Walking around Kyiv and visiting the National Museum of the History of Ukraine

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

What to see in Kyiv in one day - wondering people who, by the will of fate, found themselves in the city passing through. For example, those who are in the capital on a business trip. Of course, it is simply impossible to see all the ancient monuments, architecture, sights of the city, visit the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, temples and parks in one day. But with the help of Kyiv guides, you can take an interesting walk through the old part of Kyiv.

Khreshchatyk: the beginning of the tour

Usually the tour starts from Independence Square, where every building and every stele is a story. Here you can spend the whole day, bypassing all the sights. It is impossible not to notice the monument to the founders of Kyiv, not to approach the sculpture of the Archangel Michael, to pass by the zero kilometer, on the stele of which the mileage to cities and capitals of different countries of the world is indicated.

After walking along Khreshchatyk to the turn to one of the most beautiful streets in Kyiv - Proreznaya, tourists find themselves in a cozy park where they will meet the hero of the novel "The 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 was given, obviously, by analogy with the gate of entry to Constantinople. It was both the defensive part of the city and the main entrance to Kyiv. The gate 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 - the Annunciation.

History of St. Sophia Church

The tour path moves further along the street. Zolotovorotskaya. Turning onto st. Vladimirskaya, guests of the capital get to Sofiyskaya 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. On the site of the battle, the following year, the Hagia Sophia was built, and the square in front of it was named Sophia in her honor.

The cathedral is on the UNESCO heritage list and is included in all city guides with recommendations on what to see in Kyiv in one day. In this regard, St. Sophia Cathedral does not belong to any religious organization, being a museum relic of Ukraine. You can go to the territory of St. Sophia Cathedral on your own and together with a guide. Entrance - through the bell tower of St. Sophia Cathedral.

Prices for excursions in Kyiv per person - ranging from 20 to 80 hryvnia (45-180 rubles). On the territory of the cathedral, the burial places of Kyiv princes are open to visitors. Here lie: Yaroslav the Wise, his son Vsevolod and his sons - Rostislav Vsevolodovich and Vladimir Monomakh. From here, the tour goes to St. Michael's Square, where the pearl of the capital stands, the main temple of Ukraine - St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. A monument to Princess Olga was erected on Mikhailovskaya Square. On the pedestrian part of the square, the symbol of Kyiv is the monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky, erected in 1888.

National Museum of the History of Ukraine

On the street. Tithe excursion returns to the beginning of the street. Vladimirskaya, which passes into Andreevsky Descent. On one side is St. Andrew's Church, and on the other - the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. Previously, it was called the city museum of antiquity and arts. The museum was opened in 1899 and until 1944 was located in another building, on Starokievskaya Hill. Now it is located in a building that is an architectural monument, built in 1937-1939 according to the project of the architect Karakis Iosif Yulievich. By the way, buildings in almost every major city of the former USSR were built according to his projects.

The museum contains valuable collections from the field of ethnography, thousands of coins are represented by numismatics, there are original glass and porcelain items. Collected the most unique firearms and melee weapons. The collection of archaeological excavations is represented by more than 350,000exhibits known outside of Ukraine. The storage fund contains more than 600,000 old 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 the excavations of the Mezinskaya and Kirillovskaya sites of the Stone Age, the Tripoli tribes engaged in agriculture. Materials from 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. His catalogs include 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 work on the history of Ukraine is being carried out. When you leave the museum, 10 minutes is enough to be on Andreevsky Descent.

St. Andrew's Church

Probably the most visited place in Kyiv. 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. Whoever goes through these steps will fall in love with Kyiv 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 up the water of the “dungeon”, and the universal flood will come. 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 St. Andrew's Church.

The place wherethe church was erected, it was chosen correctly. It is located at the top of a hill. And no matter where they look at her: from Podil or Andreevsky Descent, she seems to soar in the sky, like a white-winged swan.

St. Andrew's Descent

Why do guests and residents of the city like to come to Andreevsky? He, like a magnet, gathers creative people.

Here life boils from morning to evening. Artists, musicians, artists, craftsmen of all kinds come. 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 every stall, art exhibit, unique building - Richard's Castle and the Literary and Memorial Museum of M. A. Bulgakov.

Walking around the center of Kyiv, guests of the capital will pay attention to the fact that the center is not built up with skyscrapers and has not become ultra-modern. This is the value and feeling of walking through the pristine city of Kyiv.