VIDEO EXCLUSIVE

A stairway to Versailles on Kyiv’s left bank

Kyiv retiree Volodymyr Chaika has spent just over two decades turning the dilapidated stairwell in his Soviet-era apartment building into a staircase fit for a king. It’s been so long that he’s forgotten how much money he’s spent on his opulent art project. And he’s not finished yet. He plans to add a Ukrainian-inspired section to what he calls his life’s work.

Family history and Ukrainian roots inspire diaspora artist

Kyiv’s 12 extraordinary sights of Soviet architecture