A Weekend in Kiev
Ukraine’s capital is the latest must-do city break
Words | Piersgladstone
Leave Prague and Tallinn to the stags. Ukraine’s handsome and cultured capital – bmi’s newest destination – is made for a summer city break, packed with bars, beaches and beautiful people
KIEV IS BEST DESCRIBED AS A SURPRISE. Vibrant and cosmopolitan, steeped in history and spread out across a series of hills overlooking the Dnieper river, Kiev is perhaps one of the best hidden secrets when it comes to European travel. Its various districts reflect the many eras of its long history, all with their own distinct flavour, and all housing an array of bars, cafés, galleries, museums, ancient churches and monasteries, clubs and even beaches. In short, Kiev is an ideal long-weekend getaway destination, even surpassing the likes of Pragueand Tallinn.
Start your first day in the fountain-festooned Maydan Nezalezhnosti, otherwise known as Independence Square. For Kievans, this is the heart and focal point of the modern part of their city, acting as a magnet during the weekends. The square and Vulitsya Khreshchatyk, the grand 1.5km boulevard that bisects the square, are both pedestrianised at the weekend. Join the crowds and promenade along Vulitsya Khreshchatyk, which is flanked by grandiose Stalinist architecture erected after the destruction of World War II. Stop for a coffee or even a beer at any one of the cafés that line this street and join the locals in a spot of people-watching. In the summer, this is where free outdoor concerts are often performed.
Afterwards, head to the northern end of Vulitsya Khreshchatyk, and cross Ploshcha Yevropeyska, after which you’ll arrive at Rainbow Arch, a huge chrome semi-circle that frames blue skies and glints in the sun. Built on a promontory to commemorate the 1654 unification of Russia and Ukraine, Rainbow Arch attracts both locals and tourists. At weekends, newlyweds and their entourages flock to it, as it’s one of the popular stops on the traditional wedding photo tour of the city. The monument is popular less for its architectural prowess, and more for the views that it offers across the winding Dnieper and the densely wooded Trukhaniv Island opposite, with its sandy beach and Hydropark, both of which are hugely popular during the summer months. To the left lies the port area of Podil and the grid streets of this traditional mercantile and trading quarter.
Walk down to Podil from Rainbow Arch, either along the paths in the woods or along the winding Volodymyrsky Usviz. which will bring you to Vulitsaya Petra Sahaydachnoho, another street which practically becomes pedestrianised at the weekend. Rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1811, this historic district survived the ravages of the war better than the rest of the city and has a more relaxed feel. The buildings are generally no more than three stories high, ornate and have a faded charm to them; crumbling yellows, blues, whites, pinks and peach colours give Podil an almost colonial Spanish atmosphere.
Andriyivsky Uzviz, Kiev’s artistic hub and most well-known and beautiful street, snakes its way up from Podil to the magnificence of St Andrew’s Church. This narrow cobbled street is lined with bohemian shops, cafés and restaurants, art galleries and market stalls selling some great souvenirs. Traditional matryoshka dolls, oil paintings, stamps, coins, icons, Soviet memorabilia, old postcards, traditional weaving and embroidered shirts all vie for the attentions of the passers by.
Andriyivsky Uzviz is also a must for art lovers who should visit Gallery 36. The Bulgakov Museum is a must for fans of Mikhail Bulgakov, the author of the fantastical The Master and Margarita, housed in the building he lived in. This street is also the ideal spot to have lunch, with restaurants serving good international cuisine as well as Ukrainian fare.
To help you digest your lunch, head up the street to St Andrew’s Church, built in 1754 and designed by Rastrelli, the Italian architect responsible for many of St Petersburg’s finest buildings. Green and gold domes sit regally on blue, white and gold columns and walls. The inside is no less impressive, especially the incredibly ornate red and gold altar inlaid with oil paintings of angels and biblical scenes.
While Podil is steeped in Ukrainian history, at the nearby Chernobyl Museum (1 Khoryva Prov) housed in an old fire station, is a defining moment in Ukraine’s modern history. This may sound an unlikely tourist stop but it is sensitively documented and displayed. For the more extreme type of visitors it is possible to visit Chernobyl itself and to see first-hand the nuclear reactor, the ghost city of Pripyat and the surrounding 30km zone, which has been closed for more than 20 years. Day trips can be organised through Sam Travel (www.sam.ua) or SoloEast Travel (www.tourkiev.com).
From the southern end of Vulitsaya Petra Sahaydachnoho, take the quaint funicular up the wooded slope to the Unesco World Heritage-listed St Sophia Cathedral. It is a giant white, blue and gold wedding cake affair that is Kiev’s oldest standing church. Breathtaking outside and in, some of its frescoes and mosaics date back to the 11th century. It was here that Kiev’s first school and library were housed, as well as where royal weddings took place.
After a quick rest and a change of clothes, head out to sample Kiev’s nightlife. For those wishing to sample real Ukrainian food in a cosy environment, Varenichnaya No1 (28 Vulitsa Esplanadna) specialises in varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings) with 25 varieties on offer. Alternatively, head for Pervak (2 Vulitsa Rognidenska), housed in a beautiful recreation of 19th-century Kiev, serving Ukrainian dishes
with a modern twist.
For those wishing to taste the decadent charms of Kiev by night, while simultaneously testing their fashion style with the clubs’ legendary ‘face control’, Jeans Beach Club by Opium (summer only), on the beach at the Hydropark, is reminiscent of Ibiza, while Barsky (Arena City Complex, 5 Vulitsa Chernovoarmiyska) is the latest glamorous offering to hit the capital.
The next morning, take a metro to Arsenalna to visit Kievo-Pecherska Lavra (the Caves Monastery). Set in 28 hectares of hillside overlooking the Dnieper, the caves below the glittering onion-domed churches house mummified monks and saints in glass-topped coffins. A visit is a somewhat spooky experience. More enlivening is a visit to the Museum of Microminiature, perhaps the most bizarre and wonderful exhibition of the work of the Ukrainian artist Mykola Syadristy in all of Europe. All of the exhibits have to be viewed through a microscope and include the world’s smallest chess set placed on a pin head, the world’s smallest book (0.6mm2) which contains 12 pages of poetry by Ukraine’s most famous poet, Taras Shevchenko, and a watercolour portrait of Ernest Hemingway painted with a brush onto a pear seed. The detail, scale and originality of Syadristy’s work is truly astounding.
From here, take the metro back to Teatralna, to visit Pinchuk Art Centre (2A Vulitsa Baseyna), Kiev’s newest contemporary art gallery, owned by the Ukrainian oligarch Victor Pinchuk, collector of the likes of Damien Hirst and Sam Taylor-Wood. After perusing the different floors, head to the swanky Sky Art Café for a bite to eat or for something more down to earth try nearby Puzata Khata (1/2 Vulitsa Baseyna).
A summer weekend in Kiev is not complete without some beach action, so head across the pedestrian footbridge and find a spot on the beach among the hordes of sun-worshipping locals. The river is relatively clean, but beware of the current. For the perfect finale, re-cross the bridge as the sun begins to sink and catch a cab to the Italian restaurant Osteria Pantagruel (1 Vulitsa Lysenka). Here you can dine alfresco in the atmospheric square of Zoloti Voroto, meaning Golden Gate, the original of which was built in 1037.
Hottips
- All EU and US passport holders do not require a visa to enter Ukraine.
- Hotels in Kiev are expensive. The best choice is the Radisson SAS at 22 Vulitsa Yaroslaviv Val with doubles starting at £265 per night. Much better value is to rent an apartment. Kiev Hotel Luxe (www.kyivhotel-luxe.com) is the best resource, offering good apartments in great locations.
