ST. CYRIL'S MONASTERY KYIV

Hard to get to but very much worth the effort. St. Cyril's Monastery was built in 1139 is one of three buildings still remaining from the Tatar Mongol conquest. The monastery suffered a harsh fire in 1734, which was later reconstructed by the Ukrainian architect Ivan Hryhorovych-Barskyi  during 1750–1760. His reconstruction works also included the addition of masonry walls enclosing the monastery's courtyard, a picturesque corner tower and gate, and other monastic buildings. Beautiful frescoes and stunning icons and paintings by Mikhail Vrubel. Since the late 1990s, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has been allowed to conduct regular services. This is a hidden gem of religious Christian history not usually found by tourists. A unique experience which you can combine with a visit to the tombs.