What to see in Kiev in one day - people ask themselves, by the will of fate, who turned out to be in the city. For example, those who are in the capital on a business trip. Of course, in one day it is simply impossible to see all the ancient monuments, architecture, sights of the city, to visit the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, temples and parks. But with the help of Kiev guides you can take an interesting walk along the old part of Kiev.
Khreshchatyk: the beginning of the tour
Usually the tour begins with Independence Square, each building on which and each stele is a story. Here you can spend the whole day going around all the sights. It is impossible not to notice the monument to the founders of Kiev, not to approach the sculpture of the Archangel Michael, to pass by the zero kilometer, on the stele of which the kilometer to the cities and capitals of different countries of the world is indicated.
Having walked along Khreshchatyk before turning into one of the most beautiful streets of Kiev - Proreznaya, tourists find themselves in a cozy park where they will meet with the hero of the novel "Golden Calf" - Panikovsky. Further up Proreznaya Street - exit to the Golden Gate and the monument to Prince Yaroslav the Wise.
Golden Gate
The Golden Gate was built in 1164 during the reign of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. The name of the gate is given, obviously, by analogy with the gate of entry into Constantinople. It was a defensive part of the city, and the main entrance to Kiev. The gates defined the boundary of the ancient city. High earthen ramparts surrounded the city. Many ambassadors of the states of Europe and the East, who came to the prince to establish friendly relations, saw this gate. Above the gate there is a gate church - Annunciation.
History of St. Sophia Church
The excursion path moves further along the street. Golden Gateway. Turning onto the street Vladimirskaya, guests of the capital fall on Sofia Square. Tradition says that the square was a field near the walls of the city. On it in 1036, Yaroslav the Wise defeated the Pechenegs. The cathedral of Hagia Sophia was built at the site of the battle the following year , and the square in front of it was named in honor of Sophia.
The cathedral is on the UNESCO heritage list and is included in all city guides with recommendations on what to see in Kiev in one day. In this regard, St. Sophia Cathedral does not belong to any religious organization, being a museum relic of Ukraine. You can enter the territory of St. Sophia Cathedral on your own and together with the guide. Entrance is through the bell tower of St. Sophia Cathedral.
Prices for tours in Kiev per person - ranging from 20 to 80 hryvnia (45-180 rubles). On the territory of the cathedral, the burial places of the Kiev princes are open to visitors. Here lie: Yaroslav the Wise, his son Vsevolod and his sons - Rostislav Vsevolodovich and Vladimir Monomakh. From here the excursion goes to Mikhailovskaya Square, where the pearl of the capital stands, the main temple of Ukraine is St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. There is a monument to Princess Olga on Mikhailovskaya Square. On the pedestrian part of the square, the symbol of Kiev is a monument to Bogdan Khmelnitsky, erected in 1888.
National Museum of the History of Ukraine
On the street Tithe tour returns to the beginning of the street. Vladimirskaya, which goes to St. Andrew's Descent. On the one hand is the St. Andrew's Church, and on the other - the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. It used to be called the city museum of antiquity and the arts. The museum was opened in 1899 and until 1944 was in another building, on Starokievskaya Gora. Now it is in the building, which is an architectural monument, built in 1937-1939 according to the project of the architect Carakis Iosif Yulievich. By the way, according to his projects, buildings were built in almost every major city of the former USSR.
The museum holds valuable collections from the field of ethnography, thousands of coins are represented by numismatics, there are original glass and porcelain products. Unique firearms and melee weapons collected. The collection of archaeological sites is represented by more than 350,000 artifacts known outside of Ukraine. The storage fund has more than 600,000 antique rarities.
In the museum halls there is an exposition of the development of society from ancient times to the present day. It reflects the materials of excavations of the Mezinsky and Kirillovka sites of the Stone Age, the tribes of Tripoli engaged in agriculture. Materials of the period of Kievan Rus are interesting for review.
The National Museum of the History of Ukraine structurally includes the Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine. In his catalogs there is a collection of Scythian gold and a collection of Jewish cult silver. Museum exhibitions are exhibited annually in different countries of the world. Based on the materials collected in the museum, research is being conducted on the history of Ukraine. When you leave the museum, 10 minutes are enough to be on St. Andrew's Descent.
St. Andrew's Church
This is probably the most visited place in Kiev. In the upper part is St. Andrew's Church with its very curious history. The church was built by order of Empress Catherine II. According to legend, the terrace leading to the temple is bewitched. Who will go through these steps will fall in love with Kiev for life.
And another legend tells why there is no belfry at the temple. As the old-timers said then, that the temple is standing on the water, and the ringing can wake the water of the "dungeon", and there will come a universal flood. Yes, all these are myths, legends and tales, but it was they who saved the temple from destruction by the Bolsheviks. Although they were atheists, they were afraid to blow up the St. Andrew's Church.
The place where the church was erected was chosen correctly. It is located on a hill. And no matter where they looked at her: from Podil or St. Andrew’s descent, she seemed to soar in the sky, like a white-winged swan.
Andrew's Descent
Why do guests and residents of the city like to come to St. Andrew? He, like a magnet, collects creative people.
Here life is in full swing from morning to evening. Come artists, musicians, artists, craftsmen of all kinds of crafts. Here you can buy from talented people everything that they offer as gifts and souvenirs. Andreevsky descent cannot be run for 10 minutes. He himself, as a museum rarity, will detain guests of the city literally near each tray, art exhibit, unique structure - Richard Castle and the M. A. Bulgakov Literary and Memorial Museum.
Walking in the center of Kiev, guests of the capital will pay attention to the fact that the center is not built up with skyscrapers and has not become ultramodern. This is the value and the feeling that you are walking in the pristine city of Kiev.