Mariyinsky Palace

Busy restaurants with many options.

A huge arch with diameter of 50 m, made out of titanium, with sculptures underneath. It was erected in 1982 for the 60th anniversary of the Soviet Union and 1,500th anniversary of Kyiv city. One of the two sculptures, a bronze statue symbolizing a Ukrainian and Russian worker, was dismantled in 2022 following the Russian invasion.

Independence Square or Maidan is the place where opposition to pro-Russian governments gathered at different points between 2004 and 2013. This is a central meeting place in Kyiv.

Start at Ukrainskykh Heroiv Square and head underground. Walk through the Metrograd shopping center, always sticking to your left. Head above-ground at Tarasa Shevchenka Boulevard (бульвар Тараса Шевченка), from where the council shuts down Khreshchatyk on the weekends. The main drag of the city center is closed to traffic on some weekends and full of entertainers and people wandering around. A big, happy crowd and very conducive to people watching. Walking up the street to Maidan, you will be treated to the sight of numerous street performers and animal handlers, or you can simply enjoy seeing families out and about for a weekend stroll.

A working monastery that goes back to the 12th century. Destroyed during the Soviet era, with many of its art works hastily removed, some of which were transferred to the museums in Moscow and St Petersburg, some were moved to St Sophia Cathedral. Some mosaics housed in St Sophia subsequently fell into the hands of the Nazis but were returned... to the Hermitage in St Petersburg. Rebuilt in 1997-98. Impressive gold domes, best visited on a sunny day. Behind the complex is a pleasant park with views of the Dnieper and, to the left, the entrance to the funicular.