OT - Travel Advice - Kiev

[eBAUMANN]

Heading to Kiev to visit a friend in early November, a NON-CYCLING vacation (WHOA??!!!! WHAT?!)...
I was wondering if anyone here might have some suggestions for places to check out for sights/sounds/tastes?

I know you guys are a worldly/smart bunch so im starting here instead of google :beer:

[Doug Fattic]

Kiev is an interesting city! I fly there once a year or so to continue our project to provide bicycles to pastors. We make the frames on a college campus about 25 kilometers from the city center. So depending on how you define it, my Ukraine travels don’t make me very “worldly”, I seldom see other Americans. Getting around the city is easy because the subway (called the Metro) has 3 lines with trains that runs every 3 minutes. One of its stations has the longest escalator in the world. You seemingly go down forever. If you go further away from the city center most travel by a minibus. Instead of paying right when you get on, you seat down (if there is room) and pass your money up through the other riders who then pass your change back the same way.

The economy in Ukraine has really gone down over a period of years. Their unit of money is called the grivna and when I first went over there it had a value of 5 grivna to one dollar. Now it is around 24 to 1. While that is bad news for them it is good news for your travel expenses.

The main square where there are gatherings or protests has extensive underground malls. There is a decent food court on one end. This is where the 3 subway lines cross each other. In the subway halls between lines is also where people try to sell all sorts of stuff (flowers are a favorite but you can buy underwear too). On the week ends they close off the road to traffic so it becomes a walking mall.

There are lots of interesting sights around town. The museum describing the events of the meltdown in Chernobyl certainly paint the Russians as the bad guys. Another one explaining how Jews were treated during WWII was way too much for me. A decent travel book will explain the most popular tourist sites. I always enjoy the winding cobblestone street that serves as a giant flee market. The most established venders are at the top selling matryoshka dolls (doll inside a doll inside a doll) and embroidered linens while the people coming in from the countryside are relegated to the bottom where you can find cool things like WWII and KBG stuff. This is where I got a Isle of Mann penny with a racing cyclist on one side. It is by St. Andrews Cathedral. On a side street off of this street is where lots of art is sold. Along the very wide Dnipro river is a nice bike/walk path with several riverboat casinos. If you go far enough there is a statue of the 3 brothers and sister in a boat that discovered Kiev. It is a popular spot to take wedding pictures.

If your bags aren’t at the 50 pound limit I need help taking over some bicycle frame materials and some speciality screws for the stainless steel bicycle frame fixtures laser cut and etched in Ukraine. It is my really small way of doing what I can to help their economy.

Doug Fattic

[exapkib]

One of my favorite cities in the world.

How long will you be out there?

In Kiev the whole time?

I'm jealous . . . I'll write more later when I have more time . . . Great advice from Doug in the post above. He knows his stuff when it comes to Ukraine.

[yashcha]

Is it a relatively safe city?

[Birddog]

I hear the chicken is really tasty. Have a great time.

[Doug Fattic]

Is it a relatively safe city?

Relatively. I have spent many hours walking and biking around and never felt threatened in any way. But it is a big city. An older medical doctor stayed at the same place I did and one morning he went out for a walk and stopped at an ATM and was murdered. They didn't find his body for over a year. His missing person picture was on many subway bulletin boards for awhile.

Where you don't want to be is near the eastern border next to Russia. Even the Ukrainians say how strange it is for everything to be normal in the capital and it is a total mess on the eastern border.

[eBAUMANN]

One of my favorite cities in the world.

How long will you be out there?

In Kiev the whole time?

I'm jealous . . . I'll write more later when I have more time . . . Great advice from Doug in the post above. He knows his stuff when it comes to Ukraine.

Ill be there for a week, in kiev the whole time, a day trip or 2 maybe but mainly just hangin out with an old friend, some walks/street photography, bars, food.

Trying to get away from CX season for a minute, feeling burnt out ALREADY. Turns out not riding your bike all summer and then jumping into a 2+ races every weekend can take its toll on the life force.

[poff]

Central Kiev is on the hills and pretty amazing - visit all old churches. The you can take subway to Arsenalnaya (I think) station and visit Lavra. It is amazing. I thought Kiev was pretty safe at least central Kiev was.

[oldpotatoe]

Relatively. I have spent many hours walking and biking around and never felt threatened in any way. But it is a big city. An older medical doctor stayed at the same place I did and one morning he went out for a walk and stopped at an ATM and was murdered. They didn't find his body for over a year. His missing person picture was on many subway bulletin boards for awhile.

Where you don't want to be is near the eastern border next to Russia. Even the Ukrainians say how strange it is for everything to be normal in the capital and it is a total mess on the eastern border.

I wouldn't fly on any airline that flys anywhere near the eastern border with Russia either..

[CampyorBust]

I wouldn't fly on any airline that flys anywhere near the eastern border with Russia either..

You know I was wondering if people would have the decency not to go there in this thread, can’t say I am surprised. :crap:

[oldpotatoe]

You know I was wondering if people would have the decency not to go there in this thread, can’t say I am surprised. :crap:

I wasn't trying to be flippant, I was trying to offer advice. If I were flying around that region, I would look hard at any airline's routes in that area. There is an armed conflict going on on the eastern side of Ukraine.