The People’s Friendship Arch is one of Kyiv’s most iconic and controversial landmarks. The rainbow-shaped arch perches on a hill overlooking the Dnieper River and large parts of Kyiv. “Gifted” to Ukrainian SSR by the Soviet government in Moscow, it remains heavily associated with the USSR, and although it remains a tourist destination and local […]

Not unlike in any northern city that spends its winters under cloud cover, devoid of blue skies, sunlight, and Vitamin D for several months, the Spring in Kyiv is a magical time. People emerge from their homes, offices, and the cafe-bars where they’ve been hiding in mass numbers, desperate to soak in the precious rays […]

Delightfully for a girl from Montana, used to equally cold, dreary winters, the early days of March have been blessed with (as every Ukrainian that I know has insisted) unusually warm temperatures, sunshine, and a lot of snowmelt. From Kyiv’s plentiful mini parks, to streets, to porches,  it seems everyone in the city is basking […]

Holosiivs’kyi Park, named after M.T. Rylsky / Голосiiвський парк iменi М.Т. Рильського Holosiivsk’ky District Голосiiвський район Metro Station Голосiiвська (Blue Line) Monastery Website: Goloseevo.com.ua Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv website: www.univ.kiev.ua Various attractions within the park hold their own hours of operation, but the park itself is open to the public all day, every […]

Ukraine in Miniature/Украина в Миниатуры Park in Kyiv Brovarsky Avenue 9V, Hidropark/ Броварски 9В, Гидропарк 10:00 – 17:00 daily 10 hryvnias Kyiv boasts a rising skyline of new apartment complexes and an expanding metropolitan area of more than five million people, yet the city seems particularly interested with life in miniature. Not only is there […]

Tucked away in the outskirts of Kyiv, in the Holiivs’ki district, lies St. Pantelemion’s Cathedral and Feofaniya Park. This place makes for a great day away from the hustle and bustle of the city. First, be sure to step inside and admire the beauty of St. Pantelemion’s Cathedral. When looking at the gorgeous iconography, don’t […]

Parks and Recreation, Ukrainian Style: Fitness and Fun in Kiev Parks have long held a charming and often central place—literally and figuratively—in American city life. In my own personal experiences growing up in rural Indiana as well as traveling to New York City, parks have played a subtly important role, whether hosting small town baseball […]