This is one of the oldest streets in the city and Europe. Its upper part existed back in the days of Kyivan Rus and connected the Old Town with the artisanal Podol. It is believed that the street got its name in the 18th century, when the St. Andrew's Church was built here. In addition to it, there are a number of other monuments on the descent, including Richard's Castle, the Museum of One Street, monuments to Taras Shevchenko, Yaroslav the Wise, Pronia Prokopivna and Svyrid Golokhvastov, etc.

The development of the street was carried out mainly at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. More than 20 buildings are monuments of architecture and history. St. Andrew's Descent is also called the Kyiv Montmartre, because here you can constantly see artists exhibiting their works. Sometimes artists and musicians perform here. There are many shops with souvenirs and rarities, galleries, cafes and restaurants on the street.