Podil

One of the oldest and most important monasteries in Ukraine and in the territory of the former Soviet Union. Only the most important monasteries were designated as Lavras; there were only four, of which this Cave Monastery is the oldest. It was founded in 1077 by St Antoniy. The caves were dug out by priests who lived there as hermits. Nowadays, the caves are venerated by the faithful and tourists who visit the mummified monks, and pilgrims are still allowed access to the underground church there. There are two parts to the modern complex: the upper lavra, owned by the state and consisting of a number of museums (entry fee); and the lower lavra, owned by the Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarch) and consisting of the caves (you'll need 1 грн to buy a candle to enter). Do not miss the display of micro-miniatures in the Upper Lavra. It sounds lame, but it is fascinating. You can enter the caves in the lower part if you dress correctly (women must cover their hair and wear skirts, no shorts. Expensive scarves are for sale there). Women can only just get away with pants in the winter. Start at the Lower Lavra, visiting the caves, before the crowds descend for the day. There are two cave complexes, each housing the mummified remains of monks, as well as religious icons and other relics. Both caves are accessed through churches, with the entrance to the shorter caves at the end of a boardwalk. While it is free to enter the caves, you must purchase a taper candle in order to light your way. The caves are not recommended for the claustrophobic or overly tall. Once you're in there, it's hard, even impossible to turn around and go back out - you have to keep going.

A 19th-century fortification building, that once belonged to the system of western Russian fortresses. Some of the buildings are restored and turned into a museum called the Kyiv Fortress, while others are in use by various military and commercial installations. It is semi-underground.

The oldest remaining church in Kyiv. Parts date from the 11th century. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has the world biggest ensemble of frescoes and mosaics dating from the 11th century, including the Virgin Orans mosaic. Several green-robed ladies maintain order and will shout at you if you look like you are planning to take a photo. The gatehouse and other restorations were completed in the 17th century. Outside the gates, there is a statue commemorating hetman Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, who liberated Kyiv in the 17th century... then gave the city to the Russian Empire.

Relics of 49 saints, accompanied by plates with names and icons. The total length of underground corridors is 293 m. There are three underground cave churches: Annunciation, Nativity and Reverend Theodosius.

22.5 hectares, with 8,000 plant species. The garden is famous for its exotic plants. Building of greenhouse, which was built for the largest and the oldest palm trees in Northern Eurasia, long time had been considered one of the highest in the world. In 1935, the garden was named after the academician A.V. Fomin, who directed the garden for years.

This built in 1976. It is a cable-stayed bridge, designed by the architect A.V. Dobrovolsky and an engineer by G.B.Fux, with the beam of the main span being held by a cluster of steel ropes which are fixed to a 115 m tall A-pylon. The bridge consists of two spans: one is 816 m long and 31.4 m wide span across the Dnieper and another which is 732 m long, 29.1 m wide and span across the Desyonka, what is a Dnieper tributary. It is a key structure on the northern end of the Kyiv Smaller Beltway, connecting Petrivka to the densely-populated north-eastern residential neighborhoods. The bridge was built as a part of a high-speed freeway.

A fascinating and moving museum. No signage in English. The cost of audio-tour in English or German - 50 грн.

The legendary Andriyivsky Descent was the street where the great writer lived with his family and where he "lodged" the heroes of his immortal novel "The White Guard".

A fairly large museum, starting with World War II, going through Nazi occupation until Ukraine's independence. The museum is at the base of the massive statue of Mother Ukraine. While the displays are mostly in Ukrainian. The museum has laminated cards in each room with varying languages including English, German and French. The museum also offers guided tours in several languages.

A refectory and an adjoining church of Saint Anthony and Theodosius. Built in 1893-1895. The sturdy dome of the church incorporates some aspects of ancient Byzantium. The interior decoration of the building was designed by Aleksey Shchusev. The marble icons are in the Neo-Russian style. The paintings in the refectory and the church, painted in the beginning of the 20th century. In 1973-1977, the Refectory interior was thoroughly renovated.

The perfect place for a stroll in any season. There are unique floristic complexes on 130 hectares: "Forests of the plain part of Ukraine", "Ukrainian Carpathians", "Steppes of Ukraine", "Crimea", "Caucasus", "Central Asia", the "Altai and Western Siberia", "Far East".

The main bell tower of the ancient cave monastery. Built in 1731–1745. It was designed by the architect Johann Gottfried Schädel. Its total height, with the Christian cross, is 96.5 meters. A neoclassic construction with a total of four tiers, surmounted by a gilded dome. The diameter of the tower's lowest tier at its base is 28.8 m, and the thickness of the first tier walls is 8m. The tower's foundations exceed 7m meters. The tower is decorated with many architectural columns: the second tier with 32 Dorian columns, the third with 16 Ionic columns, and the fourth with 8 Corinthian columns. On the fourth tier there is a chiming clock, made in 1903, which has a total weight of 4.5 tonne.

Official ceremonial residence of the President of Ukraine in Kyiv. It is a Baroque palace on the hilly bank of the Dnipro River.

Situated on about 40 hectares. The zoo has 2,600 animals from 328 species. 130 different kinds of trees and bushes decorate the zoo's lands.

At the top of this quaint, very rough, cobblestone street is St Andrew's Church (closed for restoration since 2011). Pavements are gradually being added to the Descent but, meanwhile, take a good pair of shoes. The street is lined with souvenir sellers, restaurants, galleries and museums. Touristy but retains its charm.

Baroque church, constructed in 1747–1754. Length 31.7 m (104 ft). Width 20.4 m (67 ft). Height 50 m (160 ft). Both the external and internal decoration on the church was carried out at the same time. Cast iron floor slabs were delivered from Moscow. Also, forms were made for the church's windows, doors, walls, and for space under the cupola. The planned iconostasis, designed by the Italian architect Rastrelli, was also added. The wood for the iconostasis, altar canopy, pulpit, and tsar's place were carved out in Saint Petersburg in order to save time. The iconostasis' icons were carried out by Petersburg artists. For gilding, 1,028 slabs of gold were used in the interior.

Berestovo was a suburban residence in the 11th century. - Its vaulting may have been unusually complicated, probably echoing the trefoil roofing of the porches. The outside of the church formerly displayed intricate brick patterns: double and treble niches, the meander, and decorative crosses.

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.