Digenis.org

Must See:

Pchersk Lavra
Rodina Mat/WW II Museum
St. Sophia Cathedral and Monestary
Kreshatik/Maidan
Andrivsky Spusk
Stroll/Dine in Podol

Neat to See, But not Essential:

Shevchenko Statue/University
Babi Yar
AquaPark
Victory Square/YevBaz/Circus
Botanical Gardens
Peregova Ethnographic Museum

Avoid:

Any Nightspot crawling with expats, foreign businessmen, and local “talent”…I’m looking at you, Arena and O’Briens.

You want any dining recommendations?

Coffee Shops? Hmmm…wasn’t a big coffee drinker during my time in Kiev…or now, but I did notice that ???? ???? chain that’s everywhere in Moscow had worked it’s way down to Kiev. That’s probably the best of a bad lot.

Other dining options…if you want Ukrainian food, I always took out of town guests to Kozak Mamai, off Kreshatik.

Perhaps my favorite restaurant in Kiev was Pantagruel’s an italian place by the Golden Gate. Seriously good Italian food. A bit pricey though…go for lunch. sit outside and you can people watch by Golden Gate.

There’s another place I’d recommend off of victory square near the circus called “Shapito’s” Typical Russian type restaurant, food is decent, wasn’t overpriced either.

Best Georgian food in town is at Mimino. Best Solyanka (and highest camp) was at USSR. There’s a really cheap, small, and good Israeli cafeteria next door to the Central Synagogue called Makabi that I used to lunch at al the time. Le Cosmopolite had decent beers and a Belgian type Cuisine. Arizona BBQ is an ex-pat institution, and the Burger’s aren’t bad. And the Indian food at Himalya off Kreshatik was surprisingly good.

Looking forward to reading about your trip. You’ll dig Kiev.

Maybe things have changed in the past year, but free wi-fi in Kiev was few and far between when I was there. Technically, Wi-Fi was illegal unless your router was approved by the Ukrainian inheritor of the KGB, the SBU, but that’s a whole other story. I recall using Wi-Fi at the Stone Baboon (which is another eatrey/nite spot you should check out the lads from TMNK hang out there)…but I can’t recall if I paid for it or not. I’m leaning towards not.

I was in Kyiv on a Sunday, but opted for a quiet Bible study with a friend in the park rather than a church service. I’ve heard that Hillsong CD too. I was thinking about checking out the Presbyterian church here and probably would if I was here for another Sunday.