Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Andriyivskyy Descent

Andriyivskyy Descent, Kyiv. By Jorge Láscar from Australia Wikimedia

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Andriyivskyy’s Descent

Andriyivskyy Descent is a historic descent connecting  Kyiv’s Upper Town neighborhood and the historically commercial Podil neighborhood.

The street, often advertised by tour guides and operators as the “Montmartre of Kyiv”, is a major tourist attraction of the city. It is included in the list of national landmarks by the government resolution.

In addition, the street is also part of the Kyiv city historic reserve “Ancient Kyiv”, while the St.Andrew’s Church belongs to the National historic reserve “Sophia of Kyiv”.

Let’s look at some of the astonishing facts about Andriyivskyy’s Descent;

1. Andriyivskyy Descent has several monuments

Monument to Pronya Prokopovna in Kiev. Picture courtesy of Roland Geider (Ogre) Wikimedia

The Andriyivskyy Descent also has a number of monuments. One of them is the monument to Yaroslav the Wise, the Grand Prince of Novgorod and Kyiv, which depicts him holding a model of the Saint Sophia Cathedral.

Another is the monument to Pronya Prokopovna, Svirid Golohvastov which was unveiled in 1989, depicting two characters, Pronya Prokopovna and Svirid Golohvastov, from the play “Chasing Two Rabbits”, which was written by Mykhailo Starytskyi.

And the last of the main monuments is the one dedicated to the famous Ukrainian poet and artist, Taras Shevchenko, located to the right of the monument to Yaroslav the Wise.

2. The one street Museum of Andriyivskyy

The One Street Museum is another main attraction of the Andriyivskyy Descent, which houses many of the historic items of the descent, containing more than 6,500 exhibits.

They include information about St Andrew’s Church, the castle of Richard Lionheart, and the many other buildings of the Descent. The museum also has a large collection of antique books.

Book relics of the exposition include a famous Trebnik of the Metropolitan of Kyiv Petro Mohyla, rare editions of works written by professors and graduates of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, unique books written by the Ukrainian Walter Scott, M.Grabovsky, the Defender of Orthodoxy, A.Muravyov, and the works of Mikhail Bulgakov published in his lifetime.

3. The Richards Castle on Andriyivskyy (The lion heart)

The “Castle of Richard Lionheart” house was built from 1902– 1904. It was originally supposed to be called Orlov House, as it was built by one Dimitri Orlov.

But because its owner failed to clear the house construction with the city’s authorities, a major scandal arose. Viktor Nekrasov named the building “The Castle of Richard Lionheart”, after the 12th-century English king in his book.

It has been established that the modernized Gothic fronts were practically copied from a published design for an st. Petersburg building by the architect R. Markfield. But the stunning relief of Andriyivskyy’s Descent softened the effect of this plagiarism.

4. St Andrew a treasure of Andriyivskyy

Saint Andrew’s Church, Kyiv. Picture By Romankravchuk Wikimedia

Another attraction of the Andriyivskyy Descent is the baroque St. Andrew’s Church. It is located overlooking the Podil neighborhood from the Andriyivskyy Descent, which gave the church its name.

The idea to construct the St. Andrew’s Church came from the Russian Tsaress Elizabeth Petrovna.

When she visited Kyiv in 1747–1754, she laid the foundation brick of the church with her own hand, after which the church was constructed, to a design by the imperial architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

5. Andriyivskyy Legend History

According to one legend, Andrew the Apostle visited the uninhabited mountains in the mid-stream of the Dnieper River. He put up a cross atop of the hill where the descent starts and prophecied a foundation of a great Christian city.

Since then, wooden churches were built in the vicinity. According to another legend, there was once a sea where the Dnieper River now flows. When St. Andrew came to Kyiv and erected a cross on the place where St Andrew’s Church now stands, the sea went away.

The only part that remained of the sea is under the mountain on which Kyiv sits today. When the church was built there in the 18th century, a spring opened under the alter.

The church has no bells, because, according to the legend, when the first bell strikes, the water can revive again and flood the left bank of Kyiv.

6. Mikhail Bulgakov’s house in Andriyivskyy

Mikhail Bulgakov in the 1910s, during his university years.  From  Public Domain Wikimedia

Mikhail Bulgakov a famous Kyiv-born Russian writer and his family lived on the street in two different houses in the early 20th century.

In Bulgakov’s novel “The White Guard” the author vividly describes the street and house (he calls it Aleksey Descent – “Alekseevskiy Spusk”) in the turbulent times of the 1917 Russian Revolution.

The address, at No.13 Andriivskyi Descent is still commonly called the Bulgakov House and displays a plaque with the address the writer used in his book. The popular writer’s statue is also installed near the museum.

7. Andriyivskyy is famous for its peaceful atmosphere

Andriyivskyy descent is also famous for its peaceful atmosphere which benefits introverted people the most.

But it does not mean that extroverts are rare to see here. On the contrary, people of different nations, religious statuses, and characteristics can be seen.

This place offers some special charm and makes visitors forget about the noisy moments that are present in other places around the capital.

The environment of this outstanding is colorful and reflects the variety in terms of landscapes and sightseeing. 

8. Andriyivskyy was early occupied by Merchants

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the street was mainly inhabited by merchants and craftspeople. in Kyiv during times of the late Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, the street is once again thriving thanks to its unique topology, architecture, rich history, and also many gift shops and small art galleries showcasing various paintings and sculptures by Ukrainian artists. The descent is one of the favorite spots for tourists.

9. The Descent is constructed of laid cobblestones

Cobblestone Street, Picture by N-gio – Wikimedia

The descent, 720 meters (2,360 ft) in length, is constructed of laid cobblestones and connects old Kyiv (Upper city) with Podil (Lower city). It starts at the end of Volodymyrska Street and winds down steeply around the Zamkova Hora hill, ending near Kontraktova Square.

10.  Andriivsky descent is one of the few Kyiv streets that kept its ancient road surface

Andriivsky descent is one of the few Kyiv streets that kept its ancient road surface – paving stones. Andriivsky’s descent was firstly paved by large stones in the second half of the XIX century.

In 1981-1983 years the old paving stones were replaced by new and buildings were also recovered. After that, the sidewalk part of the track was “graced” by paving slabs.

Therefore, if you like extreme winter sports (snowboarding, bobsled, etc.) or you just want to extend your stay in Kyiv (because of traumatism ;), we recommend you go down the Andriyivskyy descent in winter.