Back in 2016, I was doing a massive cross-euro tour (about 20 countries), and Ukraine was on my list of places to visit. I stayed in Kyiv at that time for a mere 2 weeks.
So for the Summer of 2019, I decided to tag along for the sake of networking with like-minded individuals focused on business and self-development while enjoying what Kyiv, Ukraine has to offer!
Kyiv, Ukraine Photos
Kyiv itself has ups and downs as a city, but generally, it’s the experience you make of it.
The traffic is insane and dangerous, there are no real rules for parking (you can park anywhere), and some of the streets even in the downtown core, are absolutely trash. Also, renting here through Airbnb as a foreigner is overpriced.
Downtown Kyiv. Mid-range expensive cars are not in short supply
On the other hand, Kyiv is inexpensive as a foreigner, and generally very safe, and has an awesome nightlife on the weekends.
Also the Ukrainians who speak English are very friendly and accommodating, and the salsa scene here is very strong!
It’s also a great entry into the ex-Soviet states, without needing a complicated Visa.
Uber and Glovo drivers await their next delivery in Kyiv
Looking towards Gulliver Shopping center in downtown Kyiv
Old architecture with a new advertising banner on top in Kyiv
Khreschatyk St in Kyiv
A casual drink next to Khreschatyk St Fountain in Kyiv
A soviet building (as seen in the Chernobyl Series), on Khreschatyk St
Practicing Chinese meditation on Khreschatyk St
Putin toilet paper. Ukrainians are clearly not fans of Russia anymore
A traditionally dressed Ukranian man plays his instrument on Khreschatyk St
The Founders of Kyiv Monument
Independence Square in Kyiv (Майдан Незалежності)
Leonidas posing in front of the The Founders of Kyiv Monument (Пам’ятник засновникам Києва)
The Founders of Kyiv Monument (Пам’ятник засновникам Києва)
A different Day at Maidan
A different Day at Maidan
A poor homeless woman begs for money in the center of Kyiv
Khreschatyk St, Kyiv
Statue beside the Friendship of Nations Arch (Арка дружби народів)
Statue beside the Friendship of Nations Arch (Арка дружби народів)
The soviet star above the Friendship of Nations Arch (Арка дружби народів)
Kyiv River Port
Overlooking the Dnieper
Overlooking the Dnieper
Volodymyr The Great Monument (Пам’ятник Володимиру Великому). “Vladimir the Great was a prince of Novgorod, grand Prince of Kiev, and ruler of Kievan Rus’ from 980 to 1015. Vladimir’s father was prince Sviatoslav of the Rurik dynasty. (Wikipedia)
St. Andrew’s Church – 18th Century Church (Андріївська церква)
Andriivs’kyi Descent. One of the oldest neighborhoods in Kyiv
A fancy car in Andriivs’kyi Descent
Graffiti was not spared in the oldest neighborhood of Kyiv. Andriivs’kyi descent
Andriivs’kyi descent
A Casual Sunny Day In Kyiv
Kyiv also has a beach along the Dnieper River. Most people are conflicted as to whether they can swim there or not, since it receives run-off from the entire city, and run along the Chernobyl reactor several kilometers upstream.
Casual sunday at the Municipal beach “Central” Муніципальний пляж “Центральний”
Casual sunday at the Municipal beach “Central” Муніципальний пляж “Центральний”
“Metro” Bridge. Міст Метро. One of the oldest bridges in Kyiv
The newly built bridge overlooking the city of Kyiv
A bridge across the Dnieper
The right side of Kyiv (the sleeping zone)
Soldiers show their physical prowess for the public
Downtown Kyiv from a secret Rooftop
Leonidas’ new ride around town. The Lada Vaz
A woman sells fruits along a busy street in downtown Kyiv
Kyiv has some of the deepest metros in the world
No Shortage of The Display Of Victory
Like all soviet countries, there is World War 2 (The Great Patriotic War) equipment on display everywhere. This is to showcase the success of the soviet system on overcoming one of the most difficult times in human history.
The Mil Mi-24 Soviet attack helicopter on display for the public
Leonidas piloting the Mil Mi-24 soviet attack helicopter
A T-34 tank on display.
Soviet tanks on display
A WW2 soviet cargo plane. Douglas C-47 (given to the soviets?)
A WW2 soviet cargo plane. Douglas C-47 (given to the soviets?)
Soviet Artillery during WW2
Soviet Artillery during WW2
Leonidas with Italian friends in front of the Motherland Statue
Statues for the Great Patriotic War
Leonidas standing atop a T-64
Inside the Motherland Statue Museum
Showcased in this museum are equipment brought back from the current battle front with Russia, from the Donetsk region. But the majority of the museum showcases images and relics from the second world war.
A wagon shot up from the battle front
A jeep attacked on the war front with Russia during the current Ukraine-Russia conflict
The Great Patriotic War
“The Soviet Union paid the harshest price: though the numbers are not exact, an estimated 26 million Soviet citizens died during World War II, including as many as 11 million soldiers. At the same time, the Germans suffered three-quarters of their wartime losses fighting the Red Army. WashingtonPost”
Ukrainians being displaced during the war
Soviet soldiers marching towards the battle front
Downtown Kyiv? during the war
Soviet soldiers marching to the battle front
A metal casting of the conflict and victory during the war
Prisoners of war and victims of the Holocaust
Victims of the second world war
11 Million soldiers from the Soviet union died during WW2
Mobilization of the Soviet war machine
Mobilization of the Soviet war machine
The crest of Ukraine
A photo memorial of the civilians and soldiers who died in World War 2 on the soviet side
A photo memorial of the civilians and soldiers who died in World War 2 on the soviet side
A photo memorial of the civilians and soldiers who died in World War 2 on the soviet side
Soviet victory decorations
Soviets march in Victory through a completely destroyed city
USSR – Victory medal adorning the roof of the Motherland Statue Museum
USSR – Victory medal adorning the roof of the Motherland Statue Museum
The Motherland Statue in Kyiv
The Motherland Statue in Kyiv
The statues of War and Soviet victory for World War 2
The statues of War and Soviet victory for World War 2
Religion in Ukraine
75% Of religious Ukrainians practice Orthodox Christianity, while 23% Practice Catholicism, and 2% everything else.
The hillside of the Dnieper River is absolutely covered in Churches, so I will make a few mistakes in naming these.
The golden spires of a Monastery or Church in Kyiv
A newly built or reconstructed church in Kyiv
Feodosiyivskyy Monastery (Феодосіївський монастир ПЦУ)
Pechersk Lavra monastery
Pechersk Lavra monastery Egg made of Mirrors
Pechersk Lavra monastery
Contemporary imagination of Vikings about to conquer the Kievan Rus’ and their churches
A woman asks for donations outside the Pechersk Lavra monastery
Inside the Pechersk Lavra monastery
Lighting a candle inside the Kiev Pechersk Lavra
The golden gate to heaven inside the Kiev Pechersk Lavra
The golden gate to heaven inside the Kiev Pechersk Lavra
The golden gate to heaven inside the Kiev Pechersk Lavra
A map of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra
St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery (Михайлівський золотоверхий монастир)
St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery (Михайлівський золотоверхий монастир)
Overlooking St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in the background (Михайлівський золотоверхий монастир)
Princess Olga Monument (Пам’ятник княгині Ользі). She started the spread of Christianity through Kyiven Rus
St. Sophia’s Cathedral (Софійський собор)
St. Sophia’s Cathedral (Софійський собор) on the left. Bohdan Khmelnytsky Monument (Пам’ятник Богданові Хмельницькому) on the right.
A Rooftop View of Olympeska Station
My italian buddies rented a nice place with a rooftop patio for 10 days in Kyiv.
The view of Olympeska Stadium from this rooftop of their apartment in Kyiv
The view of Olympeska Stadium from this rooftop of their apartment in Kyiv
Pyrohiv Folk Village of Ukraine
To the south of Kyiv is a village kept as a historic museum to the life of Ukrainians who lived in the rural villages.
Choose your adventure in Pyrohiv
A man plays traditional slavic music, as well as a few contemporary hits on his instrument in Pyrohiv
A traditional ukrainian house in Pyrohiv
A storage shed or small house in Pyrohiv
Flowers in Pyrohiv
A traditional church in Pyrohiv
A traditional church in Pyrohiv
Windmills and a church reconstruction in Pyrohiv
Leonidas posing in front of Windmills in Pyrohiv
A map of Pyrohiv
Everyday Kyivan Life
On a regular monday, I decided to go on an adventure to the forests of Kyiv, to find a secret tower that you could climb. On the way, I got to see a bit of the regular bustle of kyivan life and architecture.
Spaska Street railway cars in Kyiv
A large mural painted on a building in Kyiv
Regular people pursue their daily activities along Spaska Street in Kyiv
The entrance to the metro system in Spaska Street
A man and woman sell their fruits along Spaska Street
Inside a Rail car in Kyiv
Kyivans relaxing on a Bench
Kyivan men having a conversation
Kyiv is rapidly being built up (just like the rest of the world) for an ever-increasing population
A poor market along the road featuring goods and wares that are out of date, or salvaged from somewhere else
Uber was recently introduced into Kyiv, and it has taken over the taxi business almost over night (back in 2016, getting ripped off by Taxi’s was an every day part of life)
Construction in Kyiv
A woman who passed through the roughest parts of Ukrainian life (1990’s and up)
Into The Forests Of Kyiv
After a 40 minute rail car ride, it was time to get off in the middle of the Kyivan forests, and start seeking out my destination.
Railcar in the middle of the Kyivan forests
Train tracks leading back to the city
Train tracks leading back to the city
Infected trees all around Kyiv
Getting ready to climb the firefighters tower
At the top of the firefighters tower
At the top of the firefighters tower
The city of Kyiv with its Soviet / low-cost architecture
The Way Back down I decided to play the Mission Impossible Theme song
Bus Terminal #7: Abandoned Bus Graveyard in Kyiv
On the outer regions of central Kyiv lays an abandoned bus terminal that houses hundreds of buses from the Soviet Era. My buddy and I tried to sneak in (he was braver than I was), but we only got so far, before security and dogs made us run away!
The passenger entrance to the Abandoned Bus Graveyard #7
The bus entrance to the Abandoned Bus Graveyard #7
Sculptures on the Abandoned Bus Graveyard #7 from the soviet days
Sculptures on the Abandoned Bus Graveyard #7 from the soviet days
My friend stealthily went inside and made a few photographs of the Abandoned Bus Graveyard #7 in Kyiv
My friend stealthily went inside and made a few photographs of the Abandoned Bus Graveyard #7 in Kyiv
My friend stealthily went inside and made a few photographs of the Abandoned Bus Graveyard #7 in Kyiv
My friend stealthily went inside and made a few photographs of the Abandoned Bus Graveyard #7 in Kyiv
My friend stealthily went inside and made a few photographs of the Abandoned Bus Graveyard #7 in Kyiv
The relatively new buildings surrounding the abandoned bus terminal
The metro back from the Bus graveyard, going across the Dnieper River
A view of the Dnieper on a sunny day
Downtown Kyiv at Night
The Boys
We did manage to do a few fun things, including Go Karting, visiting Chernobyl (separate post/album), exploring a nuclear bunker in Kyiv, a 2 sessions of Paintball
The Boys Go Karting (me on the left)
The Boys After A Session of Paintball
Max, my Ukrainian buddy, and I have been great buddies since meeting in Thailand in 2015. He showed me a few cool spots in Kyiv, and we have always talked about our progress in business and life ever since! Max and I attend a business conference in Kyiv in this photo!
In Conclusion
Living in Kyiv for (almost) 3 months was a wonderful experience.
There are a few things I didn’t seem to see in time like:
Visiting the Ex-Presidents’ residence: this was due to working all the time, practicing boxing 4-5 times per week, and poor time-management habits
Firing an AK-47 rifle: this is due to licensing restrictions put in place after the war with Russia began. If you can shoot an AK, you can be a soldier on the battle front.
Visiting Odessa: this was going to be a group activity with the boys, but coordinating 5 guys who constantly work is a big mission. While I have been to Odessa 3 years ago, it would have been nice to visit there again.
Nonetheless, I recommend Kyiv for 3 months at a time, especially in the summer. And make sure to do as much as possible 🙂
Since 2010, Leonidas has been an incredible Web Developer, and amazing Digital Marketer. He is the author of various exciting case studies in digital marketing, most notably in Pay Per Call Marketing.
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