You probably know that St. Petersburg and Moscow have both been capital cities at different times, but did you know Kiev was once the capital of Russia? It may not be part of Russia anymore, but the imperial city was the capital of the medieval "Rus" about 800 years ago. The city is now exclusively Ukrainian, but it certainly hasn't lost its luster as an ancient capital.
When looking at hotels in Kiev, there are two main areas you should look. First, try to find a place near Independence Square (or Maidan Nezalezhnosti) on Khreschatyk. This is the city center's main street, so it's filled with all kinds of different shops, restaurants and stores, and there's always something happening at the main square, especially on the weekends. For something a bit more colorful, find a place up the hill near Andrew's Decent (see photo at left), one of the oldest and most popular streets in the city. In addition to having great views of the river, the A.D. area features a vibrant art community and is near many of the most beautiful churches, including the cave monastery. There are also lots of great restaurants around these cobblestone streets, including the popular Chasing Two Hares.
For nightlife, there are two main elite clubs: Arena City and Fabrage. The first is right on Khreschatyk at Basseina, and it features several different bars and restaurants. The hot spot, however, is the upscale dance club with a well-dressed clientele of 20-something guys and girls. There is a main dance floor in the center, surrounded by a ring of tables and then the bar section where the majority of patrons just stand and chat. Faberge, meanwhile, is a short cab ride or decent walk away and caters to a more mature, 30-something crowd. A slightly larger club, Faberge offers multiple rooms with everything from dancing to (on the night I went) karaoke.
For those who really want to do something different, Kiev offers tours of Cherynbol and places where you can fire off an AK-47 or ride along in mini-tank. All of these tourist attractions are on the pricier end, so I opted to visit their World War II memorial and museum and just play on the tanks there. On the less expensive side, there is often some interesting stuff to do on the river, from eating on a riverboat restaurant to busting a move on the nighttime party boats.
Overall, Kiev is a major city that's coming into its own again after decades under Soviet rule. To me, it seemed to be the most quintessentially Ukrainian city I visited and the perfect place to get a true feel for the heart of the country. I absolutely loved it!
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