New!
Kyiv downtown as Rus-Ukraine palimpsest
The tour lasts 4 hours
Available in English and Italian
Description
Travel through more than a thousand years of Kyiv’s history as we explore a city shaped by empires, revolutions, wars, and independence.
Our journey will take us from the legacy of ancient Rus and the Ukrainian Baroque to the Ukrainian People’s Republic, Soviet Ukraine, and the emergence of modern independent Ukraine. Along the way, we’ll see how different periods of history coexist in the city: medieval masterpieces stand alongside reminders of World War II, Soviet rule, and the turbulent events that transformed Ukraine in the 20th century.
We’ll even travel beneath the city aboard Kyiv’s metro, passing through stations dating from the 1980s before returning to monuments that are almost a thousand years older.
But this tour is about more than seeing monuments. Together, we’ll learn to read Kyiv through its streets, buildings, and public spaces, discovering what they reveal about Ukrainian identity and the country’s long struggle to shape its own history.
Over approximately 4 hours, we’ll trace Ukraine’s story from medieval Rus through imperial and Soviet rule to the collapse of the USSR and the birth of an independent Ukraine.
We can finish our journey in Podil, Kyiv’s picturesque historic neighborhood on the banks of the Dnipro River, where I’ll be happy to recommend a local café or restaurant to continue experiencing the city after the tour.
Guide: Oleksandr
Guiding since 2026Hi! This is Alex, your guide. Born and raised in Kyiv, I graduated here in law and study history here — the latter being development of my career as an official Chernobyl guide for 5 years. Deeply passionate about my native city, history, books, and guiding, I want to color the space with stories for you and let the soul of Kyiv in you. I am best suited for the vicious traveler who isn't satisfied with a mere change of scenery but yearns for an interplay of deep stories to fill it. P.S. I also sail here!
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Free cancellation and booking
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