Spend your weekend at some of cool spots in the capital
Cup of tea at Bulgakov’s Terraace
The museum of Mikhail Bulgakov, the author of the famous novel “Master and Margarita” and other masterpieces, is in the house on Andrivskiy Uzviz, where he had lived with his family and later rented a room there with his first wife Tatyana and later practiced as a doctor. But besides the display of objects, related to the writer, there is a remarkable terrace in a museum. After wandering along Andriyivskiy Uzviz and looking at numerous souvenirs, just go to the museum, and look for a simple wooden table, where you can sit back and have a cup of black, herbal or fruit tea with little pastries and pumpkin or rose jams in small jam dishes. Forget your troubles and hurries, just sit, drink tea and chat with friends. But, if you want to make sure you get inside the museum on a weekend, it’s best to make an appointment beforehand. You must assemble a group of ten people as a minimum and pay Hr 50 per person. The museum is open from noon till 6 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays are days off.
Kyiv in Miniatures
If you think that it’s absolutely impossible to see all of the main Kyiv sights in one day, I will prove you wrong. Just head to Hydropark, where there is the “Kyiv in Miniatures,” exhibition going on, offering you to see the most interesting places in Kyiv only in miniature size. The exhibition “Kyiv in Miniatures” was opened in June 2006. There you can find miniatures of Khreschatyk, Maydan Nezalezhnosti with cars, people, trees and fountains. Also you’ll see Ukrainian Parliament, Moskovskiy Bridge, Lavra, Railroad Station, Golden Gate and more. All miniatures are precise copies of its originals scaled 1:33 and are placed over an area of 1.8 hectares. At the moment there are 48 miniatures but it is only the beginning. Collection is under constant development. There are plans to include more things as well but the main goal is to add technology to the project and set mini-city alive, so that cars will move along the streets, and boats will go cruising along the Dnipro, the lights will turn on in the buildings and in the airport Boryspil airplanes will stand prepared to take off. The objects are constructed of the materials that don’t get damaged by the weather, and stay in good shape both in spring and winter. An entrance ticket costs Hr 10 and for pensioners and kids under age of ten entrance is free.
Children’s Railway
Many people, having heard the words “children’s railway,” immediately imagine a toy-railway with tiny locos and wagons, which they used to play with together with parents or elder brothers. However the children’s railway I’m taking about is an absolutely different thing. It is a real railway, narrow-gauge though, with real wagons and locomotives. Then, why is it “children’s?” you might ask. Because it is operated by schoolchildren aged 9 to 15 years old. Throughout the whole summer, under the guidance of the grown-up instructors, children drive trains, work as traffic controllers, assist to station-masters, guards and conductors. The idea to build a railway for children in Kyiv began in 1937, but it was possible to realize it only after war, in 1953. Since then after the complete overhaul, a railway station was built. Even historical locomotive of Gr-336 was restored and now it usually works on holidays. Now the railway’s extension is about 2,5 km, with stations “Yablonka” and “Vyshenka.” There are three locomotives and three passenger carriages. Tracks with the length of several kilometers and with no connection to the main railway network are specially built for the Children’s Railways. As a rule, these railways are not of special transport significance and are used as amusements as well as for the transportation of the passengers in the city parks and recreation areas. The Children’s Railway is operating from May 2 to the last Sunday of August. To date, a fare is Hr 1.20 for child’s ticket and Hr 2.40 for adult.
Drive-in theater
Since the earliest drive-ins of the 1930s, drive-in theaters have been an integral part of American culture. The motorized American teenagers of the 1940s and ‘50s found dark and private places for their pubescent pastimes. Now, to the surprise of many, the first drive-in theater appeared in Kyiv as well.
In spite of constantly growing number of cars and Ukrainians passion for cinema, the Kyiv drive-in theater is still almost unknown among locals. Kinodrom drive-in stands apart from the regular city night entertainments that explains both its advantages and failings. However finding Kinodrom won’t be so difficult. It’s located on the territory of TsSKA stadium. In summer season showings start late, at 10 p.m. and midnight and on Fridays and weekends there are additional showings – at 2 p.m.
Going there without a car will not make any sense, because you won’t be able to hear anything. A film’s sound is given on certain radio frequency straight to your car audio system and let’s you watch the movies there better.
Kinodrom’s parking lot contains 70 places, and unlike the things are at a regular theater, there is no admission fee for each guest. Instead, it’s Hr 50 per one car, and how many people will be in it is up to the driver. There is no need to buy food in the nearest supermarket before the show, because the drive-in has a bar with juices, coffee, fruits, popcorn and sandwiches.
The moment you drive on the territory and turn on auto’s emergency signals, a waitress will appear at your window and offer you cola and popcorn and all the rest of traditional junk food which is essential.
Among the disadvantages of Kinodrom is its limited showing of movies. The list of movies can be found on the Web site www.kinodrom.kiev.ua.
Kinodrom (10 Vozdukhoflotskiy Prospekt, 332-6000, Stadium TSSKA)
Children’s Railway (4 Shamrylo, 223-7075, Syretsky park)
Bulgakov’s TerraceIn the building of Mikhail Bulgakov Museum (13 Andriyivskiy Uzviz, 425-3188)
Kyiv in Miniatures (9V Brovarskiy Prospekt, Hydropark metro)
