Arriving in Kiev you at once understand that it is a very beautiful and green city. Located on the steep banks of Dnieper River, it looks very picturesque in any season of the year.
As any capital city with a long history, Kiev has a lot of attractions. Kiev is often called the «mother of Russian cities». This can be explained by the fact that when the statehood of the Slavs was shaped on the territory of today Ukraine and Russia, this was a single state stretching from Kiev to Novgorod.
You should go to Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra, sometimes referred to as Kievan Caves, Khreshchatik Street, and Independence Square, Sophia`s Cathedral and Gold-Domed Monastery of St. Michael (they are close to each other), Andrew Descent and St. Andrew`s Church. Apart from these primary sights everyone can find something to their taste in the city.
You`d better start your acquaintance with this wonderful city from its main street - Khreshchatik. Independence Square, which only several years ago was the center of revolutionary events, is now a favorite promenade of natives and tourists. From this Square to Taras Shevchenko Boulevard Khreshchatik retained the former appearance of this beautiful thoroughfare. In fact it is the most beautiful part of Khreshchatik.
From Independence Square you can go up to Sophia`s Cathedral, the main and the oldest church of Kiev. It was laid down by Yaroslav the Wise in XI century. On the square in front of the temple a monument of Bogdan Khmelnitsky is erected, and further up the street you can see Mickhaylovskiy (Gold-Domed) Monastery.
Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra is rightly considered the most interesting attraction of the city. It was one of the first monasteries in Kievan Rus. It is located on the high bank of the Dnieper River. A full tour of Lavra requires at least half a day. You should visit the caves housing relics of orthodox saints, including those of the famous Russian hero Ilya Muromets who then became a monk.
All guests of the city like to have a stroll down Andrew`s Descent. This picturesque street goes down a high hill to the lower city called Podol. In XVIII century at the hill there was con-structed the finest St. Andrew`s Church. It was designed by the same architect B. Rastrelli who was the author of the most beautiful palaces of St. Petersburg.
