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Excursions about Kyiv

Sightseeing city tour with visiting St. Michael’s Gold-Domed Cathedral (Mikhailovsky Zlatoverkhy Cathedral) (tour lasts 3 hours)
During this excursion you will get acquainted with Kiev of the past and of today.You will come to know about very different aspects of the city’s life, which usually evoke interest of those who come to visit us.
St. Michael’s Gold-Domed Cathedral (Mikhailovsky Zlatoverkhy Cathedral)
The Cathedral was founded by Kiev Prince Svyatopolk in 1108 and destroyed in 1934-35. After its reconstruction in 1998 the cathedral acquired a Baroque appearance. As to the name of this Cathedral – St. Michael was considered to be Kiev’s patron saint and nowadays is depicted on the coat of arms of Ukraine.
 
Kiev – the capital of Ancient Rus State: St. Sophia Cathedral, The Golden Gate, (tour lasts 2 hours)
According to the ancient legend three brothers’ Kiy, Shchek, Khoriv and their sister Lybid founded Kiev. They settled on the heights above the Dnieper and founded a city on one of the hills and called it Kiev after the oldest brother.
St. Sophia Cathedral
It is the oldest survived church to be built in 1037 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise. This majestic 13-domed church became a worshiping place for ancient Kievites, as a major cultural and political centre in Kievan-Rus State. The complex of buildings (2 churches, bell-tower, school, monk’s cells and the residence of the Metropolitan) was added on up until the 19th century mostly in Renaissance and Ukrainian Baroque styles. It is a national shrine. It was put on UNESCO world heritage list.
Golden Gate Museum
The Golden Gate was one of the main structures built by Yaroslav in 1037. Cut into the rampart system, it measured 6.4 meters, which was wide enough for a triumphant entry. The “golden” part of its name emphasized the triumphant character of the gate and also referred to the golden cupola of the Church of the Annunciation that was built over it. In 1982 the ruins of the Golden Gate were restored to their present appearance.
 
Architectural monuments of Pechersk (tour lasts 3 hours)
Kyiv-Pecherska Lavra, National Historical and Cultural Landmark
Kiev Pechersk Lavra is situated on picturesque hills overlooking the Dnieper River. Founded in 1051 by monks, its spectacular structures were added on over the years in classical Byzantine and Ukrainian Baroque styles. Spread over the hills along the bank of the Dnieper river the Lavra is a “must see” visit. This functioning monastery consists of numerous churches towers, and miles of underground tunnels (caves) with ancient crypts and ecclesiastical objects. The most interesting museums of Ukraine are also located on the grounds of Monastery. Among them are the Museum of Historical Treasures and Jewelry, the Museum of Ukrainian Decorative and Applied Art, the Museum of Miniatures.
Jewish tour (tour lasts 2 hours)
During the above tour you will visit Podol synagogue, Brodsky synagogue and visit the official monument and the Minora in Babiy Yar (a place of mass extermination of Kyiv Jews by Nazi Germans in 1941.
Babiy Yar
There was a time when Babiy Yar was just a deep ravine on the outskirts of Kiev. After having occupied Kyiv Nazi Germans ordered to kill about 35000 Jews there. Their bodies were buried in the ravines and in 1943 excavated and burnt in 100 big furnaces. Their ashes were scattered around.
In 1972, a monument was erected there; the Minora in 1991.
 
St. Andrew’s Descent + visit to Bulgakov`s museum (tour lasts 1,5 hour)
St. Andrew’s Descent – a thousand year old street, which connecting the Upper part of Kiev with the Lower one, in the days of Kiev Rus-State. Today it is the Greenwich Village or the Montmartres of Kiev with art shops and exhibits, cafes full of beauty and charm. Tourists frequently visit it.
Andrew’s Church
Built in 1754 by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, this Church is a piece of Baroque style. Built on a one - storey base, which houses the Kiev’s seminary, it dominates the city and glitters over a large part of Kiev. The gilded iconostasis and frescoes were executed by a group of Ukrainian masters in the rococo style.
The M. Bulgakov Museum
The Museum was inaugurated in May 1991 in a building, where M. Bulgakov, famous Russian writer, lived in 1906 – 1918. And the characters of his novel “The White Guard” and his play “The Days of the Turbins” were settled just in this very house. The display is based on the things, donated by the writer’s relatives and collectors.
 
Architectural and Monumental painting Monuments of XI-XII centuries – St. Sophia Cathedral (duration of excursion 1 hour)
The St. Sophia Cathedral is a world-famed piece of the 11-th century architecture and monumental art. The Cathedral belongs to the prosperous period of Kievan Rus State, the mighty Eastern Slavic state that was the cradle of three fraternal peoples the Russian, Ukrainian and Belo Russian. “Sophia” means “wisdom” in Greek. Consecrated to “the wisdom of Christ’s teaching” cathedral would (according to its founder Yaroslav) firmly establish Christianity and the rule of the feudal princes in Rus State.
 

Lipky – administrative government center of Ukraine (duration of excursion 2 hours)

Mariinsky Palace, 1750-1755.

Named after tsarina Maria, Alexander’s II wife. This beautiful blue-and-cream-coloured Palace is similar in style to the imperial summer estates in St. Petersburg. Bartolomeo Rastrelli designed this building. It’s a lovely mixture of Ukrainian and Russian Baroque. Today the Palace is used as official reception Hall for political and cultural VIPs.

 Ukrainian Fine Arts Museum, 1897-99 (Friday – day off)

Styled as an ancient Greek temple with a 6-column portico designed by Kiev’s architect V. Gorodetsky. Contain a rich collection of ancient Ukrainian icons. Beautiful portrait, landscape and genre canvases represent Ukrainian Arts of 18-20th centuries. Works of T. Shevchenko, N. Pymonenko, K. Kostandi, H. Narbut are among the exhibits of the museum.

 Russian Fine Arts Museum (Wednesday, Thursday– days off)

The building was constructed in the 1880`s and belonged to the wealthy Tereshchenko`s family – patrons of arts. Among the collection there are icons from Novgorod and Moscow and many works of famous Russian painters, including masterpieces of I. Repin, M. Vrubel, N. Borovikovsky, V. Vereshchagin and V. Tropinin.

 

Central Botanical Gardens

The collection comprises more than 10000 varieties of trees, bushes, and flowers from 5 continents. In the gardens, you can enjoy beautifully blossoming lilacs bushes, orchids and roses. The gardens are often a venue for flower and plant exhibitions. Vydubetsky Monastery, dating back to the 11-th century, is located next to the grounds of the Botanical Gardens. The view of the Dnieper River is really a spectacular one.

 

SIDE-TRIPS:

 

 “To the Shevchenkov`s land (Kiev – Kaniv – Kiev)

Kaniv is a little town on picturesque banks of the Dnieper River, situated 144 km to the South of Kyiv. There is a burial site of the 19th century poet, artist, philosofer, and founder of Ukrainian National literature is located. It is here that all Ukrainians from all over the world come to pay tribute to the Ukrainian bard and man of letters.

 “Across ancient Chernigov`s earth” (Kiev – Chernigov – Kiev)

During excursion to the town of Chernigov you will see architectural landmarks of the 11th to 18th centuries, and house-museum of the Ukrainian writer M. Kotsyubinsky. Situated 153 km to the north of Kyiv.

 “To the land of Umanskiy miracle”(Kiev – Uman` – Kiev)

Visiting of one of the unique monuments of landscape architecture “Sofiivka”. It’s famous for its grottoes, fountains, waterfalls, and luxuriant vegetation. You will have unique possibility to walk along its Main Avenue, to admire the Venetian bridge, Waterfall “Snake”, Terrace of Muses, Great Waterfall, Florentiyskiy Apollo’s Statue, Aphrodite’s Temple, cascade “Three Tears”, Amour’s Statue, Dead lake with underground river Sticks, Avenue of Roses.

 “To the dendrological park Alexandria”(Kiev – Bila Tserkva – Kiev)

Bila Tserkva is one of the ancient cities of Ukraine. During the excursion you’ll visit dendrological park Alexandria”- masterpiece of a landscape architecture of the 18th century.

 

(Duration of each excursion is not longer then 12 hours)

 

Pirogovo Village / An open-Air Museum of Ukrainian Wooden Architecture and Way of Life (tour lasts 5 hours; also you can visit Ukrainian restaurants “Yarivtsi” or “Korchma”)

The museum’s exposition gives us an idea of a Ukrainian way of life, acquaints with traditions, customs and beliefs of the Ukrainian people. The museum numbers 200 original structures brought here, among them are village houses, barns, cowsheds, and beehives, wooden churches made without joints or nails. One can see Ukrainian clothing, kitchen utensils made of ceramics. On Ukrainian holidays one has the possibility of take part or watching Ukrainian religious rites, national performances: wedding party, End of the Harvest Day celebrations etc. It is a very pleasant way to spend an entire day. Horse riding, tasty of Ukrainian cuisine at Ukrainian taverns will give you a boost!

 

Visiting the Museum of Chernobyl

The visit to this Museum might be included (if time permits) to any tour. One can get a full and clear-cut picture of the world worst nuclear desaster  which occurred at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986. You will get to know about the further life of those heroic people who fought against the fire and did their best to prevent the explosion at the Nuclear Power Station and also you could get information about people who were evacuated from the explosion (danger) 30-km zone and were reseltted across the entire Ukraine.

 

Boat-ride on the Dnipro river

During this ride you will have the possibility to see picturesque hills and gold-domes churches situated amidst the greenery. Kyiv numbers 300 public parks and gardens occupying almost 70 % of the city territory.