In the run-up to Independence Day, the Visit Kyiv team has developed a walking route through the centre of Kyiv, which is intended to help people understand Ukraine’s independence. His idea is that independence is not merely the single event of 24 August 1991, but a long history of decisions, compromises and struggles, which can still be seen, heard and felt in Kyiv’s urban landscape.
Details of the walking route from Visit Kyiv
The route runs from the Golden Gate via Reitarska, Sofiyska and Mykhailivska Squares, the Ukrainian House, Maidan and Khreshchatyk to the Frank Theatre.
Nine stops tell the story from the very beginnings of statehood in the time of Yaroslav the Wise — through the Revolution of Dignity and the people’s memorial to the fallen defenders — to contemporary culture, which continues to evolve. Each location highlights a distinct chapter in the country’s history of independence.
You can walk the route on your own — it’s about 4 km and takes 1–1.5 hours, or longer if you stop along the way. There is a bilingual audio guide in Ukrainian and English for each stop, so you can listen to the stories right at each stop, without a guide and without having to stick to a timetable.
The key feature of the project is that you can follow the route online, even without being in Kyiv. The team filmed all the locations and prepared audio guides especially for the route, so it serves both as a guide for those already in the city and as a way to experience Kyiv for those who are currently far away.
The itinerary was planned in collaboration with Viktoria, the author @vintagekyivguide — a Kyiv-based vintage tour guide and lecturer, to see familiar places through the lens of the history of independence and discover interesting facts about them.
“We help those who’ve decided to visit Kyiv. We show the city as the locals see it. This tour is about the fact that independence isn’t just a single date; it’s about difficult choices, struggles and a process that continues to this day,” says Dmytro Bondar, founder of Visit Kyiv, a Ukrainian entrepreneur and investor.
The route is available at visitkyiv.com
Visit Kyiv is an independent platform that helps foreigners find their way around Kyiv during the war.
Route page: https://visitkyiv.com/uk/ekskursii-ta-marshruty/zrozumity-nezalezhnist-ukrainy-cherez-kyiv/
Route on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/UjvQP16kPULmPXY1A
