This chapter will present you the best places where you can eat out in Kiev. You can have some inexpensive and delicious meal in a network of fast food restaurant "Poozata Hata" (Ukrainian cuisine). In the center they are situated in: Baseyna Str., 1 (opposite the Bessarabian Market), in the Passage of Khreshchatyk (Zankovetskaya Str., 15), the area of Lva Tolstogo (Leo Tolstoy) (Krasnoarmeyskaya Str., 40),Podol area (Sahaidachnogo Str., 24). Another Ukrainian fast food restaurant is "Zdorovenki Buly" – next to the main entrance to Kreschatik metro station (Lyuteranska Str.). One more restaurant is called "Two Geese" and you can find it at Khreschatik Str., 7 and Bohdan Khmelnitsky Str., 46. The cost of dinner per person is around 40-60 UAH. A good restaurant of Ukrainian cuisine is "Ukrayinska hatynka"(A Ukrainian Hut) situated at Krasnoarmeyskaya Str., 114, Palace of Ukraine metro station, where you can enjoy Ukrainian national cuisine: moonshine, lard, borsch (beetroot soup) with rolls, Ukrainian salo (fat), everything is very tasty, the average cost per person is 400 UAH
You can also make your way in the countryside. There are a range of nice restaurants at the distance of 10-15 km from Kiev along the Stolichne highway, then Novo-Obuhivska motorway. All of them are located in the pine forest. The most popular of them is “Three Musketeers”. Turning around right behind the restaurant gives you a perfect picturesque view of blue lake. It should be the clearest lake near the city; the purity of water provides visibility in several meters. You can find also free-of-charge and paid beaches with all conveniences: bar, beach beds, beach chairs.
Any of the restaurants of “Kozyrnaya Karta” is the one which guarantees good quality in combination with reasonable prices. There are such restaurants as: “Sertaki”, “Karavan”, “Murakami”, “Autogrill”, “Varenichnaya”, “Khinkali”, “Kazbek”, “Shato”, “De'ja` vu”, “Kozachek”, etc. Ship-type restaurants are moored to the bank of the river.
I am asked very often about the discos to visit in the evening. I’ll tell you about the most popular of them:
“Buddha Bar” is situated on Khreshchatik between Maidan and European Square. It is one of the 6 similar bars all over the world (London, Paris, Delhi). “Arena” is located in the Arena-Entertainment building on Khreshchatik, “Patipa” – in the Museyniy Lane near European Square, “Shooters” – Moskovskaya St., “Sorry, Babushka” – Pobedy Sq., and on the levee of Podol – “Discoradiohall”, where you can take a motor ship and have a ride with accompaniment of disco music till 3 a.m. One of the most popular discos in summer 2010 is “DeLuxe”, situated on Parkovaya Lane. “Docker Pab” will do for the lovers of good alive music on the Bogatyrskaya St. Though it is a long way to the centre, you can always have a good portion of great rock and a drink of beer. The same pub of alive music, however a smaller one, is situated on 44 Khreshchatik St. It is called “44”.
For more detailed information about the night and day life of Kiev you can visit the following site: http://www.interesniy.kiev.ua
If you have free time I recommend you make a trip outside Kiev. There is so-called “Ostrich Farm” in the village Yasnogorodka (16 km from Kiev along Zhytomyrskaya highway).
Chernigiv is ancient and very beautiful city, located in 1.5 hours’ journey from Kiev. There are a lot of churches and temples, parks there.
If you like to make a travel to Lviv you can get on a Lviv train at 11 p.m. and at 9 a.m. you’ll arrive in the city. It is very beautiful, resembling European cities.
There is a park “Aleksandriya” along the Odesskaya highway, and a park “Sofiivka” in Uman (200 km from Kiev. They both are fine and worth-seeing.
For thrill-seekers there are recently organized excursions in “Chornobil”. The price is 100 y.e. and it is situated in 1.5 hours’ journey from Kiev. It is reported that radiation level a lower there than in Kiev.
If you are interested in excursions around Ukraine, you can visit site “Unique Ukraine” for more detailed information.
Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra
Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra is one of the first monasteries founded in Russia. Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra rises on the high hills of the right bank of the Dnieper River. Crowned with golden domes, Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra represents independent principality of the Most Holy Mother of God, the cradle of monarchism of Russia and stronghold of orthodoxy.
The monastery of Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra was founded in the 11th century and has been built on during next 9 centuries. The name “Pecherskaya” derives from the word “pechery” (in Russian means “caves”), which were found on this territory and were inhabited by monks. Lavra is an honorable name which was given only to very large and significant monasteries. Even nowadays its architectural complex makes a grand impression. Numerous domes and belfries dazzle with their gleam every sunny day. Most buildings of Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra dated back to the 17-18 century. They show a great example of Ukrainian baroque in architecture. In the XIX and the beginning of XX century architectural complex of Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra gained in completeness. Covered arcades leading to the Far and Near Caves were improved and the territory of Caves was walled in the style of fortress.
In 1990 Lavra was entered in a list of World Heritage of UNESCO.
The Independence Square
The Independence Square, or Maidan Nezalezhnosti, is the main square in Kiev. This area, like the whole Khreshchatik, bore a name Perewiseshche and represented wildwood. The Independence Square is a traditional place for walking and meetings kievans.
In 2001 the Independence Square was rebuilt in a big way: there were erected a lot of monuments, fountains as well as different sculptures. In the centre of the Independence Square appeared its present pride – a giant column with a figure of a beautiful girl on its top. The girl holds a branch of arrow-wood in her hand, the symbol of Ukraine and its nature.
There were built 6 little round fountains allocated in two lines on the other side of the Independence Square. Two transparent exhibition halls serve as an entrance to the luxurious underground shopping center. A magnificent street lamp rises over it. Expensive boutiques and restaurants meant for spoilt rich capital public are situated there. Pecherskie (Lyadskie) Gates were also reconstructed. From now on the Pecherskie Gates are topped with a statue of Archangel Mikhail, who is considered to be the saint patron of Kiev.
