Park Of Eternal Glory

You'll pass it on the way to Pechersk Lavra, between Dnieper Descent and Lavrska Street, next to Glory Square and the old Kyiv-Pecherska fortress. Its full name is the Park of Eternal Glory to the Soldiers of World War II, which tells you what it's for.

Follow the Alley of Heroes and it takes you straight to the middle of the complex, so you don't need to hunt for anything.

What's Here

The Glory Obelisk, from 1957, takes the central spot: a tomb for the fallen soldiers of the Red Army, with a 27 metre obelisk above it and an eternal flame burning in front. That flame is what most people photograph.

The other monument to look for is to the Victims of Starvation Times, one of the more recent additions. Its bell tower stands in the centre, shaped like a burning candle. The war museum under the Motherland Monument is fifteen minutes further along the ridge if you want the full account rather than the memorial.

This is a memorial rather than a day out, and people come here to remember rather than to sightsee, so it's worth reading the room - particularly if you've arrived with children in tow. What makes it work as a stop is the setting: it's green, it's quiet, and the ground drops away to the Dnipro, so it's a genuinely good place to sit with a picnic.

A Local Tradition

If you're here at a weekend you'll almost certainly see newlyweds. Couples come straight from the registry office to lay flowers at the monument to the Unknown Soldier, and it's a tradition that has held for decades.

Later in the day they head for the observation terrace nearby, where the highway below creates an optical illusion in the fading light and looks like a road running off into the sky.