Kyiv: Friendly overview from overseas

[finesoul]

AFTER seven decades of Soviet dominance, Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, has emerged as one of Europe’s most vibrant 21st-century cities. With a thriving contemporary art scene, a new generation of chefs taking innovative approaches to Ukrainian cuisine, and a delirious dance-til-dawn night life, Kiev — currently a co-host of the 2012 European Soccer Championship — is a weekend magnet for European and Russian fashionistas. But new cuisine and clubs are only the latest cultural attributes of a city that has more than its share of ancient catacombs, churches and monuments. Don’t let Kiev’s reputation as “the birthplace of the Slavs” conjure up stereotypes of Slavic dourness. For starters, the city looks as if it was painted like a Ukrainian Easter egg, with brightly colored buildings and gold domes glittering on the hills above the Dnieper River. And then there are the Kievans themselves — a resilient lot whose hearty sense of humor and a seemingly boundless hunger for fun are reflected in the city’s bustling cafes, thronged beaches and bars that never close.

• 36 Hours in Kiev, Ukraine (c)New York Times
  
• Lively Kiev, Ukraine (c)New York Times
  
• New York Times: Киев - один из самых красивых городов мира