Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It has been standing on steep hills overlooking the Dnipro River for more than 1,500 years. Only a handful of European cities can claim a history spanning such a long time. An ancient legend says, that Kyiv was founded by  three brothers Kyi, Schek and Khoryv and their sister Lybid, and it was named after the eldest brother Kyi. Since then, Kyiv has flourished into a valuable center of culture and civilization of East Europe. The city is the cradle of Eastern Orthodox Church where pilgrims from all over Ukraine and abroad come to offer up prayers in ancient Golden-domed cathedrals, churches and majestic monasteries. These unique monuments of high-spiritual aspirations, talent and consummate skills of people born at this land are rightfully claimed as masterpieces of ancient Rus and Ukrainian architecture. 

As the ñountry's administrative and financial center, Kyiv is a place for Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada), Presidential Administration, and ministries and governmental departments. Its financial part consists of the National Bank of Ukraine, as well as investment companies and funds, representative offices of foreign financial institutions, exchange markets, and over 150 commercial banks.
In Kyiv, more than 2,000 objects are placed in the list of historical, cultural, and architectural monuments.

Popular Places Visited by Tourists:

Kyiv-Pechersk (Caves) Lavra Monastery
The Dnipro hills are dominated by the greatest monument of Kyiv, the Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra, built almost a thousand years ago. A complex of churches, masterpieces of architecture by themselves, has been a holy place of worship, second Jerusalem for most Orthodox Christians. Famous for its catacombs with the saints' relics, Lavra is also called the Monastery of Caves. Kyiv these days is doing much to maintain, restore and in many cases newly construct its medieval architectural treasures. A good example of this activity is a complete renewal of the Lavra's Dormition Cathedral initially erected in XI c. This architectural masterpiece was  blown up during the World War II in 1941, the ancient art and jewelry collections owned by the Monastery damaged and robbed. In the year 2000 the Cathedral was completely rebuilt along with a number of other buildings of the Monastery which are museums now and open its historic treasures to the public.

St. Sophia Cathedral
Kyiv's Sophia has been called by scientists a perfect example of the synthesis of art, its thirteen gorgeous golden domes nicely blending with the city skyline. The Cathedral was built in XI c. by Prince Yaroslav the Wise in the years of Kyiv Rus prosperity, culture, and innovative growth. For centuries St. Sophia Cathedral was in the center of political, social and cultural life of the Old Rus. There Kyiv's princes were crowned, foreign ambassadors received, important political agreements concluded.   There the first in this part of the world library was founded by Prince Yaroslav, as well as a unique treasury.  In ancient times St. Sophia Cathedral also served as a necropolis. Sarcophagus of Yaroslav the Wise, the outstanding person in the history of Old Rus, is still kept there.  It was him who established dynastic relations with the leading European states of that time. His daughter Anna was Queen of France after marriage with King Henri I Capet in 1051. Among others the statue in honor of Queen Anna is still well preserved at the Alexander Bridge in Paris.

Volodymyr the Baptizer
On the slope of the Volodymyr Hill stands the imposing monument to Prince Volodymyr who is also called the Baptizer of Rus. He converted Kyivan Rus to Christianity in 988. The bronze statue was erected in 1853.

St. Michael of Golden Domes Cathedral
A true sign of spiritual renaissance in Ukraine is the rebuilding of the Kyiv's Mykhailivsky Zolotoverkhy (St. Michael of Golden Domes) Cathedral. Since the 12th century its glittering golden domes gave courage to the Kyiv Rus warriors defending the city from various invaders. But in the mid 30th last century it was totally destroyed during the furious atheistic campaign of the communist regime. In the year 2000-2001 in strict accordance with old drawings the Monastery was rebuilt with the hands of the outstanding Ukrainian architects. They did a good job putting together patiently mosaics piece by piece and mural paintings as written in old books...  And now everyone is being mesmerized by this distinctive marvel of human ability.
 
Golden Gate
This fortified wall, defining the limits of the city and serving as a protective barrier from invaders in the centuries past, dates back to 1037, the reign of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. The place was restored to its present condition in 1983, and it now serves as the Golden Gate historical museum. The structure is located in downtown Kyiv, just outside the Zoloti Vorota metro station.

St. Nicolas Catholic Cathedral
The cathedral was built in 1899-1909 by the architect Vladislav Horotetsky. The building is placed on one of the central streets (Chervonoarmiyska st.), and it can be easily recognized by its distinctive Gothic style and a pair of beautiful needle towers. It was restored in 1980 and now is used as both the church where Roman Catholic services are held and the concert hall for organ music.

Volodymyr Cathedral
The structure of this Russian Orthodox Church which was built in 1882 reflects features of the Neo-Byzantine style. The murals of the church interior done by famous Russian painters present considerable artistic significance. The mosaics of the authorship of Venetian masters and the choir music performed in the cathedral are not to be missed. The building is located on one of city's central streets, Tarasa Shevchenka blvd.

Mariyinsky Palace
The gorgeous blue-and-cream palace designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli was built in 1750 under the supervision of Russian architect Ivan Michurin and is located on top of the hill in a beautiful park. The magnificent building was used as Kyiv residence of the Tsar family. Today the palace is used for official state receptions such as presidential meetings and international conferences. It is open to tourist groups by appointment as well.

Khreschatyk
Khreschatyk is the main street in Kyiv. It was recently renovated into one of the most scenic and beautiful places that combines the features of a busy business center with the historical architectural design of buildings. The street leads to Maidan Nezalezhnosti (The Independence Square), the city's main square and one of the most popular places of meetings. On weekends, the traffic is blocked on Khreschatyk, and visitors can enjoy a nice walk right in the middle of the street.

National Opera House
The Theater is located in downtown Kyiv, near  Khreschatyk Street. The beautiful exterior of the building is supported by the majestic interior design. Opened in 1901, it was considered the 3rd in Russian Empire after Moscow and St. Petersburg Operas. And it has been rightfully placed among the best theater houses in Europe. Much of the theater's creative efforts are concentrated on productions of classical Ukrainian and Russian operas and ballets. Professional actors, creative lighting, and bright decorations leave the most memorable impression about Ukraine's dramatic art.

Andriyivsky Uzviz (Andriyivsky Descent)
The most ancient and steep street in Kyiv, Andriyivsky Uzviz, is Kyivites' favorite place for outdoor fairs, festivals, and concerts. Art galleries, shops, and studios make Andriyivsky Uzviz the best place to shop for Ukrainian crafts and artworks. Cultural museums located here reveal the history of the legendary street and of the whole Kyiv. Overlooking Andriyivsky Uzviz and Podil, the old section of Kyiv, stands the Ukrainian Baroque church of St. Andrew designed in 1754 by the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. This five-domed church remains the major adornment of the upper city. The Castle of Richard in the modernized Gothic style built in 1902 is Andriyivsky Uzviz' another distinctive feature. The building is currently being reconstructed into a hotel.

The Horodetskyi Building
One of the most interesting buildings in Kyiv is located in a very quiet part of the downtown (Bankova Str.). A well-known architect Vladyslav Horodetskyi built the house as a private residence in 1902-1903. The walls and the roof of the structure are decorated with intricate sculptural ornaments of mythological and hunting themes. The building is among the most fascinating architectural pieces in Kyiv, the viewers are being mesmerized by its fairy-tale atmosphere.

Podillya is the historic term used to describe the central western part of modern Ukraine. It partially encompasses three oblasts (administrative regions) - Vinnitsa, Khmelnitsky and Ternopil.

This land is a bit off the traditional routes offered to tourists, but in our opinion that's a big mistake and major injustice, because Podillya is blessed by exceptional nature, exclusive historical sites (including 'World Heritage' listed attractions), and people who are inventive and romantic at heart. Podillya could be the key to unlocking an easy, relaxing holiday that truly takes you away.
 
Let us guide you through some most scenic Podillya attractions, including  fairytale medieval castles and fortresses, famous Orthodox monasteries, and the secret of mausoleum of a world renowned doctor.

After crossing the Slovakian-Ukrainian border and on the way from town of Uzhghorod to Rahiv in Western Ukraine you will probably notice a sign which says the following: " A permanent, precise, eternal place. The Center of Europe, defined with great precision by means of a special device made in Austria and Hungary with a scale of meridians and parallels. Year 1887".

The Carpathian Region is one of the best tourist attractions in Ukraine. The Carpathian Mountains with their powerful fur-tree and beech woods, fast water steams, sparkling waterfalls, transparent lakes, picturesque valleys called "polonyna" by natives, colorful towns and villages have long been admired by travelers.

The Carpathian region is a crossroad of various cultures: Ukrainian, German, Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Russian, and Jewish. This land has much of a turbulent history. Here flags have changed more often that generations. This area once was a part of Halytsko-Volynske Principality, afterwards under Austrian Empire. This had caused its towns to have a typical European look. A great number of old monasteries and cathedrals of various religious confessions, pre-history ethnic settlements, medieval palaces and fortresses  have been preserved in this land since ancient times. The Khotyn Fortress (XI-XIII c.c.), is known in history to be the place of united Slavic tribes to have won over 150 thousand Turkish army and have protected Western Europe from enslavement.

A legendary city of Lviv founded in XIII century is a real open air museum with numerous cultural, architectural landmarks of different epochs. Most known among them are St. Nicolas Church (XIII c.), St. Bernard's Monastery, Armenian Church (XIV-XV c.c.), St. George Cathedral (XVIII c.).
 
 A unique museum especially constructed to preserve and exhibit Easter egg paintings is awaiting for you in a small town of Kolomya. The museum was constructed in a shape of an Easter egg made of colorful glass. It is also called a Stained-Glass Easter Egg. The Museum owns a collection of over 6000 exhibits. Its masters have invented  methods of Easter eggs maintenance and restoration.

The Carpathians biggest lake is the fabulous Synevir. The legend says it appeared in result of a true love of a girl named Syn' and a lad called Vir.  And since then those who declared of love at this place would never fall apart.

Nearby the tiny town of Hust lies the Valley of Narcissuses. The only chance to see the untouched reserve of this tender flower in Europe is here .

And if you are interested in caves, you should visit a unique natural labyrinth of the Cinderella Cave not far from town of Podvirne. By now just 85 km of the labyrinth have been explored. Even though it is third among gypseous and eleventh of all world's caves by its length. According to Ukrainian speleologists, Cinderella will soon overtake the longest in the world The Mammoth Cave. Alongside with its fascinating architecture, the Cave has a mystery of its own - a rare mineral bjornescit, its composition being still a subject to scientific research. Before the Cave was disclosed this mineral had been found only in oceanic bottoms, so that on the surface it can be seen only here.

In the Carpathians one can combine a relaxation in harmony with nature, variable cognitive opportunities with decent recreation. This area has long been famous for its mineral springs. Only in Trans-Carpathian region they number over 400. A well known Ukrainian "water" resort is Truskavets with its unique curing mineral water "Naftusia" famous for its organic composition.

The Carpathians also mean  mountain climbing, horse riding; in winter they offer skiing and sledging. So you are welcome here any season.

The Crimean Peninsula located in the South of Ukraine has always been a crossroad between East and West, a clot of history of Byzantium and  Golden Horde, Tatars and Cossacks, first Christian churches and mosques. Archeologists claim humans first appeared in this area dozens of thousand years ago. Crimea had attracted Cimmerians, Scythians, Hellenes, Goths and other ancient tribes. The Crimean Peninsula was a strategic point of the Great Silky Way. A great number of peoples have walked over Crimean roads contributing their customs and traditions to this land. 

This is a unique combination of mountains and the sea, rivers and lakes, boundless steppes and abundant forests. Located almost in the equidistance from equator and the North Pole the Peninsula is washed by waters of the Black Sea and the  Sea of Azov. Owing to the Crimean Mountains a subtropical oasis appeared on the Southern coast of the Peninsula. The Crimean Southern coast is not inferior to Nice and other Mediterranean resorts in respect of sunny days in a year. The coast will greet you with typical subtropical flora like palm trees, figs, and magnolia. In Crimea one can obviously find a small plant - dictamnus angustifolius educing flammable ether exhalations without flame touching the plant. The Bible says that God first appeared to Moses exactly out of this plant. The coast also preserves the pre-glacial flora such as pistachio, and juniper trees close to a millennium of age. A well-known Nikitsky Botanical Garden near Yalta has a collection of 1400 species and 300 varieties of plants representing a full range of world's flora.

The Crimean shores keep numerous landmarks such as ancient settlements, hidden towns and sanctuaries, monasteries and mosques, ruins of Chersoneses in Sevastopol, Byzantine  fortresses in Alushta Valley, Genoese fortifications near Sudak and Balacklava, Vorontsovsky, Massandra, and Imperial Livadia palaces turned into museums, The Swallow Nest Castle located on a steep rock.

Walking along the seashore one can nothing but admire the mountain landscapes. The great Crimean Canyon is considered a natural wonder. Here travelers will find basins and baths struck by water streams. The most known of them is The Bath of Youth with C11 degrees water temperature all year round.

The 150-170 million years old Karadag Vulcan amazes with its peaks, walls, towers and grottoes. The Jemerji Mountain Top changes its color through a day. Fantastic monsters, stone idols, strange birds and animals can be seen on its steep slopes. This is the Ghost Valley guarded by a magnificent statue of the Mountain Guard.
Crimea boasts its caves which number some 900. The Marble Cave on slopes of the Chatyrdag Plato is among Europe's top-five most beautiful, well maintained and well-serviced caves.

You, too, are invited to discover the charming and eternal beauty of Crimea created by Nature and by Man.

Different peoples left behind a multitude of fortification structures on the Ukrainian lands throughout the ages. The fortresses and majestic castles have a history, legendary aura and destiny all their own. In the western part of the country quite a few castles of the 11th-17th centuries have survived to our days. They were alternately possessed by the Poles, Austro-Hungarians, Lithuanians and Russians. The fortress at Kamianets-Podilsky is among Europe’s matchless strongholds of the Middle Ages. It dominates a meandering canyon with the river Smotrych murmuring at the bottom. The tourist is warned not to fall under the beguiling spell of the narrow streets, mysterious looking walls, palaces, monasteries and churches. The castle at Mukacheve in Transcarpathia crowns a steep hill. Throughout the centuries conquerors invested the castle time and again, but only a few managed to force its defenders into submission. After the fall of the  Bastille in Paris, the Mukacheve Castle became Europe’s biggest political prison. A no less fascinating experience will be a tour of the castles at Olesko and Zolochiv in Lviv Region, the fortress at Khotyn in Chernivtsi Region, and in the town of Zhovkva. In the valley watered by the Southern Buh and Buzhok rivers towers the grand fortress at Medzhybizh, Khmelnytsky Region.

The Akkerman fortress at Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky is a dominating feature along the Dniester River in the southern part of Odessa Region. Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky developed on the site of Tyras, a town founded by the ancient Greeks two and a half thousand years ago, about the same time when Rome, Athens and Jerusalem were built. Sited along the Black Sea shores are a number of Genoese fortified outposts. The Genoese fortress at Sudak is perhaps the best preserved. The tourist will be advised to travel to the Crimean inland to be introduced to something that is quite unusual for Europeans – the cave cities of Mangup, Chufut-Kale, Seki-Kermen and Tepe-Kermen.

When tired of  your hectic life in  a big and stuffy city you strive to get closer to nature, feel its intrinsic beauty, find something unusual or experience some adventure  - Ukraine is the right place. The country owns a great variety of nature resources. Over 370 of "natural wonders" have been put on the List of National Heritage Sites and are protected by the state. We have chosen for your attention just a few most scenic attractions created by nature of Ukraine.

The Shatsky Lakes

The country has a wealth of rivers. More than a hundred of them are longer than 100 km. The longest among them are Dnepr, Dnister, Danube, Southern Buh. But even wealthier is Ukraine on its lakes which are over 3000 throughout the country. They are located mostly in the area of Volyn, the Black Sea lowlands and the Crimean Peninsula.

One of the most picturesque lake collections are the Shatsky Lakes called "the Blue Eyes of Volyn". This fascinating water system consists of near 300 lakes. The largest is called Svityaz. It is bigger than Hungarian Balaton and deeper than the Azov See. It is a pure artesian spring spread on 28 sq. km. Its waters are so clean that you could see a coin on a depth of 12 meters. Svityaz together with other 22 lakes are a part of the National Nature Park with diverse flora and fauna, warm  and tender climate.  Everything breathes nothing but pure natural beauty, so that no matter how good a photographer you are, you would hardly convey this feeling of purity in full.

The entire Park area is also a known SPA-resort providing resources for therapeutic mud-baths, mineral springs that favor tourism and recreation all year round. In order to preserve the region's nature resources a special investment policy for the Shatsky National nature park has been worked out by the state. A favorable climate is being created to attract foreign investments and technologies for refurbishment of the existing medicinal infrastructure, and construction of new facilities such as rest-centers, holiday-homes, tourist campings, etc. on the principles of minimum negative impact on the environment.

Askania Nova Nature Reserve

Welcome to the untouched Ukrainian feather-grass steppe of the Askania Nova Nature Reserve, the only place in the entire Eurasian Continent where such plant is preserved. A traveler can walk knee-high in the silvery-gray exotic grass of Askania not even knowing that it's one of the most rare flora in the world.

But the place is famous not only for its grass. Askania's rich fauna is above all expectations. Bizons, buffalos, zebraz, Scottish ponies coexist peacefully in the feather-grass. Nevertheless, Askania's favorite is the Perzhevalsky horse. There are some 100 Perzhevalsky horses in Askania out of 1 300 left in the whole world. Ukraine is considered the second motherland for this rare Asian wild animal.

The nature reserve not far from the Black Sea was founded by German colonist Friederich Pfaltz-Fein in 1856.  The present-day collection of the Ascania Zoo includes 5000 heads of 110 species of unthreatened animals and birds from America and Africa, Asia and Europe, most of them coming from steppes, savannas and prairies. The Park is often called a Kingdom of Birds since it has lots of rare and heavenly beautiful swans, pheasants, ostriches, crown-billed cranes, peacocks - near 5 000 inhabitants in total.

Travelers can go on a photo-safari around the Park to take home a piece of this Kingdom. or on  in the Big Chapel Valley. Here the fans of ecological  tourism can go  horse-riding and enjoy with an utmost pleasure their stay amidst the virgin wilderness of nature.

Sophiyevka

A few countries can boast a dendrological park like the one located in a small town of Uman that is on the way from Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, to the Black Sea shore of Odessa.  This world's recognized architecture, landscape and parking masterpiece is called Sofiyevka, a  perfect combination of water, land, buildings and sculptures.

The park was founded in 1796 by a Polish count Pototsky to honor his wife Sophia, Greek by origin and fabulously beautiful. It was her who brought in an idea of creating a park in romantic style using ancient Roman and Greek myths, characters of famous Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey".

Spread over an area of 170 hectares Sophiyevka amuses with marvelous landscapes, exotic plants, antique sculptures, architectural ensembles, hand-made grottoes, cascades of lakes, waterfalls and fountains. You can find here the English park with the richest collection of plants from numerous countries of the world, which all of a sudden borders with Les Champs-Elysees and a Chinese Pagoda. Whatever season you enter Sofiyevka you will obviously find yourself in a poetic, exquisite fairyland.