Tag Archives: Travel

St. Michael’s Cathedral

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From Sofiyska Square, you will see another cathedral to the east.. St. Michael’s Golden Domed Monastery which sits on Mykhailivska Square.

St. Michael's Golden Domed Monastery and Mykhailivska SquareThe original cathedral was built in the middle ages and dedicated to the Archangel Michael. It was demolished in the 1930’s after falling into disrepair but was reconstructed and reopened after Ukrainian independence in the late 90’s. While it is not an exact reconstruction of the original, St. Michaels is a beautiful sight to see.

Also on the square, is a monument to Olga of Kiev. Her husband, Igor of Kiev, was killed and she ruled as regent for her son Svyatoslav. If you read into the history of her rule, you will see she was ruthless in her protection of Kiev.Olga of Kiev

St. Micheal's

Golden Gates and Yaroslav the Wise

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As we continue our way down Volodymyr Street back toward the city center, the next stop on our morning walk is at the next intersection – Yaroslaviv Val (Yaroslav’s Moat) Street.   This is where you will find the sole remaining entrance to the ancient walled fortress-city of ancient Kyiv. Zoloti Vorota (Ukr : Золоті Ворота) literally means Golden Gates and it was one of 3 entrances into the city and the only one made of stone.  Which probably explains why it was the only one to survive.

Zoloti Vorota - Golden Gate

Zoloti Vorota – Golden Gate

The gate was constructed between 1017 – 1024 by Kyiv’s ruler,  Yaroslav the Wise. There is a monument to him in Golden Gate Square beside the ticket office to the museum.  He is seen holding St. Sophia’s Cathedral in his hands. 

Yaroslav the Wise

Yaroslav the Wise

Inside the museum, you can see a short film that details the history of the gate and the effort to protect and preserve the remaing structure. You can see the actual walls that were unearthed in the 1832.  It wasn’t until the 1982, however, that the gate was reconstructed  into its present form. The museum and square were dedicated during the 1500 year anniversary of the founding of Kyiv.  The museum is open for visitors from 10:00 AM until 6 PM  Thursday – Sunday and Tuesday, 10AM – 5PM on Wednesday, and closed on Monday. The cash desk and admissions close 30 minutes before the museum does. Admission is 15 UAH (approx $2.00 USD) for adults and 8 UAH for students and seniors.

The metro station that serves the area is also called Zoloti Vorota and is one of the prettiest in the city. Make sure you take a look!

Zoloti Vorota from the Square

Zoloti Vorota from the Square

 

Tetralna Square and The National Opera House

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As we make our way back down Volodymyrska Street and across Shevchenko Boulevard, you will see several more buildings associated with the university. The National Academy of Science and the Ministry of Education are both on this street. But our next destination is a little farther and at the next corner.  At the next intersection, on the northeast corner is the  National Opera of Ukraine .

Ukrainian National Opera House - Front

Ukrainian National Opera House – Front

Originally it was called the Kiev City Theater but was re-named after a fire destroyed the original building in 1896. The new building, opened in 1901,  is a wonderful example of Neo-Renaissance architecture and has one of the largest stages in Europe.  If you enjoy either, opera or ballet, I would recommend it. I have seen several productions and all were very well done. You can buy tickets and see schedules at  the National Opera – Home.

Opera House and Tetralna Square

Opera House and Tetralna Square

Adjacent to the National Opera House is Tetralna Square where a statue and monument to Mykola Lysenko  (Ukrainian:  Мико́ла Віта́лійович Ли́сенко) stands. Lysenko is the author of the classic Ukrainian operas – Natalka-Poltavka, Eneida and Taras Bulba.

Mikola Lysenko

Mikola Lysenko

Taras Shevchenko

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Taras Shevchenko (Тарас Шевченко) was a Ukrainian writer and artist.  His most famous literary work is a collection of poems entitled ” Kobzar “.  His works are considered to be the foundation of modern Ukrainian literature and, in a large part, the modern Ukrainian language. Wikipedia has a wonderful and detailed look at his life and history. I highly recommend it as a brief introduction to the life of this famous Ukrainian writer / artist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taras_Shevchenko

I wanted to tell you about Shevchenko because we are going to take a stroll up the street that bears his name – Taras Shevchenko Boulevard.

It seems a little strange to me that Shevchenko Blvd begins with the city’s largest monument to Vladimir Lenin.

Monument to Lenin

Monument to Lenin

 

Shevchenko Blvd Pedestrian Path

Shevchenko Blvd Pedestrian Path

This is a wide street with a sidewalk in the center.  It is lined with trees and has plenty of benches to sit and people-watch or just relax and enjoy the weather.

After a very enjoyable 10 minute walk,  you will find yourself at the intersection of Volodymyrska Street  and on the corner of Taras Shevchenko Park.  In this park you can see the most prominent statue of Shevchenko where it stands facing the huge red building that also bears his name –  Taras Shevchenko University.

Monument to Taras Shevchenko

Monument to Taras Shevchenko

As you can see, when I said red, I mean red.  The walls , columns, and facades are a rich earthy red in color. It is easily, one of the most recognizable buildings found anywhere in Ukraine.  Although the ” Red Building ” is the main building of the university, there are actually 15 academic departments and 5 institutes spread throughout the city.  The university also includes an astronomical observatory and the

Red Building - Taras Shevchenko University

Red Building – Taras Shevchenko University

A.V. Fomin Botanical Garden located behind the main building adjacent to the Universitet metro station. 

Welcome to Kyiv

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So you decided to visit after all… excellent !

Chances are, you will be landing at Kyiv Boryspil Airport (KBP) and if you are coming from somewhere other than Europe, it is almost guaranteed. Boryspil is the largest and most active airport in Ukraine and the only one that handles intercontinental flights. It is located approximately 30 km outside the city.  You can check it out here .. Kyiv Boryspil .. The cheapest way to get from Boryspil to the city is the Skybus. 40 UAH and a comfortable, although not always quick, ride and you will find yourself at the main train station and the Bokzalna metro stop. 

Metro stop at main train station in Kyiv.

Metro stop at main train station in Kyiv.

This is also where you will arrive if you come by train.   After your arrival here, you will be able to go almost anywhere in the city, by metro. The subway system here is convenient, efficient, and inexpensive.  It can be a crowded, especially at peak times, but the trains run every 2 to 5 minutes and only cost 2 uah.  There are also marshrutkas (mini-buses), trams and trolleys for transportation around town.. also efficient and inexpensive.  You can find an interactive map at this site … Transportation Map . A good map for the metro system in Kyiv can be found here … Kyiv Metro Map . This map may very well become your best friend for your adventure in Kyiv.

Some of you will land at International Airport Kyiv, commonly referred to as Zhulyany Airport.  It is located in Kyiv and only a short marshrutka ride from Bokzalna as well. Their site is located here —>  Zhulyany Airport .  I would give instructions about getting to and from this airport, but honestly, the website does a much better job with timetables and routes.

There are also 3 major bus stations in Kyiv.  They offer routes that include all of Ukraine, as well as international destinations. They are also located close to metro stops. The main station at Moskovska Square is a 3 minute walk from Demiivska metro station and the other 2, Pivdenna Bus Station (southwestern routes) and Vydubychi Bus Station (southern routes) are at the Ipodrom metro station.  I am including the Wikipedia link here because the bus station websites are all written in the Russian and Ukrainian languages. Bus Station has alot of useful information.

As I mentioned before, the main train station is located at Bokzalna metro station. Traveling by train in Ukraine is an interesting experience that will definitely be remembered. Unless you are coming from Poland or one of the other neighboring countries, this is not the easiest way to get here but for traveling around the country, it can be interesting and inexpensive.  I use the “night trains” frequently and would recommend it for at least one trip.  You can find more information here … Kyiv Train Station .

Now that you are here … get settled in, rest a bit.. and then, we’ll take a walk and explore what this wonderful city has to offer.Apartment complex

Andrew's Descent

First Steps – A little scary

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Ok.. here we go.. First of all, my name is Steven Liveoak. feel free to call me Steve. It’s what my friends do… Except my Ukrainian and Russian friends. For some reason that I have yet to fathom, it is always Steven. But for the purposes of this (my 1st ever blog post) that is neither here nor there..

I have been an electrician for over 30 years.. In all that time, I have worked in alot of places and done alot of different things but my dream has always been to travel and be a photographer. I have been taking pictures since my first Kodak Instamatic camera when I was 7 or 8 and it has always given me a thrill to see what I shoot printed. To be able to look back at that one split-second moment in time and recall it in every detail is an amazing thing. Even though I have long since “graduated” to SLR’s and, now, DSLR’s the thrill remains the same.

In essence, that is what this will be about.. my travels, my journeys (and occasionally references to others and how they helped me along the path) and the never-ending discoveries along the way.

Essentially, I look for the extraordinary and beautiful in things you can see everyday in every country, in every city, in every culture that I visit. The symmetry and patterns found in the world around us from the iconic (yes, I take those as well) to the hidden or just overlooked.

Diamonds

So .. with any luck, I will learn and practice and get better at this. I appreciate and comments, both good and bad. Now it is time to get the daily adventure started.