Знайти Dark Club Theatre нелегко. У вечір вистави – йде дрібний дощ. Ми двічі заходимо й виходимо з Арени на Бессарабці, аж поки хлопець із театру не виходить зустріти блукаючих гостей. Насправді усе досить просто. Якщо ви стоїте у дворі Арена-Сіті, орієнтуйтеся на найбільший тут білий генератор. А праворуч від нього знайдете сходи, що ведуть вниз,  до «Метрограду». Отам і світяться червоні літери Dark Club Theatre. 

У гардеробі залишаємо одяг і парасолі.

Простір складається з великого нижнього залу з дуже високими стелями – відчуття повітря та вертикалі привертає увагу, щойно заходиш. Його посилює стіна в широку вертикальну смужку та панно-дерево. Це – подарунок театру від акторки Тамари Яценко. Ручна робота авторства Ніоніли Яковлевої. Ліворуч – трохи закручені сходи, що ведуть на другий рівень. Це ще одна частина простору, де можна погомоніти. Люди туди й піднімалися з келішками з коньяком чи кавою. 

Місія VLL art gallery — створювати простір для розвитку та популяризації сучасного українського мистецтва. Ми надаємо митцям можливість для самовираження, допомагаємо глядачам відкрити їхнє бачення світу та сприяємо формуванню культури колекціонування в Україні. Галерея підтримує як досвідчених і визнаних авторів, так і молодих талановитих художників, роблячимистецтво доступним для кожного.

Кожний українець знає ім’я Михайла Грушевського. Дехто — знайомий з його працями. Більшість уявляє його державотворцем, і мало хто як людину, люблячого чоловіка і ніжного турботливого батька. Але не кожному пощастило побувати в гостинній оселі академіка, поринути в його наукову “лабораторію”, світ уподобань, відчути неповторну ауру великої дружньої родини. Ви маєте таку нагоду. Завітайте на Паньківську, 9 в Історико-меморіальний музей Михайла Грушевського. Музей є філією Музею історії м. Києва.

The Circus Building was constructed in 1960. Its prefabricated reinforced-concrete dome was engineered by M. Grutman, S. Rivkin, and I. Skachkov. The circus accommodates 2,000 spectators. Over the years, many renowned circus artists and performers have worked here, including M. Yehorov, V. Nikulin, V. Petrus, V. Tytov, V. Fomenko, and V. Frantsuzov, among others.

The four-story brick structure (including the basement) consists of two main volumes: a cylinder and a right-angled curved parallelepiped that embraces it from the sides. The cylindrical section contains the main facilities—the arena with the auditorium, vestibule with cloakroom, foyer, and corridors—while the adjoining block houses service and auxiliary rooms. The inner courtyard serves as an exercise area for animals.

The roof is metal, and the floors are made of prefabricated reinforced concrete. The base of the building is faced with pink granite, the walls are clad in light-gray ceramic tiles, and the columns are finished with white Inkerman stone. The dome is covered with decorative metal scales and topped with a cylindrical lantern and spire. The architectural style is Neoclassical.

The current site No. 57 on Volodymyrska Street originally formed part of the large estate of the First Men’s Gymnasium. The Pedagogical Museum building was constructed in 1910–1912 to the design and under the supervision of the prominent Ukrainian architect Pavlo F. Alyoshyn.

The three-storey structure features a central semi-cylindrical section in plan, covered by a glazed segmental dome, flanked by two lateral risalits. The museum building was among the first in Kyiv to make extensive use of reinforced concrete, employed in the cornice’s load-bearing structure, the amphitheatre and balconies, the floor slabs, and the spherical wall of the main hall, which endowed the interiors with a sense of lightness and spaciousness.

One of the building’s principal adornments is its multi-figure sculptural frieze, depicting the development of enlightenment and education through allegories of classical mythology, executed from designs by L. A. Dietrich and V. V. Kozlov. In 1937–1938, rear extensions were added according to a project also by Alyoshyn. The architect conceived the museum as a monumental public building in the style of Neo-Classicism (or Modern Classicism).

The building holds exceptional historical significance: in 1917–1918, it housed the Ukrainian Central Rada (UCR) — the supreme representative body of Ukraine, led by Mykhailo Hrushevskyi, which pursued the policy of national and territorial autonomy of Ukraine.

The Opera and Ballet Theatre (now the Taras Shevchenko National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre of Ukraine) stands on the site of the former City Theatre, which was destroyed by fire in 1896, and serves as the main architectural and compositional focal point of Teatralna Square.

Built in the Neo-Renaissance style, the structure features brick walls, vaulted ceilings in the vestibule and foyer, and flat reinforced-concrete floor slabs. The stage and auditorium roofs are supported by metal trusses. The grand staircase is made of white marble, while the secondary staircases are of granite. Architectural and sculptural elements of the façades are executed in artificial stone, and the roofing is made of sheet copper.

The façades combine geometric and floral relief ornamentation with sculptural figures of muses and winged griffins placed above the main entrance. The Renaissance detailing is complemented by metal canopies above the entrances, intricately decorated with dynamic vegetal motifs. These same motifs dominate the interior decoration, particularly in the auditorium, where they are interwoven with Baroque-style elements — mascarons, gilded floral ornaments, and three-armed wall sconces. The auditorium, arranged in five tiers, accommodates 1,312 spectators.

Construction was supervised by city architect Oleksandr Kryvosheiev from August 1898, later continued by architectural academician Volodymyr Nikolayev, assisted by architect Oleksandr Verbytskyi. The sculptural decoration of the building was created by the renowned Italian sculptor Elio Sala.

The theatre remains one of Kyiv’s most significant architectural landmarks, combining structural innovation, artistic craftsmanship, and the grandeur of Neo-Renaissance aesthetics.

The “Kharchovyk” Club Building was constructed by the Trade Union of Meat, Fish, and Canning Industry Workers according to a design by architect Mykola O. Shekhonin.

The structure is a two- to three-storey brick building, plastered, and represents a rare example of a public building from the transitional period between Constructivism and Soviet Neoclassicism. Its architectural composition combines the functional clarity and geometric simplicity of the 1920s avant-garde with the emerging monumental and decorative tendencies of the 1930s.

During the 1980s–1990s reconstruction, the building underwent several alterations, and its façades were restored under the supervision of architect O. Grauzhis.

The site is located within the archaeological monument of local significance — the Cultural Layer of Podil, as well as within the urban monument complex “Ensemble of Kontraktova Square.”

Today, the building houses the Kyiv Municipal Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet for Children and Youth, continuing its long-standing cultural and public function in the historic heart of Kyiv.

The decorative ensemble of the National Library of Ukraine for Children has been granted the status of a newly identified cultural heritage site (monumental art). It includes various works, in particular, creations by the renowned monumental artist Oleksandr Milovzorov: two chandeliers, wrought-iron gates, window grilles, and the stained-glass panel “Zodiac Signs.” The stained glass adorns the library’s fairy tale room. It consists of twelve fragments symbolizing the zodiac signs arranged around the Sun.
Text by T. Miachkova, photo by Yu. Melnyk.

The decorative ensemble of the National Library of Ukraine for Children has been granted the status of a newly identified cultural heritage site (monumental art). It consists of various works. The four-sided ceramic column featuring images of musicians — a creation by the renowned sculptor Olha Rapai-Markish — presents thematic scenes that depict the history of music and vignettes with the use of various musical instruments.
Text by T. Miachkova, photo by Yu. Melnyk.

The decorative ensemble of the National Library of Ukraine for Children has been granted the status of a newly identified cultural heritage site (monumental art). It consists of various works. The cylindrical relief “Tales of the Peoples of the World” — a creation by the renowned sculptor Olha Rapai-Markish — features thematic scenes illustrating ancient myths and fairy tales from different countries, including “Scheherazade”, “The Bremen Town Musicians”, “The Tinderbox”, “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, “Snow White”, “Puss in Boots”, “Ivasyk-Telesyk”, among others.
Text by T. Miachkova, photo by Yu. Melnyk.

The decorative ensemble of the National Library of Ukraine for Children is designated as a newly identified cultural heritage site (monumental art). It comprises several individual works. The relief “The Development of Printing” by the renowned sculptor Olha Rapai-Markish features thematic scenes illustrating the history of printing from antiquity to the present day. At the center of the composition are figures of Johannes Gutenberg, Ivan Fedorov, and Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Text by T. Miachkova, photo by Yu. Melnyk.