Kiev is the largest city and capital of Ukraine. It was said to be the birthplace of the Slavic people, becoming the former capital of a united Soviet Ukraine in 1934, before standing on its own when the Soviet Republic dissolved in 1991. Its natural beauty remains intact, with the scenic Dnipro River cutting through the city centre. It is also known as the City of Golden Domes because of the numerous golden churches and Soviet monuments.

Visit St Sophia’s Cathedral

Start your day at Kiev’s oldest standing church, the St Sophia Cathedral, which was founded in the early 11th century by Prince Yaroslav the Wise. It was named after the famous St Sophia’s Cathedral in Constantinople and carries Byzantine influences, although parts have been altered to suit the Baroque tastes of later centuries. As you exit don’t forget to pose for the postcard – perfect picture with Cossack leader Bohdan Khmelnyts’kyi on his horse against the backdrop of St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral. Admission is 60 hryvnia (UAH) for all exhibits and entrance to the bell tower is 30 UAH.

St Michael’s Cathedral

Just across the road from the St Sophia Cathedral, St Michael’s golden-domed cathedral was built in the early 12th century and was the only church in Kiev with a golden dome.

St. Michael’s Cathedral is famous for its unique mosaics and frescos, which are rightfully considered to be the greatest creations of the Old Russian monumental painting. Its mosaics are nicknamed ‘glimmering,’ because of their exquisiteness and shine. When the temple was completely demolished by the Soviets in 1937 for “having no historical value”, the valuable mosaics were rescued. Some of them were kept in the St. Sophia Cathedral, others were taken to the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. After the cathedral’s reconstruction, all of them were returned. A new electronic clock has replaced the original one in the bell tower, and a set of chimes plays the melodies of famous Ukrainian composers every hour.

Kiev Pechersk Lavra

Also known as the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery which gave its name to one of the city districts where it is located in Kyiv. I liked the sprawling grounds of this monastery and the most fun thing to do here is to explore the underground caves. While it may be creepy to see the well-preserved monks dressed in green and golden robes, pious followers stopped to kiss each and every glass-cased tomb to show their respect. I enjoyed the underground part and marvelled at how well-preserved the bodies were. Legend has it that there was an aura around the underground caves that even the Soviets who tried to exhume the bodies during the Soviet era could not do it.

Since the 13th century, the Lavra has gone through several tragic periods of history. Its buildings were destroyed, plundered, and burned several times. The complex’s reconstruction began only in the 18th century. The Cathedral of the Holy Dormition and the Trinity Gate Church were decorated in the (popular at that time) baroque style during the reconstruction. The 96.5-meter (310 feet) high Great Lavra Belltower appeared on the territory of the monastery at that time, as well. It remained the highest point in the capital until the middle of the 20th century.

Price of admission: Upper Lavra – 20 UAH (admission to museums is extra); Lower Lavra – free.

Roman Catholic Church

For something unusual from the typical Orthodox church, do visit the spectacular building of the St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Cathedral. It juts out into the sky with two slender towers, and is one of the most unusual and beautiful buildings in the Old Kiev, standing out against the background of other buildings in the city’s downtown.

Watch a performance

Kiev organised its first opera troupe in 1867, and though the original theatre was destroyed by fire in 1856, but later rebuilt in 1898. The National Opera House named after Ukrainian poet, artist and thinker Taras Shevchenko, can now seat 1650 people. Today, the repertoire of the Kyiv Theater numbers over fifty operas and ballets, which include world classical music and works by Ukrainian authors. Some operas are performed in Italian. It enjoys a reputation for the high quality shows, and tickets are affordable, starting from 60 UAH.

Shopping time

St Andriyivsky is the main shopping avenue in Kiev, the equivalent of our Orchard Road. Both sides of the street house many galleries, from classical art to antique shops, to tradition Ukrainian handicraft stores. Another must-visit place is the Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), right in the city centre. It has two underground modern shopping centres at one end of Kreshchatyk Avenue.

The avenue has witnesses many political, social and cultural events over the past years but these days, Kreshchatyk Avenue has a festive air over the weekends.

In 2014, this Independence Square witnessed lots of bloodshed due to a Revolution led by the people, who were upset with the then president. The overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych after three months of increasingly violent street demonstrations took place in an extremely Soviet urban set piece. The ‘EuroMaidan’ movement is even named after the Stalinist square at its heart, Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). Viktor later fled to Russia and the people got a new president.

Hipster neighbourhood Podil

Podil is one of the oldest areas in Kiev, and it will impress you with magnificent churches, fascinating monuments, and inner patios. So many tourists love this amazing place with its own enigmatic and inviting ambience. Moreover, Podil is well-known as the center of the trading life. We relaxed at Cafe Bava to hide from the cold and also took the Ferris wheel ride in the middle of the square. Apparently, the Ferris wheel is a loan from France but it has been there for 3 years already.

Visit Cossack’s Settlement Mamajeva

Seven kilometres from the Main Street of Ukraine’s capital is the open-air museum of Mamajeva Sloboda, also known as Cossack’s Village. Its thematic exhibits are situated on the 9.2-hectare site and represent a full replica of a historical settlement depicting Ukrainian nature, architecture and the way of life during the 17th and 18th centuries. Take up the Cossack Pastime package for 230UAH which includes a short tour, and try your hand at the traditional games and competitions against the Cossacks.

In Mamajeva Sloboda you will see the houses of the Church Warden, of a Cossack armour bearer, a blacksmith’s smithy, and a pottery workshop. Discover where the Fortune Teller lived and visit an apiary and the watermill.All of the sites are situated over 2 lakes covered with water lilies. The estate consists of various buildings according to their household function, including storehouses, sheds, stables, cellars, barns, and cart-houses.Wander around this traditional Ukrainian landscape and be enchanted by the Market Place, thrill to the Military Chancellery and see an authentic Cossack Garrison.

How to get to Kiev

I flew from London to Kiev on a Ryanair flight which cost only S$25 during one of their promotional sales. Flights to Lviv (another city in Ukraine) from London can be as cheap as S$10!

If you are flying from Singapore, fly to a major European city such as Frankfurt, Zurich, Amsterdam, London or Paris and catch a connecting flight to Kiev.

Singapore passport holders require a visa to enter Ukraine, which can be easily done online or visa on arrival at the airport. Check out my post which guides you on how to do the visa application.

Getting around Kiev

The metro (red, blue and green lines) will take you to all the major attractions. Get a bus and metro map from hotels or cafes. The metro is cheap, with each ride at 10UAH. It has some of the deepest underground tunnels which you will ever encounter, besides those I have seen in the metro in Tbilisi, Georgia or Moscow (Russia). It can take as long as 3 minutes for the escalator to reach the ground level. Inside the metro stations, some of them are also an art exhibit in itself. Try to explore Kiev on foot as you will see much more than if you took the metro.