Landscape Alley in Kyiv: How It Came to Be

Landscape Alley was laid out in the early 1980s to a design by the architect Avraam Miletskyi and runs along the line of 10th-13th century defensive fortifications. The goal was to give visitors a chance to take in views of Podil and the lands across the Dnipro from the heights of the historic Upper Town. The alley was designed as part of the "Ancient Kyiv" architectural and historical reserve, which was meant to cover the territory of the historic settlements that formed Kyiv ("whence the Rus land began"). The plan also called for an open-air archaeological museum; a museum of 19th-century urban development and folk crafts; the reconstruction of one of Kyiv's oldest streets, Andriivskyi Descent; new buildings for the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences and its museum, among others; and landscaping of the Kyiv hills: Starokyivska, Dytynka, Zamkova and Uzdykhalnytsia, as well as the slopes of the ancient Kopyriv Kinets. Of this ambitious project, sadly, only Landscape Alley was carried out. Even so, the views it offers are impressive.

The area has long been a favorite place for Kyivans to relax. Just step away from busy Velyka Zhytomyrska Street and turn toward the old Honchari, Kozhumiaky and Dehtiari quarters, and a beautiful view opens up. Kyivans especially love to unwind on quiet Poskotynka Hill, named for the livestock that grazed here back in the 19th century.

Address: Landscape Alley, from 2 Volodymyrska Street to 34 Velyka Zhytomyrska Street, Kyiv.