Kyiv
Day Three - Chernobyl / Chornobyl & Kyiv - 2016
A snow-filled day exploring Ukraine’s largest city.
Editor’s Comment: When I first posted this travelogue, I used Russian-to-English transliterations for place names. However, subsequent events -namely the 2019 adoption of Ukrainian-derived places names by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine- have subsequently compelled me to update this travelogue. Maps and URLs will continue use names from the original post until such a time as I can update them.
Map Credit: OpenStreetMap
1. St. Volodymyr's Cathedral
St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral was built in 1860s to commemorate the baptism of Kievan Rus’ by Vladimir the Great in the 980s.
For the following morning, I had booked a day tour of Kyiv. For better or worse, my time in Ukraine was short, and I thought to the tour would be the best way to see all of the city’s sites in a short period of time. I met my guide at Cityhotel, and in the morning we made the short trek over to St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral. It is the headquarters of one of the three major orthodox churches in Ukraine, Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchy. The interior of the cathedral is magnificent, and I definitely recommend making this a stop on your trek.
2. Golden Gate #1
Yaroslav the Wise was the ruler of Kievan Rus’ from 1019 to 1054, the peak period of the federation’s military and culture.
We next made our way to Golden Gate, which marks where the main gate of the walled city of Kyiv was during its time as the capital city of Kievan Rus’. By the gate is the statue of Varoslav the Wise.
3. Golden Gate #2
The Golden Gate was controversially reconstructed by the Soviets in 1982; however, it is not entirely known if this is representative of the original 11th century design.
Surrounding the Golden Gate is a peaceful park, and we stopped for a bit while I was given a brief history lesson of Kievan Rus’ and of Kyiv as a whole.
4. Golden Gate #3
The Zoloti Vorota Metro Station was constructed in 1989 with architectural design aesthetics similar to those of orthodox churches, a controversial decision for the Soviet period.
We next looked into the Zoloti Vorota Metro Station underneath the Golden Gate. It is an incredible architectural achievement, and certainly one of the most beautiful subway stations I’ve ever been in.
5. St. Sophia’s Cathedral #1
Bohdan Khmelnytsky was responsible for an uprising against a Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth and the subsequent alignment of part of Ukraine with the Muscovite tsardom.
Next, we made our way to St. Sophia’s Cathedral, admiring the Bohdan Khmelnytsky statue in the cathedral’s square. There, another history lesson where I determined once-and-for-all that Ukrainian history is mind-bogglingly complicated!
6. St. Sophia’s Cathedral #2
St. Sophia’s Cathedral is perhaps known best for its mosaics, frescoes, and as the burial site of Yaroslav the Wise.
I was offered a choice between exploring St. Sophia’s Cathedral or having additional time at Pechersk Lavra. Not really being confident in a response, I asked the tour guide’s recommendation; she said one could easily spend half a day exploring each site, but that visiting Pechersk Lavra would be a more diverse experience. As such, we didn’t make our way inside, and this became first of the many sites in Kyiv that I will have to explore sometime in the future.
7. St. Sophia’s Cathedral #3
St. Sophia’s bell tower is 76 meters (250 feet) tall.
I did have time to admire St. Sophia’s excellent Ukrainian baroque bell tower.
8. St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery
St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, originally dedicated in the early 12 century, was destroyed between 1934 and 1936 by the Soviet state; it was rebuilt then rededicated in 1999.
We drove past St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, the headquarters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. As with St. Sophia’s, we did not stop to go in, but rather just got a quick look at the outside. Yet another place I’ll have to visit one day.
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9. St. Andrew’s Church
Situated on a prominent hill overlooking Kyiv, St. Andrew’s Church’s foundations have unfortunately begun to crack from the building’s shifting.
We next walked past St. Andrew’s Church, a beautiful church at risk of collapse. It appeared as if renovations were being undertaken as we passed by, which was reassuring, but the church’s situation atop Andriyivskyy Descent likely means the risk will never fully be mitigated.
10. Snowy Gazebo
Rain and snow are common in Kyiv; it does either over 160 days a year on average.
As we prepared to make the walk down Andriyivskyy Descent, snow began to fall. This gazebo near the top of the hill made for a pretty picture, perhaps the last one I would be able to take for the rest of the day as the snowfall did not subside.
11. Maidan Nezalezhnosti
Maidan Nezalezhnosti, or Independence Square, is known in recent years as the location of various protests, most prominently the 2013 protests which resulted in the 2014 Ukrainian revolution.
Taking a van across the city, we stopped for a while at an overlook of Maidan Nezalezhnosti. This was the location of the first actions of Euromaidan, a series of protests and actions meant to voice displeasure with the Ukrainian government’s movement away from the European Union and towards the Eurasian Economic Union. This ultimately resulted in the senior-levels of the Ukrainian government defecting.
12. Nikolay Yakovchenko Statue
Nikolay Vakovchenko was a Ukrainian actor who passed away in 1974.
Walking from Maidan Nehzalezhnosti, we passed by the square in front of the Ivan Franko Drama Theater, which has many bronze statues you can admire.
13. Bessarabsky Market
The Bessarabsky Market was constructed between 1910 and 1912.
In part to get out of the quickly falling snow, we passed through the Bessarabsky Market, which had plenty of stalls selling foods, spices, and various knick-knacks.
14. National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War #1
The National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War is a 10 hectare (25 acre) museum focused on the Eastern Front of World War II.
After hopping back in the van, we took a short walk around the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War. The snow was really coming down hard, which made it hard to really have a full experience at the museum. Nonetheless, some of the monuments are of excellent quality, and the towering “Motherland” statue can’t be missed (literally, it is 102 meters / 335 feet tall).
Two more photographs from the museum follow.
15. National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War #2
16. National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War #3
2024 Comment: In 2023, the Soviet coat of arms was removed from the shield and replaced with that of Ukraine, the tryzub.
17. Pechersk Lavra #1
Pechersk Lavra is the headquarters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate, and was established in the early 11th century when Anthony of Kyiv established a monastery in the nearby caves.
We were shuttled the short distance to Pechersk Lavra, a complex of churches, museums, and caves. With the snow then becoming a whiteout, it was really difficult to even walk around as the cobbles became quite slippery. I did get a sense of the expanse of the complex, and I have vowed to return one day to explore it fully. Of the churches I did enter, the interiors are absolutely amazing and definitely worthy of seeing with one’s own eyes. I will say that, unless you are an orthodox adherent or are otherwise very spiritual, the Near Caves where Anthony of Kyiv established his first monastery can be passed up as it is dark, crowded, and rather claustrophobic.
Five additional photographs of this UNESCO World Heritage Site follows.
18. Pechersk Lavra #2
19. Pechersk Lavra #3
20. Pechersk Lavra #4
21. Pechersk Lavra #5
22. Pechersk Lavra #6
23. Arsenalna Metro Station
The Arsenalna Metro Station is among the world’s deepest subway stations at 105 meters (346 feet) below ground.
Since we were nearby, I made a request to the tour guide to visit the Arsenalna Metro Station; primarily, this was because engineering oddities are fascinating to me, but also because I was hoping we would then take the subway back to the hotel instead of walking. Descending down the two long, very steep escalators took about four minutes. The gambit paid off, and soon we were on the subway headed towards my hotel. After thanking my tour guide for sticking it out with me for the entire day. On account of the weather, I ate again at the hotel restaurant (which was completely and totally empty, an awkward experience when traveling by one’s self!) and made my way to my room for the evening.
2024 Comment: Arsenalna is currently the second deepest subway station, behind Hongyancun Station in Chongqing, China.
24. St. Volodymyr’s at Night
After settling in for the evening, I stuck my head out of the balcony to check the snow levels, and was treated to this amazing view of St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral being pelted with snow. After futzing about for a while (read: after moving a nightstand out onto the balcony to use as a base for my camera, don’t tell the hotel staff!), I was able to get a manageable long exposure shot. It was a pretty special way for my trip to end. A few hours later, I caught a very early taxi which skidded the entire way from Kyiv to Boryspil where my flight miraculously departed on time.
