Andrew’s Descent is one of the oldest and most popular streets in Kiev. Although it enjoys a reputation as the city’s most artistic street, much of it is lined with souvenir stalls selling Soviet paraphernalia, Matryoshka dolls and other mass-produced tourist tack. There are, however, are a few real art galleries including Gallery 36, Triptych and L-Art.
This steep and winding cobbled street links the Upper Town to the district of Podil. The Italian-designed St Andrews Church sits proudly at its peak, while the Bulgakov Museum and the Museum of One Street lie further down.
I always come here when visiting Kiev. The market is great and you can buy all kinds of weird and wonderful things. There are great restaurants all along the street and the beautiful St Andrew’s church at the top.
I’d advise you to wander all the way to the bottom of the street. You will find yourself in Podil, which is a great and interesting area. There’s also a restaurant here called San Tori, which apparently was the first Asian restaurant in Kiev. It does great Thai and Japanese food, but the pricing is a little high when compared to other restaurants in the city.
I love this little street. It’s a cobblestoned street that winds up from Podil and is full of artists and interesting places to visit. It’s a great place to shop too but I’m not sure if the items for sale are authentic. I suspect some of the antique items could be modern reproductions, though I’m no expert.
The last time I was there was 1977. I should return. These are my roots after all. I’m a proud Gutszul (check the spelling).