St. Michael's Monastery.

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery

Top choice in Kyiv


Looking from St Sophia's past the Bohdan Khmelnytsky statue, it's impossible to ignore the gold-domed blue church at the other end of proyizd Volodymyrsky. This is St Michael's, named after Kyiv's patron saint. As the impossibly shiny cupolas imply, this is a fresh (2001) copy of the original (1108), which was torn down by the Soviets in 1937. The church's fascinating history is explained in great detail (in Ukrainian and English placards) in a museum in the monastery's bell tower.

Heading around the left of the church to the rear, you'll find the quaint funicular that runs down a steep hillside to the river terminal in the mercantile district of Podil. Although in summer trees partially obscure your view, this is still the most fun public-transport ride in town.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kyiv attractions

1. St Michael's Monastery Museum

0.03 MILES

The fascinating history of the St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery is explained in great detail (in Ukrainian and English placards) in a museum located in…

2. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

0.08 MILES

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was built by the Soviets on the site of the Tryokhsvyatytelska Church, one of Kyiv's holiest edifices, destroyed by Stalin…

3. Desyatynna Church Ruins

0.25 MILES

Prince Volodymyr ordered the Desyatynna Church built in 989 and devoted 10% of his income to it, hence the name (desyatyn means 'one-tenth'). The church…

4. St Andrew's Church

0.31 MILES

The gold-and-blue baroque masterpiece that dominates the view as you walk up Andriyivsky uzviz was built in 1754 by Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli…

5. National Museum of Ukrainian History

0.33 MILES

Located more or less at the spot where history began for Kyiv, this huge museum has been fully modernised in recent years and represents a fantastic…

6. Taras Shevchenko Memorial House Museum

0.34 MILES

A beautifully restored, 19th-century wooden house where the man who dominates the Ukrainian literary pantheon once lived. You can see drawings he made on…

7. Friendship of Nations Monument

0.34 MILES

The Friendship of Nations Monument is a giant metal parabola celebrating the 1654 'unification' of Russia and Ukraine. It's on an elevated plaza with…

8. Maidan Nezalezhnosti

0.35 MILES

Be it celebration or revolution, whenever Ukrainians want to get together – and they often do – 'Maidan' is the nation's meeting point. The square saw pro…