KieVVision

Molitva (2007)  A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kyiv  EUROVISION COUNTRY: Turkey  KYIV DESTINATION: St Sophia's cathedral   There are few places where you can glimpse the golden age of 11th century principality of Kyivan Rus, but St Sophia's http://n.sophiakievska.org/en/  is one of those places. Built to rival the Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul, St Sophia's cathedral was designed to make Kyiv the 'new Constantinople' following the baptism of Prince Vladymyr the Great in 988.  The complex comprises of the cathedral, a bell tower with great views, the bishops palace and refectory.  All are worth seeing, if you have time. The latter two also have permanent and temporary art exhibitions on a wide range of non-religious topics. Turkish embassy:  Address: Panasa Myrnoho Lane, 22, 01011 Kyiv Tel:  +380 44 281 0750 Website:   http://kiev.emb.mfa.gov.tr

Heartbeat (2016)  Healthy eating  KYIV DESTINATION: Salateria Restaurant Salateria http://salateira.ua  is a chain of eight fast food restaurants across Kyiv that provide healthy food. They focus on salads and pasta combinations, but they also do soups and deserts. You choose from the selections on the walls, pay and the food is made before your eyes. As in most restaurants in Kyiv, the staff are keen to speak English. As in some coffee chains elsewhere the cashier will ask for your name. You collect your order at the other end of the counter. TIP: Add a Eurovision twist to your experience. Some people like to give false names to the cashier. This is for practical reasons in a country that probably has a million Natashas, Tanyas and Volodymyrs. So you will hear tannoy announcements saying "James Bond, your salad is ready".  So why not use this moment to become Dana International or  Conchita Wurst - if only for one fabulous moment in time?!

Maman, Maman (1969)  Mum squared  KYIV DESTINATION:  Mother of the Motherland statue Kyiv has it's very own - and larger - Statue of Liberty - except it's viewed locally as perhaps more a symbol of Soviet domination. In a city that is destroying its Soviet past as fast as possible, her shield still has the emblem of the Soviet Union and there's a local debate on whether the shield should remain (to save costs), be adapted or whether the whole thing should come down. Consequently this is not the most popular destination with people from Kyiv, but if you are only coming once then it's a shame to miss the views. The Mother of the Motherland statue http://www.warmuseum.kiev.ua/_eng/museum/monument/index.html  was built in the early 1980s out of titanium, steel and concrete. You can go up her at weekends for a great view of the city. There are two stages. You can travel up to the base of her skirt, or for a higher fee travel all the way up to the viewing platform ...

Wild Dances (2004)  Find your Inner Cossack  KYIV DESTINATION: Mamayeva Sloboda   If you fancy playing with Cossacks for a day then you can to this in the heart of Kyiv in the historical reconstruction site called Mamayeva Sloboda http://mamajeva-sloboda.ua .  This park is on 2, Mikhail Dontsa St. in Kyiv. It's probably best to get a taxi there. But the No. 1 tram from Pobeda Square will take you close by if you are feeling adventurous . You will need to get off at Heroiv Sevastapol station, turn left out of the tram station, turn right and first left, then just follow the road until you reach a park.   Mamayeva Sloboda has its own entrance, so just keep following the park permitter until you reach this entrance. All of the buildings hark back to the 16th century, but they are not historical. Nonetheless you can slip back in time in an instant here. One side of the park is now compromised by a modern development, but it is soon ...

Et Bonjour A Toi L'Artiste (1975)  Kyiv's romance with dance in France  EUROVISION COUNTRY: France  KYIV DESTINATION: National History Museum, French restaurants  France and Ukraine are linked through the dance of Serge Lifar. Born in Kyiv in 1905, Lifar has been called the greatest ballet dancer of the 20th century. Having escaped the Soviet Union in 1921, Lifar was spotted by Nijinsky at Le Ballets Russe where he was a principal dancer.  He later became ballet master at the Paris Opera either sides of the second world war. You can see an entire room devoted to his life at the National Museum of Ukraine http://www.nmiu.com.ua/index.php/en/  on 2, Volodymyrska St, daily from 11.00-17.00.  Other French organisations in Kiev: Alliance Française: http://www.afukraine.org/accueil-fr   French embassy:  http://www.ambafrance-ua.org   Address: 39, Reitarska St, Kyiv.  Tel: (+380 44 590 36 00).  Institut Français: ...

Un Peu De Poivre, Un Peu De Sel (1966)  Antwerpen - A taste of Belgium in Kyiv  EUROVISION COUNTRY: Belgium  KYIV DESTINATION: Antwerpen Restaurant  The Antwerpen restaurant is a corner of Belgium hidden away in a courtyard in central Kyiv.  Located on Pushkinska St 38a, near Lva Tolstovo metro station, this restaurant cooks all your favourite Belgian dishes and serves you Belgian beers. It's open from 12.00pm - 12.00am daily. It has three rooms: one French, on Flemish and one German. At weekends the owner - a classic car fan - may be seen taking his Soviet limousines out for a spin.  Reservations Tel:  +38044 234-13-00 Do you know of any other Belgian-linked locations in Kyiv? Belgian embassy: Address:   Mykoly Rayevskoho, 4B, 01042 Kyiv Tel:            +38 050 387 75 01 NB: This emergency number is for Belgian citizens only.  Website:    http://ukraine.diplomatie.bel...

Hello from Mars   (2003)  Kyiv Planetarium  Science and Kyiv go together.  The Kyiv Planetarium http://planet.org.ua  is a great place to leave this planet for half an hour. Located in the square to the left of the Olympiska metro station exit, the planetarium shows 3-D edutainment films on its domed ceiling. The address is Velika Vasilkivska 57/3.   The shows are not long, which makes it a perfect stop-off in between walking around the centre of town. There are two kinds of seats. The deluxe seats are leather bean bags in the centre of the building which allow you to lie flat on the floor in comfort and stare up at the stars. Built in 1952 this is one of the few places in Kyiv where you can still capture the mood of the 1960s space race. A large model of a space station in the middle of the hall helps with this overall look. Not all films are space related, many are wildlife or environment related.  It is open between 10.00-19.00, and show...

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (1982)  Things you shouldn't try to bring home  Ukraine is a country on high alert and security at airports is tight. There are a number of things that scanners will check for as you enter the airport. So even before you get to check-in you may be asked to hand over certain items. Before you pack your bag to come home, please check you don't have any of the following: 1. Items from the conflict zones (known here as the ATO).   August organisations such as Kyiv's town hall occasionally hold craft fairs and events for people living, fighting, wounded by or displaced by the conflict in the east of the country. Some crafters paint spent bullets as souvenirs and fundraisers. These will not get through airport security. Certain chocolate shops in Kyiv also sell solid chocolate hand grenades and revolvers. These are life-size and again are not recommended when testing the patience of airport security staff. 2. Antiques Be careful w...

Stay (2012)  Accommodation in Kyiv    As someone who lives in Kyiv, it is unusual to stay in hotels. But as in all major cities there is a wide range of accommodation and websites can help you decide where's best to stay.  Cost range: Good, clean purpose-built hotels can start at as little as €25 a night. Family hotels can cost about €40 a night and five stars €100 upwards. When choosing your hotel perhaps think about what you want and where you want to be. If your focus is just on the song contest, and if the accommodation itself is not that important. Then you could stay close to the exhibition centre. Opposite the exhibition centre there is the Hotel Turist or Adria Hotel, which is a former Soviet high-rise.  Hotel Adria Similarly on that side of the River is Hotel Slavutych, another 1970s structure. And finally one metro stop away is the Bakkara Art Hotel. This hotel floats on the River Dnipro. There may be more hotels in the vicinity. Bakkar...