Kyiv is One of Europe's Most Vibrant 21st-Century Cities - The New York Times

KYIV, Ukraine, June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

"With a thriving contemporary art scene, a new generation of chefs taking innovative approaches to Ukrainian cuisine, and a delirious dance-til-dawn night life, Kyiv - currently a co-host of the 2012 European Soccer Championship - is a weekend magnet for European and Russian fashionistas," this is how The New York Times  begins its account about Ukraine's capital city. The article 36 Hours in Kyiv  depicts Kyiv as the city of contrasts - from cathedrals to numerous nightclubs.

Kyiv is usually considered a birthplace of Slavic nations, however, it should not mean that the city is dull or 'dour', cautions the article. In fact, the city is bright with its colorful buildings and golden domes. In addition to the beautiful man-made and natural sceneries, Kyivers themselves were gifted with "hearty sense of humor and a seemingly boundless hunger for fun". In order to accommodate the demand, the city boasts numerous cafes and restaurants, busy beaches and bars that never close.  

The article then goes on depicting stadium-shaped Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), the city's modern and historical center. The Maidan is home to both Czarist, Beaux-Arts and Stalinist buildings as well as to new glass-enclosed Globus luxury mall, representing the new era. Green and gold domes of Saint Sophia cathedral, dating from the 11^th century, mark the place to hear prayer accompanied by the a cappella choral music.

The Unesco World Heritage site Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra monastery is home to upper and lower catacombs with subterranean tunnels past ancient glass-encased tombs of mostly Orthodox saints and monks.  The special praise of the newspapers goes to elaborately gilded 11^th-century Dormition Cathedral, reconstructed after its destruction in World War II. This June Kyiv's Maidan Nezalezhnosti has been transformed into EURO 2012 biggest fan-zone. Along with Kyiv, three other Ukrainian cities: Kharkiv, Donetsk and Lviv have done their share in hosting the championship. Ukraine co-hosts this major sporting event with the neighboring Poland (four stadiums in each country). It's been speculated that if Ukraine were to solely host EURO 2012 championship then the international fan community could also have discovered such pearls as southern port-city Odesa, Crimean Simferopol and Yalta, eastern Dnipropetrovsk and western Chernivtsi and Uzhgorod.