United States
Ukraine Travel and Destination Guide
PLACES TO SEE
Kyiv
Founded in the 5th century, Kyiv is the mother city of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. All three descend from Kyivan Rus, the Slavic super-state that existed from the 9th to the 11th centuries. Kyiv has survived Mongol invasions, devastating fires, communist urban planning and the destruction of WWII.
Odesa
Odesa is a curious mix of enticing seaside holiday retreat and polluted industrial port. A long-time Black Sea shipping centre and southern Ukraine urban giant, the city is famous for its role in the 1905 revolution, when the mutinous battleship Potemkin Tavrichesky supported rebellious workers.
Great Livadia Palace
In February 1945 Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill held their Yalta Conference in the Great Livadia Palace, an Italian-Renaissance-style building constructed as a summer residence for the last Russian emperor, Nicholas I. The palace features photos and memorabilia about this historic event, as well as displays about the palace's original owner.
St Sophia Cathedral & Monastery
Built from 1017 to 1031 and named after Hagia Sofia Cathedral in Istanbul, the Byzantine plan and decoration of St Sophia's Cathedral announced the new religious and political authority of Kyiv. Prince Yaroslav himself is buried here. The most memorable aspect of a visit here is the cathedral's interior, where there are 11th-century mosaics and frescoes.
Caves Monastery
Rolling across acres of wooded slopes above the Dnipro, the Caves Monastery, also known as the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, deserves at least a half-day. It is the single most popular tourist site in the city, a highlight of visiting Ukraine and arguably the spiritual heart of the Ukrainian people.
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