What You Will Do
Explore unique architectural masterpieces during our 2-hour walking tour of the center of Kiev with a private guide. During the tour you will learn about the richest people of the 19th century and see their houses, which were preserved during the 1917 revolution and during the Second World War. If you like architecture, you will be surprised by the buildings in the styles: neo-Gothic, Renaissance, Art Nouveau, Eclecticism. We will show you the palace of Empress Elizabeth, a house with frogs on the roof and find out how much Kiev real estate costs.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Itinerary
1
Mariyinski Palace
20 minutes
Mariyinsky Palace is the official ceremonial residence of the President of Ukraine in Kyiv and adjoins the neo-classical building of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. It is a Baroque palace on the hilly bank of the Dnipro River.
2
Yakov Polyakov Mansion
5 minutes
The mansion of Yakov Polyakov, or the house on 22, Grushevskogo Street, in Kiev is, without a doubt, a real decoration of the street and the whole center of Kiev. It was built in 1910 by Yakov Polyakov, the son-in-law of the sugar king Lev Brodsky, and the manager of the mill on Podil.
3
Mansion Kowalewski
10 minutes
This is a large, gray building number 15. It is similar to the medieval castle, but also resembles palaces from the eastern countries, where the locals are called Arabs, so the kyivites also call it "Arabian house". It was built more than hundred years ago by architect Alyoshin, for the family of Mr. Kovalevsky.
4
The Chocolate House
10 minutes
This distinctive neo-Renaissance mansion in Kyiv's wealthy Lypky district, built in 1901, is notable for its lavish interiors. There's a small sculpture display inside, but mostly it's about viewing the palatial rooms with their meticulously carved Moorish ceilings and chandeliers.
5
The Weeping Widow Mansion
10 minutes
Constructed in 1907 in the early Art Nouveau style by architect E. Bradtman, it was commissioned by Serhiy Arshavsky, a wealthy merchant from Poltava, who occupied it before the Bolshevik Revolution. The building earned its nickname because when it rains water pours over the woman's face on the facade, running down her cheeks like tears.
6
The House with Chimeras
20 minutes
The house is decorated with sculptures of mythical creatures and animals. In 1903, the architect Vladislav Gorodetsky builds a mansion in the Art Nouveau style from cement, which in those years was not yet used in construction. He and his family lived in this house and rented out apartments. The total area of the mansion is 3300 m2. The rooms are fan-shaped, in the direction of the sun. On the ground floor, there were stables, laundries, and rooms for servants.
7
The National Bank of Ukraine
5 minutes
The modern building of National Bank of Ukraine was built on the place of the former Office of State Commercial Bank in Kiev which was founded in 1839. For it was bought a large two-storey house belonging to Kiev nobility.
8
Sirotkin House
10 minutes
Sirotkin’s House is an architectural monument, one of the most beautiful buildings in the center of Kiev. The mansion was built in 1902 according to the project of the architect Karl Schimann in the Neo-Renaissance style. At that time, it was the tallest house in Kiev. Its height is 42.5 meters. There was electricity and elevator in the building. The mansion was built as a commercial apartment building. It housed shops, apartments, and a pharmacy.
9
Baron Shteingel's Castle
10 minutes
Baron Castle or the Podgorsky House was built in 1898 in the Neo-Gothic style, and was designed by N. N. Dobachevsky. It is considered a monument of architecture. The landowner Mikhail Podgorsky lived in the mansion. There are 10-room apartments on the second and third floors.
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