In the Kiev subway rush hour. Five-year Aukusti and Kasperi Saarinen (Aukusti Saarinen and Kasperi) just for a moment be in the crush — the unknown woman quickly picks up one of them and sits down next to him.
“This is very typical for Ukrainians,” smiles the mother of the twins Tuija Saarinen (Tuija Saarinen). She already half a year lives with her husband Saarinena Sampo (Sampo Saarinen) and two children in Kiev.
A tourist goes to the city, which looks surprisingly green for a capital in Eastern Europe. Through the city center flows the river Dnieper, here are countless a lot of big green parks, for example, the Mariinsky and the Vladimir hill. From their viewpoints you can admire the Dnieper.
At the beginning of may in Kiev will be a lot of foreign tourists, because the city hosts this year’s Eurovision song contest.
Food is cheap, shopping is expensive
In the centre of Kiev around the Maidan and the hem is full of high class restaurants with reasonable prices that offer a menu of Eastern European dishes − from Georgia to the Crimean.
One of the favorite places of Saarinen − Japanese restaurants of the network “Eurasia”, which serves delicious sushi.
Clothing stores known firms located in modern shopping centers, for example, “Globus”, “Metrograd” and “Ocean Plaza”. The price level in them is the same as in Finland, sometimes even higher.
For souvenir shopping, a good alternative may be the market street of St. Andrew to the taxi driver.
However, public transport, food and beverages for the Finns will be very cheap: because of the instability in Ukraine, the hryvnia exchange rate is very weak.
Tuija Saarinen leads us to a self-service restaurant “Puzata Hata”. Recruit national Ukrainian dishes: borscht, chicken Kiev, salad, chicken sausages and juice.
All this costs 100 UAH, that is 3.5 euros.
Tourist it is better to bring Euro and exchange them for cash. Outside Ukraine hryvnia exchange is impossible, and in banking machines often take a copy with card.
Beautiful buildings and Soviet monuments
Kiev is particularly famous for its churches and monasteries. Worth a visit is St Michael’s monastery and Saint Sophia Cathedral, located in the city centre.
By metro you can reach the grandiose monument “Motherland” at the base of which is the national art Museum and Museum of the great Patriotic war.
In the center of the city are many cars and lanes, but the city can meet and walking.
Restricted movement of people needs to take into account the difference in levels. Lots of stairs, but on the other hand, a lot of beautiful views. Wide streets can be crossed only by underground passages. They can’t find the elevators.
The Kiev funicular will take you from the center to the hem and back. The funicular has historical value and is now working as public transport.
By metro you can quickly come out of the center in real life in the suburbs. In the endless clusters of houses of the Soviet period, the eye rests on the beautifully decorated faces of the buildings.
According to tuyi Saarinen, Kyiv is a great city for families with children.
“There are a lot of original children’s parks. I think the best Children’s Park on Landscape alley. It combines the art of mosaic and the children’s Playground”.
Tourists almost do not feel unrest
In the center of Kiev on the Maidan in 2013-2014 was scary. The demonstration, which lasted several months and ended with violence, led to a change of government.
In Eastern Ukraine almost three years there is a war. In area, Ukraine is the second country of Europe. From the Eastern front to Kiev distance is 700 kilometers.
Working at the Embassy of Finland Sampo Saarinen (Sampo Saarinen) said that in Kiev, the war is hardly felt. It is present mainly in the humble funeral of the heroes.
According to tourists, in Kiev, yet something has changed: the new administration has changed the face of the police. She was called by the police and now on the streets you can find riding a Bicycle or even a smiling representative government.
Until, perhaps, the famous and terrible sights − the zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the Ghost town of Pripyat from Kiev more than a hundred kilometers. Excursions in this area go to Maidan every morning.
