Kiev, a green blanket spread on the banks of the Dnieper, is a modern fast-growing city and a gray-haired old man with a rich biography at the same time. The history of Kiev can be slowly paced through the shady streets, examining the monuments of the Soviet past and the golden domes of churches: St. Sophia, Holy Trinity, Vladimir cathedral ...

Mikhail Bulgakov considered Kiev the most beautiful city in the world, it is the first capital of Russia and one of the greenest cities in the world. There are a lot of parks with interesting sculptures, fountains and unusual benches - after a long walk you can rest in the "mouth" of a cat or a hare.

How to get to Kiev?

Getting to Kiev is easier than easy. The international airport "Boryspil" accepts flights from all airports in Moscow (travel time is 1 hour) and other cities of Russia and Europe. On October 31, 2012 the new international terminal F, which is located to the right of the operating terminals, began its regular operation. Now the company "International Airlines of Ukraine" and Wizzair will be based here. Almost all foreign carriers have remained in the old terminal so far. Between F and B shuttle buses run.

• To get to "Boryspil" (29 km from the center) can be from the South Railway Station by bus company SkyBus, ply around the clock, or by taxi. The airport also has rent-a-car offices in Avis, Nertz and Europcar.

Another airport - "Kiev" (the old name "Zhulyany") - is located 8 km south-west of the city center. It has international status, however it is used mainly for domestic flights. In particular, airlines Khors (Simferopol), "Motor Sich" (Ternopil, Simferopol) and "Southern Airlines" (Simferopol) fly.

• You can get to "Kiev" by trolleybuses No. 9 (Airport - Railway station), No. 22 (Shulyavskaya metro station, Bolshevik plant, Obolon district). From the metro station "Petrivka" there is a fixed-route taxi № 213, from the metro station "Lukyanovskaya" minibus № 499 and 496, from the metro station "Kontraktovaya Ploshchad" - № 302.

By train

From Kievsky station (Moscow), regular trains run on which you can reach Ukraine in 10-14 hours. The central station is located at: pl. Vokzalnaya, 2; st.m. "Vokzalnaya", tel .: 503 7005. From here you can also go to Lviv by express train (one or two a day, except Mon, on the way 6, 5 hours, 105 UAH) or night train (150 UAH, on the way 9-11 hours). Other popular destinations: Uzhhorod (150 hryvnia, 17 hours, four trains a day), Ivano-Frankivsk (150 hryvnia, 12 hours) and Chernivtsi (100-130 hryvnia, 15 hours, two trains a day), there are also night trains and express trains to Kamenets-Podolsky.

To the south, five trains a day (mostly night flights) depart for Odessa (110 hryvnias, 9-12 hours), two to Sevastopol (160 hryvnia, 17 hours) and two to Simferopol (180-200 hryvnia, 15 hours). Express "Capital" runs to Kharkov (120 hryvnia, 6 hours) through Poltava (80 hryvnia, 3, 5 hours); Departure at 6:33 am and 5:30 pm. There are night trains to Kharkov (87 hryvnia, 8, 5-10 hrv). And, finally, there are daily express trains to Dnepropetrovsk (110 hryvnia, 6 hours). The prices are for November 2010, coupe.

By bus

There are seven bus terminals in the city, the busiest is Central (address: Moskovskaya sq., 2, one stop on trolleybuses No. 2, 4 and 11 or marshrutki No. 507, 726 or 444 from Lybidska subway station). Inter-city buses for long distances are sent to Autolux (tel .: 451 8628) and "Gunsel" (tel: 525 4505) - these are the most comfortable and fast buses in the country.

The climate of Kiev is

March 1, Sunday Overcast +7 ° C in the day -2 ° С at night ° С water	March 2, Monday Overcast, light rain +8 ° С in the day +1 ° C at night ° С water	March 3, Tuesday Overcast +8 ° С in the day +3 ° C at night ° С water
The weather in Kiev for 10 days is

The climate in Kiev is continental, temperate. In summer, the temperature is around +19 ... + 25 ° C, in winter it reaches -5 ° C. Winters in Kiev are snowy. In June-July, there are often thunderstorm rains. The best time to visit Kiev is May, it is this month that chestnut trees and lilacs bloom with great adornment (and without that beautiful) streets of the city.

Transport

The Kiev metro is the cheapest in the world, the price of one trip is 2 hryvnas, the operating mode is 6: 00-24: 00 (and this is perhaps the best way to travel around the city).

But there are other types of transport that can be used here: buses, funicular (it was built as an effective way to cut the way from the Upper City to Podol, the upper station has access to the upper terrace of Vladimir Gorki, working hours: 6: 00-23: 00, fare: 1, 50 hryvnia), river (and ground) trams. The fare on the bus, trolleybus and tram - 1, 5 hryvnia.

Taxi in Kiev is inexpensive. The minimum tariff is 30 UAH. You can order the "West Express" (tel .: 495-15-15, 8-050-495-15-15), "Chanson" (phone: 588 2828, 8-067 920 2424) or "Radio Taxi" ( tel .: 249 6249, 8-067 405 6249).

You can rent a car, it will cost from $ 50 per day, you can take the car with the driver and without (with the driver much more expensive). Rental offices: Sixt (phone: 490 8158, Dmitrovskaya str., 46), Smart (491 8424, 8-067 230 3888), Sun Service (tel .: 8-067 470 5596).

Currency exchange in Kiev

You can exchange rubles for hryvnia in banks and exchange offices, which are in shopping centers, shops and on the streets. It is easy to find exchangers - they look the same as in Russia. The commission for currency exchange is usually not charged.

Shopping

There are no problems with shops in Kiev. There are a lot of big shopping centers and small boutiques here. Favorite store in Kiev, where you can buy absolutely everything - TSUM (B. Khmelnitsky Street, 2). Good souvenirs can be bought at the kiosks at Andreevsky Spusk and Khreshchatyk.

Kiev cuisine and restaurants - $

Ukrainian cuisine is vareniki, borsch with dumplings, croissants, spinners, potato dumplings, and, of course, "Kievsky" cake. In Kiev, prepare a lot of different pies, and you can not forget about the cold. One of the best restaurants with Ukrainian cuisine in Kiev - "Lipsky Mansion". If you want something unusual, go to the cafe from the salt "Salt Pecher". Delicious pancakes and oxygen cocktails are prepared here.

"Restoratsiya" in Kiev

Breakfast in Kiev

Restaurant on the Dnieper

Entertainment, excursions and sights of Kiev

Connoisseurs of beautiful architectural structures have a direct road to the St. Nicholas Church, in which the House of Organ and Chamber Music is now located .Very beautiful cathedral - Vladimirsky .Greco-Catholic Church of the Saints .Catherine, St. Sophia Cathedral and, of course, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra are also worthy of attention .In Kiev, the first stone church of Kievan Rus was built - Desyatinnaya church .In the city there are a lot of monasteries, cathedrals, churches and temples, including underground ones..Before the Lavra, by the way, you can very pleasantly walk for 15 minutes from the park of Eternal Glory (ст .m ."Arsenalnaya"), or take the trolleybus number 38 or minibus № 520 and 406 .

Also worth a look at the Mariinsky Palace, Golden Gate, Opera House, Pechersk Fortress, House with cats (23 Gogolevskaya Street), House on Vladimirskaya Street 39/24, mysterious Richard Castle (Andreevsky Uzviz, 15), House with chimeras (Bankova street , 10) and the Chocolate House (Shelkovichnaya Street, 17). Walking in the park "Kiev in miniature", you will quickly get acquainted with the city.

The sculpture Motherland-Mother, which is based on the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, is interesting. Designed Motherland-Mother architect Evgeny Vutetich. The height of the monument together with the museum is 102 meters.

On Krasnozvezdniy avenue, in house 4a, at an altitude of 100 meters, there is an observation deck. Glancing on passers-by, sitting on the roof, you can through astronomical binoculars, sipping coffee or tea. You can have fun in the Kiev Zoo or in the circus, and informally in the museum.

Khreshchatyk (the Khreshchatyk) is the main street in Kiev, 1 km long (2 km long) (pedestrian). It starts from the European Square, passes through Independence Square, and ends with Bessarabskaya Square. The name of the street comes from Khreshchaty Yar (that is, crossed by transverse ravines). In the documents of the XVII century, this entire area was called the Khreshchatyi Valley.

Andreevsky Descent (укр .Andriivsky Uzviz, in ancient times - Borichev uzvoz) - one of the ancient ways connecting the Upper city, its central part, with the trading Podol .Now Andreevsky Descent is a street-museum, one of the main tourist attractions of the Ukrainian capital is .Here lived and worked many famous figures of science and culture: scientists, writers, composers, artists, sculptors .On the street festivals, art exhibitions, arts festivals are arranged .Here come to listen to street musicians and see a costume performance in the open air .On the street there are several notable museums: the Museum of the same street, the Museum of the writer Mikhail Bulgakov (the House of Turbins), the memorial house-museum of Kavaleridze .

You will learn a lot of new things about Kiev on excursions. They are just a dime a dozen, not only buses, to which all are accustomed, but also unusual. To inspect the city and get knowledge in Kiev, you can ride horses, ATVs, retro cars, bicycles, on two-wheeled scooters Segway, as well as on a tram and even on a balloon.

Photos of Kiev (188)