Tatarka-Lukyanivka tour

Smorodinsky Caves are situated on Tatarka on the same slope. According to the legend, dragon Gorynych dug the caves to hide from Kozhemyaka. In ancient times there was the River Smorodina on Smorodinsky slope. There was a bridge across the river, which was called Kalinov. It is mentioned in fairy tales that Ivan Tsarevich fought with Gorynych there. The dragon crawled out of the cave on the cliff. Now there are dozens of caves. The hermits lived there long time before, and the refugees hid there during the war. In 1876 Professor Antonovich identified 15 caves in the ravines near Cyril monastery, as well as a group of caves near Smorodinsky slope. It turned out that the age of the slope is more than 4000 years. The excavations revealed crypt-like galleries about 2 meters height and 1.2 meters wide, which go deep into the ground in different directions. The average length of the caves was 15 meters. One of the ways was about 100 steps long. There were trade tools, crocks from the era of copper and bronze, bones of mammals.

Khrushchev Dacha is a mansion at the address 8 Mayboroda Street. It was built at the end of the 19th century for pharmaceutist assistant Octavian Belsky in the style of neo-renaissance. Subsequently, Belsky opened his own pharmacy and acquired an adjoining property, where he has built another house, similar to the first one. The mansion is located in Kmitov Yar, that is a beautiful park with ponds and chestnuts. Since 1934, the people’s commissar of internal affairs of the USSR Vsevolod Balitsky lived in the estate. During this time the park was enriched with bridges, garden houses, statues and fountains. The First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev lived here after the war for some time. After Khrushchev departure to Moscow, the estate continued to be the residence of the first secretaries of the Central Committee. Now there is Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology in the park, and the administration is in the mansion. The oak staircases, an interior of a hall for meetings with a crystal chandelier and a fireplace made of black stone in the modernist style stood the test of time. The park itself is in neglected condition.

Schekavitsky cemetery is situated on Shchekavitsa hill and is the oldest necropolis. It consists of 2 parts separated by the slope. There is Old Believers cemetery on the hill, the Muslim one is under the hill. According to official data, Shchekavitsky cemetery was laid down in 1772 for people who died with the plague. On the territory of the cemetery there was All Saints Church erected in the Baroque style. The cemetery was central and the most important cemetery in Kiev for some time. According to the origins, the Prince of Kiev Prophetic Oleg was buried there. In the 1930s All Saints Church and most part of cemetery, except Old Believers and Muslim parts, were destroyed. Today, you can see only the remaining graves of not operational cemetery. The last burials here were in the 1940s. It is believed that these places have a strong energy.

Lukyanivska prison was built in 1859-1863, it had three floors with a basement. The name of the prison was “Lukyanivsky Prison Castle”. The prison was designed for 550 people and was considered one of the best in Russia. In the early 20th century three-storey female building was built there.

Not only gangsters but also political prisoners such as revolutionaries, victims of tsarist and Soviet repression, dissidents, were imprisoned in this prison. The most sensational case, which became known all over the world in 1913, was the case of Mendel Beilis as for allegedly committed ritual murder. After 2 years of investigation he was found not guilty. The famous film director Sergei Paradzhanov and the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko also were in this prison.

The national historical and memorial reserve “Babyi Yar” is a world-famous place for mass shootings of the population, mostly Jews, conducted by German troops during the occupation of Kiev. Firstly Babyi Yar was mentioned in 1401, when the landlady of local inn sold these lands to Dominican monastery. In the 15th-18th centuries there were such names as “Shalena Baba” and “Bisova Baba”.

In 1870 some part of Babyi Yar became Lukyanovka cemetery, which is a protected area nowadays. In 1891-1894 a new Jewish cemetery was founded next to Babyi Yar. In 1937 it was closed, and during the Second World War it was destroyed. During the fascist occupation, Babiy Yar was used to carry out mass shootings. According to various sources, more than 100,000 people were shot there. Today it is a national historical and memorial reserve.

Ar-Rahma Mosque is the first and only mosque in Kiev, which means mercy. It is built next to the old Muslim cemetery, which is not operational nowadays. The construction was started in the mid-1990s on the money of the Muslim community. The solemn opening of Ar-Rahma Mosque was only in 2011.

The architecture of the mosque and 27 meters high minaret attract with its beauty and unusualness. There are library, women’s room, training classes, playgrounds, Sunday school and hobby groups on the territory of the mosque. There is a relic in the mosque, that is a copy of the fabric scroll, where the names of all spiritual leaders of Sufism are written.

Schekavitsa mount is located between Tatarka and Podol. It offers a wonderful view to Podol, The River Dnieper and the left bank of Kiev. According to the “Tale of Bygone Years”, the mountain got its name from one of the founders of Kiev Shchek, who settled here. Also according to the origins it is believed that here is the grave of the Prince of Kiev Oleg. The history of the mountain of 18th-19th centuries is associated with burials. In 1772, a cemetery was founded on Shchekavitsa mountain.

In the 1860s the Tatars begin to settle here. The first settlers were 60 Tatar families, the main occupation of which were soap making and trade. During the archaeological excavations on Shchekavitsa mountain, the remains of a stone structure of 12th-13th centuries were found. Presumably these are the ruins of the temple. Today, you can admire the beautiful view, make unforgettable photos and even meditate there. Some people say that the mountain can restore health and provide positive energy.

Lukyanivka cemetery was opened in 1872. Lukyanivka cemetery is one of the oldest necropoleis in Kiev. In the beginning there were buried the mad people from Kirillovskaya mental hospital. Later, Lukyanovka cemetery received the status of central cemetery, after which Kiev elite was buried here. Among them were academician N.D. Strazhesko, mathematician D.A. Grave, second president of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR N.P. Vasilenko and pilot P. Nesterov.

The history of Lukyanivka military cemetery and destroyed Jewish cemetery, next to which was the necropolis of the Karaites, is connected with this necropolis. There is a functional Orthodox Church of St. Catherine and a museum room in the cemetery. More than two thousand graves and tombstones of the cemetery are included in the list of monuments of Kiev. Nowadays it is state historical and memorial reserve “Lukyanovka Cemetery”, where there are daily excursions.

St. Cyril’s Monastery is the second church after St. Sophia’s Cathedral, preserved from the times of Ancient Rus in its original form. It is a unique monument of architecture and monumental painting. The church was founded by the prince of Chernigov Vsevolod Olgovich in the first part of the 12th century and was the ancestral family vault of the Olgovichi.

The church is named after St. Cyril, the patron of the prince. According to the origins the first burial place (of Vsevolod’s wife) dates back to 1179. In 1194 the prince of Kiev Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich was buried here. Frescoes of the 12th century, paintings of the 17th century and oil frescoes of the 19th century still exist in this church. During the restoration in the 17th-18th centuries the church acquired the features of Ukrainian Baroque.

Nearly 800 square meters of Old Russian frescoes, which have no analogues in any of the monuments of the Orthodox Christianity, have been preserved till this time. A special place among the oil paintings made during the restoration in the 19th century takes the works of the famous Russian artist Mikhail Vrubel, whose Mother of God is compared with the Sistine Madonna. There are a lot of excursions in the church every day.

Park named after Heydar Aliyev is opened in 2013 and located next to the embassy of Azerbaijan. It is named after the President of Azerbaijan. The exposition includes a cascade fountain, a copy of the wall of Baku fortress, an eastern carpet made of murano glass and ceramics (a copy of “Sheikh Safi” carpet) and a monument of H. Aliyev.

In the park there are magnolia, maple, yew, sakura, quince, barberry, dogwood, plum and acacia. Above the fountain there is an emblem of the Shirvanshahs state, which symbolizes the power of the state. The emblem of the Shirvanshahs state depicting two lions and a bull’s head is the ancient heraldic symbol of Baku. The images of lions symbolize fortress walls, and the bull’s head symbolizes the city of Baku.

There is a map of Azerbaijan in the park, which is made in the form of flower bed symbolizing the peace and unity of people. The park particularly is beautiful in the evening. It was created as a gift to Kiev inhabitants from the Azerbaijani people for the 90th anniversary of H. Aliyev at the expense of the state corporation of Azerbaijan “Sokar”.