Look for sunbathing, sports and dancing on the sand
Even in the height of June Kyiv’s unstable weather has us hoping for the better. Sometimes I even don’t know what to put in my bag – an umbrella or a swimming suit. However, Kyivans manage to snatch a bit of sun and relax on a beach. As I walk along the Dnipro River and see the entire beach line packed with people from dusk till dawn, it becomes clear that beaches are now the most popular place to spend free time. The beaches are not only popular for sun worship and swimming but for all night partying too.
When speaking about Kyiv beaches the first place that comes to mind is of course Hydropark. Exiting the metro at Hydropark station, you will find yourself in the middle of all kinds of eateries, attractions, and discos. There are two types of beaches on Hydropark – public and private. The former are common sandy river strands filled with sun-bathers and no admission fees. To reach one of them, Venetian or Molodizhniy, you will need to pass through a multitude of kiosks selling shashlyk and other summer meals and drinks, and cross the Venetian bridge. Then turn right or left to find a free spot among other beach-goers.
If you turn in the direction of the beach on your left and cross the river on a boat, you’ll get to the nude beach. The boats are plying from bank to bank until evening and one trip will cost you around Hr 5.
If sun bathing or swimming at Hydropark is not enough for you, there is an alternative for the day – horseback riding at a local club. There’s no need to look all over the place for the club, as the horses are constantly being ridden through the busiest parts of Hydropark and are hard not to notice.
The private beach clubs, namely SunCity Slavutich and Opium Beach Club, in addition to being fully equipped beaches offer a variety of entertainments. The entrance to the SunCity will cost you a minimal sum of Hr 5 (as it was during the last summer) to enter the main beach and much higher (Hr 50 and Hr 80 on weekends) to enter a VIP zone. Other accessories like umbrellas and sun-beds will cost you an additional fee. The territory of SunCity is a little bit cleaner than the public beaches and a little less crowded. The VIP zone has its advantages: two pools – for children and grown-ups with comparatively clean water, and attentive waitresses to get you a drink or snack. SunCity also offers jet ski rentals, rides in an inflatable tube, row boats and paddle boats.
The Opium Beach Club is located on the left about a ten minute walk from the SunCity. It’s much larger than the latter and cheaper. In addition to drinks, food, and marvelous views of Kyiv Opium offers something for sport enthusiasts too, volleyball courts, and enough space for soccer or Frisbee. Besides the daily DJ programs, on Fridays and Saturdays you can hang-out at the open-air disco parties. I must say that the parties are much more fun and have less strict face control than at the city’s posh night clubs. It will be accepted as a norm if you arrive on a dance floor in shorts, slippers, and a Hawaiian shirt.
Not as popular as the Opium Beach Club, the Hydrozone recreation complex consists of three floors. You will see it from the Hydropark metro station, the loud music and open dance floors sparkling with lights of all colors give away the place. However the program at Hydrozone is a standard fare, 80s and 90s music, strip-shows, and bartender shows on Sundays.
Another popular place among beach-goers is Trukhaniv Island, located not far from Poshtova Ploshcha. A short walk across the Pedestrian Bridge inspires me even during winter months. Public beaches on Trukhaniv are located not only along the river but in center of the island too. Just inside the island’s forest you’ll find small lakes, some fit for swimming, others just suited for sun-bathing. One of the advantages of Trukhaniv Island is that it is located right in the middle of the old Kyiv, so when you’re finished with the beach put your shoes on and plunge into the atmosphere of the city night.
Not far from Trukhaniv Island, along the Druzhby Narodiv (Peoples’ Friendship) Park are spread wide unequipped beaches favored by lazy citizens not willing to go anywhere farther from the city center. In this area there is Most Open Air disco. In addition to music there you can enjoy the advantages of a skate park, climbing wall, beach, and of course, bar and a restaurant.
There is also a developed beach area under Moskovskiy bridge, the one that goes from Petrivka to the left bank. And a little bit farther, somewhere under the middle of the bridge is another beach. It’s rather “wild” and gives enough opportunities to hide from the busy city with a book and a suntan lotion.
As for the lakes, there are many in the area, there is one containing comparatively clean water located amidst skyscrapers at the beginning of Moskovskiy bridge.
The luckiest citizens in a sense of equipped beaches probably live at Obolon. The area can boast a broad quay and decent albeit crowded public beaches and even a nude beach. Since Obolon is planned like a town in a city, there are multitudes of possibilities to finish your evening nearby, recreation complexes, cafes, restaurants, and pubs.
