Kyiv can be inspiring for those who are interested in authentic local products. The city is home to a plethora of uniquely designed merch by Ukrainians that carry the cultural code of the capital.
The Kyiv Post has compiled a selection of products with some of the most emblematic Kyiv themes:
‘Kyiv’ T-shirts
Syndicate Original, a Kyiv streetwear brand that was founded in August 2010, sells white T-shirts with basic themes that are in some way connected to Ukraine’s capital.
The prints available include the inscription “Kyiv”, Kyiv’s telephone area code “044”, prints dedicated to monuments of significant historical personalities such as Bohdan Khmelnytsky, the founder of the Ukrainian Cossack state, and Lesya Ukrainka, a Ukrainian writer and feminist activist of the 19th century.
The prints for the T-shirts were created in collaboration with Slava Balbek, a Ukrainian architect and designer.
With these T-shirts, Taras Shevchuk and Anton Abo, founders of Syndicate Original, aim to revolutionize Kyiv’s established fashion and highlight new symbols that represent the city.
T-shirt with the Kyiv’s telephone area code “044” designed by Syndicate Original, a Kyiv streetwear brand.
“We are shaving the beard off of men’s fashion and washing the make-up off of women’s,” they state on their website. “(Kyiv’s fashion) has to be freshened up and now it is more difficult for it to make a serious face. It’s just clothes. Don’t be philosophical, take it and wear it.”
The cost of one T-shirt is Hr 860 ($32). The collection is available on the brand’s website.
Kind reminder of ‘Kyiv not Kiev’
Ukrainian brand Inspired Bags has released eco-friendly bags that highlight the proper spelling of Ukraine’s capital instead of the incorrect Russian-rooted “Kiev.”
The design choice highlights a larger information campaign called #CorrectUA that was launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, in which it draws the attention of foreign media to the correct spelling of the names of Ukrainian cities with their own hashtags such as #
A KyivNotKiev canvas bag by Ukrainian brand Inspired Bag. (Inspired bag)
The brand also produces a variety of bags with the names of Ukraine’s largest cities such as Lviv, Kharkiv and Dnipro. The eco-bags are made out of sustainable fabrics and are available in black, dark grey, and unbleached colored cotton colors. The merch can be ordered online on Instagram starting at Hr 275.
Merch by Kyiv’s subway
Kyiv Metro, a shop owned by the city’s subway network that makes clothes with prints related to Kyiv’s iconic subway, has recently added to their collection a gray sweatshirt with a train printed on it and a black one with the “Don’t lean” sign that is seen on every door of a subway train.
The Kyiv Metro shop sells clothes with prints related to Kyiv’s iconic subway, including a cup, a keychain, pins, and a T-shirt with the “Don’t lean” sign.
Kyiv’s subway network launched its merch store in October 2018 with various types of souvenirs such as keychains, magnets, cups and T-shirts.
The price of a sweatshirt is Hr 600. They can be purchased at the Metro Museum at 35 Peremohy Avenue or via the subway’s official online shop.
“Right Bank Left Bank”
Support by Poustovit is a Ukrainian streetwear brand that specializes in creating unisex clothes that emphasize the unity of Kyiv’s right and left banks that the Dnipro River divides.
The shop offers hoodies, shirts, caps, shorts, and socks with “Left Bank Right Bank” as well as embroideries in the shape of the leaf of chestnut, a symbolic tree of Kyiv.
A “Left Bank Right Bank” hoodie by Ukrainian streetwear brand Poustovit. (supportbypoustovit.com)
Prices for clothes start from Hr 500 per and can be found on the brand’s website.
Kashtan cafe
Kashtan is both a cafe and a vintage shop that sells Kyiv-themed clothes on Reitarska Street. The store sells vintage as well as new clothing from Ukrainian designers, vinyl record players, books and accessories.
A T-shirt produced and sold by vintage shop Kashtan (“chestnut” in Ukrainian). (kashtankyiv.com)
The price for a T-shirt is Hr 350 which is available at Kashtan’s website.
Pinning Kyiv
Denys Cherniavskyi and Maryna Cherniavska, the founders of Pinat, a Ukrainian brand of enameled pins, believe that their pins are a tool for human self-identification.
“Do you know what the only drawback of the Kyiv Cake is? It ends very quickly! We solved this problem by creating this symbol of Kyiv in metal,” say the founders of Pinat on their Instagram page.
A Kyiv Cake pin designed by Pinat Pins, a Ukrainian brand of enameled pins.
Pinat’s Kyiv-themed collection includes a metro token, a Kyiv pastry and a pink snail with coffee as a symbol of Kyiv’s street coffee vehicles.
Pins are available on Pinat’s Instagram page.
A book about modern Kyiv
The travel book “Awesome Kyiv” by Osnovy Publishing House is not your typical souvenir book about Ukraine’s capital.
The book highlights Kyiv’s history, culture, food, sports, nature and technology with engaging photos and interesting facts. The book does not have a single author but consists of contributions by various local experts. The creators wanted to show Kyiv not only from the typical touristic angle but want their readers to experience Kyiv from a local’s perspective.
Osnovy Publishing House published travel book “Awesome Kyiv” about Kyiv. The book highlights Kyiv’s history, culture, food, sports, nature and technology with engaging photos and interesting facts. (osnovypublishing.com)
Osnovy Publishing House has been publishing travel books about Ukraine’s largest cities since 2012 as part of its “Awesome Kyiv” series.
The book is available in bookstores and online for Hr 250.
