Andriivskyi Descent
Andriivskyi Descent | |
---|---|
Андріївський узвіз (Andriyivs′kyi uzviz) | |
General information | |
Type | National Landmark of Urban Planning[a] |
Location | Podil, Old Kyiv |
Town or city | Kyiv |
Country | Ukraine |
Coordinates | 50°27′36″N 30°30′59″E / 50.46000°N 30.51639°E |
Andriivskyi Descent or Andrew's Descent[1][2][3][4] (Ukrainian: Андріївський узвіз, Andriivs′kyi uzviz) is a historic descent connecting Kyiv's Upper Town neighborhood and the historically commercial Podil neighborhood. The street, often advertised by tour guides and operators as the "Montmartre of Kyiv", is a major tourist attraction of the city.[5][6] It is included in the list of national landmarks by the government resolution.[7][b] In addition, the street is also part of the Kyiv city historic reserve "Ancient Kyiv", while the St.Andrew's Church belongs to the National historic reserve "Sophia of Kyiv".
The descent, 720 metres (2,360 ft) in length, is constructed of laid cobblestones and connects
Recent talk of the descent's reconstruction has been going since 2006, when a local
Description
Andrew's Descent begins on the summit of the Starokyivska Hora (Old Kyiv
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the street was mainly inhabited by merchants and craftspeople.[6] Although they are long gone due to the sweeping demographic changes[11] in Kyiv during times of the late Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, the street is once again thriving thanks to its unique topology, architecture, rich history and also many gift shops and small art galleries showcasing various paintings and sculptures by Ukrainian artists. The descent is one of the favorite spots for tourists.[6] It is also notable for the many festivals it holds, including various art festivals[6] and the Kyiv Day celebrations on the last weekend of May.[12]
The street's location in the city and its landmark attraction has made it lately a highly prestigious area, with several new luxurious restaurants. However, the descent's sewer and water systems have not been upgraded within the past 100 years, thereby underlining the need for a new system to be installed.[13] Although, city authorities have not yet scheduled a new sewer project system to be installed.[13]
History
The descent, located between two hills, is the shortest passageway from the historic Old or Upper Town (
In 1711, by the order of then-Governor of Kyiv, the route between the Zamkova and Andriivskyi mountains were expanded, thus allowing traffic to become more suitable for horses and wagon carriages. Andrew's Descent was renamed in 1920 in honor of young revolutionary Georgiy Liver.[citation needed] In 1944, it was decided to return the street to its prior name; in 1957, the street was renamed back to Andreevsky Spusk—the Russian variant of Andrew's Descent.[14] In the 1980s, Andrew's Descent received a thorough reconstruction after years of disrepair.[15]
On April 9, 2012, construction workers began demolishing legally protected historic structures, even though earlier that year, their safety was guaranteed at several news conferences and the buildings themselves were included in scale models of the "renovated" descent. The destruction of the buildings took place under the guise of "reconstruction" efforts, which began in October 2011. Preliminary reports indicate that the buildings directly across from, and next to the Museum of Bulgakov, (Buildings 10a, 10b, and 9/11) were all razed to the ground. The land was being redeveloped to make room for a new office and business complex to house Rinat Akhmetov's Kyiv operations.[16][17]
Several hundred protestors, including boxer/politician Vitali Klitschko, gathered outside the main Kyiv office of Akhmetov's SCM Holdings.[18] On April 12, Akhmetov claimed he had canceled plans to build a multi-story business center in the buildings’ place, promising instead to build a cultural center and restore the facades.[18]
Attractions
Andrew's Descent contains numerous historic attractions and museums. The 18th century baroque
Saint Andrew's Church
Another attraction of Andrew's Descent is the
As the Tsaress planned to take personal care of the church, the church has no parish, and there is no belltower to call the congregation to divine service. But she died before the construction ended, so the church was never cared for by Elizabeth Petrovna. After Elizabeth's death, the Kyiv court took no interest maintaining in the church, last consecrated in 1767. Later, there were not enough funds to maintain the church, which left the maintaining of the church to private and voluntary funds, such as Andrey Muraviov.[15]
In 1963, Rastrelli's original plans for the building were found in Vienna, Austria.[15] This made it possible to reconstruct the original images on the building. The plan of restoration was carried out in the 1970s, overlooked by the main architect-restorer, V. Korneyeva.[19] Since 1968, the church has been opened as a museum to tourists and visitors. The church is now owned by the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church.[20]
Castle of Richard the Lionheart
The "Castle of Richard the Lionheart" house was built from 1902 to 1904. It was originally supposed to be called Orlov House in reference to its constructor Dmitry Orlov. But because its owner failed to clear the house construction with the city's authorities, a major scandal arose.
The cellar of the building contained a barber's shop, a grocery store and a butcher shop. The remaining premises were used as apartments for rent. When Dimitri Orlov died in 1911 while building a railroad in the Russian Far East, his widow, left with five children, had to sell off the house to pay her family's debts.[21] In 1983, renovation works were started on the building to convert it into a hotel.[21] Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, various reconstruction works have been largely unsuccessful. As of 2009, the Castle of Richard the Lionheart still stands empty and fenced off in renovation.[21]
Mikhail Bulgakov's house
A museum was opened inside the preserved building to mark the 100th birthday of Mikhail Bulgakov on May 15, 1991.[15] The upper floor of the museum houses an exhibition of various Bulgakov objects, and the lower floor contains thematic exhibitions.[15] The house, built in 1888 and designed by architect N. Gardenin, was thoroughly renovated before the opening of the museum.[15] A memorial plaque with Bulgakov's portrait is now hanging on the front of the building.[15]
One Street Museum
The One Street Museum is another main attraction of Andrew's Descent, which houses many of the historic items of the descent, containing more than 6,500 exhibits. They include information about the Saint Andrew's Church, the castle of Richard Lionheart, and the many other buildings of the Descent.[22]
Also, the museum has a unique collection of various works by Ukrainian philologist P. Zhitetsky, Arabist and professor of the Kyiv University T. Kezma, journalist and public figure A.Savenko, Ukrainian writer G.Tyutyunnyk, which have lived in the house No. 34 in the different periods of the twentieth century.[22] Another important part of the collection in the museum is the memorabilia of professors of Kyiv Theological Academy A. Bulgakov, S. Golubev, P. Kudryavtsev, F. Titov, A.Glagolev, famed doctors Th. Janovsky and D. Popov, and other prominent local figures.[22]
The museum also has a large collection of antique books. Book relics of the exposition include a famous Trebnik of the Metropolitan of Kyiv
Lithuanian castle
The castle was built by
Monuments
Andrew's Descent also has a number of monuments. One of them is the monument to
Most recently, in 2007, a monument to Mikhail Bulgakov was opened on Andrew's Descent, the first dedicated to the writer in the former Soviet Union.[26]
Legends
During its long history, Andrew's Descent has a couple of legends surround it.
One legend states that when
According to another legend, there was once a sea where the
Panorama
See also
- Volodymyrska Hill
References
- Notes
- ^ along with Zamkova Hora
- ^ In 2012 the order of Ministry of Culture granted it a status of local landmark,[8] however in the latest published listing for local landmarks in the city of Kyiv for 26 July 2016, the descent is not on the list. (The listing is available at the Ministry of Culture's website.)
- Footnotes
- ^ Cybriwsky, Roman Adrian (2016). Kyiv, Ukraine. The City of Domes and Demons from the Collapse of Socialism to the Mass Uprising of 2013–2014. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. p. 179.
- ^ Crankshaw, Edward (1956). Russia without Stalin: The Emerging Pattern. London: Joseph. p. 207.
- ^ Johnstone, Sarah (2005). Ukraine. Melbourne: Lonely Planet. p. 55.
- ^ Hardaway, Ashley (2011). Ukraine. Other Places Publishing. p. 78.
- ^ a b c "Andreyevskiy Spusk". Hotels-Kiev.com. Optima Tours. Retrieved June 20, 2006.
- ^ a b c d "Andreevsky Spusk" (in Russian). Kiev.inf. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
- ^ About entering national objects of cultural heritage to the State Registry of Immobile Landmarks of Ukraine (Про занесення об'єктів культурної спадщини національного значення до Державного реєстру нерухомих пам'яток України). Resolution of Government of Ukraine No.928. 3 September 2009
- ^ About entering objects of cultural heritage to the State Registry of Immobile Landmarks of Ukraine (Про занесення об'єктів культурної спадщини до Державного реєстру нерухомих пам'яток України). Order of Ministry of Culture No.45. 20 January 2012.
- ^ a b "Andreevsky spusk in Kyiv will be reconstructed" (in Russian). Korrespondent.net. June 23, 2009. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
- ^ Kudrytskyi 1981, p. 70.
- ^ "A walk along the Andreevsky Spusk". Vash Kiev (Вашъ Кіевъ) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
- ^ a b "Andriivskyi uzviz". Kyiv History Site. oldkyiv.org.ua. Archived from the original on 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
- ^ a b "Historical architecture of the famous Andreevsky spusk will soon slide down to the Podol if famed 100-year-old sewer systems are not changed, reports ICTV" (in Russian). nashkiev.ua. December 24, 2008. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
- ^ "Monuments of history" (in Russian). Mandria. Archived from the original on 2010-12-22. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Malikenaite 2003, p. 50.
- ^ "Three historic buildings were destroyed on Andrew's Descent. With the help of Akhmetov? PHOTO. VIDEO". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). April 10, 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ^ "Photos from the "hot spot" on the Andriivskyi Descent". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). April 10, 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ^ UNIAN(12 April 2012)
- ^ "St. Andrew's Church". travel.kyiv.org/Ukrainian/Russian. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
- ^ Makovets, Elena (May 28, 2008). "They are taking Saint Andrew's Church away from us". Gazeta po-Kievsky (in Russian). Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
- ^ a b c Sergey (February 6, 2009). "Kiev: Castle of Richard the Lionheart" (in Russian). kraevid.org. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
- ^ a b c "About museum". One Street Museum (in Russian). Retrieved June 28, 2009.
- ^ "Pronya Prokopovna and Golohvastov". Unofficial site of Kyiv Oblast (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
- ^ Siyak, Ivan. Самые нелепые памятники Киева [The most absurd monuments of Kyiv] (in Russian). Nash Kyiv. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- Radio Svoboda(14 October 2018)
- ^ "In Kyiv the monument to Bulgakov was opened (FOTO)". ForUm (in Russian). October 20, 2007. Retrieved 2009-07-19.
- Further reading
- Kudrytskyi, A. (1981), Kyiv, Encyclopedic Directory (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia
- Malikenaite, Ruta (2003), Touring Kyiv (in Ukrainian), Baltija Dryk, ISBN 966-96041-3-3
External links
- "Andriivskyi uzviz". www.uzviz.com.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
- "Andriivskyi uzviz". WWW Encyclopedia Kyiv (in Ukrainian).
- "Andriivskyi uzviz / Streets and squares of Kyiv / Attratctions of Kyiv / Old City". Interesniy Kyiv (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2009-03-29.
- "Andreevsky, which doesn't exist anymore". Museum Zamkova Hora (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2007-03-12.