The history of the city dated back about 1500 years. It is no exaggeration to say that Kiev is one of the greatest cities of Europe. Kiev is not only the capital of Ukraine, but also the mother-town of all Eastern Slavic nations. Kiev Russ, a state from which Ukraine, Russia, and Belorussia emerged was established here between the IX and the X centuries. Kiev Russ is also the birth place if Russian Orthodox church. The old districts if the city stands on wooden hills above the Western bank of Dnepr. The panoramic view if Dnepr, its hilly banks, and chinquapin trees create a unique atmosphere of an attractive tourist centre. Modern Kiev is a city of gardens. It is one of the three European capitals with abundant vegetation. The unique museums are the St. Sophia Cathedral, Kiev Pecherskaya Lavra Monastery, in 1990, added to the UNESCO list. The St. Sophia Cathedral is the oldest church in the city built in 1017-31 to commemorate the victory of Tsar Yaroslav over Pincenates. The magnificent church with 13 domes was named after the St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople. The St. Sophia Cathedral makes a great impression with its rich wall paintings and mosaics some of which are about one thousand years old. Kiev Pechor Lavra was founded in 1051. It was the first Russian monastery and one of the most famous monasteries in Europe. Initially the goal of the monastery was to spread the recently introduced religion. It is unique combination of churches, underground mazes, and elegant monks’ buildings. The famous Kiev gates built in 1017 are the Golden Gates Museum. These were the historic main gates to the city during the rule of Yaroslav who might have been inspired by the Golden Gates of Constantinople. Inside is a small museum of old-Russian architecture.
