Добрий день! / Good day!
It was a long journey here but we finally arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine! We never thought this would be a place we'd get to visit, but earlier this year I randomly took an interest in Ukrainian history and culture and Jay started learning the language. A couple of months ago we went ahead and booked our trip, starting with the capital and home to almost 3 million people, Kyiv!
We were incredibly tired from the trip here so our first evening consisted mostly of wandering around to get a feel for the city. The first place I wanted to visit was Майдан Незалежності / Independence Square. In most recent history it was the site of 2004's Orange Revolution and 2014's Euromaidan which led to Ukraine's most recent revolution. The picture below is just one small portion of the square.
The next landmark on the list that I couldn't wait to see was the Mikhail Bulgakov House and Museum. The house inspired the setting for his novel The White Guard and the museum currently contains items that belonged to the writer throughout his life.
We strolled around for another hour or two enjoying the fall colors and architecture in a large square that contains St. Michael's, a cathedral that was originally built in the Middle Ages with structures added in the famous Ukrainian Baroque style. It was mostly destroyed by the Soviets but later rebuilt as you see it now. On the left is the massive Ministry of Foreign Affairs building.
We had eaten a late lunch during the day and didn't feel like going out to a restaurant again so we decided to stop in a little cafe on Andriyivskyy Descent for a night cap. Хорілка з перцем is basically a pepper-infused vodka that's popular here. You don't get the full hot pepper effect until you've had a few sips and then it really hits you. I have a feeling I'll make room for one of these with every dinner. And that concludes our first night in Kyiv!
Go to Ukraine! Day 2: Kyiv
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