Andriyivsky Uzviz is the perfect place for plunging into art, doing some shopping and cultural recreation in the open air.
Any street billed as a city’s “most charming” certainly has a lot to live up to, but most visitors to Andriyivsky Uzviz would probably agree. There is a certain reverie that overcomes you during a stroll down the wide uneven cobblestones, the sun illuminating the whites, golds, and pastel blues of St. Andrew’s church, the voices of the vendors blending into a vibrant lulling hum, your eye dragged constantly to flashes of color and conversation. There is a sense of history here that is palpable, and it should be: according to legend, St. Andrew himself, the first apostle to follow Christ, allegedly sailed up the Dnipro, climbed the particular hill that would one day be the Uzviz and thrust a cross into the earth, declaring that a great city here soon would rise.
Whether or not the story of the street goes back quite that far, this has always been an important street. It originally connected the more aristocratic sections of the city with the bustling and more freewheeling commercial dockside area of Podil. The Uzviz was also crucial for Kyiv’s higher culture, as it was a popular hangout for artists and writers in the 19th century and has since then harbored many of the cities more bohemian elements. Today, though, the starving creative types must share the Uzviz with hordes and hordes of vendors selling everything from genuine WWII memorabilia (swastikas, assorted medals, soldiers’ mess kits) to matryoshkas with faces as disparate as Putin and Bon Jovi. But don’t be turned off by the schlock – a lot of the stalls often have an item or two that will catch your eye. What’s more, there’s huge amounts of original art for sale, and, well, most of the sellers are ready to bargain (if you can haggle, there might be no better place in the city to get that life-sized Lenin tapestry).
But there’s more to the street than the street itself. The bordering buildings abound with galleries, restaurants and theaters that should keep you busy for at least a day, if not a weekend.
Look at art, and maybe take it home
The galleries on the Uzviz run the gamut from tourist schlock to serious works by artists famous in Ukraine (if not even more widely known). And while these might be some of the most well-known painters in the country, you might be surprised how reasonable buying a canvas from one of them might be. We’ve listed just a few below, but new ones are always opening their doors, so be fearless, enter all thresholds and enjoy yourself.
Currently featuring the feral abstract works by Irina Yablochkina, Gallery 36 is a mainstay for the Andriyivsky scene. Curated by well-known artist Oleksander Milovzorov, the gallery presents creative works by modern professional artists from Ukraine. 36’s stated goal is to both popularize the nation’s art as well as integrate it more firmly into the international art scene. To this end the gallery cooperates with well-known Baltic, Hungarian, Croatian, German and Russian artists.
Opened in 1988, the Triptych gallery was one of the first private art galleries established in Ukraine. Focusing mostly on contemporary art, Triptych is known for being quite selective in terms of the works they display. What’s more, nearly every two weeks a new installation is presented.
The Kyiv Art gallery offers patrons a wide selection of works, from paintings, other graphic arts and sculpture. Carefully selecting works from known Ukrainian masters, Kyiv Art offers viewers a fascinating look inside a robust art scene.
Having worked with over 80 artists in over 100 shows, Atelier Karas is a cornerstone of the Uzviz art scene. What’s more, they also have art authenticators on staff, so if you want to see how “genuine” your original print really is, this might be a good place to stop.
Soviart was the first non-state gallery for fine art. Opened in 1987 and “legalized” in ’88, Soviart can be crediting with helping to break the Soviet stranglehold on expression by exhibiting works that refused to cater to the accepted parameters. Check out a little piece of recent history and some good art.
L-Art is a hip gallery that has been exhibiting highly original pieces for a while now, and its success is a testament to its taste. The exhibitions are usually quite interesting and change rapidly, so make sure to spend a few minutes walking around because the works might be gone by tomorrow.
Art-Blues often hosts exhibitions and original projects by outstanding local and CIS artists such as David Sharashidze, Ilona Silvashi and Yevhen Derevyanko. An exhibition of collages by Viktor and Yelena Derda is on display till May 1.
Gallery 36 (36 Andriyivsky Uzviz, 278-2985)
Triptych (34 Andriyivsky Uzviz, 279-8385)
Kyiv Art (2B Andriyivsky Uzviz, 592-9935)
Atelier Karas (22A Andriyivsky Uzviz, 2nd floor, 425-0247)
Soviart (22A Andriyivsky Uzviz, 425-2219)
L-Art (2B Andriyivsky Uzviz, 425-0320)
Art-Blues Gallery (38 Andriyivsky Uzviz, 279-7388)
The play’s the thing
If its live action you want after all those still-lifes and sculptures, make sure to check out one of the theaters on the Uzviz. Kyiv is rather alive with drama (both onstage and off) and, often for what would be the price of a cup of coffee in the States you can treat yourself to fine productions of world-class literature.
The small avant-garde theater, Koleso, already has an established following in Kyiv. Upstairs find classic works from such masters as Ionesco and Flaubert, while the ground floor has a cafe with interactive shows each night that rope some of the viewers into the performance.
The Kyiv Theater, a small cozy place situated in the “Hostynny Dvir” complex carries experimental artsy plays as well as local and foreign classics. Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” “I can’t imagine tomorrow” by Tennessee Williams and “The Autumn in Verona and The True Story of Romeo and Juliet” by Anatoly Krym are now playing.
Koleso Theater (8 Andriyivsky Uzviz, 425-0527)
Kyiv Theater on Podil (4 Kontraktova ploscha, 425-5489)
Museum mile
Andriyivsky Uzviz is as known for its museums as it is for its wares. It wouldn’t be a trip to Kyiv without visiting both of the most famous ones. The Mikhail Bulgakov House Museum is a must for any fans of Slavic literature or for anyone who wants to see a snapshot of the capital the way it was a century before. The great novelist grew up on the Uzviz and the ghostly Surrealist exhibit in what was once his home incorporates ideas from all his well-known works.
At the bottom of the hill is the absolutely charming One Street Museum. Breaking away from the sterile mold of many Soviet museums, One Street recounts the story of the Uzviz from a meticulous and fascinating collection of objects (including mannequins dressed in period costumes) that spans ages. It’s the simple treasures that rule here. Not to be missed.
Mikhail Bulgakov House Museum
13 Andriyivsky Uzviz, 425-3188
Open daily from 10 p.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Wednesday)
Admission: Hr 5
English-language tours: Hr 12
One Street Museum
2B Andriyivsky Uzviv, 416-0398
Open daily from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Mondays)
Admission: Hr 3, Hr 5 for foreigners.
Time to refuel
There’s no way you can walk up and down the Uzviz without getting hungry (haggling for trinkets here is practically a contact sport). Luckily, however, the street that drips culture and history is also full with great dining options as well.
Pret-A-Cafe is a pearl of a coffee shop that has a rep for being one of the only places in town where you can get a cappuccino done right. What’s more, the relaxed interior with its mellow lighting and dark-wood walls are a nice break from the frenzied street-level bartering roils outside. And it’s not only coffee on order: Pret has a nice selection of sweets and light lunches if you want to stay quick on your feet for the rest of the walk.
Ukrainian cuisine is not known for being exactly “light” and Za Dvoma Zaytsamy is no exception. “Chasing two hares,” as it is known in English, is a reasonably priced place with an open-air terrace that takes its name from the famous Ukrainian comedy by playwright Mykhailo Starytsky. Stay local with big plates of varenyks, borsht and holubtsi.
One of the best restaurants on the Uzviz, Svitlytsya would be almost as at home in some trendy little antiquing town in upstate New York. Unpretentious, dimly lit and built almost completely from dark-stained thick beams of wood, the French creperie also has some bistro favorites and none of the prices hurt as bad as you’d expect from a French restaurant in the middle of tourist heaven.
Newcomer Vernisazh only increases the quality and choices. For in-depth coverage, see this issue’s food section, page 27.
Pret-A-Cafe
10A Andriyivsky Uzviz, 416-1297
Open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Za Dvoma Zaytsyamy
34 Andriyivsky Uzviz, 279-7972
Open daily from 11.am. to 11 p.m.
Svitlytsya
13B Andriyivsky Uzviz, 416-3186Open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
