Discover Kyiv’s hidden treasures: Unique spots and museum opening for visitors
The historic center of Kyiv hides some unique objects that can be discovered by tourists (photo: Getty Images)
Kyiv is like a layered cake – it has many layers. And nearly every spot in the city is fascinating, with buildings that can tell their own unique stories.
That’s according to Yegor Kravets, a researcher of history and architecture, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
What unique sites in Kyiv are set to open for tourists
According to the expert, modern events are closely intertwined with Kyiv’s ancient history.
"In the center of Kyiv, wherever you dig, you’ll almost always find remnants of the Kyivan Rus city," he added.
For example, in the 1980s, during the construction of the metro line in the Podil district (where Kontraktova Square is now), wooden houses dating back to the 10th–11th centuries were discovered.
Historical buildings discovered during construction (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
In addition, some lesser-known places for tourists can be found near St. Michael’s Cathedral.
"On the grounds of St. Michael’s, there is a refectory church with a wooden roof. That used to be a standard in Kyiv," Kravets shared.
A unique church on the grounds of the St. Michael’s Monastery (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
He noted that the building itself has been preserved since the Hetmanate era.
"This is early 18th-century baroque. In the 1990s, only the wooden shingle domes were restored. If you don’t focus on the dome, it’s easy to imagine how wealthy Kyiv residents during the time of Khmelnytskyi, Mazepa, and later the Rozumovskyis lived in houses with similar architecture," the researcher explained.
In addition, a historic cellar is located nearby, with "corridors stretching about a hundred meters."
Entrance to the historic cellar (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
"Back in the day, the monastery brethren stored various utensils and food there. Interestingly, even in modern times, the monks also used to keep potatoes down there," the expert noted.
This is how the cellar looks from the outside (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
He also noted that the "Ancient Kyiv" reserve now plans to organize tours to this site.
"When our colleague Roman Malenkov became its head, we started studying the documents more closely and gained access to various places that had previously been closed off. He now plans to open them to the public," Kravets explained.
Near the cathedral, you can also see a dome covering the remains of the monastery's gate church, which dates back to the late 12th century.
"And in Kyiv, this is the only place where ancient walls made of plinth bricks are exposed up to more than 80 centimeters in height. Archaeological work is currently underway inside the pavilion, but it will also become a museum soon," the expert emphasized.
Finally, he noted that it’s hard to imagine "how the Soviet authorities had the audacity to demolish the majestic St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral and its neighbor—the 900-year-old Church of the Three Holy Hierarchs—to build a Stalinist government center with a colossal monument to Lenin in the middle."
"Fortunately, they only managed to erect what is now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building," the historian and architecture researcher concluded.
The building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the historic center of Kyiv (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
