Kiev lies on the banks of the
Dnieper River in the north of
Ukraine and is regarded as the seat of
Slavic culture. In the 17th century, Ukraine and its capital Kiev were transferred to the
rule of Russia. This was a relationship that lasted centuries and caused as much
misery as it did
good fortune. By the time the Soviet Union collapsed, it was the union’s third city after Moscow and St Petersburg.
Since 1991,
money has
not flooded into Kiev in the same way as it has in
Moscow. Culturally and economically, Kiev appears
as the
older, more sober sister, of the brash Russian capital. For all the
flavor of a
former Soviet capital without the red tape (
no visas are
required), autocracy or petro-dollar pretension, Kiev is becoming
increasingly popular with tourists from Europe and the US. It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine Ukraine getting its wish of joining the EU in the future.
Meanwhile Kiev’s
influence reaches
far beyond Ukraine - famous Kievans include the co-founder of Israel,
Golda Meir, the writer
Mikhail Bulgakov, the model
Milla Jovovich and the footballer
Andriy Shevchenko, who was born in the region and began his professional career with Dynamo Kiev.
Today’s visitor to Kiev will be drawn to
Khreschatyk, the city’s equivalent of Oxford Street in London, which is the
main artery down to
Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the city’s
main square with its golden patron saint Archangel Michael beaming down from a 50m (164ft)
column.
At weekends the street is
pedestrianized, bringing a peaceful
buzz to a place with a colorful and
bloody past. The Red Army mined the buildings with explosives as they retreated from the invading Nazis and the 19th century ruins were replaced with
imposing Stalin-era neoclassical buildings after WWII.
At the end of 2004 pro-democracy protesters swarmed along the street as they camped out in protest at the rigged elections while the heroes of the
Orange Revolution, Victor Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko, addressed the crowds on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square).
Political differences still boil over in parliament from time to time. But for the casual traveller, squabbling in the
Verkhovna Rada, the country’s parliament, this does not affect the sense of
stately calm that prevails throughout Kiev.
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Related Kiev Content
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
Related Ukraine Content
The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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