Summer might be over in Kyiv, but that doesn’t mean you should become best friends with the TV and a blanket. Just because it’s cold and wet doesn’t mean you have to forget about fun activities, you simply need to move them indoors. For that, the Kyiv Post presents a seven-day guide of entertaining activities under a roof.
Monday
Organ music in a Gothic church
Why not start the week with an organ music concert? Kyiv House of Organ Music gives concerts almost every day, playing top works by recognized composers. If you’re new to the magnificent sounds of an organ, pick a concert that includes Bach, probably the most expressive composer for the instrument.
The beautiful building of the House of Organ Music is an added bonus. Played in a majestic Roman Catholic church, still very Gothic despite several renovation works, the music gains a whole new depth. You can go on examining its columns, stained-glass windows and high ceilings for hours.
House of Organ Music.
77 Velyka Vasylkivska St., 528-3186.
Concerts start at 7:30 p.m., tickets available for Hr 20-100.
Schedule of concerts available at www.organhall.kiev.ua, in Ukrainian only.
Tuesday
Water park
Cold eastern winds do not mean aquatic fun is off the table. So hide your winter coat deep in the locker and put on a bikini to enjoy several hours of waves, rides and cocktails. Residents of Ukraine’s capital can choose from two aquaparks, in Obolon disctrict and in nearby Brovary. Both have plenty of water activities, with wave pools, slides and hot tubs.
Dream Island Aquapark.
Dream Town #2. 23B Obolonskiy Av. Minska metro, 485-2111.
www.aqua.dreamtown.ua
Hr 185-190 per day, Hr 135-160 per day for kids.
Wednesday
Experiments museum
If you think of museums as some dull and dusty halls exhibiting prehistoric bones, your view is outdated. New museums feature specialized themes and apply unusual angles. For instance, the small Museum of Toilet History offers has a wide range of pans on show and explains the evolution of the toilet, from chamber pots to the current version.
Another choice is the cool and geeky Experimentanium, a museum of science and technologies, which is a real treat for science lovers. It’s exhibits explain physics and mechanics in an interactive way, and you’re allowed to touch.
Experimentanium
2A Verkhniy Val St.
www.experimentanium.com.ua
Hr 75-85 for adults, Hr 55-65 for kids under 16, free for kids under three.
Museum of Toilet History
22 Rybalska St., 531-9400
Free entrance. Closed on Mondays.
Thursday
Beer and live music
Kyiv offers a wide range of live music pubs, typically combining beer, cigarette smoke, fries and rock covers. But more sophisticated options, like jazz cafes, are also available. Rockabilly parties and Latin American music are popular as well. The music is usually free of charge, though some bars have an entrance fee, going from Hr 20 to Hr 100, depending on the day. Music starts at 8, 9 or 10 p.m., depending on the day or the bar.
Kyiv Post includes daily listings of live music bands playing in Kyiv bars
Off to theater
Fall is when the theater season starts in earnest and all the theaters, from classic to experimental, run new plays and invite new spectators. Classic choices include opera, operetta, ballet and drama plays, but don’t be scared of Kyiv’s small modern theaters, like Dakh or the Theater on Podil. Most shows will be in Russian or Ukrainian (though English, Italian and German also surface) but the dirt cheap prices make it one of the most affordable lessons in town. The most expensive parterre seats usually don’t cost more than Hr 200, and even at famous ballets like the popular Swan Lake balcony seats go for around Hr 30-40 and offer just as pleasant an experience.
Upcoming plays include:
Napoleon and the Corsican. Lesya Ukrainka Russian Drama Theater. Oct. 26. 7 p.m.
5 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho St., Teatralna metro, 234-4223
www.rusdram.com.ua
Hr 15-120
The Bat (operetta). Kyiv Theater of Operetta. Oct. 27. 7 p.m.
53/3 Chervonoarmiyska St., 287-6257
www.kiev-operetta.kiev.ua
Hr 80-100
Find more in Kyiv Post Entertainment Listings
Saturday
Art lecture
Know anything about ancient Rome or ecological architecture? Don’t miss a chance to find out. While college students avoid lectures, putting any effort off until the end of the semester, others actually pay money to educate themselves. Lectures on art history and social issues are held almost every day, though unfortunately Russian or Ukrainian skills are needed for most.
Some upcoming lectures:
“History of defense facilities” by Kateryna Lypa, historian. Oct. 21. 3 p.m.
Master Klass, 16 Lavrska St. Hr 50
“Secrets of Christian Dior” by Alexander Vasyliev, fashion historian. Oct. 27. 11 p.m.
Fairmont Grand Hotel, 1 Naberezhno-Kreschatytska St. Hr 3,500
“Ancient architecture. Greece and Rome” by Olena Gorbik, Cultural Project. Oct. 22. 7 p.m. Chocolate House, 17/2 Shovkovychna St. Hr 195
Search for other lectures at www.platfor.ma and www.culturalproject.org
Sunday
Board games fun
Board games are back in style. Pick your favorite – to check your vocabulary with a classic Scrabble, build a shaky tower playing Jenga or use body language explaining words and phrases in Charades. Larger groups can also enjoy Mafia, the former Soviet area guessing game of choice. All these are available at Kyiv’s pay-for-time establishments, comfortable locations where people pay to simply hang out. Tea, coffee and some sweets are included. Company can often be found there, too.
Chasopys
3 Lva Tolstoho St., 384-0710,www.chasopys.kiev.ua
Hr 30 for first hour, Hr 15 for each next hour.
Bibliotech
120 Saksahanskoho St., 067-502-5535, www.bibliotech.com.ua
Hr 36 for first hour, Hr 18 for each next hour.
Besednizza
7 Taras Shevchenko Alley, 279-8800, www.besednizza.com
Hr 16 per hour.
