Walking through the city.

    To the South from Khreshchatyk Street, there is a plateau which consists of the Pechersk and Lipki districts. The main road of this district - M. Grushevsky Street - rises near the Lavra and runs through the Pechersk and slopes down to Yevropeiska Square, which complete Кhreshchatyk. M. Grushevsky Street existed in the 16th century. In 1919 it became Revolution St., in 1934 Kirov St., and from 1991 it has been named Hrushevsky after the first President of Ukraine.

    The street is cut by the Square of Glory with Hotel Salyut and Arsenalna Square with the Arsenal building of a new Pechersk fortress. There were bridges and gates in the Pechersk fortress that defended the Lavra. Below is situated Mariinsky Palace, which was built in the middle of the 18 century by V.Rastrelli in the baroque style. Mariinsky Palace was intended to echo Versailles in miniature. During the last war it was badly damaged but was reconstructed, and is now a part of the Supreme Rada's premises. In 1936, the government moved into Pechersk and redeveloped many of old estates: the grandiose building of the Council of Peoples' Commissars. This huge building, now occupied by the Cabinet of Ministers, was designed by the architects Ivan Fomin and Pavel Abrosimov in the Soviet neoclassical style.

    Some years later, premises for the Ukrainian Supreme Council were built on an empty place across the road in the design by Vladimir Zabolotny. In the Grushevsky Street is the National Art Museum. It was constructed in 1900 by V. Horodetsky in the style of ancient Greek temple. Facade of the museum is decorated with  the sculptures of lions. The National Art Museum is a treasury of the Ukrainian art.

    The Pechersk Lavra Monastery (Pechersk stands for pechery, that is "caves" which are to be found in its territory and which early monks used to live in, and Lavra is an honorific title given to a monastery of extra-size and religious importance) came into being in the eleventh century and for nine centuries its territory was expanding with new buildings being added to it through the centuries. The architectural complex of the Monastery, the way it looks today is truly grandiose. On a sunny day one is almost dazzled by the reflections from the innumerable golden domes above churches and belfries. Most of the buildings in the Monastery date from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and are excellent examples of Ukrainian Baroque style in architecture and there is only one church in the Monastery that has been preserved from the twelfth century with very few architectural changes introduced since then. The church sits above the main entrance gate of the Monastery and is consequently called Nadvratna - "the one above the gate". The full name of the church is Troitska Nadvratna Tserkva - "The Holy Trinity Church above the Gate". It is almost a miracle it has survived as the Monastery itself was throughout its history the object of so many enemy attacks, of devastating fires and of other crippling misfortunes.

    In the center of Independence Square one can see a beautiful fountain of 500 water flows. The left side of the Square had been rebuilt too and the new 16-stored building of the "Moscow" hotel can be seen there (1959-1966). One can enjoy a beautiful view on the square with architectural masterpieces of the ancient times: St. Sophia's Church (XI century) on the left and St. Andryi's Church (XVIII century).

    The picturesque left side of Khreshchatyk street attracts everyone. Starting from the Opera Theater the B. Khmelnytsky street is closed with the "Druzhba" cinema. Beautiful stairs lead to it. There are City Hall, Central Store, metro station "Khreshchatyk" and "Independence Square", lots of administration buildings, shops, hotels, cafes. Reconstruction is not completed yet. It is essential to keep all the beauty of the street. That is important because Khreshchatyk is the main street of our capital.

    The ancient Kiev is situated on a high plateau to the north of Khreshchatyk Street. The main street of the Upper City is Volodymyrska Street. It stretches away from the Dnipro hillsides across the plateau, sloping down to the Lybid River. There are many interesting buildings in the street, such as Zemelny Bank, Prysutstvennye Mesta, Zemstvo, the architect V. A. Beretti's private residence, Pedagogical Museum, etc.

    Of particular interest in Volodymyrska Street are: the Torzhok market square of the 10th-century city, the foundation of the first stone church in Rus Desiatinnaya Church, burned by the Mongol-Tatars in 1240. Also on the Volodymyrska Street is one of the most remarkable monuments of the Ukrainian architecture - admirable St. Andrew's Church, built by B.F. Rastrelli in the baroque style. The building of the History Museum of Ukraine stands on Starokyivsky Hill. The museum is one of the oldest and the largest scientific-educational centers of the country.

    The dominant of the Upper town is Sophievska Square. On this Square there is a monastery, which is an ancient residence of the Kyivan metropolites. From afar, the golden cupola of Bell Tower (1706, reconstruction 1852) is seen. It has 76 m in height. We admire the eleven-dome St. Sophia's Cathedral built by Yaroslav the Wise in the 11th cent. The Cathedral appears in the UNECKO list of protection of the most valuable monuments of architecture in the world.

    Inside the Cathedral, fresco paintings and mosaics of the 11th century are partly preserved. In the center of the Sophievska square, one can see a monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky (1888, M. O. Mikeshin). Further, a square with the Golden Gates is situated. It received its name from the similarity to the Constantinople Golden Gates, which also served as the main entrance to the city. The fact of their construction is mentioned in the chronicle of 1037. Over the passage, the golden-domed Gate Church of the Annunciation was built. The protection pavilion reproduces the original form of this old structure. There is a sculpture to Yaroslav the Wise in the square.

    Further we arrive at - the square of Opera House, the troupe and ballet of which are in rank of the best Opera House in Europe. In the garden, a monument to the composer N. V. Lysenko - classicist of the Ukrainian music is installed. Below in the street is the main building of the Shevchenko National University. The building, constructed in 1840 after a design by the architect V. I. Beretti, is an outstanding example of classicism architecture of the first half of the XIXth century.

    Red and black colors of the structure correspond to the colors of the ribbons of the Order of St. Volodymyr, whose name was given to the University. In the Upper city are much significant streets. Such as B. Khmelnytsky Street, in which the Lesya Ukrainka Drama Theater,Museum of Literature of Ukraine, Natural-Scientific Museum and Museum of Medicine are located.

    T. Shevchenko Boulevard passes near the Museum T. Shevchenko, humanitarian building (A.V. Beretti) and medical clinics of the University, and Pedagogical University. On the T. Shevchenko Boulevard is situated the worldwide known St. Volodymyr Cathedral built at the end of the XIX century. Of great artistic value are interior mural paintings executed by V. Vasnetsov, N. Nesterov, M. Vrubel and others. It is worth to note Velyka Zhytomyrska Street with fine apartment houses and the Institute of Theory and History of Architecture. The street begins near the Mykhailyvska Square with the reconstructed Bell Tower and golden dome St. Michael's Cathedral, buildings of the Children's Musical Theatre and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Cathedral with its famous mosaics is an outstanding monument of ancient Russian culture. In the center of the square, there is a monument to Princess Olga (1911, I. P. Kavaleridze, renovated in 1996). The street ends with Lvivska Square - the Southern Gate of the ancient Kiev. There are the Ministry of Trade, Guest - House for Artists at the square, with a building of the Institute of Theoretical Arts being going up. Located near the square is the Art Institute (former Dukhovna Seminary). A short way from here is to the Pokrovsky Convent with St. Nicholas' Cathedral bearing fresco paintings of the 1880s.

    Andriyivsky Uzviz was the shortest way from the Upper city to Podil. The name was known from 18 the century. In 1753 was built St. Andrew's Church (B.F. Rastrelli). By the legend, in times immemorial, there was the sea where the Dnipro River flows now. When St. Andrew came to Kiev and erected the cross on the hill where now St. Andrew's Church stands, the sea drained away. But a part of it remained and hid under the hill. When later the church was built there, a stream opened under the altar. That is why there are no bells at St. Andrew's Church, as with the first bell stroke water would awaken and flood not only Kyiv but the entire territory of the left bank of the Dnipro.

    Main structure executed in the 90s of the 19 century and at the beginning of the 20 century. Rebuilt as before is the place of exhibition - sale of paintings and folk creative works in the open air. Andriyivsky Uzviz is called Kyiv's Monmartre. If you go there on any day of the year, regardless of weather, you will see quite a few artists showing their pictures, hung on the walls and fences, applied- and decorative-art artists displaying their wares right on the sidewalk or on little stands - rings, brooches, necklaces, embroidered shirts, earthenware of most unusual shapes and forms, curious creations made of wood and other materials, to red banners sporting various slogans, uniforms, medals, coins and other paraphernalia of the defunct regime.

    Here you find yourself in an atmosphere of the late 19th-20th century with comfortable and cozy little cafes, small shops. The sights is the house ?13 where Mikhail Bulgakov lived, the author of "Master and Margaret" of the world fame. The house is now Bulgakov's museum. The other museum of the Uzviz is quite a unique one being a Museum of the Street in which it is situated. It traces the Uzviz history in pictures, photographs and other things from the earliest times down to the present day. Along the street, there are many picture galleries and artistic salons.

    In a tiny park just below the church, one can see pieces of sculpture created by Ivan Kavaleridze.

    The Southern and Western slopes of the Kyivan high plateaus and the valley of the Lybid River were built up in the late 19th century. Here, right beside the dwelling houses, industrial enterprises, which could secure the vital activity of the city, were going up. There are confectionery, brewery, dairy factory, bakery, railway and tram-car - trolleys shops. The confectionery factory of Karl Marx is known by their Kiev cakes, which are famous outside the Ukraine. The main street of the district is the Velyka Vasylkivska Street with the Theater of Operetta, Troyitsky Narodny Dim (people's house), the Republican Building of Organ and Chamber Music (St. Nicholas' Roman-Catholic Church, 1902, V.V. Horodetsky), Stadium Olimpiysky that holds one hundred thousand spectators. Perpendicular to it reaches Saksagansky Street with the museums of the prominent Ukrainian poetess Lesya Ukrainka and classic of the Ukrainian music N. V. Lysenko. The main squares are Sportivnaya Square with the Palace of Sports holding 8000 spectators and Victory Square. There are the Circus holding two thousand spectators, Department Store "Ukraina", and Hotel Lybid. Office-Hotel Complex Victoria is to be built, construction being under way.

    The Cathedral of Hagia Sophia (better known, albeit incorrectly as "St. Sophia") was built in the 11th century and now stands right in the center of Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. 260 sq. m. of original mosaics and about three thousand sq. m. of genuine frescoes have survived the millennium and still adorn the walls of the Cathedral. In fact, nowhere else in Europe does one find so many frescoes and mosaics of the 11th century preserved in one church. The Cathedral is surrounded by monastery buildings that date from the 17th century. They represent the achievements of Ukrainian Baroque. The Cathedral's interior has been touched by very few changes. The Iconostasis dates from the 18th century and the cast-iron plates on the floor from the 19th. No wonder that St. Sophia of Kyiv sees an unending stream of art historians and laymen flocking to see and admire this marvel of Byzantine and Old Rus architecture. Everyone who steps over the ancient threshold of the Cathedral and walks in is impressed by the towering figure in the central apse of the Holy Virgin with arms raised in prayer.

    Under the regulation of the Main Department of Culture there are 17 (with branches) state museums. They present some of the most outstanding masterpieces of Ukrainian and foreign cultures, unique exhibits which are best at knowing Ukrainian history, arts, literature, architectural and archeological masterpieces. The collections of Kyiv state museums exhibit one of the most wonderful masterpieces which belong to the world fine arts heritage. For example, the Kyiv Museum of Western and Eastern Arts exhibits some of the works of Ruben, Rembrandt, Velaskes, Goya, Bellini, Rodent, Surbaran, etc. The collections of the History museum of Kyiv, the State Museum of Folk Decorative Arts and Kyiv Museum of Russian Arts holds the masterpieces of famous Ukrainian and Russian artists: K. Bilkur, M. Priymachenko, G. Svitlytskiy, S. Shyshka,O. Shovkunenko, Y. Mikhailiv, M. Deregus, T. Yablonska, I. Kramsky, I. Repin, I. Shishkin, M. Vrubel, I. Aivazovsky, etc.

    The literature and memorial museums of the city present unique manuscripts, photos and personal things of the famous writers, scientists, musicians, and theatricals: T. Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka, M. Grushevsky, P. Tychyna, M. Rilskiy, M. Lysenko, O. Gonchar, M. Bulgakov, M. Zankovetska, I. Gonchar, I. Kavaleridze. Some of the exhibits evoke great interest, especially those which tell the history of Ukraine from the ancient times till the modern age (the History Museum in Kyiv, the Hetmans Museum, Historical and architectural museum "Kyiv fortress"), its popular arts (Ivan Gonchar Museum), the icons and ancient books (Ivan Gonchar Museum, the State Museum of the Book and Printing of Ukraine). Among the museums under the regulation of Kyiv City State Administration is the National Kyiv-Pechersk historical and cultural Museum, which is registered by UNESCO (Dec. the 12th, 1990) as the masterpiece of the world cultural heritage ? 337.

    There is a rich choice of entertainment for any taste offered for the Kyivites and the guests of the capital. Since old times, Kyiv is famous for its theatrical life. Today, there are more than 20 theatres functioning in the city. There is a Puppet Show for children, and is a Theatre of Young Spectator for school-age children. Kyiv circus welcomes both kids and grown-ups during almost the entire year. The classic-music lovers may come to the concerts that are performed at the National Philharmony, Conservatory named after P. I. Chaikovsky, and the House of organ and chamber music. Large concerts of Ukrainian and foreign singers are performed in the Culture Palace "Ukraina". In Kyiv, one can get a good rest in the numerous parks, at the Zoo or visit the Museum of folk architecture and manners.

    There are also a lot of restaurants and nightclubs functioning in the city. There are different excursions held for those who are interested in the history and culture of Kyiv. However, to feel the real charm of this city, one should go for a walk on its streets.

[ Up ]
Сказка 2000