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Andriyivsky Descent/Andriyivsky uzviz
The best way to get to the Andriyivsky descent, one of the most popular streets in Kiev, is from the Poshtova Ploshcha Metro. To reach the bluff where the descent begins, take the funicular (cable car) located at the bottom of the hill, just outside the subway. When you reach the top, walk straight to the square ahead of you. The building directly ahead of you contains the new BRAMA Contemporary Arts Center. From there, veer right down the steps to the square and cross over to Desyatinna Street, named for the Desyatinna Cerkva (Tithe Church) or Church of the Holy Virgin (989) that once stood at the end of this short street. At the end of the street, veer to the left to the middle of the block and wade through of street vendors and tourists up a flight of stairs and you'll find the outline of the church's foundation, which was reconstructed with red granite. Looking to the right past the site of Desyatinna Cerkva, you'll see the Historical Museum, located on the bluff. The museum's extensive consists of 8 sections dealing with different aspects of Ukraine's history. Behind the museum there is a path that provides a good view of Podil, Kiev's lower town from the highest point of old Kiev.
Podil
The Podil District is very different from the Khreshchatik, which is dominated by the monumental architecture of the Stalinist Era. A stroll through the Podil's narrow, quaint streets gives you a sense of life in Old Kiev, when, before the revolution, the Podil was inhabited by merchants and craftsmen. From the bottom of Andriyivsky Uzviz, go straight one block to Petra Sahaidachnovo Street. From here, you can return to the Khreshchatik by turning right and walking a few blocks to Poshtova Ploshcha Metro (Blue Line). To tour the Podil, turn left on Petra Sahaidachnovo Street. On your left starts the broad, long Kontraktova Ploshcha (Contractor's Square). Immediately on your left, at No. 4, is the Hostinny Dvir shopping arcade, built in 1809 by the architect L. Ruska. Near the northwest corner of the building, is the Fountain of Samson, constructed in 1749 by the famous Ukrainian architect Ivan Hryhorovych-Barsky. There are many legends connected with this fountain. According toone of them, a person who drinks fountain's water will settle in Kiev for good. At Kontraktova Ploshcha No. 2 stands the Kontraktovy Dim (Contractor's House), which gives the square its name. It was built in 1817 expressly asa a headquarters for negotiating contracts.
Ukrainian wooden cathedrals. The church is currently being remodelled but is open for services on Saturdays at 9 AM and 5 PM and Sundays at 10 AM. Turn left at the church onto Pritisko-Mikilska. Flofrivski Monastir (St. Flor's Convent) is just a few steps down the street on your right at No. 6/8. This is a functioning convent, whose history dates back from the 15th century. Enter the convent through the Bell-Tower Gates, designed by Andre Melensky in the 1824. The Convent's complex consists of the Voznesenska Cerkva (Church of Ascension), 1722-32, the two-story Refectory, the Bell-Tower (1740) and the House of the Mother-Superior. The 19th century paintings of this beautiful church have been preserved and rate a visit. As you exit through the bell tower on your left No. 7 vul. Pritisko-Mikils'ka is one of Kiev's first apothecaries, 1728. Restored to its original appearance, the building contains a functioning pharmacy, as well as a museum devoted to the history of medicine. Tel.: 416-2437. Open, Tuesday - Sunday, 9 AM to 4 PM. To reach the nearest metro, return in the general direction of Peter the Great's House, turn right onto Kostuantinivska Street and follow the tram tracks bearing to the left two blocks to Metro Station Kontraktova Ploshcha (Blue Line). Here you can catch the metro to all parts of the city as well.
Pechersk
Southeast of the main center of Kiev, spread over two large hills along the banks of the Dnieper, is the Kiev-Perchersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves). To reach the monastery, take the metro to Arsenalna Station (Red Line), exit and cross the street and take Trolley bus 20 two stops. 21 Sichnevoho Povstannya. Tel., 290- 7349. Hours, 10 AM - 6 PM, closed Tuesday.
Kiev Pecherska Lavra Monastery is a "must see" visit while in Kiev. This twenty-eight hector functioning monastery contains numerous churches, towers, a printing works, miles of maze like underground tunnels containing numerous churches, ancient crypts, ecclesiastical objects, and some of Kiev's riches museums. Among the museums are the Museum of Historical Treasures, the Museum of Ukrainian Decorative and Applied Art, and the Museum of Ukrainian Books and Printing, where Russia's first printing press was established. To begin your excursion of the monastery, purchase your ticket just outside the majestic blue and gold archway of the Trinity Gate Church (1108). Please note, tickets for the Museum of Historical Treasures, the Bell Tower, and the Caves, where you buy a candle in lieu of a ticket, must be purchased at those respective sites. Excellent English, Russian, Ukrainian, French, German, and Spanish tour guides are available just inside the gates in the long building to your left. Should you elect to "see it on your own", the monastery offers a variety of reasonably priced, informative, brochures in English, which provide detailed information about the exhibits. If time permits, set aside a full day to see this magnificent and fascinating part of Kiev's long history.
"Lavra" is the term used by the Orthodox Church for its largest monastery. Pecherska Lavra was one of the most famous monasteries in historical Kievan-Rus and the former Russian Empire. A site of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians throughout Europe, for centuries it was Orthodox Christianity's "Rome". Founded in 1051 by monks Antony and Feodosiy, the primary goal of the monastery was to spread the newly adopted Christian religion. A cave is "pechera" in Ukrainian, hence the name of monastery. Monks worshipped and lived in the caves which still can be visited. The monks were also buried in these caves. The mixture of the cool temperatures and humid atmosphere of the caves allowed the bodies of the dead to mummify. At the time of monastery foundation, this appeared to be a miracle, enhancing the monastery's prestige. Even today,their bodies remain almost perfectly preserved. In 12th century, Lavra became a leading religious and cultural center of Eastern Europe. Lavra had icon-painting studios and a scriptorium where works of ancient and contemporary foreign writers were translated into Slavic. Outstanding figures of Kievan-Rus, including writers Nikon, Feodosiy Pechersky, Polikarp, and Yakov Mnikh, the great physician, Agapit, and the artist, Alimpiy, lived and worked here. The historian Nestor wrote the renowned old Slavic Chronicle, "The Story of Bygone Days", while living in the monastery. Archeological excavations of the 1950's revealed that the monastery housed a workshop which produced mosaics that decorated many Kievan churches.
Pyrohovo Village
Pyrohovo Village (The Ukrainian Museum of Folk Architecture and Peasant Homes). This open air museum offers an exciting walk through history into Ukrainian homes, barns, mills, and wells typical of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The majority of the, buildings are original and were moved here for restoration. Exhibits include traditional Ukrainian clothing, housewares, and ceramics. The most ancient of artifacts date to the 16th and 17th centuries. English speaking guides are available.It's a very pleasant way to spend an entire day.
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