Kyiv is a green city. Apart from the acres of woodland on islands in its very center, the Ukrainian capital has 13 parks where one can escape the daily bustle.
Here, one can play ping pong or chess, do yoga, dance salsa, feed ducks, or watch the sun set over the Dnipro River. Check out the Kyiv Post’s guide to escaping the summer heat in the city’s parks, in and around the city.
Mariinsky Park
Mariinsky Park is an 8.9-hectare park in the heart of the city that stretches along the government quarter on the hilly right bank of the Dnipro River, where the buildings of Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers, Health Ministry and parliament are located. The park was built 130 years ago together with Mariinsky Palace, which is now the official ceremonial residence of Ukraine’s president.
Located on the top of the hill, Mariinsky Park offers a picturesque view of Trukhaniv Island and capital’s left bank. The park has a playground for kids and several fountains. One of the park’s sights is the Bridge of Lovers — a narrow, wooden-decked bridge where couples leave locks as a token of their love.
Address: 1 Mykhaila Hrushevskoho St.
Children ride rented pedal vehicles in Mariinsky Park in central Kyiv on June 24. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
Taras Shevchenko Park
Another park in the heart of the city is the Taras Shevchenko Park, named after famous Ukrainian poet of the 19th century. The park is located near Lva Tolstoho metro station in front of the main building of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The park boasts benches of quirky designs.
The park is quite small and often crowded. It offers a large children’s playground, spacious lawns loved by the yoga practitioners, a small outdoor stage, and chess tables.
O’Panas restaurant, located in the park, serves Ukrainian cuisine. There is also a coffee shop operating in an old streetcar.
Address: 10 Tereshchenkivska St.
A pigeon lands by a chess board as onlookers watch another game being played in the Taras Shevchenko Park in Kyiv on July 3. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Holosiivskyi Park
Just a few metro stops south of the city center sprawls the huge Holosiivskyi Park. It has several large ponds with ducks, a forest-clad hill, and a small amusement park for kids. The park is a part of the much bigger, 740-hectar Holosiivskyi Forest. It is a popular destination for a picnic, but make sure to bring a garbage bag: littering is punished by a fine.
Address: 87 Henerala Rodymtseva St.
Druzhby Narodiv Park
For those who like active recreation the large Druzhby Narodiv Park is the perfect option. The park is located on an island between Kyiv’s right and left banks and has several areas with beaches, an amusement park, a football field, and a ropes course. One can also rent a bike (Hr 50 per hour), a quad bike (Hr 700 per hour), or a boat with water skis (around Hr 2,160 per hour). Wakeboards are offered for rent for just Hr 250 per day, but the price doesn’t include the use of a boat. To get to the park one can take bus No. 101 or trolleybuses No. 30, No. 31 from Petrivka metro station.
Address: 1 Henerala Vatutina Ave, bus stops on Moskovsky Bridge
Gryshko Botanic Garden
Gryshko Botanic Garden, located near Pecherska and Druzhby Narodiv metro stations, is the biggest botanic garden in the Ukrainian capital. This park is worth a visit at any time of year — depending on the season, one can see lilacs, tulips and roses in bloom, or go to the hothouses to see exotic plants.
The botanic garden is open daily from 9 a. m. to 9 p. m., and the hothouses are open from 10 a. m. to 6 p. m. The entrance fee is Hr 40 for adults and Hr 20 for children.
Address: 1 Tymiriazievska St.
Fomin Botanic Garden
Fomin Botanic Garden is smaller than Gryshko Botanic Garden, but it is located closer to the city center — near Universytet metro station. The garden is famous for its magnolias, which bloom in spring, but it’s also a good place in the heart of the capital to escape the summer heat, as well as to do yoga or exercise. Entrance is free.
Address: 1 Symona Petlyury St.
Kyiv Polytechnic Institute Park
Another park not far away from the Kyiv’s center surrounds the campus of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. The park is usually crowded with students, along with dog walkers and families with children. The park itself doesn’t have playgrounds or cafes (there are some cafes near the metro entrance), but there are usually mobile coffee vans.
Address: 31 Peremohy Ave.
Peremohy Park
Peremohy Park, which means Victory Park in Ukrainian, was built to mark the victory of the Allies in the Second World War. It’s located on the city’s left bank, not far away from Darnytsya metro station. On its 83 hectares, one can find a lake with a small island, an amusement park with a 30-meter Ferris wheel, playgrounds, and an indoor ice rink.
Address: 1 Henerala Zhmachenka St.
People enjoy a summer day in the Kyoto Park in Kyiv. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
Kyoto Park
Those who love Japanese culture should visit Kyoto Park on the left bank, not far away from Lisova metro station. Kyoto Park is famous for its long alley of Japanese sakura trees, which usually bloom in April. The park has a pond with iris flowers and a minimalistic design similar to a Japanese rock garden, or Zen garden. Japanese lanterns make the park a cozy spot in the evenings.
Address: 1 Kyoto St.
Park Natalka
Park Natalka, which is located near the Obolonska embankment at the northwest of Kyiv, is in bloom again after having been reconstructed by local activists and the city council. The renovated park has a small football field, a playground for kids, tables for table tennis, deck chairs for rent, and an outdoor dance floor.
Address: 9 Obolonska Naberezhna St.
A boy rides a scooter at the Natalka Park in Kyiv. (Oleg Petrasiuk)
Parks outside Kyiv
Pushcha-Vodytsia Park is located at 21 Fedora Maksymenka St. in the northwest of Kyiv. The park is just 12 hectares in size, but it’s near the Pushcha-Vodytsia forest, which covers around 30,000 hectares. One can get to the park by tram No. 12, which departs from Kontraktova Square.
Another popular park is Feofania, which is located in the historical neighborhood near the Kyiv’s southern outskirts at 37 Akademika Lebedeva Street. The park, which is on the list of recreation zones protected by the state, has numerous rare plants and flowers, along with beautiful lakes. The park works from 8 a. m. until 11 p. m., and the entrance fee is Hr 20. To get to Feofania Park take minibus No. 548 from Vystavkovy Tsentr metro station. When driving, take the E40 road and turn at Metrologichna Street.
Another popular park, the Pyrohiv Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine in the village of Pyrohiv 20 kilometers from Kyiv, has authentic Ukrainian houses from different regions, as well as old-fashioned wooden windmills on a spacious field. The park often holds folk music festivals or celebrations marking traditional Ukrainian holidays. One can also find there Ukrainian food and snacks. To get to Pyrohiv, take trolleybus No. 11 from Vystavkovy Tsentr metro station, minibus No. 496 from Lukianivska metro station, or minibus No. 156 from Bessarabska Square in the city center.
