 The art and architecture of Kiev are world treasures. The Cathedral of
St. Sophia, where the princes of Kiev were crowned in the years of
Kiev's grandeur, has outstanding mosaics and frescoes dating back to
the 11th century.
Overlooking the old section of Kiev, Podol, stands the Ukrainian
Baroque church of St. Andrew, much beloved by Ukrainians. The
Percherska Lavra, the Monastery of the Caves, a short trolley ride from
the center of town, has two 11th-century cathedrals on its grounds, in
addition to its world-famous catacombs, bell tower, and museum
collections.
  Close to the center of town stands the Golden Gate, a structure
which dates back to 1037. This recently reconstructed remains of the
former fortified wall of the city defined the limits of the city in
centuries past. Several blocks away, stands the magnificent
19th-century Cathedral of St. Volodymyr.
Theater buffs will find much to choose from here. Most performances
are in Ukrainian or Russian. The recently renovated Kiev Opera House
presents very good opera as well as a broad repertoire of ballets. The
Kiev Young Theater is very popular and stages innovative plays in
Ukrainian or Russian. The Ivan Franko Theater is the center of
Ukrainian drama, comedy, and musicals. This repertoire has just opened
its 75th season and includes brilliant versions of Aeneid and Teve
Tevel, the original version of Fiddler on the Roof.
  The modern center with surviving parts of the old city are on
the hilly west, or right bank, of the Dnipro River. The main street,
Khreshchatik, runs between two steep hills. Parallel about half a
kilometer west, is Volodymyrska street, the main street of the Old Kiev
area (Staryj Kiev).
From the north end of Khreshchatik, Hrushevskiy street rises
southeast along a ridge to the Caves Monastery at Perchersk. Woods and
parks cover most of the steep right-bank slopes. The capital's newer
sections stretch out on the flat left bank. These are characterized by
large housing developments and industrialized neighborhoods.
  Ukrainian pottery, embroidery, and handicrafts are
available throughout the city, particularly in shops on Andrievsky
Uzviz, at Percherska Lavra, and St. Sophia's church. Quality and
quantity vary from shop to shop. A growing number of hard currency
stores stock Western food, alcohol, clothing, and electrical
appliances. Most prices, in hard-currency stores, are higher than those
in the West, and availability of stock is unpredictable.
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