Discover all the wonders of Kyiv’s central district
Pechersk, one of the oldest areas in the capital, has always been the dwelling place of Kyiv’s nobility and other prosperous citizens. The status of Pechersk hasn’t changed till now, and due to the numerous business centers and governmental institutions located there, the area is gradually growing into the richest district in the city.
From Hrushevskoho to the Botanical Gardens
To conduct an ultimate sightseeing tour of Pechersk all you need to do is walk along Hrushevskoho Street, which gradually merges with Sichnevoho Povstannya. They both stretch along the park area, which is marvelous to walk along not only during the warm seasons, but during the winter as well, when the City, Mariyinskiy, Askoldova Mohyla, and Slavy parks and the Botanical Gardens are covered with a smooth blanket of snow glistening in the sun. All the abovementioned parks are located on the hills that encircle Pechersk and have granted the area its name: “pechery,” which means “drop-offs.” Each park has something that distinguishes it from the others: City Park is known for the huge Druzhby Narodiv Arch, providing a good view of Podil; Mariyinskiy Park surrounds a beautiful palace that was built upon the order of the Russian Emperors during the18th century as their abode; Askoldova Mohyla marks the resting place of Askold, the first Christian ruler of Kyivska Rus; Volodymyr the Great, Yaroslav the Wise and Volodymyr Monomakh, the founders and rulers of early Kyiv, used to live in a small village in the middle of the modern Park Slavy; the Botanical Gardens, once called the Zoo, consists of different examples of nature prevailing in different regions of Ukraine.
Along the road that runs across each park you can see numerous important government buildings, like the Verkhovna Rada, the Cabinet of Ministers, and various embassies.
In case you decide to take a break and rejuvenate yourself at an eatery before entering the Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra, which you simply must visit, you can drop by the Italian restaurant Dolce, or taste some Czech food at U Khromoho Pola (Lame Paul’s).
After discovering the main attraction of Pechersk, the Lavra, you can easily continue your tour around local museums and art galleries in the neighborhood, including the National Art Museum, which is currently hosting graphic works by Picasso. Other art spots include the State Museum, the huge gallery Mystetskiy Arsenal. Children will surely enjoy the Water Museum, which is located inside the old water tower in the center of City Park and looks like a miniature castle from a fairy-tale. If you go a little farther behind the Lavra you’ll find yourself by the memorial complex dedicated to the Second World War, around which the Botanical Gardens stretch. In addition to the huge metal statue of Rodina Mat (Motherland), you can enjoy the panoramic view of the city.
Though Pechersk cannot boast many shopping centers, in the area you will find one of the city’s stock houses, Brand100k, which sells old clothing collections by Gas, Miss Sixty, Energy, etc. Fans of literature in its original can find something for themselves at Dinternal Book Shop.
If you’re ready to continue the evening at Pechersk, you can have some fun at the local night clubs: PaTiPa, Shooters, and the glamorous and expensive Tsar Project, located among the small castles in the City Park.
Dolce (4 Hrushevskoho, 279-6779)
U Hromoho Pola (4 Suvorova, 280-5007)
Shooters (22 Moskovska, 254-2204)
Tsar Project (1V Hrushevskoho, 278-6246)
Patipa (10 Myzeyniy Provulok, 253-0150)
Brand100k(11B Sichnevoho Povstannya, 331-4941)
National Art Museum (6 Hrushevskoho, 278-7454)
Water Museum (1V Hrushevskoho, 279-5333)
State Museum (21 Sichnevoho Povstannya, 280-1343)
Mystetskiy Arsenal (28 Sichnevoho Povstannya, 254-5086)
Dinternal Book Shop (2B Muzeyniy Provulok, 278-1362)
From Instytutska to Lypky and Klov
Another street that connects Khreshchatyk to Pechersk is Instytutska. It leads to the Lypky and Klov hills. Streets around Lypki all have lyrical names, like Lypska (from “lime tree”), Shovkovychna (“mulberry tree”), and Sadova (“garden”). That’s because in the beginning of the 18th century the hill was covered with blossoming groves and was occupied by houses of the city’s aristocracy.
Because of its close proximity to Mariyinskiy Palace, the area is also known as the Palace Area. Over the course of several years the number of nearby governmental institutions grew: here sit the Ukrainian Government, National Bank of Ukraine, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Secretariat of the President.
Lypki area was popular among Germans, who settled there in the beginning of the 19th century and gave the hill the appropriate name of “German Hill.” The manors built around the hill were all curiously embellished, and walking along the streets you can come across the Chocolate House at 17 Shovkovychna, named for its front facade, which resembles a big chocolate bar, or the House of the Weeping Widow at 23 Lyuteranska, which got its name due to the image of a woman’s face that appears to be weeping in the rain. On the corner of Shovkovychna and Orlyka streets there is an Arabian House built in Romanian style and topped with a conic roof. The House with Chimeras, constructed by architect Horodetskiy and studded with numerous models of animals, is probably the most famous of them all.
Klov, another Pechersk hill, was carved long time ago by numerous springs that flowed down the hills and formed lakes that belonged to the Lavra. The house at 4 Klovskiy Uzviz is an interesting site. However strange and mysterious it may seem, the house lacks 35 flats: on one floor you can find flat number 31, and then the number jumps straight to 66.
If you fancy shopping, you can call by the Cashmere&Silk Showroom, where you can buy cashmere clothes by Svetlana Tegin, and Marki, which sells clothing by Russian and Byelorussian designers.
For lunch you can visit Lipskiy Osobnyak, offering traditional Slavic and Ukrainian dishes, order French food at Gorchitsa, Uzbek dishes at Karavan, enjoy a pizza at Pizzeria Napule, or smoke a Cuban cigar at La Casa del Habano.
If you decide to go for some entertainment, I would recommend you to visitone of the numerous theaters in the area. The largest one, International Center of Culture and Arts, is located at 1 Instytutska and can be viewed from Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Originally the building was designed as a school for young ladies, but after the Second World War it was used for political assemblies, and only after the foundation of Ukraina Palace, it became a concert hall. The most noted theater in Pechersk is the Ivan Franko National Drama Theater, which among its repertoire features the well-known actor Bohdan Stupka. No less popular theaters are TYUZ, also known as Lypki Theater of the Young Spectator, which shows plays for children as well as adults, Noviy Teatr in Pechersk (Pechersk New Theater), and Plastic Drama Theater. If you prefer cinema you can watch a movie at Kinopalats or Ukraina cinema.
Lipskiy Osobnyak (15 Lypska, 254-0090)
Gorchitsa (10 Shovkovychna, 253-3008)
Karavan (10 Klovskiy Uzviz, 280-9577)
La Casa del Habano(13 Klovskiy Uzviz, 492-7448)
Napule (9 Mechnikova, 461-9263)
Showroom Cashmere&Silk (12 Klovskiy Uzviz, 254-4711)
Marki (17/1 Gorodetskogo, 206-1707)
Kinopalats (1 Instytutska, 278-7223)
Ukraina (5 Gorodetskogo, 279-6301)
international center of culture and arts (1 Instytutska, 279-1582)
Ivan Franko Nationl Drama Theater (3 ploshca Franko, 279-5921)
TYUZ (15/17 Lypska, 253-6219)
Noviy Teatr (3 Shovkovychna, 253-6550)
Plastic Drama Theater (7 Shovkovychna, 253-9383)
Up Basseyna Street and along Lesi Ukrayinky
One more way of reaching the Pechersk hills is by going up Basseyna Street, which starts at the entrance of Arena Entertainment, the large shopping and business center. While you are still near the central part of the city you can use the chance and do some shopping: at the numerous boutiques of Arena, and at Lush store, selling a groping assortment of bio cosmetics. If you are looking for gourmet food products you can drop by Furshet Gurman, located at the basement of Arena. The building also hosts the PinchukArtCentre, the largest complex in Ukraine, holding rare exhibitions of modern art.
Finally, leaving the store and following Basseyna you will see the highest building in Kyiv – the newly built sparkling glass-paned business center, that looks a little ridiculous next to old manors richly decorated with molding. Not far away, near the military hospital, Pechersk castle is located – its wide territory is bordered with thick walls and fortifications. Lesi Ukrayinky Boulevard that stretches up to Druzhby Narodiv Boulevard and the Botanical Gardens has nothing to offer except for grand, Soviet style architecture, cozy cafes, like the Hairy Lemon, or Coffee House, Intertop shoe store, a designer boutique Spazio, and Paradis du Vin wine shop.
If you are a lover of exquisite sorts of Chinese tea you can visit Tea Club, which in addition to hosting Eastern tea drinking ceremonies has a beautiful shop where you can buy books in Chinese, calligraphy sets and tea sets. To have something more nourishing you can choose among the Indian restaurant New Bombay Palace, Caucasian Kazbek and Belveder, which boasts the best view in Kyiv.
Tea Club (7 Bulvar Druzhby Narodiv, entrance No. 4, 451-4283)
New Bombay Palace (33A Druzhby Narodiv, 285-8708)
Kazbek (30A Lesi Ukrayinky, 285-4805)
Belveder (1 Dniprovskiy Uzviz, 288-5070)
Paradis du Vin (14/13 Nemirovicha-Danchenko, 284-2204)
Arena (2A Basseyna, 492-0000)
PinchukArtCentre (1-3/2 Basseyna, 590-0858)
Lush (15 Basseyna, 235-1965)
Intertop (17 Lesi Ukrayinky, 285-1346)
Spazio (24 Lesi Ukrayinky, 285-6305)
