Kiev

Kiev, also spelled Kyiv, Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. As of April 2007, official municipal estimates placed the population of Kiev at about 2.7 million inhabitants, although some much higher unofficial estimates are often published.

Kiev is an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural centre of Eastern Europe. It is home to many high-tech industries, higher education institutions and world-famous historical landmarks. The city has an extensive infrastructure and highly developed system of public transport, including the Kiev Metro.

The name Kiev is said to derive from the name of Kyi, one of four legendary founders of the city (brothers Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv and sister Lybid'). During its history, Kiev, one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe, passed through several stages of great prominence and relative obscurity. The city may have been founded in the 5th century as a trading post, perhaps part of the land of the early Slavs. It gradually acquired eminence as the centre of the East Slavic civilization, becoming in the tenth to twelfth centuries a political and cultural capital of Rus', a medieval East Slavic state. Completely destroyed during the Mongol invasion in 1240, the city lost most of its influence for the centuries to come. It was a provincial capital of marginal importance in the outskirts of the territories controlled by its powerful neighbors: first the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, followed by Poland and Russia. The city prospered again during the Russian industrial revolution in the late 19th century. After the turbulent period following the Russian Revolution of 1917, from 1921 onwards Kiev was an important city of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, and, from 1934, its capital. During World War II, the city again suffered significant damage, but quickly recovered in the post-war years remaining the third largest city of USSR. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian independence of 1991, Kiev remained the capital of Ukraine.

Khreshatyk and Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square)

Khreschatyk metro station A favorite meeting place. Note the donkey and the old man with his cart.	Khreschatyk Street The central post office on the corner of Khreschatyk street at Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) is a favorite meeting point.	Same corner but looking in the opposite direction. The "M" means there is a metro station here below ground.	Maidan Nezalezhnosti View of of Maidan Nezalezhnosti from above. The square was redesigned over the past five years.
Ukraine Hotel rises above Maidan Nezalezhnosti. This hotel is supposedly due to be torn down and replaced by a more modern one.	View on New Year's Eve, the biggest holiday of the year	Election rally at Maidan Nezalezhnosti for a pro-Russia party	Vendors on Maidan Nezalezhnosti
Globus shopping mall Under Maidan Nezalezhnosti	Inside the underground mall	Metrohrad Shopping center under Khreschatyk street	United Benetton store on Khreschatyk. Note the car parked on the sidewalk (this happens everywhere now).
Cafe in the Passazh area of Khreschatyk street

Ukrainian government buildings

Presidential administration building Ukraine's "White House" on Bankova Street	You used to be able to drive your car right in front of the building, but now it's been fenced off and turned into a pedestrian zone.	House of the Chimeras Famous building right across from the presidential administration	Take a look at some of the animals stuck all over the exterior.
Close-up shot of some of the building's "beasts"	Cabinet of Ministers Government administration building	National Bank One of Kiev's most beautiful buildings	Side view of the bank
Mariyinskyy Palace Mariyinskyy Palace was built during Russian imperial times and is now a government building where important receptions are held.

Andriyivskyy Uzviz (Andriyiv Descent)

This historic street connects Podil district on the banks of the Dnipro with the most ancient part of town on the hilltops overlooking the river. Today the cobblestone street is the site of Kiev's largest souvenir market (especially large on weekends) and is a favorite place to walk and chat for both locals and foreigners. Most of the regular vendors know basic English, German, French, etc.

Andriyivskyy (Andriyivsky) Uzviz During the annual "Kiev Days" in June Andriyivskyy Uzviz is always packed with visitors.	Andriyivskyy Uzviz is an artsy historical street on a hill with numerous art and souvenir vendors. It's also a favorite among foreign tourists and local expats.	This is a very enjoyable place to walk because there are so many things to look at and the street has been largely untouched by commercial development.	Andriyivskyy Uzviz Souvenir shopping at Andriyivskyy is a favorite pasttime of tourists in Kiev.
Typical souvenirs are matrioshki (stacking dolls), embroidered shirts and dresses, and woodcarvings.	Happy shoppers on Andriyivskyy Uzviz across from St. Andrew's Cathedral

Podil

Podil is one of the oldest parts of Kiev and is covered with quaint old buildings and churches. Nowadays it has a lot of students and cafes and restaurants. To see some of Podil's churches, go here.

Kontraktova Square This building was a business center during the 19th century.	The square "House of Contracts" is in the center of the historic Podil neighborhood.		Statue of... I can't remember who. Is that Bohdan Khmelnytskyy on his horse again?
Podil Sahaydachnoho Street	Yellow buses fill Podil's streets.	Podil's historic buildings house government offices and institutes of education.

Other famous sights in Kiev

Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra Thousand-year-old center of Orthodoxy. More pictures >>	Kiev Opera house The opera house. Tickets usually go for $2-20 USD (in 2004).	Friendship of Nations Arc A highly visible monument above the Dnipro River	Friendship of Nations Arc rises above this Soviet-era monument to the joining of Ukraine and Russia in 1653 A.D.
Philharmonic Hall Here you can listen to wonderful concerts of classical music for very low prices.	View of Philharmonic Hall in November	Golden Gate This fortified gate defended the city in the 12th century.	Bessarabsky Market This old market on Khreschatyk street has lost its popularity, but you can still buy all sorts of fruits and vegetables here.
Kiev Subway "Zoloti Vorota" metro station. Kiev's subway system is the most efficient way to get around town, but it does not cover the entire city. New stations are being built as well.	Bohdan Khmelnytskyy 17th-century Ukrainian Cossack leader	Princess Olga Famous monument in front of Mykhailivskyy church	Shevchenko University Taras Shevchenko University central building. Widely considered the most prestigious university in Ukraine.
Kiev Train Station Kiev's new train station was built just a few years ago. Ukraine has been actively modernizing its railway system. Faster and nicer trains are being introduced.	Inside the old train station	Weird ventilation tubes next to the station	Historical house on Yaroslaviv Val Street in the center of Kiev
"House of Actors"	Close up of doorway	Victory Day On Victory Day (May 9th), people gather at the war monument to lay flowers for the millions who died in the "Great Fatherland War" (World War II).	Veterans put on their regalia and congregate in central areas of the city to remember the war.
Chornobyl Museum Interesting museum of the Chornobyl disaster in Podil	Kiev city is building a new bridge and metro line across the Dnipro River.	This costly bridge (over $1 billion USD) crosses over Trukhanov Island and will connect Troeschyna with Podil.

Kiev's Residential neighborhoods

Obolon district Once on the outskirts of Kiev, Obolon has become one of the most prestigious neighborhoods.	Construction here has been continuing non-stop for the past 15-20 years. A new golf course has just been completed on the banks of the Dnipro.	New Orthodox church being built in Obolon. The last ten years have seen a comeback of religious activity and church restoration and rebuilding.	Rug washing is a national pastime. This is how some residents of the Obolon neighborhood do it. Others beat their rugs in the snow.
Vinohradar — a somewhat older neighborhood on the edge of town with high-rise apartment buildings