Tuesday through Sunday from 12:00 until 21:00
Closed Monday
Admission is Free
AFTER seven decades of Soviet dominance, Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, has emerged as one of Europe’s most vibrant 21st-century cities. With a thriving contemporary art scene, a new generation of chefs taking innovative approaches to Ukrainian cuisine, and a delirious dance-til-dawn night life, Kiev — currently a co-host of the 2012 European Soccer Championship — is a weekend magnet for European and Russian fashionistas. But new cuisine and clubs are only the latest cultural attributes of a city that has more than its share of ancient catacombs, churches and monuments. Don’t let Kiev’s reputation as “the birthplace of the Slavs” conjure up stereotypes of Slavic dourness. For starters, the city looks as if it was painted like a Ukrainian Easter egg, with brightly colored buildings and gold domes glittering on the hills above the Dnieper River. And then there are the Kievans themselves — a resilient lot whose hearty sense of humor and a seemingly boundless hunger for fun are reflected in the city’s bustling cafes, thronged beaches and bars that never close.
Friday
2 p.m.
1. STADIUM SEAT TO HISTORY
A glance around stadium-shaped Independence Square, the city’s traditional nerve center, encapsulates much of Kiev’s history. Czarist, Beaux-Arts and Stalinist buildings represent the old, while the glass-enclosed Globus luxury mall (and McDonald’s) assert the new. The Slavic goddess Berehynia stands atop a towering column that replaced a Lenin monument. Grab a mug of the local brew, Obolon, at one of the sidewalk cafes and soak in the atmosphere. Street performers, students, vendors and political demonstrators all gravitate here. This was, after all, the setting for the Orange Revolution that brought democratic change to the country in 2004.
3 p.m.
2. NEW CONSTANTINOPLE
The bulbous green and gold domes of St. Sophia (24 Vladimirskaya Street; 380-44-228-2083), on the high ground of the old town, dominate Kiev’s skyline. Dating from the 11th century, the church was built to rival Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and echoes its name. Inside, it feels like a medieval man cave, with incense hanging thickly in the air, dramatic rays of light coming in through tiny windows, and monks, priests and novices scurrying back and forth in black frocks. Stick around long enough and you may hear prayer accompanied by the a cappella choral music for which the Ukrainians are renowned.
8 p.m.
3. FEED YOUR INNER PEASANT
Though the fake chickens, straw roof and wandering singers might seem over the top, the delicious Slavic dishes at Tsarske Selo (42/1 Ivan Mazepa Street, 380-44-288-9775; tsarske.kiev.ua) are the real deal — as evidenced by the locals who come here for a fancy night out. The restaurant is a celebration of hearty Ukrainian fare including pickled almost-anythings, borscht, the traditional grilled meats called shashlik and yes, if your cardiologist will let you, chicken Kiev. There’s also an extraordinary assortment of gorilka — Ukrainian vodka. A three-course dinner without drinks is 390 hryvnia about $50 at 7.80 hryvnia to the dollar.
11 p.m.
4. RAVES, TECHNO, HIP-HOP
Kiev’s nightclubs attract an international crowd of jet-setters for weekend bacchanals. At Arena (2A Basseynaya Street; 380-44-492-0000; arena-kiev.com), a vast techno spot, rich Russians mingle with local celebrities and trendsetters with cheekbones as high as the drink prices. The hip-hop at Patipa (Muzeyniy Pereulok 10; 380-44-252-0150; patipa.com) draws a younger crowd. At the Hydropark, open-air summer raves run by the likes of UA Beach Club (drive or take the metro to Hydropark Station and walk across the Venetian Bridge; beach-club.at.ua) keep the hordes dancing to house music as the sun rises over the Dnieper.
Saturday
10 a.m.
5. THEM BONES
Dress respectfully and start early to beat the weekend crowds to the Kievo-Pecherskaya Lavra (9 Lavrska Street; 380-44-280-3071; kplavra.kiev.ua), a Unesco World Heritage site. Pilgrims approach this sprawling monastery wearing icons and pictures of saints around their necks. Buy candles (2 hryvnia) at the entrances to the upper and lower catacombs, and follow the twisty subterranean tunnels past ancient glass-encased tombs of monks, many of them Orthodox saints, whose hands and feet occasionally stick out from their richly textured burial clothes. All is dramatically lighted by colorful hanging lanterns. After re-emerging into daylight, check out the elaborately gilded 11th-century Dormition Cathedral, reconstructed after its destruction in World War II.
Noon
6. IT’S A SMALL WORLD
A full chessboard on the head of a pin, a sand-grain-size working mechanical engine, a flea wearing golden shoes — these are some of the small miracles created by Mykola Syadristy, a self-taught master famed throughout the former Soviet Union. His miniatures are exhibited under microscopes at the Museum of Microminiatures (21 Ivan Mazepa Street; microart.kiev.ua; admission 10 hryvnia) on the monastery grounds next to the cathedral. The dapper Mr. Syadristy is often on hand himself to give tours of his unique museum and to describe how he created these micron-size projects “between heartbeats.”
1 p.m.
7. THE WAR AT HOME
From the monastery, take a 10-minute stroll on a park path through a grotto decorated with sculptures of muscular World War II fighters, to the base of the 203-foot-tall stainless steel Motherland statue. Designed by Yevgeny Vuchetich, it towers above the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War (24 Lavrska Street; 380-44-285-9452; warmuseum.kiev.ua). The museum galleries circle the statue’s base, displaying gruesome and heroic relics — gloves and soap made from concentration camp victims, captured weapons and banners — and detailing the epic toll the war took on Ukraine. Recent additions include a Christian cross made from gun parts dramatically juxtaposed against a giant dome decorated with Soviet Communist motifs.
2 p.m.
8. FOOD SHRINE
The Ukrainians are the Italians of Eastern Europe when it comes to the love of good food and a passion for the national cuisine. The venerable central food market Besarabsky Rynok (2 Besarabska Ploscha) is the source of ingredients for some of Kiev’s best dishes. The market, built in 1912, resembles a cavernous Victorian train station engulfing stands bursting with local cheeses, red and black caviar, pickles, wild boar and other game, borscht, vodka and other local treats. Vendors proffer enough samples to make a stroll through the market akin to a pass through an all-you-can-eat buffet.
7 p.m.
9. NIGHT IN THE MUSEUM
The Pinchuk Art Center (1/3-2, Block A, Velyka Vasylkivska; 380-44-590-0858; pinchukartcentre.org; free), a world-class center for contemporary art created by the Ukrainian steel billionaire Victor Pinchuk, stays open until 9 p.m. The collection of art by local and international superstars is astounding, but perhaps the most provocative installation is the fifth-floor bathroom, a neon-lighted funhouse with mirrors and windows providing sly glances between the men’s and women’s rooms. For dinner, head for the all-white, “Clockwork Orange”-like setting of the SkyArtCafe (380-44-561-7841) on the sixth floor, with its views over the city. Dinner without drinks is around 210 hryvnia. When the museum closes, SkyArtCafe become BarSky, a chic nightclub.
Sunday
11 a.m.
10. SLAVIC-CUBAN BRUNCH
If you’ve overindulged this weekend, Arbequina (4 Grinchenko Street; 380-44-223-9618), a pierogi’s throw from Independence Square, is the antidote. Its Cuban and Ukrainian chefs put a light touch to Slavic brunch with homemade pastries, pancakes made with cottage cheese, baked pumpkin, a mélange of imaginatively mixed fresh juices and, for an effective head-clearer, a miraculous concoction of fresh mint tea with lemon and honey. Take a seat on the terrace if the weather is good. Breakfast is around 95 hryvnia.
12:30 p.m.
11. RIO ON THE DNIEPER
About halfway across the scenic Parkovy pedestrian bridge from downtown to Trukhanov Island, you should begin to pick up the seductive aromas from dozens of barbecues. With its lovely beach and fine views of the city, the island is a favorite Kiev weekend spot. Swimming in the Dnieper has its hazards, given fluctuating levels of pollution. But the verdant island looks like a spot on the Mississippi, and the glamorously skimpy swimwear on some of the well-conditioned locals brings to mind Rio or Miami.
IF YOU GO
For over a century the centrally located Premier Palace (5-7/29 T. Shevchenka Boulevard; 380-44-244-1201; premier-palace.com) has been Kiev’s grand hotel. It has recently been immaculately renovated without sacrificing its Art Nouveau charm or its outstanding Russian and Ukrainian art collection. Doubles from $284.
A boutique hotel that opened five years ago on a quiet street near the opera, the Opera Hotel (53, B. Khmelnitskogo Street; 380-44-581-7070; opera-hotel.com) has elegant, theatrically themed rooms.
