Kiev

It was a pleasure to take the fast train from Lviv to Kiev. Our seats were great; in a new-ish 3 x 3 across car. The 15 or 16 car train rolled along at speeds up to 155 kmh and made just a handful of stops. Although it was an uphill walk from Kiev Station to city center, we settled in a older hotel near the Opera House and soon were touring the city, the capital of Ukraine.

Kiev had a few surprises for us. One, it seems that one is always either walking up or down a long hill. Two, the many cafes and restaurants are busy with local customers, not tourists. Three, one is definitely not quite in Europe anymore.

Being a capital city, the architecture of Kiev ranges from stodgy government buildings and monuments to beautiful Art Nouveau churches. Lots of photos follow. Enjoy!

On the platform in Lviv station, coffee in hand, waiting for our 6:07 to Kiev/Kyiv (left) to pull out.


In route.






Kiev Station.


Our neighbor the Opera House.


Independence Square is the center of Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine, complete with monumental monuments, souvenir hawkers, and tourists of all types ie locals and foreigners.




And the nearby Friendship with Russia monument - not friends today.


Viewpoint overlooking the Dnieper River.




Saint Vladimir Monument and river view.




St Michael's was torn down by the government in the late 1930's and recently rebuilt.


View from St Michael's to St Sophia's.




And a tasty dinner with a Ukrainian beer at Dacha Restaurant next to our hotel.




Our hotel was very close to St Volodymyr's Cathedral; the mother cathedral of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.





We started our 2nd day in Kiev with a ride on the Kiev Metro, said to be the deepest metro (subway) in the world. Wow!


After 2 very long, seemingly endless escalator rides down, the station and the old 5-car train was a bit underwhelming.


Followed by a long ride up a series of escalators. Very cool indeed. Although when you ride just a few stops, as we did it, seems that half of trip was spent on the escalators. ;-)


A video production of some sort at the Eternal Flame.


Looking back to the Eternal Flame.


We rode the Metro in order to visit the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, one of the highlights of the city. Although after visiting the first cave with dark narrow passages in which the mummified bodies of monks are entombed we opted to forgo further caves and just enjoy the buildings and grounds. This photo is of the Upper Gate.


Looking across the grounds.




There were more than a few churches in the Monastery. Our favorite was the Church of the Refectory with its Art Nouveau interior.






Walking along the river to catch the Metro back to town.






Lunch Ukraine-style at Puzata Hata.


House with Chimaeras.


House of the Weeping Widow.


A modern skyscraper.


Typical downtown scene.


Restored Synagogue.


National Opera House.


Sun-Ling likes it when we have a hotel room with a window seat.


More Art Nouveau.


We finally make it into St Sophia's, another church that charges an entrance fee and then closely guards its treasures ie "no photos". At first we thought ho-hum but then made it up to the galleries where the frescoes and mosaics revealed their yellow, green, and blue beauty. Sorry no photos inside.


The old firehouse.




The 2nd synagogue we walked by has an active Jewish community.


We ride the funicular.


And the Ukrainian word for funicular is funicular just with a different alphabet.


And thanks for staying with me to the end!