Kiev	Odessa	Crimea	Western Ukraine
	What to See
We have included here "a one day walking tour" in case you are short of sightseeing time, but even if you have longer the tour lists some of the most important historic and cultural attractions. Kyiv's main attraction for domestic and foreign tourists are its famous gold domed cathedrals and churches, magnificent and impressive sanctuaries of piety, history, and art. Since every one needs souvenirs to take home, God kindly created Andriivs'ky uzviz. There are also many museums, including a unique outdoor museum on the edge of the city limits. Kyiv has the highest number of square kilometres of park per resident in Europe, many of which are lined with benches and dotted with monuments to Ukraine's literary, political, or fictional heroes.

Andrew's Descent (M) Poshtova Ploscha. This is without a doubt one of Kyiv's oldest and most beloved streets. In ancient times it linked the administrative part of the upper town with Podil, the lower town of merchants and artisans. Its steep and winding cobblestones are a traditional place for outdoor festivals and concerts, and it has numer¬ous intriguing art galleries and museums. Of course, being at the very heart of the city's art community the street is a favourite stop for tourists in search of paintings and traditional Ukrainian crafts, as well as a repository for all souvenirs tacky and/or Soviet. The sidewalk artisans come out in full force on weekends and big holidays. There's an interesting building at N°15 that Kyivites refer to as the Castle of Richard. Built in 1902, it's currently being remade into a hotel by a Ukrainian-Ameri¬can joint venture. A bit further down on the right is a steep, twist¬ing flight of iron steps which will reward lovers of heights with yet another commanding vantage point above Podil and the Dnipro. At the bottom of the hill, turn left to reach the former market¬place of Kontraktova ploscha or right to head toward the fu¬nicular at Poshtova ploscha.

Khreschatyk , (M) Khreschatyk. From its northern end of European Square to Bessarabs'ka Square and its southern terminus, Kyiv's most central, most famous and best people-watching street is not even 2km long. Despite what has been called the most impressive unbroken string of Stalinist architecture anywhere, Khreschatyk's gently curving design and wide chestnut-lined sidewalks make it a lovely place for a relaxing stroll. The trees also provide welcome shade during hot summer months, although on weekends and holidays when the street becomes a pedestrian area many prefer to frolic in the street among street performers. It's hard to believe that this area was once a valley surrounded by a dense forest. The valley's name was 'Khreschata', meaning 'crossed', because of the many ravines that crossed it. Malls already exist at Bessarabska and metros Khreschatyk and Maidan Nezalezhnosti, and another is definitely in the works for European Square as well. As for above-ground shopping, TsUM - the central department store - is actually becoming rather modern and has little to show of its Soviet past. Perhaps in an act of poetic justice the whole street will collapse under this retail strain and again revert to a valley.
Maidan Nezalezhnosti, (M) Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Kyiv's central square has undergone major changes in recent years, both above ground and below. And then the square is referred to as a big greenhouse, that's not a botanical compliment but rather an indictment of the Globus Shopping Centre's glassy domes. At least it's no longer October Revolution Square with a big Lenin statue as it was in Soviet times. Now Maidan is well-famous for the events of the Orange Revolution. Downtown Kyiv was in the headlines all over the world. When you walk on Maidan and on Krechatyk, just imagine the whole square and surrounding streets filled with people and tents decorated in all the orange colour.
Lavra
Kyivo-Pechers'ka Lavra , Sichnevoho Povstannia 21, (M) Arsenal'na, tel. 280 30 71, www.kplavra.kiev.ua. The monastery which made Kyiv the "Rome" of Orthodox Chris¬tianity and received pilgrims from all over Europe continues to attract droves of visitors today. Its territory of 28ha contains not only churches, towers and an underground cave system but also some of Kyiv's most interesting museums. First about the name - the Ukrainian 'pechera' means 'cave', while 'Lavra' is an Orthodox term given to its largest mon¬astery. Founded in 1051 by monks Antony and Feodosiy, the Lavra was called to spread the newly-adopted Christian religion throughout Kyivan Rus. Monks worshipped, lived and were buried in caves, where a cool and humid atmosphere enabled their bodies to mummify naturally. This apparent miracle further enhanced the monastery's reputation. The monks' bodies have been almost perfectly preserved to this day, a fact you can see yourself by descending into the caves with a candle to lead the way. Of particular interest are those monks so humble that they only allowed their feet to be exposed. Women are required to wear scarves, which are provided if you don't have your own. English tours can be arranged at the ticket kiosk or with nice old ladies inside the entrance.

The Lavra became a leading religious and cultural focal point of Eastern Europe in the 12th century. Studios for icon painting and the creation of mosaics served many Kyiv churches, and a scriptorium oversaw translating of foreign literature into Slavic. The influential Slavic history "The Chronicle of Bygone Years" was written here by the historian Nestor. Other notable features include the burial site of Yuri Dolgorukiy, the founder of Moscow, inside the Church of the Saviour of Berestovo; and the 18th-century bell tower, the highest in all of Ukraine at 96m. Following years of Com¬munist rule, the gov¬ernment has recently returned many buildings to the Orthodox Church. The monastery is once again operational in the form of Kyiv Theological Seminary and Academy. There are also many museums on the territory, the best of which are listed below. > Open 09:00 - 18:00. Admission for foreigner: adults 16Hr, children 8Hr.
Lavra Museums & Exhibitions
Museum of Historical Valuable, Sichnevoho Povstannia 21 (Lavra), (M) Arsenal'na, tel. 280 13 96. It is sure that the Louvre, the Hermitage, or the Prado would be happpy to have such a collection of Scythian gold as this museum. The gem of the collection is the so-called Pectoral, Scythian queen's neck adornment from the 4th century B.C. The 1.4-kilogram Pectoral was made of pure gold by a master craftman of the time. Despite its very old age the well-preserved detailing is amazing. The second most important valuable is the silver bowl unearthed from the Gaiman Barrow and kept in specially designed chamber filled with inert gas. This is far from all one can see in the nine halls of this museum. The treasures of Kyiv Rus, West-European and Jewish ceremonial silverware, and works by the best Ukrainian jewellers of the past and present can all be found here. > Open 10:00 - 17:00, Fri 10:00 - 16:30. Closed Mon. Admission: 6Hr.
State Museum of Theatre, Music and Cinema Arts of Ukraine, Sichnevoho Povstannia 21 (Lav¬ra), (M) Arsenal'na, tel. 280 51 31. The museum was created in 1923. Here we can see theso-called 'vertep' - the Ukrainian puppet theatre of the 18th century, playbills and pictures of the plays of different Ukrainian theatre troupes, personal effects of famous artists and musicians. >Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Tue. Admission: 2Hr.
State Museum of Ukrainian Decorative Art, Sicnevoho Povstannia 21 (Lavra), (M) Arsenal'na, tel. 280 13 43. The original art of the Ukrainian people is widely repre¬sented here: icons, decorated eggs, embroidery, examples of clothes, pottery, glass, faience and others. There are special displays devoted to the work of the famous artists Katerina Bilokur and Mariya Prymachenko. > Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Tue. Admission: 5Hr.
Ukrainian State Museum of Books and Printing Sichnevoho Povstannia 21 (Lavra), (M) Arsenal'na, tel. 280 22 10. The museum is located in the space formerly occupied by the Lavra typography, which was built in the 18th century. The collection includes manuscript volumes from the times of Kyivan Russ, the first Ukrainian printed editions - the Lviv 'Apostle' (1574) of the first printer Ivan Fedorov, the 'Ostroh Bible' as well as fine examples of old Ukrainian book illustrations and many other rare exhibits. > Open 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Tue. Admission: 2Hr.
Exibition of Microminiatures by M.Syadrystyi , Sicnevoho Povstannia 21 (Lavra), (M) Arsenal'na, tel. 280 81 37, www.microart.kiev.ua. The world of wonder is pre¬sented for the visitors of this inimitable exhibition. The exhibits displayed here are so tiny that they can be seen only under the microscope. Every work of art shown here is a exceptionally unique and has been made by the craftsman M.Syadrystyi, Honorary Master of Ukrainian Folk Art. The creative art of the master proved the creation of a new world – “microminiature”, which has been never seen before. > Open 9:30 – 13:30, 14:30 – 18:30. Closed Tue. Admission 5 Hr.
Museums
Bulgakov Museum, Andriivs'kyi uzviz 13, (M) Kon-traktova Ploscha, tel. 425 31 88. The celebrated Russian writer Mikhail Bulgakov lived in this house from 1906-1916 and again from 1918-1919. It was here that he wrote the novel The White Guard and the play Days of Turbins. The old Bulgakov family home is now home to the Bulgakov Muse¬um, which displays the author's personal things and family photos. > Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Wed. Admission 2Hr, English tours 15Hr.
Cultural Heritage Museum Moskovs'ka 40, (M)Pechers'ka, tel. 280 64 18. Exposition dedicated to Ukrainian artists, writers and actors who have worked abroad. >Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Fri.
Ivan Honchar's Museum, Ukrainian Centre of Folk Art J-5, Sichnevoho Povstannia 29, (M) Arsenal'na, tel. 573 92 68/288 92 53. The Museum was founded in September 1993 on private Ivan Honchar's (1911-1993) collection. During the Soviet period he was accused of nationalism, and everybody, who manifested interest in his collection, was registered in KGB. Nowdays the collection of his "Ukrainahood" of the 17-20th centuries has 15 000 units. Main place in his collection is devoted to folk pictures, especially very popular is the inventive hero "Mamai Cossack". Impressing is the elaborate collection of clothes of the 18-19th centuries (2500 samples) as well as pottery art exhibits - 630 pieces (plates and dishes, crockery, zoomorphic ceramic toys). All artistic inheritance of the founder and master is exhibited to be part of the whole museum. > Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Kyiv Fortress Museum, Hospital'na 24A, (M) Palats Sportu, tel. 235 01 46. This part of the city's fortifications was built in 1844. Although the structure's history probably has more do with defenceless people. It was here that supporters of the tsar carried out executions of political prisoniers, including the leaders of a Polish rebellion, in the 1860s. At the beginning of the 20th century, participants in a revolt of the Kyiv Pioneer Regiment met the same fate. Also during this time, ammunition and weapons were stored in this semi-underground fortress with solid brick and stone walls. >Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Fri. Admission 3Hr.
Museum of Modern Ukrainian Fine Arts Collection , Brats'ka 14, (M) Kontraktova Ploscha, tel. 463 76 69. A large private collection of masterpieces of modern Ukrainian arts - exactly what the state museums are lack of. > Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon.
Museum of Russian Art, Tereschenkivs'ka 9, (M) Teatral'na, tel. 234 62 18. Outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg, one of the largest collections of Russian art is housed here. The building belonged to the upper-class Tereschenko family and was built in the 1880s. Private artworks confiscated and nationalised by the Soviets along with the Tereschenkos' holdings formed the bulk of the museum's exhibits when it was opened in 1922. The most prized displays are a collection of exceptional Russian icons dating back to the late 13th century. The museum features artwork from many famous Russian painters such as I. Repin, M. Vrubel and N. Rerikh, as well as sculptures, handicraft and graphics. Kids should be kept on a tight rein as the staff can be rude if little people get too close to exhibits. > Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Wed, Thu. Admission 6Hr, English tours 24 Hr.
Museum of the Great Patriotic War , Sichnevoho Povstannia 44, (M) Arsenal'na, tel. 285 94 52. This World War II memorial complex, which opened in 1981, includes a museum with 18 different galleries, an eternal flame, plaques honouring particularly heroic Soviet cities and an outdoor display containing military planes and other equipment from various wars. The centrepiece of it all is of course the massive titanium statue of a woman, 62m tall to be exact, grasping a 12-ton sword and a shield. Honouring Soviet defenders during World War II, its Socialist Realism style is an interesting contrast to the nearby ancient golden domes of Pechers'ka Lavra. If you're just slightly wor¬ried about the 'Mother of the Motherland' being a tad too top-heavy, you're not the only one. There have been scattered reports that the whole structure was not build very soundly and is danger of falling over, but so far so good. > Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission 4Hr.
National Art Museum, M.Hrushevs'koho 6, (M) Maidan Nezalezhosti, tel. 278 74 54. Built in the late 19th century in the style of a Greek temple with a six-column portico designed by Kyiv architects Horodets'kyi and Boytsov, valuable collections largely unknown to Western visitors are contained in the museum's 21 galleries. Pieces include Ukrainian icons, paintings, and sculptures from the 14th century through the early 20th century. Works of revered artist and poet Taras Shevchenko, M.Pymonenko, K.Kostandi and H.Narbut are some of the highlights of the museum. > Open 10:00 -18:00, Mon, Fri 11:00 - 19:00. Admission 6Hr.
National History Museum, Volodymyrska 2, (M) Zoloti Vorota, tel. 278 29 24. Located on a bluff above Andriivs'kyi uzviz, this museum carries forth on a wide range of topics concerning Ukraine's history from prehistoric times up to the present day. There are exten¬sive collections of old books, coins and bills, works of art and archaelogical and ethnographical findings. Behind the museum is a path that leads to a wonderful view from Old Kyiv's highest point overlooking the lower town of Podil. > Open 10:00 -17:00. Closed Wed. Admission 6Hr.
PinchukArtCentre (Museum of Contemporary Art) , Arena Complex,
Bessarabs'ka pl. 2, (M) L'va Tolstoho, tel. 590 08 58, www.c-artpinchuk.org. One of the goals of Victor Pinchuk's Foundation lies in stimulating the Ukrainian scene as it aspires toward the global art world. > Open 12:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon.
The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko Museum of Arts, Tereshchenkivska 15-17, (M) L'va Tolstoho, tel./fax 235 02 06. The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko Museum of Arts holds the richest collection of foreign art in Ukraine. The museum has an outstanding collection of Byzantine encaustic icons from the VI-VII cen¬turies, among the most ancient Christian icons in existence anywhere. The museum's latest exhibition is called Eastern Collection and presents a rich array of art from Islamic and Buddhist societies, as well as Chinese and Japanese art from the museum's collection. English speaking visitors can rent a CD player as an audio guide. The guide contains approximately 50 minutes of key information about the exhibition. There is also an audio guide for English speaking groups (from 5-25 people). The built-in speakers throughout the exhibition lead the group through the museum. > Open Mon - Wed from 10:30 to 17:30. Tickets are sold until 17:00. Admission 7Hr, English tours 50Hr by appointment.
The Museum of Hetmanship, Spas'ka 16A, (M) Kontraktova Ploscha, tel. 425 16 13. The fund incorporates almost 2000 exhibits. It is placed in 4 halls for permanent exposition; there are also short time exhibition collections. > Open 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Fri.
The One Street Museum, Andriivs'kyi uzviz 2B, (M) Kontraktova Ploscha, tel. 425 03 98. This fascinating little museum near the bottom of Andriivs'kyi uzviz tells the rich history of this important street through the years. Special attention is paid to recreating the atmosphere of this thoroughfare during the turn of the 20th century. > Open 12:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Admission 3Hr.
The Pharmacy Museum, Prytys'ko-Mykils'ka 7, (M) Kontraktova Ploscha, tel. 425 24 37. You may be wondering just how much enjoyment can be had out of a museum whole sole subject is the history of pharmaceuticals, but when you think of the vital role drugs play in the lives of the capitals legions of cold sufferers it becomes clear that this cosy little museum is a must of social history. The building is in great condition and dates back to 1728. > Open 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Admission 4Hr, 2Hr for children.
The Spiritual Treasures of Ukraine, Desiatynna 12, (M) Zoloti Vorota, tel. 278 83 08. This museum is the first private art museum in Ukraine. In bright spacious halls of museum more than 300 first class works of Ukrainian icon-painters of 15th- 19th centuries are presented from almost all regions from West to East of Ukraine and more than 100 iconograthical images and themes. The museum has also the collection of the works of the world-known Ukrainian painter Maria Prymachenko. 50 of her best works of naive art are pre¬sented at the museum. > Open 11:00 -19:00. Closed Mon, Wed, Fri. Admission 15Hr,for children and students 5Hr.
Toys museum, Klovs'kyi uzviz 8, (M) Klovs'ka, tel. 253 54 00. This museum is located on the ground floor of the State Centre of the out of School Education. The first hall has collections of hand made dolls from a variety of fairy tales; the second hall has authentic Ukrainian dolls; and the third one presents Ukrainian history through the dolls' history. The oldest dolls in the collection were made in the 1930s; the youngest were made just recently. Do not miss the first Ukrainian transformer among the colle¬ction of 10,000 toys. > Open 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon, Sun.

Flora & Fauna
Central Botanical Garden 1-4, Tymiriazivs'ka 1, (M) Druzhby Narodiv, tel. 285 45 27. A real cornucopia of trees and plant life awaits visitors to this picturesque riverside setting. The garden's collection embraces a total of about 13,000 kinds of trees, bushes and grasses hailing from five con- tinents. Opened in 1936, the garden also hosts frequent flower and plant exhibitions. Head toward the Dnipro River and look for the green domes of Vydubyts'kyi Monastery, which was founded in 1070. The monastery, which was supported by the Cossack elite and is still active today, once owned the botanical garden. Behind the monastery is a fairly breathtaking view of the Dnipro, especially when framed by the newly-bloomed flowers and trees of spring. > Open 09:30 - 17:00. Admission 5hr, for childen and students 2Hr.
Fomin Botanical Garden , Kominterna 1 A, (M) Universytet, tel. 234 60 56, www.fominbotsad.narod.ru. One of the oldest botanical garden in Ukraine was founded on May 22, 1839. It is subdiveded into four scientific sections : dendrology, herb introduction, tropical and subtropical plant introduction, physiology and biochemistry of plants inductors. It also has a Botanical Museum, seeds laboratory, scientific library. The collections funds of the Botanical Garden amounts to 10000 species, varieties, forms and kinds of arboretous and herbaceous plants. There is a large greenhouse complex in the Botanical Garden where are represented more than 4000 taxons of tropical and sub¬tropical plants. Some of them are more than 100 years old. Namely the 200 years old specimen of Livinstona australis and others. > Tours every day only at 10:00, 13:00 and 15:00. Admission for adults 3Hr, clildren 1Hr.
Zoo, Peremohy prosp. 32, (M) Politekhnichny Insti-tut, tel. 274 11 80, fax 274 60 54, www.zoo.kiev.ua. Founded in 1908 the Zoo occupies almost 40ha and houses over 3,000 animals representing about 350 species. Hoofed animals are particularly prominent, and you will also find a decent variety of lions, tigers and bears (oh my!), along with many other species of mammals, birds and a rather interesting terrarium. Alas, the descriptive information is only in Ukrainian, so just make up your own facts. For those with little ones, the Zoo also contains a small amusement park - you can enjoy a great bird's eye view of your favorite animals from the top of the Ferris wheel. However, sworn activists of animal protection will likely be dismayed at some of the
cramped cages with concrete floors that are in sore need of improvement. On the other hand much renovation work is being done now, and although it might be inconvenient for visitors in the short run, we have hope that the animals' living conditions will be considerably upgraded in the near future. > Ticket office open 09:00 -18:30, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 19:00; Pavillions open 09:00 - 18:00; Zoo open 09:00 -2 0:00. 17 Hr for adult, 5Hr for children.
Trinity at Pyrohovo
Folk Architecture and Life Museum Pyrohovo, from (M) Lybids'ka: trolleybus 11 or marshrutka 172; from Republican Stadium metro station: marshrutka 156 (+15); from (M) Akademmistechko: marshrutka 576; from (M) Lukyanivs'ka marshrutka 496(19+9), tel. 526 24 16. The Museum was opened in 1976. It recreates the different authentic villages and landscapes of Ukraine. Almost all the buildings in the museum are authentic and were moved here from different areas of Ukraine piece by piece. It is possible to travel in one day through the different regions of Ukraine. The churches, windmills, houses, huts, and khatas were built originally from the 16th to 19th centuries. Inside of the buildings there are stunning exhibitions of traditional Ukrainian clothing, ceramics, household and farming utensils. Every item is displayed in its natural environment and you could even see them in operation, as the museum employs people to play different roles of ancient village life. These "villagers" could undoubtedly recount numerous fascinating stories, but most of them speak only Ukrainian. Although English, Russian, German, French, Italian, Polish, and Bulgarian tours are available upon request. There are three traditional Ukrainian restaurants on the museum territory. There are Sunday services at the Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches in the Museum. There are a lot of the festivals, fairs and celebration happening in the museum, and every state and religious holiday celebrates according to the folk Ukrainian traditions here.
Trinity

Trinity is one of the oldest and most important holy days in the Orthodox calendar. It falls on the 50th day after Easter, and marks the beginning of summer. The Pyrohovo Museum is one of the best places in town to spend the day. At first, you will be introduced to the ancient Slavic tradition of the twisting of the birch branches. Young girls decorate trees and twist their branches to show nature their appreciation for the spring. In Slavic, pagan mythology Trinity was the day of the God of Vegetation, and the birch was the most revered tree in pagan mythology. Christian traditions then became mixed with the pagan, and Trinity became famous for people decorating churches with birch branches and dancing around birch trees. Trinity at the Pyrohovo Museum starts at 10:00 with a church service. People bring birch tree branches and a num¬ber of different herbs to be blessed by the priest. A concert on the musuem's Singing Field starts at 11:00, with different folklore groups introducing Trinity traditions to the audience.
Chernobyl
Twenty-two years ago the whole world discovered the name of a little Ukrainian town called Chernobyl. The biggest technological catastrophe in modern history occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant on April 26, 1986. In the middle of the night a terrible chain of mistakes combined during a routine safety test of reactor N°4 to result in two explosions that blew the top of the reactor. More than 100 times the combined radiation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was released in a radioactive cloud that quickly spread over much of the entire Nothern Hemisphere. The effects of the explosion are still being felt today. Belarus, whose border is only 12km north of Chernobyl, was worst hit. But in Ukraine 35,000 km2 of forest (or 40 per cent of the country's total forest area), was contaminated by nuclear fallout. Today six percent of Ukraine's overall territory remains contaminated. Of the current state budget, five per cent is still reserved for dealing with the consequences of Chernobyl. By 2015, it is said that the disaster will have cost the Ukrainian economy US$201 billion. Of the 800,000 liquidators' brought in to clean Chernobyl up, it's reported that any where from 25,000 to 100,000 have so far died due to radiation exposure. Thyroid and breast cancer have increased dramatically in contaminated areas. Note however that although Kyiv is only 130km south of Chernobyl, the capital is considered to be completely safe.
Chernobyl tour
It's not every trip abroad you have the chance to visit the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, is it? The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is only about a two-hour ride north of Kyiv. You can visit the nearby ghost town of Pripyat - where some apartments still bear witness to the haste in which 47,500
residents were made to leave their homes - and have a chance to con verse with residents of surrounding villages who refused to move. A trip to the acres of fields filled with contaminated vehicles, helicopters, etc. used in the cleanup is optional. Comfortingly, you'll be accompanied on your return trip to Kyiv by the same friendly driver, bringing your 10-hour journey to environmental hell and back to a close. Then you can enjoy a nuclear-free dinner: you'll participate in the cooking and checking of the ingredients for radiation with a dosimeter. And in case you're wondering, yes, your body will receive above-average doses of radiation throughout the day, but the effects are said to be harmless... If you are not convinced, you can satisfy your curiosity in radiation free environment: The National Museum of Chernobyl.
National Museum of Chernobyl , Khorevyi lane 1, (M) Kontraktova Ploscha, tel. 417 54 27. This museum does an excellent job of actually making you feel like you are at the site of the infamous nuclear accident. Road signs from towns and villages near Chernobyl greet you as you climb the stairs (and as you descend later the signs are crossed out to signify your departure). It's usually rather empty, but then again so is the contamination zone. Bring a big group and make the attendants show you the diorama and video. A few exhibits could be a bit scary for kids, such as life-sized costumes with gas masks and pictures of deformed animals. > Open 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00 -17:00. Closed Sun. Admission: foreigners 5Hr, students 1Hr. English-speaking guides available.