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Holy Places of Kyiv

PILGRIMAGE TOUR 

Already in Middle Ages, Kyiv earned the fame of Eastern European Jerusalem. Pilgrims, many from a thousand miles afar, flocked to Kyiv, mostly on foot, to worship its sacred places. A special place among Orthodox sanctuaries of Kyiv belongs to St. Sophia Cathedral and Kyiv Pechery Lavra, the cradle of monasticism in Rus'.The Lavra caves in due time turned into the last resting place for sacred relics of God pleasers drawing the attention of many believers. 

Day 1. Arrival. Welcome dinner with folk music show in a traditional Ukrainian restaurant. 

Day 2. Sightseeing tour with a visit to the St. Sophia Cathedral, one of the most renowned frescos and mosaic art monuments included into the UNESCO World Heritage List. An overlook of the Golden Gates, the main entrance to the medieval city of Kyiv; also of  St. Michael Golden-Dome Monastery, monuments to Princess Olga, the first Christian of Rus'; and to Prince Volodymyr, the Baptiser of the Rus'. Remains of the Church of the Tithe (the first stone church in the Rus') and of St. Andrew's Church built, as the legend has it, on the place where St. Apostle Andrew placed the cross and prophets, 'On these hills shall the grace of God shine!'. 

In the afternoon a tour of the ancient Vydubychi Monastery. In Middle Ages the monastery was the center where chronicle records were written; it was here that ancient Rus' troops gathered in preparation for battle. Monks sought protection from the enemy in monastery caves.

In the evening: an opera or ballet performance at the National Opera of Ukraine or a concert in the National Philharmonic.

Day 3. A tour of Kyiv Cave Monastery – Lavra, one of the world's most prominent Orthodox holy sites included into the World Heritage List. There are more than 40 ecclesiastic architectural monuments and museums on the territory of Lavra. Holy relics of saints that rest in the Lavra caves draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year.

In the afternoon: a tour Churches of Podil. Podil, once the trade and crafts center of the ancient Kyiv, is now densely adorned with churches and shrines of varying architectural styles and from different epochs. A tour of the Podil's eldest Dormition of the Theotokos (Pyrogoshcha) Church, the Illyinska (St. Elijah) Church erected on the place where the first in Kyiv Rus' wooden church had stood; visits to famous St. Nicholas Churches and St. Flor Monastery glorified by  self-sacrificing lives of many noble dames who chose the life with God.

A boat trip of the Dnieper.

Day 4. Departure

Please contact us to book this tour or request individual price.