Europe

Ukraine

At a glance

A large European country

Ukraine, whose name is often linked to the idea of “borderland”, is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia and sits between Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Black Sea.

Lviv’s Central European feel

Lviv is one of Ukraine’s most interesting cities. Architecturally, it can feel Polish, Austrian, Hungarian, or broadly Central European, which gives the city a very distinct character.

Kyiv and independence

Kyiv is Ukraine’s capital and home to major public spaces such as Independence Square and the Independence Monument, which commemorates Ukraine’s independence in 1991.

Conflict and resilience

Tensions with Russia escalated after the 2014 annexation of Crimea and fighting in Donbas. In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A visual journey through Ukraine

Lviv

Taras Shevchenko Monument in Lviv, Ukraine — **The Taras Shevchenko Monument honours Ukraine's national poet and cultural icon.** More than a literary figure, Shevchenko became a symbol of Ukrainian identity, language and national consciousness, making this monument one of the most significant public spaces in the city.

Grand staircase inside Lviv National University — **Lviv has long been known as a city of learning.** The grand staircase inside Lviv National University reflects the city's intellectual traditions and its historical role as an academic centre connecting different cultures, languages and ideas.

Panoramic view of Lviv from the City Hall Tower, Ukraine — **Lviv reveals itself best from above.** Seen from the City Hall Tower, the city stretches across rolling hills, church domes, and historic rooftops. Unlike Kyiv's broad boulevards and monumental spaces, Lviv feels intimate, layered, and distinctly Central European.

Kyiv

St Sophia Bell Tower from Sophia Square in Kyiv, Ukraine — **The Bell Tower of St. Sophia dominates Sophia Square.** Its turquoise, white and gold Ukrainian Baroque design makes it one of the most recognisable landmarks in Kyiv.

Poshtova Square and Church of the Nativity of Christ in Kyiv, Ukraine — **Poshtova Square links Podil with the Dnipro waterfront.** The modern fountains sit in front of the historic Church of the Nativity of Christ, giving the square a mix of old Kyiv and contemporary public space.

St Sophia Cathedral exterior in Kyiv, Ukraine — **St. Sophia Cathedral is one of Ukraine’s greatest historic monuments.** The cathedral combines its original 11th-century Byzantine foundations with a later Ukrainian Baroque exterior, seen in its white walls and green-and-gold pear-shaped domes.

Cathedral Square grounds at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra in Ukraine — **Cathedral Square inside Kyiv Pechersk Lavra brings together several major religious landmarks.** From the cobblestone square, you can see the decorative Dormition Cathedral and the green-and-gold dome of the Refectory Church.

Golden Gate Zoloti Vorota in Kyiv, Ukraine — **The Golden Gate was the medieval gateway to Kyiv.** Originally built in the 11th century by Yaroslav the Wise, it recalls the power of Kyivan Rus. The statue in front shows Yaroslav holding a model of Saint Sophia Cathedral.

Interior galleries of St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine — **The interior galleries of St. Sophia Cathedral preserve the atmosphere of medieval Kyiv.** The vaulted corridors are covered with ancient frescoes and religious iconography, making the cathedral feel like a living archive of Kyivan Rus.

St Volodymyr's Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine — **St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral is one of Kyiv’s most striking 19th-century churches.** Its yellow Neo-Byzantine exterior, blue domes with golden stars, and historic frescoes make it one of the city’s most recognisable religious landmarks.

St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv, Ukraine — **St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery symbolises Kyiv’s resilience.** Originally built in the Middle Ages, it was demolished by Soviet authorities in the 1930s and carefully reconstructed after Ukraine’s independence.

St Andrew's Church in Kyiv, Ukraine — **St. Andrew’s Church is one of Kyiv’s most elegant Baroque landmarks.** Designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the emerald-green and white church sits high above Podil and Andriivskyi Descent.

Church of the Mother of God Pirogoshcha in Kyiv, Ukraine — **The Church of the Mother of God Pirogoshcha reflects Kyiv’s medieval roots.** Reconstructed in the 1990s, it follows the simpler Byzantine-Kyivan Rus style, contrasting with Kyiv’s later Baroque churches.

St Nicholas Church on the Water in Kyiv, Ukraine — **St. Nicholas Church on the Water is one of Kyiv’s most photogenic modern churches.** Built on a concrete pier in the Dnipro River, it appears to float beside Podil and offers a quieter riverside contrast to Kyiv’s grand cathedrals.

Gateway Church of the Trinity at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine — **The Gateway Church of the Trinity marks the entrance to Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.** Its richly decorated façade, golden awning, and frescoes of saints make it one of the finest examples of Ukrainian Baroque architecture in the Lavra complex.

Iconostasis inside the Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine — **The iconostasis of the Dormition Cathedral is one of the most impressive interiors in Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.** The multi-tiered gilded screen is filled with icons, carved detail and gold leaf, illuminated by light from the cathedral dome.

Dormition Cathedral facade at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine — **The Dormition Cathedral is the main church of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.** Its white walls, gold trim, ornate gables and religious frescoes show the grandeur of Ukrainian Baroque design.

Refectory Church interior at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine — **The Refectory Church of Saints Anthony and Theodosius has a richly decorated interior.** Its long hall, dark ornamental pillars, gilded details and painted ceiling reflect the late-19th-century religious art of the Lavra.

Inside the Bell Tower shaft at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine — **Inside the bell tower, the view upward becomes almost abstract.** The square shaft, stairways, scaffolding and wooden ceiling create a striking symmetrical composition inside one of Kyiv’s major religious monuments.

Holodomor Memorial Park in Kyiv, Ukraine — **The Holodomor Memorial Park is one of Kyiv’s most solemn places of remembrance.** The entrance is guarded by the Angels of Grief and leads towards the candle-shaped memorial tower dedicated to the victims of the man-made famine of 1932–1933.

Pripyat

Duga radar structure near Chernobyl in Ukraine — **The Duga radar is one of the most striking structures in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.** Its huge metal framework rises above the trees, a reminder of the Soviet military infrastructure that once operated in secrecy in this area.

Radiation warning sign and Geiger counter near Chernobyl, Ukraine — **The exclusion zone makes radiation visible in a very direct way.** Warning signs and Geiger counters are part of the experience, reminding visitors that this is not just an abandoned place, but a contaminated landscape.

Alley of Abandoned Villages memorial in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine — **The Alley of Abandoned Villages remembers communities erased by the Chernobyl disaster.** At the Memorial Complex “Wormwood Star”, black metal signs line a quiet red-gravel path, each crossed through with a red line to mark villages permanently abandoned after the 1986 nuclear disaster.

Abandoned vehicle in the forest near Pripyat, Ukraine — **Pripyat is full of small, unsettling traces of everyday life left behind.** This abandoned vehicle, slowly being absorbed by the forest, captures how nature has moved back into the exclusion zone since the city was evacuated.

Abandoned ferris wheel in Pripyat, Ukraine — **The abandoned ferris wheel is one of Pripyat’s most recognisable images.** It has become a powerful symbol of the city’s frozen moment in history: a place built for ordinary life, suddenly interrupted.

Abandoned apartment block in Pripyat, Ukraine — **Pripyat’s apartment blocks show the scale of the evacuation.** These buildings once formed part of a planned Soviet city, but now stand empty, weathered, and slowly overtaken by vegetation.

New Safe Confinement structure at Chernobyl in Ukraine — **The Chernobyl New Safe Confinement dominates the landscape around the reactor site.** The enormous arch was built to contain the remains of Reactor 4 and reduce the release of radioactive material from the original shelter.

Mezhyhirya Residence

Once the private residence of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Mezhyhirya has since been transformed into a public museum. Located about 25 kilometres north of Kyiv, the vast estate has become one of Ukraine's most striking symbols of corruption.

Lakeside promenade at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Lakeside Promenade forms part of the estate's vast landscaped park.** Walking paths, fountains, sculptures and ornamental gardens stretch across grounds so large that many visitors choose to explore the estate by golf cart.

Japanese garden bridge at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Japanese Garden Bridge reflects the attention given to even the smallest details of the estate.** Decorative waterways, themed gardens and carefully maintained landscapes transformed Mezhyhirya into a private retreat on a scale rarely seen in modern Europe.

Grand salon at Mezhyhirya Residence, Ukraine — **The Grand Salon showcases the scale of Mezhyhirya's main reception spaces.** Crystal chandeliers, patterned floors, large windows, and a white piano dominate the room.

Grand staircase at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Grand Staircase showcases the scale and extravagance of the mansion's interior.** Ornate railings, oversized chandeliers and handcrafted timber finishes reinforce the sense that no expense was spared throughout the residence.

Bowling lanes at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Private Lanes were part of a wider complex of leisure facilities hidden within the estate.** The bowling alley demonstrates how Mezhyhirya functioned not only as a residence but also as a private entertainment complex.

Private cinema at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Private Cinema offered a dedicated screening room inside the residence.** Together with the bowling alley, golf facilities and other amenities, it contributed to the self-contained luxury of the estate.

The Road to Success book displayed at Mezhyhirya Residence — **A copy of Yanukovych's book "The Road to Success" is displayed as part of the museum exhibition.** Today the residence preserves many personal items left behind when the former president fled Kyiv during the 2014 Revolution of Dignity.

White piano in the grand salon at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The White Piano sits within one of the mansion's most extravagant reception rooms.** It has become one of the better-known objects displayed inside Mezhyhirya, illustrating the lavish decorative style favoured throughout the residence.

Indoor tennis court at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Indoor Court provides a covered sports facility.** The structure houses a full-sized tennis court beneath an arched roof.

Bedroom at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Presidential Suite demonstrates the luxurious standards maintained throughout the residence.** Rich timber interiors, custom furnishings and elaborate detailing transformed even private living quarters into displays of wealth.

Decorated shower room at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Gilded Shower is among the most talked-about rooms in the mansion.** Its decorative mosaics, gold-coloured fittings and peacock motifs have become symbols of the excesses associated with the former president's residence.

Private chapel at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Private Chapel contains an iconostasis and religious artwork.** Gold-coloured decoration and painted icons cover the interior.

Long tunnel at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Long Hall connects different sections of the enormous estate.** The scale of the residence becomes apparent when moving through corridors and passageways designed to link its many private facilities.

Golf course at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Golf Course occupies part of Mezhyhirya's extensive grounds.** Recreational facilities stretched far beyond the main residence, reinforcing the estate's reputation as a private world of its own.

Embankment at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Embankment follows the shoreline bordering parts of the estate.** Visitors today can walk along riverside paths that were once reserved for the private use of the president and his guests.

Floating palace at Mezhyhirya Residence — **The Floating Palace is one of the most unusual features of Mezhyhirya.** Moored beside the estate, the vessel served as another extravagant addition to a property that has become Ukraine's most famous monument to corruption.