September 2012 : Kiev

When you live in Moscow, it is quite easy to visit some old USSR countries.

We had an opportunity to visit Kiev at the end of May with friends, so we did it.

First, I went to the Kiev railway station to buy tickets : finally, for 2 families, we spent 50 min but we got  them ... it was a weekend with spring fest and not many weeks before the travel, so no place available at the time wished. It is always a good experience to buy tickets at the railway station with people speaking only Russian ... after 2 years in Russia, I can assure you that it is possible !  It is also possible to get a reimbursement, but be patient, and you should understand how is working the process ! 

Then, for the hotel, it is easy to book through Internet and there are many appartments (cheap) available in the town centre.

For me and my wife it was a kind of pilgrimage : we had visited Russia in 1978 (Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev) when it was Brejnev era (see photo on left) and we saw again the same building more than 30 years later ... except the building, there are a lot of changes in Kiev !

Our surprise was the boarder between Russia and Ukraine : we had 3 controls during the night, so not easy to rest !

 
Kiev history
By the legend Kiev was founded by 3 brothers - Kiy, Scheck, Horif and their sister Lybid. The city was named after the eldest brother - Kiev. Historians claim that first people settled on the territory of modern Kiev by the V century. The place for the city was well selected - high bank vaults of the river Dnieper served as a good defense from incursion of nomad tribes. In 882 Oleg prince of Novgorod captured Kiev and made it the capital of Old Russian powerful state - Kievan Rus. Kievan Rus' is considered a predecessor state of three modern East Slavic nations: Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. In IX and first half of X centuries Kiev was considered to be the largest trade, cultural and craft center of Eastern Europe contesting with the capital of Byzantine Empire - Constantinople.

In 998 the acceptance of Orthodox Christianity and centralization of state power facilitated further straightening and development of political and cultural relations of Kiev with Byzantine and other Christian countries of Europe. During the rule of Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise the St. Sofia Cathedral and first Kievan Rus library were constructed. But internal wars of Russian principalities, popular uprisings, caused by the increasing of feudal oppression leaded to collapse of former powerful Old Russian state. In the first half of XII Kiev lost its role of important political center of Kievan Rus.

In 1240 Kiev was almost fully destroyed and burned out by Mongol Tatars invaders. Headed by Batiy Khan they captured Kiev in autumn of 1240, crossed the Dnieper and surrounded the city.

After social reform of 1861 and serfdom abolition in cultural and economical life of Kiev change for the better.

After the revolution in Petersburg the power in Kiev changed constantly. By the 22 of January in 1918 Ukrainian Central Rada by the lead of historic Mikhail Grushevskiy proclaimed Ukraine’s Independence. However Ukrainian politics lacked enough political economical and military power to stand up for the Independence of Ukrainian state.

In 1922 the Soviet Union was created and Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic joined it, officially like a sovereign state in the federation, but actually all power was handed to center, and USSR became totalitarian country. Followed numerous repressions against cultural and scientist workers.

During the times of World War II Kiev was almost fully destroyed , 72 days lasted heroically Kiev defense against fascist invaders. On 19 September 1941 the troops of Nazi Germany have entered the city. The city was released on the 6 November 1943 by the price of big loss and human lives. In post-war period Kiev rebuild swiftly. Political situation indeed was - denunciation, purges, show trial, executions in NKVD prisons (Народный комиссариат внутренних дел (people's commissariat of foreign affairs), deportation to GULAG out of court and investigation. After Stalin's death Ukraine has adopted more human civil rights.

By the 6 of July 1990 the parliament of Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic proclaimed the sovereignty. On the 24 of August 1991 Verhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) proclaimed the Declaration of Independence. 1 December 1991 the population of Ukraine by the majority of votes 93% supported independence.

Below, a photo from USSR time.

Early in the morning, you arrive at Kiev railway station : as it was before Euro football cup, there was a big ball in the main entrance hall.

You should go out to take the metro : there are not many lines but it is working well, like in Moscow. There are selling tokens used in the past in Moscow for the metro.
After a breakfast in the Kreschatik avenue, we went to the Kiev Cave Monastery.

Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (Kiev Cave Monastery) is a unique monastery complex, which is included in UNESCO world heritage list.

History of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra

Kiev-Pechersk-Lavra originates in 1051, when a monk Antoniy had settled in this place in dug out on a hill slope cave. Soon other monks joined him and started to widen the caves, later when underground space could not house all community — to construct overground buildings.

The name of the monastery comes exactly from the caves (the word «pechera» in Ukrainian means a «cave» and lavra means «street» in Greek).

From the 11th century in the monastery intensive building had begun, here was constructed Dormition Cathedral, Troitskaya Church and refectory.

The monastery played very important role in Ukrainian culture development — the first printing-house was established here, many famous chroniclers, writers, scientists, painters, doctors lived and worked. In 1113 Chronicler Nestor wrote his «Tale of Bygone Years» - the main source of knowledge about the times of Kievan Rus.

After a great fire of 1718 the restoration of damaged building and the construction of new one had began. Holy Dormition Cathedral and Troitskaya Church got its present-day baroque style, the monastery territory was surrounded by stone walls. Thus in the middle of the XVIII century the unique architectural ensemble of Lavra had been formed. It preserved till our times for the most part. Kiev-Pechersk Lavra became the largest monastery on the territory of former Kievan Rus, its total square was almost 30 hectares.

After Communist Party came to power in 1917 the hard times for the monastery had begun : it was closed and all its property had been nationalized, some time after in the part of monastery buildings museums were placed.

In 1941 during World War II the Holy Dormition Cathedral had been blown up. Up to now there are no exact facts who realized the blasting operations : Germans or Soviet ?

From 1988 the territory of Caves with all overground buildings was returned to newly created monk community.

Holy Dormition Cathedral :

Troitskaya Church from 17th century :

Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Caves
Lavra caves is the system of underground passages, divided into two parts — Far and Near Caves. First annalistic mentions of Lavra Caves are related to 1051. At first caves were occupied by the monks who lived their, later in caves started to bury dead settlers of the monastery. In particular there are remains of Chronicle Nestor the author of the «Story of bygone years», Ilya Muromets — Russian epic hero and the relics of imperishable Lavra saints.

In some underground cells lived hermit monks, who devoted their lives to prayers — in the walls of cave passages had remained small holes through which they got water and food.

There are legends about the extent of Lavra caves, — it’s said that underground passages stretches under the Dnieper and also connects Lavra with other monastery caves of Kiev.

See the entrance of caves below : inside, it was very dark and narrow, so difficult to take photos.

When we left the Lavra we saw a market of popular crafts : there are used to see tourists at Kiev !

After a short walk we reached a huge statue.

Mother Motherland is a monumental, massive, ugly statue of the "Mother of the Motherland" in Kiev. The sculpture is a part of Museum of the Great Patriotic War. Built by Yevgeny Vuchetich, the titanium statue stands 62 meters tall with 530 tons weight, upon the museum building. The sword in the statue's right hand is 16 m long weighing 9 tons, with the left hand holding up a 13 m by 8 m shield with the Coat of arms of the Soviet Union.

After, we came back to Kreschatik which is the main street of Kiev. It passes through 3 squares — among them is Maydan Nezalejnosti (Independence Square), the main square of the city. During the days off the car traffic is closed and the street is pedestrian : it was the case on the Saturday and Sunday.
Kreschatik history

Several hundreds years ago on this place was overgrown by trees deep valley, with a small stream flowing along it. This valley was called «Kreschatiy Yar» that is where the name of the street comes from.

From the 18 century this road started to build up and changed into street.

During the World War II Kreschatik was almost fully destroyed, remained only the block of buildings near Bessarabian marketplace. In 1948 the plan of Kreschatik reconstruction was approved — new architectural ensemble had been formed, the street was broaden and from one side the chestnut tree terrace was formed.

Independence square history

First buildings appeared here in the middle of 19 century. On the square was open-air market and circus performances took place. In the 1876 the there was constructed the building of town council.

During the World War II almost all buildings of the square was destroyed. The new building ensemble was created. In the 1976–81 the square was reconstructed — here appeared the monument of great October revolution with Lenin in the center. The square took the name of Great October Social Revolution.

After Ukraine became a sovereign state the square was renamed into Independence Square. In 2001 the square was reconstructed again — instead of revolution monument the Independence monument was placed — the girl in Ukrainian national dress standing on high column — she is holding in hands snowball tree branch. Under the square now is situated trade center «Globus».

A 10km race on the Sunday morning :

After we walked through the city and we saw some curious buildings like the House with Chimeras.

This remarkable building decorated with the fabulous figures of animals and chimeras like those from peaked roofs of Notre Dame de Paris. On the roof of the building are sitting good-natured toads with nereids, heads of rhinos and antelope are built into walls, drain pipes look like snakes and elephant trunks.

And some other buildings like Weeping widow house.
The characteristic property of this two-storey building is a sad female face sculptured on the facade. When it is raining the drops of water are flowing and it seems like she is crying. The name of the building descends from this stone bas-relief. But who is the person portrayed and why she is crying is still a mystery for the city historians.

Inside the Kreschatiy Park, from the small Lovers bridge, we had a view on the Dnieper river. Lovers from different countries have a tradition to place signs of love - locks, ribbons adorn signs on lovely bridges. These bridges are called "Bridges of lovers", they are in a comfortable place with beautiful views. The capital has a bridge of lovers, and judging by the number of locks, Kiev is a city of romantics.

We went down the hill in order to reach the funicular.

Cog railway (funicular) on Vladimirskaya hill is not only Kiev particularity, but also the most swift and convenient way to get from Podol to the Upper city, to Mikhailovskaya square.

At the arrival, we saw the St. Michael's Golden-domed cathedral. It was destroyed by the times of USSR in 1935 and anew built in 90th after Ukraine got it's independence. Inside cathedral there are unique mosaics and wall paintings which were taken out before cathedral devastation and kept safe in the museums of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

After we went down through a touristic street called Desyatynna street leadind to St Andrew's church.

And we had a glance at St. Andrew's church.

The legend says that once in the place were now Dnieper flows was the sea. But after St. Andrew came into Kiev and had put a cross on a hill were now St. Andrew Church stands, the sea went off and hide under the hill.

Before leaving Kiev and coming back to Moscow (by night train), we bought a small "Domachnik" : the vendor told us that it should protect our home !