Beautiful, elegant Kyiv
A lot of people outside Ukraine seem to picture Kyiv like the East End of London during the Blitz. In parts of eastern Ukraine (where the vast majority of Russian drones and missiles fall) that is more accurate.
But Kyiv is sufficiently far from Russia’s launch sites that the capital’s air defence systems intercept most of the incoming. Of course some get through, but fewer than you might think.
In over 20 miles of walking in the city, I only saw one building destroyed by bombs — to be fair, I was mainly in the historic centre and didn’t walk near power plants, which are the Russians’ favourite targets. And given the staggering volume of Putin’s carpet-bombing since I left Kyiv on 1 June 2025, I’m sure I’d see more damage now, though still much less than most Westerners envision.
The Renaissance Hotel. All of Kyiv’s upscale hotels still operate as normal. All have bomb shelters in the basement. The placard on the kiosk at the bottom of the photo says “What’s important are actions, not slogans”.
On Khreshchatykh, Kyiv’s 19th-century main drag. It was originally a muddy alleyway between the walls of the Old City and the Pecherska Lavra monastery to the south, but grew into something substantially greater in the 1800s. The Nazis destroyed it during their retreat in 1944, but it was completely rebuilt. Note the detail in the facades — all over Kyiv I found the facades of historic buildings typically more intricate than in Moscow or St Pete.
Kyiv’s opera house still runs a full programme. The performance that night was Aida. The air raids usually heat up after 10:30 PM, so most nightlife finishes around then. A nightly curfew is in place from midnight to 5 AM. Opera performances often start as early as 5 PM.
Central Kyiv
In the heart of the Old City
19th-century reproduction of the Golden Gate, the main entrance to the walled city from around 1020 AD until Genghis Khan destroyed Kyiv in 1240 AD.
The 1,000-year-old Cathedral of St Sophia, named after the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Like the rest of Kyiv, it fell into severe disrepair after the Mongol conquest, but was restored to its full glory under Polish dominion in the 1500s when the Poles were trying to re-unite the Catholic and Orthodox churches. (The result of that effort was the creation of the Greek Catholic Church, a.k.a. the Uniate Church, which is still the predominant faith in western Ukraine. They practice Eastern rites but recognise the authority of the Pope in Rome.)
A few days after I left Kyiv, a bomb fell here, but luckily only did minor damage. It may have just been debris from an intercepted drone.
The Cathedral of St Volodymyr, named for the prince who converted the kingdom to Christianity 1,000 years ago. He was the great grandson of Rurik the Viking who founded the kingdom of Kyivan Rus.
St Michael’s Cathedral
Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), viewed from the Hotel Kyiv. This is where the Euromaidan protests took place in 2013-2014.
Following the Orange Revolution in 2004-05, Ukraine’s pro-Western parties had proven inept and corrupt, and pro-Russian candidate Viktor Yanukovych had won the presidency in 2010.
Yanukovych explicitly promised to lead Ukraine into an Association Agreement with the European Union which would eventually lead to EU membership. This was formally endorsed by an overwhelming majority of Parliament. But in late 2013, under intense pressure from Putin, Yanukovich broke this promise and pledged to put Ukraine instead into a free trade union with Russia.
Massive protests broke out here on the Maidan. From November 2013 to February 2014, hundreds of protestors were shot by Yanukovych’s policemen (some operating from this exact vantage point).
But the protestors would not be deterred, and in February 2014 (just as Putin was hosting the Winter Olympics in Sochi) they drove Yanukovich from power. He has lived comfortably in Moscow ever since. The palace that he built for himself in Kyiv is now a tourist attraction.
Reverse view, from the Maidan looking up at the Hotel Kyiv. This was the view mainy Euromaidan protestors had when Yanukovych’s police were shooting them.
Looking from the Maidan toward St Sophia’s
In the fashionable Vozdvizhenska district of central Kyiv — the presence of multiple embassies and consulates here likely affords some protection.
A park and residences in Vozdvizhenska District
There was a film crew here. I think it may have been a film school.
The fashionable Podil district of Kyiv, below the Old City near the Dnipro River. I would find it nerve-wracking to live in a high-rise, because you’ll never reach a bomb shelter in time if you wait to run until you hear the air raid siren. But few people sleep in a shelter every single night, either.
When the siren goes, most people just go to a hallway or bathroom where they can observe the “two wall rule” — two walls between you and the outdoors will protect you from flying glass and other light debris if something hits nearby. But that won’t protect you from a direct hit.
St. Andriiy’s Cathedral and the top of Andriivsky Uzviz (“Andrew’s Descent”), the 1,000-year-old street leading from the once-walled Old Town up on the plateau, down to the fashionable Podil riverside district below.
Unlike Kyiv’s older cathedrals which are very traditionally Orthodox in design, the cathedral of St. Andriy is very baroque
View down Andriivsky Descent from the balcony of St Andriy’s Cathedral. Just behind the street you can see the Podil district. In the distance are the mostly-Soviet-era high-rises of the almost entirely residential Left Bank of the Dnipro.
Above, video of a mellow Saturday afternoon on Andriivsky Descent
On Andriivsky Descent. The sign in the window at lower left says “For sale”.
The garlanded entryway at lower left leads into the courtyard that houses Dream Hostel in Kyiv, the best place in the city to stay. It’s perfectly located on Andriivsky Uz’viz, and it’s the only hostel with a bomb shelter in the basement……. which as I discovered is a great place to get to know your fellow travellers. And being in a small 3-story building surrounded by taller buildings affords additional protection. It has a cool restaurant in the building and live music several nights a week.
In the Museum of One Street, which documents Andriivsky Descent in its pre-revolutionary heyday
At a bar by the hostel shortly after the air ride siren has gone off. Everyone will have checked their app and seen that so far it’s just drones. The vast majority of drones get intercepted, so most people ignore them — if the sound gets too close, they’ll just run inside to avoid being hit by fallen debris from the intercepted drone. But if the warning shows missiles or bombers, these people will move.
Boris Johnson (painted here on an outdoor table at a bakery cafe) is a popular figure in Ukraine
Puzata Khata (“Belly Hut”, the red building at right) is a ubiquitous restaurant chain very popular with students and others on a budget. With quick cafeteria-style service, $5 will buy you a sizeable, nutritious and tasty meal — it won’t win any Michelin stars, but in a poor country at war that isn’t the first priority.
Statue of Prince Sviatoslav on Peizazhna (“Landscape”) Street overlooking the river, who ruled from 940-972 AD. He was the grandson of Rurik the Viking who founded the kingdom of Kyivan Rus, and the last pagan ruler of the kingdom (his son Vladimir converted ancient Rus to Christianity). Sviatoslav’s shield is adorned with the traditional Trident of his dynasty, which was adopted as Ukraine’s official Coat of Arms after independence in 1992.
The split of Rus into the three distinct nationalities of Russian, Belarussian and Ukrainian happened during the centuries of separation under Mongol occupation and the centuries therafter, when this area came under Polish dominion.
“Alice in Wonderland” themed playground on Peizazhna
Like the Poles, the Ukrainians are fond of rubbing statues for good luck. You can tell which parts get rubbed frequently.
In Soviet times, everyone with money and clout wanted to live in the city centre. But after 1991, a lot of money moved out to outlying districts and further to suburban towns. This is near Oblonskiy Island Park north of Kyiv city centre — older, dilapidated Soviet matchbox apartments stand right alongside visible new money.
The weekend flea market at Pochaina metro station north of the centre. Here you’ll find old Soviet lapel pins, coins and military kit, as well as a wide variety of knick-knacks and basic necessities.
In many days of walking all over Kyiv, the small building at right is the only building I saw destroyed by bombing. It’s west of the centre, in an area frequently targeted due to armaments production and power plants in the vicinity. Shortly after I left, though, another building in this area very close to where I spent a bit of time got destroyed.