Kiev? In Ukraina? Why would I go there you may ask. Kiev is an overlooked pearl of a city. Lying on the eastern fringes of the EU it has a very interesting history. It is also known for it’s great nightlife scene. Not surprisingly, the city itself and the country are also known for its women, and how attractive they are. As you will understand, there are plenty of good reasons to visit Kiev.

A visit to Kiev is not advised without reading up a little bit on the city’s history. Here’s a very short introduction to Kiev’s history:

Kiev was originally the capital of a great medieval empire – the Kievan Rus – which until the early 13th century was the dominant force in Eastern Europe. They say the site was chosen following a visit and prophesy by the Apostle St. Andrew in the years following Christ’s death. A wedding cake church stands today at the spot along Kiev’s Andriyivskiy Uzviz where this legendary disciple of Jesus is supposed to have once stood and surveyed the horizon. Following on from Rome and Constantinople, Kiev is said to be the last of the ancient capitals to be built on seven hills – the basis of a claim to being the Third Rome which was later usurped by its East Slavic successor state, Muscovy.

Epic imperial past
The chronicles tell of a city of vast proportions boasting palaces, cathedrals and hundreds of churches. Although few architectural monuments remain from this period of its greatest glory, Kiev’s epic imperial past can still be felt in the majesty of old Kiev, whose gold-domed cathedrals and elegant palaces remain royally perched atop rolling hills above the Dnipro River. The greatest legacy of this imperial age is undoubtedly the city’s revered status within the Russian Orthodox faith – the Moscow Patriarch continues to regard Kiev as the holy of holies and the city is acknowledged as the fount of Russian Orthodoxy. This, after all, is where the tenth century Kievan prince Volodymyr the Great converted his people en masse to Orthodox Christianity – according to contemporary records he commanded his people to engage in mass baptism in the Dnipro River. Some historians have suggested that the implied threats which accompanied the great conversion of the Rus carry with them an early indication of the regional taste for totalitarian methodologies which was to reap such a bitter harvest in more recent times. Thanks to this crucial role in regional history modern Kiev is considered the mother city of all Russia as well as all Ukraine, a shared ancestral history which has served as the basis for many a modern geopolitical quarrel.

I hope this info satisfied some of your hunger for Ukraine history and the part Kiev has played in it. These things are good to know when you explore the city’s streets and check out the many attractions like the Arch of Friendship at the European Square, the National Art Museum, the National Opera House and the many other attractions and sights of the city.

Author Bio: DirtCheapKiev.com is the travel guide for people on a tight budget who want a cheap Kiev city break. It contains useful information about restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and an extensive report on the attractive Ukraine girls.

Category: Travel
Keywords: travel, holiday, city break, vacation, kiev