rink is at the Kosmopolit Shopping Center with an area of 1,800 m² (19,000 ft²). You can of course find outdoor and covered skating rinks, such as Katok. It is a spacious “ice rink bubble”, just 15-minute walk from the M2 "Pochaina".

• Watch football at FC Dynamo Kyiv, who play soccer in the Premier League, the Ukrainian top tier. Their home ground is Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex, capacity 70,000, one km south of city center.
• Shaktar Donetsk, who also play in the Premier League, have been displaced from their home city by the fighting. They've had a spell based in Lviv, but since 2020 have shared Olimpiyskiy stadium with Dynamo.
• Tank Driving. Several tour operators that offer Chernobyl day tours, offer other tours as well. Many tour agencies offer shooting tours involving shooting guns such as the AK-47. A few tour agencies offer tours, in which tourists get to drive a tank. As of 2017, these tours appear to be mostly private tours, which cost in the hundreds of dollars. 12,000 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Urbex for urbex enthusiasts, Kyiv is a goldmine. A quick Google search will turn up myriad abandoned spots and several groups willing to take visitors on tours of unusual spots around the city.

• Visit different eco-cultural, ecological, ethnic, rock and other festivals both inside the city and near its suburbs.

Many of Ukraine's universities are situated in the capital city.

• National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy ― one of the smallest and oldest universities in Ukraine. Offers courses in English.

• 🌍 Market at Andriivskyi Descent, Andriivskyi Descent (M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha"). Saturdays, Sundays. For a nice collection of traditional things, old communist goods (real goods as well as some that are fake and mass-produced), matrioshka dolls, etc. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Zhytniy Market (Житній ринок), 16 Verkhnii Val Street (M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha", 300m), ☏ +380 44 4176571, +380 44 4173426, office@zhytniy-rynok.kiev.ua. Tu-Su 07:00-21:00, M 07:00-14:00. Covered food market. Already in the 15th century was this market an important shopping center. There met twice yearly fair. Then remained one of the major shopping centers, because of proximity to the Dnieper River and harbour. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Besarabsky Market (Бессарабський ринок), 2 Bessarabska Square (M2 "Ploscha Ukrainskykh Heroiv", 10 min walk). Covered food market on base level a Novus supermarket. Offers a wide variety of grocery products. The building is a protected monument. Constructed in 1910-1912. (updated Sep 2023)

• Blockbuster Mall (Блокбастер Молл), 36 Stepana Bandery Avenue. (updated Jan 2024)
• Respublika Park (Республіка Парк), 1 Kiltseva Road (M2 "Teremky"). (updated Jan 2024)
• Lavina Mall (Лавіна Молл), 6D Berkovetska Street. (updated Jan 2024)
• Ocean Plaza (Оушн Плаза), 176 Antonovycha Street (M2 "Lybidska"). (updated Jan 2024)
• Sky Mall (Скай Молл), 2T Romana Shukhevycha Avenue. (updated Jan 2024)
• River Mall (Рівер Молл), 12 Dniprovska Embarkment. (updated Jan 2024)
• Retroville (Ретровіль), 47 Pravdy Avenue. (updated Jan 2024)
• Mega City (Мега Сіті), 19 Kharkivske Highway. (updated Jan 2024)
• Cosmo Multimall (Космо Мультимолл), 6 Vadyma Hetmana Street (M1 "Shuliavska"). (updated Jan 2024)
• Dream Yellow (Дрім Йеллоу), 1B Obolonskyi Avenue (M2 "Obolon" or M2 "Minska"). (updated Jan 2024)
• Dream Berry (Дрім Беррі), 21B Obolonskyi Avenue (M2 "Minska" or M2 "Heroiv Dnipra"). (updated Jan 2024)
• Prospekt (Проспект), 1V Hnata Khotkevycha Street (M1 "Chernihivska"). (updated Jan 2024)
• Marmelad (Мармелад), 154 Borshchahivska Street. (updated Jan 2024)
• Karavan Outlet (Караван Аутлет), 12 Luhova Street. (updated Jan 2024)
• Gulliver (Гулівер), 1A Sportyvna Square (M3 "Palats Sportu"). (updated Jan 2024)
• Art Mall (Арт Молл), 37 Akademika Zabolotnoho Street. (updated Jan 2024)
• Ukraina (Україна), 3 Halytska Square (M1 "Vokzalna"). (updated Jan 2024)
• TSUM (ЦУМ), 38 Khreshchatyk Street (M1 "Teatralna" or M1 "Khreschatyk"). (updated Jan 2024)
• Globus (Глобус), 1 Maidan Nezalezhnosti (M2 "Maidan Nezalezhnosti"). (updated Jan 2024)
• Atmosfera (Атмосфера), 103 Stolychne Road. (updated Jan 2024)
• Komod (Комод), 4 Mytropolyta Andreia Sheptytskoho Street (M1 "Livoberezhna"). (updated Jan 2024)
• Smart Plaza Polytech (Смарт Плаза Політех), 24 Beresteiskyi Avenue (M1 "Politekhnichnyi Instytut"). (updated Jan 2024)
• Smart Plaza Obolon (Смарт Плаза Оболонь), 19 Obolonskyi Avenue (M2 "Minska"). (updated Jan 2024)

Ukrainian supermarkets are known for their convenience and long working hours, always open during the weekend, many operating 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.

Most supermarkets conveniently have the coffee/tea machines inside. Some bigger ones have the food courts with a variety of cuisines so that you can enjoy a full meal in-between buying groceries.

Most bottled waters are sparkling. To purchase regular bottled water, ask for literally "water without gas" (VoDA bez gaza). A 500 mL bottle should cost 3-6 грн, occasionally they will inflate the price to 10 грн if you look like a rich tourist.

Do not forget to buy a few big jugs of bottled water, such as Staryi Myrhorod (Старий Миргород) or Truskavetska (Трускавецька). Kyivskij tort (київський торт) is another thing you should eat in Kyiv if you love cakes. Dark rye bread, Ryazhenka (Ряженка, Ukrainian style yogurt), Kvas (Квас, fermented drink made of bread) could also be interesting things to taste.

Chocolates, cakes, lollies, chips and biscuits/cookies are widely available at low cost and very popular with Ukrainians - after years of being deprived western brands, snack foods are becoming big business.

Plastic bags are available but are not free, and some stores do not take credit cards. Bag your own groceries. If you're paying in cash, make sure the cashier gives you correct change back, as some are careless or dishonest.

• 🌍 MegaMarket (МегаМаркет), 50 Antonovycha Street (M2 "Olimpiiska"), ☏ +380 98 9652819, +380 98 9652845, info@megamarket.kiev.ua. Daily 08:00-23:00. A leading supermarket chain. This MegaMarket is big but can get busy. Foodstuffs are available on the ground level, and non-food available on the first level. You have to go through the cashier on each level, which means two long lineups on busy days. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Velyka kyshenya (Велика кишеня), 3 Halytska Square (M1 "Universytet" or M1 "Vokzalna"), ☏ +380 44 961688. 24/7. A leading supermarket chain with more than thirty stores in Kyiv. This supermarket is in the Ukraine Shopping Center.Kyiv Working hours: around the clock. Availability of parking: parking by multi-department store "Ukraine". Directions: M1 "Vokzalna", trolleybuses 8, 17, bus 1, 3, 15, tram 18 (stop "Victory Square") bus 439, 558, 404, 720, 230, 5 7, 450, 169. Own production: meat and fish department, cooking, commercially available baking and confectionery own production networks "Big Pocket". The presence of other departments, "United Pharmacy", "My Book" (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Silpo (Сільпо), 41 Petra Sahaidachnoho Street (M2 "Poshtova Ploscha" or M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha"), ☏ +380 44 4254442, +380 44 4256399, +380 80 0301707. Working around the clock. A leading supermarket chain. 24/7. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Fora Supermarket (Супермаркет фора), 39 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho street (M1 "Universytet"), ☏ +380 44 5930359. A popular chain of mini-marts that are widely distributed, particularly on the Left Bank side of the city. They are about the size of 7-Eleven and stock most staple items, including toiletries, bread, dairy, sweets, and of course alcohol. (updated Sep 2023)

• 🌍 OTP Bank Ukraine, 12 Sofiivska Street (M2 "Maidan Nezalezhnosti", 300 meter), ☏ +380 44 4900500, toll-free: 0 800 300050, call.operator@otpbank.com.ua. M-F 09:00-18:00, lunchtime: Cash desk: 09:30-16:30, Night cash mode M-F 16:30-19:00; on Sa 11:00-17:00. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Piraeus Bank Branch № 9 (Greek: Τράπεζα Πειραιώς, Піреус Банк), 6 Yaroslaviv Val Street (M3 "Zoloti Vorota"), ☏ +380 44 5835219, toll-free: 0 800 308880, fax: +380 44 4958888, +380 44 5937525, press@piraeusbank.ua. M-F 09:00-18:00 without break, Cash desk 09:15-18:00. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Raiffeisen Bank Aval, Shevchenkivske office 15 (Райффайзен банк Аваль), 15 Khreshchatyk Street (M1 "Khreschatyk", 100 meter), ☏ +380 44 4908888, toll-free: 0800 500500. Daily 10:00-20:00, Cash desk working hours: 10:00-20:00, without break. Extra long opening time, also on weekends is open! (updated Sep 2023)

• 🌍 Celentano (Челентано), 23A Velyka Vasylkivska Street (M2 "Ploscha Ukrainskykh Heroiv"), ☏ +380 44 2356687. M-F 09:00-22:00, Sa Su 10:00-22:00. Italian food and wine, pizza, salads. Favorite for local youngsters. A couple more places near to metro stations Khreschatyk str., 10; (M1 "Khreschatyk"); Heroiv Stalinhrada ave., 24A,(metro: ?) ; Dovzhenka Oleksandra str., 1 (M1 "Shuliavska"); Yaroslaviv Val str., 37/1 (M3 "Zoloti Vorota"); Velyka Vasylkivska str., 111/113 (M2 "Palats Ukraina"); Vokzalna sq., 2 (M1 "Vokzalna"); Telihy Oleny str., 13/14 (M3 "Dorohozhychi"); Kotsiubynskoho Mykhaila str., 14 (M1 "Universytet"). Course from 440 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Korchma Budmo (Корчма Будьмо), 22a Mykhailivska Street (M2 "Maidan Nezalezhnosti", 5 mins by walk), ☏ +380 44 279-61-93. Daily 09:00 to 23:00. National Ukrainian cuisine, simple, but tasty and cheap, pleasant atmosphere. All the major credit cards are accepted. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Mister Snack (Містер Снек), 18 Hetmana Pavla Skoropadskoho Street (From M1 "Vokzalna" first on Vul. Vokzal than turn on Vul. Tolstogo, 10 mins by walk.), ☏ +380 44 2343040, tolstogo18@ukr.net. Cheap sandwich and salad chain, hamburgers. More places exmpl. Sakcaganskogo St., 88. Sandwiches from 160 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Potato House (Картопляна Хата), 37/20 Nyzhnii Val Street (M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha"), ☏ +380 44 4254092. Chain - Mexican food. (updated Jan 2024)
• 🌍 Potato House (Картопляна Хата), 17/21 Zahorivska Street (M3 "Lukianivska"). and more couple in suburbs. (updated Jan 2024)

• 🌍 Puzata Khata (Ресторан Пузата хата), 15 Khreshchatyk Street (M1 "Khreschatyk", across from Bessarabski Market;), ☏ +380 44 2785577. More locations are through the second arch to the right of the M1 "Khreschatyk" [past McDonald's, turn right through the big decorative arch]; and another on the corner of Sahaidachnoho Street, opposite Bohorodytsi Pyrohoschi (a square with a church on it). There is another one at Kontraktova Square, close to M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha", at the end of a downhill walk from the Andrivskyj Uzviz. "Puzo" is Ukrainian for "belly," and a khata is a traditional Ukrainian hut or shack. It is a pay-per-plate cafeteria, popular with locals. Food is good, but almost entirely traditional Ukrainian. They also offer kvas and good Ukrainian beer. Two people can eat like absolute pigs here for less than 480 грн. You'll be full for the rest of the day, guaranteed. On a more practical side, soups cost below 10 грн, mains are 15–30 грн, and beer is only 100 грн for half a liter. (updated Oct 2021)
• 🌍 Two Geese - Pechersk (Два гуся), 9/11 Arsenalna Street (M3 "Pecherska", 400 m), ☏ +380 44 2857941, fax: +380 44 2857942, pechersk@dvagusya.ua. Daily 09:30-22:00. serves decent cafeteria-style meals. Look for the signs with two geese on yellow background. Sometimes there's a vintage car painted with their logo out front. Fast, decent, easy, all you have to do is point. No language skills needed. Salads, soups: 60 грн, main dishes: from 80 грн, six types pizzas from 280 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Vesuvio Pizza (Бальзака, ТоргЦентр Ґлобал), 25 Reitarska Street (M3 "Zoloti Vorota". Just up the street from Kyiv’s Golden Gate and St Sofia Cathedral), ☏ +380 44 235 6681, +380 44 278 3028. Daily 10:00–22:00. Kyiv's first North American style pizza, probably the best in the city. 25 types of pizza, pan pizza and thin crust, pastas, lasagna, green salads, starting from approx. More units: bulvar Shevchenko 2 (Шевченко) - near Khreschatyk (Хрещатик), and Balzak 2a (Global Shopping Center) . From 280 грн per person incl. drinks.. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Viola's Bierstube (Виола), 1A Tarasa Shevchenka Boulevard (in the arc near Bessarabka, M1 "Khreschatyk"), ☏ +380 44 2353751. cheap pub with a great variety of sausages and different meat meals. Also beer here is always good. (updated Jan 2024)

• Corsair, Petra Sahaidachnoho Street. Serves Mediterranean-inspired food. Meals about 680 грн/person. (updated Sep 2023)
• Ikon restaurant & bar, 5a Baseina Street, ☏ +380 67 5077020. About 1,600 грн/person complete. Serves fusion cuisine, unique cocktails. Open Su-W 12:00-13:00, Th-Sa 12:00-18:00. (updated Sep 2023)
• In Mood café and restaurant, 19 Nyzhnii Val Street (Podol), ☏ +380 96 0066867. A Lebanese-Syrian place with excellent kitchen and a stylish, but still cosy ambience. Vegetarians and meat-lovers find fantastic food, good music and very friendly staff. A real enrichment for ! Reservations (in English, Russian, Ukrainian) are advisable (updated Sep 2023)
• Karavan, 10 Klovskyi Descent. Serves Uzbek-Tatar food. (updated Jan 2024)
• Kureni, 4 Parkova Road. Wonderful national restaurant with very tasty dishes. Dinner for five persons, including different appetizers, soups, main dishes and gorilka is around 5,400 грн. It is situated on the bank of the Dnepr river and in summer it is very nice to get dinner in the garden, while in winter inside the main building you can enjoy view through large windows and fire from the fireplace. All major credit cards accepted. (updated Sep 2023)
• Lola Pizza, 5 Ukrainskykh Heroiv Square. The cost of a large pizza is about 100 грн, and it's a very generous size. You can eat in the café area or take-away. (updated Sep 2023)
• Fayna Familiya, 25a Mykoly Mikhnovskoho Boulevard. Good Italian restaurant with delicious food, and good prices (average price for one person is about 100-200 грн. And you can have English breakfast there from early morning until 11:00. (updated May 2019)
• O’Panas, 10 Tereshchenkivska Street, ☏ +380 44 235-2132. daily 10:00-13:00. Traditional wooden restaurant, popular to tourists. Really good mlyntsi. try the mushroom ones. (800 грн/person). If you just want to try the mlyntsi, you can walk-up to a stand on the side of the restaurant and get them to go. (updated Sep 2023)
• ResTop, 3/4 Mala Zhytomyrska Street (Just behind the main square of Maidan Nezalezhnosti), ☏ +380 44 2780636. Until 23:00. Offers a sushi menu and European dishes in a friendly atmosphere. Closed for renovation. 100-200 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Tsimes, 10/5 Petra Sahaidachnoho Street (That's in the #10 building on the main street, but go around the corner to a side street where the street number would have been 5 had it not been attached to a building that already has an address). Ashkenazi Jewish food. Meal about 800 грн/person. (updated May 2019)
• Vernissage, 30 Andriivskyi Descent, ☏ +380 44 4252403. One of a chain of four restaurants in Kyiv with the same name, this has a Bohemian feel to it that goes well with the "Montmartre" reputation of Andrew's Descent. Outdoor eating in summer but the small indoor restaurant is nicely decorated and the toilet tucked away in a difficult corner is not to be missed. 150-250 грн but if you don't want a full meal the pancakes are great. (updated Sep 2023)

It's also worth checking out pubs and restaurants that offer business lunches during weekday lunch. These are set menus that usually cost around 40 грн, and include soup, salad, meat dish and a drink.

• 🌍 Good Music Bar&Restaurant, 4/6 Mykhaila Omelianovycha-Pavlenka Street, ☏ +38 096 753-35-55, info@goodbar.com.ua. Su - Th 18:00-06:00, F Sa 22:00-06:00. Good Bar Kyiv: restaurant, night club, karaoke bar in Pechersk. Karaoke restaurant in the center of Kyiv. (updated Sep 2023)
• Guramma Italiana, 1 Dniprovskyi Descent, ☏ +380 96 967 8888, info@guramma.com. noon-midnight daily. A modern restaurant with mixed European and Asian cuisine, famous for its exceptional selection of cakes and pies. (updated Nov 2018)

• Buddha Bar, 14 Khreshchatyk Street (in the center, near Maydan Nezalezhnosty square), ☏ +380 44 2707676, rezerv@buddhabar.com.ua. 13:00 till 02:00 (till 04:00 on Friday and Saturday). The restaurant has a longest bar in town. Restaurant and Lounge zone. Pan-Asian cuisine: enjoy Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Indian dishes in a exclusive interior. (updated Sep 2023)
• Concord. On the roof of the Donbass Center at Ukrainskykh Heroiv Square (updated Jan 2024)
• Da Vinci Fish Club, Volodymyrska Street. Seafood-orientated restaurant with an Italian influence. Very delicious food a place to see and be seen. Cost around 2,400 грн per person, drinks extra. M3 "Zoloti Vorota" (updated Sep 2023)
• Mimino, Spaska Street. Based on the Soviet film of the same name about a Georgian pilot. The waiters are attired in the 1970s-influenced flight attendant uniforms. Very nice Georgian food, mainly lots of meat. Good Georgian wine available also. Cost around 1,600 грн per person, drinks extra. M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha" (updated Apr 2019)
• Restaurant Patisserie Surprise, 3 Pyrohova Street (Just parallel to M1 "Universytet" crossing st. Bogdana Hmelnitskogo), ☏ +380 44 2357234, surprise_ua@ukrpost.net. 09:00 till the last customer. The restaurant has a bar, tea salon, summer terrace, television, etc. Enjoy freshly made pastries, ice cream and sorbets. French and European cuisine. (updated Sep 2023)
• Touch cafe. Mostly a restaurant but also turns into a nightclub. 
• Two Hares. At the top of Andriivskyi Descent. 19th-century themed place, good food. Have the rabbit pie (about 90 грн), which is served in a rabbit made of pastry. (updated Sep 2023)
• Wolkonsky café, bakery and patissiery. Good croissants and perfect place to have meal. (updated Sep 2023)
• Lun Van Chinese restaurant. 
• Schnitzel Haus, 51 Saksahanskoho Street. (updated Jan 2024)
• Tapas Tapas Bar, 10a Tarasivska Street. (updated Jan 2024)

• Ukrainian: There are many restaurants that claim to serve authentic Ukrainian food.
  • Shynok, 28v Lesi Ukrainky Boulevard (Pechersk district). Very traditional food and furniture. 11:00-24:00. (updated Jan 2024)
  • Pervak, 2 Rohnidynska Street. Set lunch 35-42 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Italian: Momento on Zolotoustivska Street (near the Circus), Napule on Mechnikova (near M3 "Klovska")
• Georgian: Mimino on Spaska Street (Podil)
• Vietnamese: there are several restaurants, owned by a person from Vietnam (the cuisine is a comprise of "hits", rather than complete luncheon sets; considered above-average within local Vietnamese community; extremely expensive)
• Chinese: There is a good one near M1 "Universytet". It's called "Jiu Long", which means "Nine Dragons" (there is a fast food store upfront, but if you go through the arch, you will see an entire Chinese-style building, that's where the real restaurant is; quality is good and prices are lower than some other similarly fancy restaurants). If you don't care about price, go to "Lun Van" near M1 "Teatralna". Other above-average venues (but no one who's experienced anything like the real thing will find satisfactory Chinese food in Kyiv are Mandarin on a floating entertainment complex near the river port in Podil, and Vostok which is across the road from Mandarin.
• Japanese: There's one called Hanoi which serves Japanese and Vietnamese food. It is near M1 "Arsenalna". The quality is quite high, although the prices are too. Further, you will find various sushi-bar-chains in Kyiv (namely Sushi-Ya, Murakami and Yakitoria)
• Nobu, 12 Shota Rustaveli Street. Good Japanese restaurant, but don't be fooled by the name it's not owned by famous chef Nobu Matsuhisa. (updated Jan 2024)
• Sumosan. In The Premier Palace hotel. Sister restaurant to Sumosan in London. Decent sushi. 

• King David, 24 Esplanadna Street (near the Central Synagogue), ☏ +380 44 2357436. Su-F 10:00-23:00. Glatt Kosher, many traditional Eastern European dishes. Many Vegetarian dishes. (updated Jan 2024)

If you are not keen about alcohol, try one of the abundant coffee houses. No matter whether their names are well-known and international (Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Russian-based Coffee House and Shokoladnitsa) or weird and local (Coffee Land, Coffee Life, and other similar variations), they are always neat places with similar menu featuring all imaginable versions of coffee, a good choice of tea, fancy milk shakes and smoothies, and a selection of cakes. Their main advantage is free Wi-Fi, while on the downside are the prices that are rather high on Kyiv standards. Coffee and piece of cake start from 20 грн each.

When you urgently need a shot of espresso, you can also try coffee sold on the street. Basically, every second kiosk will offer some kava (Ukrainian word for coffee), but its quality is at best iffy. A safe choice would be special cars equipped with coffee machines. These cars can be found in most public places and next to entrances to the metro stations. They offer decent take-away coffee for 8-10 грн.

If you prefer places that do not look the same in each town and are not owned by big companies, you should try the café "Living-Room" in the vul. Spas'ka, 6, near M2 "Kontraktova Ploscha". The small but cozy place is organized by some enthusiasts and musicians. Two pianos and some other instruments can be used by the staff or guests! While most cafés would close at 22:00 this one is open as long as the staff wants to work. Besides excellent coffee they offer a wide range of very tasty teas, original cakes (e.g. beetroot-chocolate cake!), Beer and so on (no vodka). The kitchen will help you out for the small hunger.

• Like a Local's Wine Bar, 26 Sichovykh Striltsiv Street, ☏ +380 93 682 2626. 16:00-23:00. The place specialises on Ukrainian wine and cichetti-style Ukraine-sourced snacks to which the menu mistakenly refers as tapas; also wine-paired pies. Ask staff for other meal options available, as well as for wine guidance. A small, lively place with great music and friendly staff. From 40 грн/glass. (updated May 2017)

• Bar Fidel, 4B Mykhaila Hrushevskoho Street. Well worth checking out. DJ plays late on a Friday night and there is some serious moshing and crowd surfing in what must be Kyiv's lowest bar/club. Great fun, open till 05:00. (updated Jan 2024)
• Blyndazh. (Блиндаж, means "entrenchment") at the basement of 15 Mala Zhytomyrska Street (200 m off Maidan sq.) Military-themed bar (it has changed its signboard to Blind Age with a cartoon mole with shades on it). Small, cheap and popular, mostly student types. (updated Jan 2024)
• Orech (Walnut), 126 Velyka Vasylkivska Street. Small, good selection of local beers, used to serve unlimited free walnuts if you drink beer, but the walnut servings are now limited (updated Jan 2024)
• Trolleybus. A decent pub on Prorizna Street. Their design may look strange until you take a ride on an old USSR-type trolley-bus and fully appreciate the charm of this transport. The pub offers some fancy Ukrainian beer and a selection of home-made vodka-based spirits as well as the full row of typical snacks (dried salted bread, salted fish, calamaris, etc.) (updated Jan 2024)
• Viola's Bierstube, 1a Tarasa Shevchenka Boulevard. Well hidden behind a dark door in a small alley. (updated Jan 2024)

There are several Irish pubs, none authentic, but OK if you're in need of a Guinness and expat company. One is located near Golden Gate (Zoloti Vorota) on Volodymyrska Street (called, eponymously, The Golden Gate Pub). Another (and the first in Kyiv) is O'Briens on Mykhailivska Street (one of the streets running west off Maidan sq., the one to the right, with a branch of OTP Bank on the corner). Both are expensive by Kyiv standards. A new one has opened in Podil, on the corner of Gostyny Dvor, near the Dutch embassy (can't miss it as it's close to the bottom of Andriivskyi Descent) called the Belfast Pub. Other than these centrally located ones, others lie scattered around Kyiv, they do not cater to the ex-pat crowd and have better prices than you expect to find in any 'western' country. Keep your eyes open. Also try Dockers Pub.

There are two Belgian beer cafés.

• Le Cosmopolite Belgian beer café, Volodymyrska Street (located across the road from the Golden Gate,close to the South Korean Delegation). Service is in perfect English usually and they do serve Belgian beer and traditional Belgian food (expensive). 52 грн for 0.5l of Stella Artois and 180 грн for 0.33l of Leffe Blond.. (updated Sep 2023)
• Belle-Vue Café, 7 Saksahanskoho Street (Olympic Stadium). Service is in perfect English usually and they do serve Belgian beer and traditional Belgian food (expensive). 52 грн for 0.5l of Stella Artois and 180 грн for 0.33l of Leffe Blond.. (updated Sep 2023)

Kyiv has a nice club scene. Ranging from very cheap to overly-expensive, you can find what you want.

• Faberge Club, 22 Rybalska Street. Also an upscale club, similar to Chaikovsky Deluxe. (updated Jan 2024)
• Club Forsage. One of the most known clubs has 3 floors with different music genres, is supposed to have strict face control but you can find some underage students inside, they only look at shoes and make sure its not sport shoes. Entrance on the weekend is 70 грн for men and 50 грн for women. (updated Sep 2023)
• Patipa. This is one of Kyiv's dinosaurs, but still one of the most trendy and best visited clubs in Kyiv. 
• Stolytsia. An upscale lively place close to the Water Museum. Expensive and pretentious, but beware of the face control, e.g. no sport shoes allowed. 
• Xlib-club, Frunze 12. Brings what is called cutting-edge music to Kyiv. The club is neither expensive nor pretentious and exceedingly crowded on Friday and Saturday nights. It's in Podil one of the romantic districts near the Dnieper river. 
• A few popular venues are at the Mandarin Plaza shopping mall (Arena Entertainment complex), rumored to be owned by the Klitschko brothers. The clubs include Arena, Sky Bar, Barsky and Grotesque. They're right next to Bessarabsky market; most of the clubs are accessible from the court.

• 🌍 Kyiv Central Station Hostel, 25 Hoholivska Street, Apt. 11 (In between the train station and the Independence Square, it's about 1.2km from train station), ☏ +380 93 7587468, info@kievcentralstation.com. The hostel staff speaks English, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Spanish and Portuguese. Fully equipped, discounts for tours and different activities. Age-limit: 40, no families & no long-terms. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Magic Bus Hostel Kiev, 31 Saksahanskoho Street, 2nd floor, apt. 3 (M2 "Ploscha Ukrainskykh Heroiv"), ☏ +380 97 3360303. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. Hostel within walking distance to the main street Kreschatik and railway station. Uniquely designed room. Professional & friendly staff. From 160 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 The Hub Hostel Kyiv, 5A Tereschenkivska Street (M1 "Teatralna"), ☏ +380 44 2291266. A hostel in a freestanding building in the center with a huge yard. Privates and 4-12 bed dorms, including female only dorms; free Wi-Fi, linen, tea and coffee. A 24-hr reception, free lockers. Big, soundproof social area with variety of board games, movies and books, well-equipped kitchen. Different activities every day of the week: movie nights, guided tours, pub crawling. Can accommodate groups and provide lodging for all sorts of events. From 560 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 TIU Kreschatik, 8b Khreshchatyk Street, Apt. 11 (On the Main Street next to the Independence Square), ☏ +380 66 9323676. Fully equipped kitchen, free Wi-Fi access, friendly English speaking staff, common rooms with big-screen TVs and DVD libraries, private rooms, frequent pub crawls, security lockers and digital coded front door locks. From 400 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Really Central Hostel, 10 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street, Floor 2. Apt. 50 (access via second courtyard) (M1 "Teatralna"), ☏ +380 98 2636506. Very friendly, one communal dorm, two private twin rooms. English speaking staff, Wi-Fi and communal kitchen. From 320 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 St. Sophia Hostel Kyiv, 2 Reitarska Street, Apt. 2, ☏ +380 93 6423006, st.sophia.hostel.kiev@gmail.com. Located in the very center in a quiet green area, with a view on Sophia Cathedral. From 400 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Hotel Saturn, 2b Heroiv Kosmosu Street (Borshagivka train station 1km or M1 "Beresteiska" and bus No.429 9 stops.), ☏ +380 44 4033263. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. From 1200 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Hostel United, 9 Kostelna Street, apt. 5 (right bank of the Dnipro, 3-min walk from The Independence Square underground), ☏ +380 63 4349666, admin@unitedhostel.com.ua. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. 24-hr reception, 4-6-8 dorms, free Wi-Fi, shared laptop, clean bed linen, towel, free tea/coffee, lockers, big social area, big well-equipped kitchen. Helpful and outgoing staff who speak English, German, Russian, Ukrainian fluently. This is the hostel with a low price and great service. From 400 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Randevu Hotel (Готель «Рандеву»), 31A Pravdy Avenue, ☏ +380 445876893, randevukiev@gmail.com. Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 11:30. Private network has 9 hotels in Kyiv in different parts of the city. Excellent prices and comfortable rooms. From 495 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Diplomat Hotel, 59 Zhylianska Street. The apartments offers fully renovated classic single and double rooms, each with ensuite facilities, including plated breakfast. All of the accommodations come equipped with individually controlled air conditioning, heating, desk, safe deposit box, mini bar, hairdryer, double glassed windows and satellite TV. From 920 грн. (updated Jan 2024)
• Black Sea Kyiv (Чорне море Київ), 16A Leiptsyzka Street, ☏ +380 443641064, +380 972615918, booking@blacksea-hotels.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From 1,292 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• ibis Kyiv City Center, 25 Tarasa Shevchenka Boulevard, ☏ +380 445912222, h7143@accor.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. From 1,449 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• ibis Kyiv Railway Station, 6 Sicheslavska Street, ☏ +380 445912333, HA034@accor.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. From 1,449 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Hotel Kozatskiy (Готель «Козацький»), 1/3 Mykhailivska Street, ☏ +380 672245701, +380 672245702, info@kozatskiy.kiev.ua. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12.:00. A 3-star hotel in the center (Independence Place). From 1,560 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Hotel Tourist (Готель «Турист»), 2 Raisy Okipnoi Street, ☏ +380 445684017, +380 445684254, +380 445178253, +380 673246690, reservation@hotel-tourist.kiev.ua. Rooms are good, but service is Soviet. Especially breakfast. Reception ok, English speaking. Bring your own teabags or instant coffee. 29 floors. Restaurant with English menu. Close to metro, market and shopping center. Overlooking Soviet-style housing flats, view on city from 3 km away. Strange bath tube. From 765 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Premier Hotel Rus, 4 Hospitalna Street, ☏ +380 443590808, +380 983590808, +380 442564000, reservation@hotelrus.phnr.com. One of the oldest hotels in the city. Aging has contributing to some deteriorating quality in the hotel, but still a 'classic'. From 1,360 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Raziotel Kyiv (Yamska) (Raziotel Київ (вул. Ямська)), 52 Yamska Street, ☏ +380 443910090, yamska.hotel@raziotel.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From 1,505 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Raziotel Kyiv (Boryspilska) (Raziotel Київ (м. Бориспільська)), 177/1 Kharkiv Highway, ☏ +380 938218642, boryspil.kyiv@raziotel.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From 900 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• VitaPark Borysfen (VitaPark Борисфен), 5 Muromets Park, ☏ +380 443948339, +380 672195956, borisfen.hotel@vitapark.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From 1,356 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Apart hotel Berest Inn (Апарт Готель BeRest Inn), 41 Mashynobudivna Street, ☏ +380 951153333, berestinn@gmail.com. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. From 699 грн. (updated Sep 2023)

• Mercure Kyiv Congress, 6 Vadyma Hetmana Street, ☏ +380 442053520, HB0i0-FO1@accor.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. From 2,106 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Adagio Kyiv Beresteiska, 55A Beresteiskyi Avenue, ☏ +380 443300555, ha035@accor.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. From 2,224 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 🌍 Bratislava Hotel (Готель «Братислава»), 1 Andriia Malyshka Street, ☏ +380 503093062, reservation@bratislava.ua. Three-star hotel on the left bank of the River Dnieper near International Exhibition Center in Kyiv. Has 337 guest rooms and suites. From 2,127 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Ramada Encore by Wyndham Kyiv, 103 Stolychne Road, ☏ +380 442051515. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From 2,840 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Holiday Inn Kyiv, 100 Velyka Vasylkivska Street, ☏ +3800443633000, reception.hikyiv@ihg.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From 2,590 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Gintama Hotel, 9 Trokhsviatytelska Street, ☏ +380 442785092, +380 503536111, info@gintama.com.ua. Centrally located boutique hotel with 23 rooms. From 2,480 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Kyiv City Center, 22 Yaroslaviv Val Street, ☏ +380 444922200, info.kyiv.centre@radissonblu.com. From 4,354 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Radisson Blu Hotel, Kyiv Podil City Center, 17-19 Bratska Street, ☏ +380 443931373, info.podil.kyiv@radissonblu.com. From 3,266 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Senator Victory Square, 62/20 Dmytrivska Street, ☏ +380 442007766, +380 952860062, victorysquare@senator-apartments.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From 3,800 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Senator City Center, 6 Pyrohova Street, ☏ +380 442007755, +380 952759170, citycenter@senator-apartments.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From 2,600 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Park hotel "Goloseevo" (Парк готель «Голосієво»), 87 Holosiivskyi Avenue, ☏ +380 443001999, +380 950610954, booking@hotelgolosievo.com. From 2,300 грн. (updated Sep 2023)

• City Park Apart-Hotel Kyiv, 20A Bulvarno-Kudriavska Street, ☏ +380 445037790, reservation@cityparkhotel.com.ua. A boutique hotel in the cultural, historical business part of Kyiv. From 6,600 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv, 1 Naberezhno-Khreshchatytska Street, ☏ +380 443228888, kyiv@fairmont.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. A five-star luxury hotel in the heart of the historic Podil district. Complete with 258 elegant guest rooms with spectacular views of the Dnipro River. From 6,545 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Hyatt Regency Kyiv, 5 Ally Tarasovoi Street, ☏ +380 445811234, +380 442840022, kyiv.regency@hyatt.com. Opened in 2007, a five-star luxury hotel offering great views and featuring a 25-m indoor swimming pool, spa and fitness center. From 9,640 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• InterContinental Kyiv, 2A Velyka Zhytomyrska Street, ☏ +380 443932222, Info@ickyiv.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. First InterContinental in Ukraine. The 11-storey hotel is designed by celebrated Ukrainian architect Sergey Babushkin. Its angular marble-and-glass façade is a blend of classical and contemporary features, highlighted by a three-metre statue of the Greek Goddess Nike (mythology) by Ukrainian sculptor Michael Reva. InterContinental Kyiv has 272 deluxe rooms, five Ambassador Suites, Royal Suite and Presidential Suite, both overlooking St Michael’s Square. From 12,040 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Opera Hotel Kyiv, 53 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street, ☏ +380 445817070, info@opera-hotel.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. The Opera Hotel is 5-star and member of the leading hotels of the world. Opened in 2006 and owned by Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's wealthiest billionaire. From 8,582 грн. (updated Oct 2023)
• Premier Palace Hotel, 5-7/29 Tarasa Shevchenka Boulevard / Pushkinska Street, ☏ +380 442441200, +380 445374500, reservation@premier-palace.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. A nice 5-star hotel in a historic building. From 8,280 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• 11 Mirrors, 34A Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street, ☏ +380 445811111, +380 505811111, info@11mirrors-hotel.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From 9,000 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Hilton Kyiv, 30 Tarasa Shevchenka Boulevard, ☏ +380 443935400, kyiv.reservations@hilton.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. From 9,327 грн. (updated Sep 2023)
• Senator Maidan, 8B Tarasa Shevchenka Lane, ☏ +380 442007788, +380 504415682, maidan@senator-apartments.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. From 6,600 грн. (updated Sep 2023)

• 🌍 UKRPoshta Main Post Office (Holovposhtamt) (УКРпошта Головпоштамт, No.1 поштове відділення) (M2 "Maidan Nezalezhnosti"), ☏ +380 44 3232020, fax: +380 44 2787969, ukrposhta@ukrposhta.com. M-F 08.00-21.00, Sa 08.00-21.00, Su 09.00-19.00. Internet service with printing 8 грн per hr, 1 грн per A4. Post offices in Kyiv, addresses, services, working times. +380 44 2300830, +380 44 2300838. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 🌍 No.31 Post-office (No. 31 поштове відділення), 1 Vokzalna Square (M1 "Vokzalna"), ☏ +380 44 2345064, +380 44 2440052, +380 44 2457033. 24/7. The central railway station, on the 1-st floor. (updated Sep 2023)

Mobile (cell) phones: GSM (900/1800), 3G (CDMA, UMTS) and 4G (LTE) is used in Ukraine. This system is compatible with mobile phone networks used everywhere, apart from parts of the Americas and US dominated parts of Asia.

If you have an unlocked phone, you can get a Kyivstar (in Ukrainian), lifecell, or Vodafone SIM card for a few dollars at the airport or street vendors which will give you a local number and free incoming calls. Note that some of those cards don't have money on their account, so you may want to buy a payment card when you buy a sim card. If you don't have an unlocked phone already, new ones can be had for 1,200-1,600 грн and a touch cheaper if you buy a pay-as-you-go sim card at the same time. Incoming calls are free in Ukraine, so in extremis you can just SMS/text a request for a return call for a small charge.

If you are roaming in Kyiv, SMS messages do work well. They are confirmed to work for most foreign networks. Do note that the size of the country and the relative low population densities of rural areas means that sometimes there might be 'black-spots' where mobiles will not work. But of course these are away from the main cities/urban areas (and most of the main arterial road and rail routes also have reasonably consistent call signals).

If you are trying to call the US from your GSM phone, you may find that the access numbers for your calling card are blocked. Plan ahead and sign up with a callback service before you start your travels, or you can provoke them to call you (at much better rates) when you need to make a call.

The easiest way to maintain Internet connectivity if you use your own laptop is to buy a 7-day unlimited Lucky Internet callback card. They are about 36 грн at the street kiosks. When you dial in, you will be initially firewalled off from everything until you activate by visiting their website.

You may also buy wireless internet access for your laptop for about 10 грн per day.

Internet cafés have a good service. They usually have different types of computers with varying prices.

Near the metro station on ul Khmelnytskoho (on the left side at a corner) there is one that is very good, open 24 hr non-stop. The cheapest computers cover your basic needs, the most expensive ones are usually for hardcore gamers.

Also, most foreigner-friendly cafés (see "Drink" section above) and a lot of fast food restaurants (including McDonald's) offer free Wi-Fi. Some require password to use their access point, ask waiter to get it.