Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From here you may find the odd
marshrutka
heading to Kaniv - a very pleasant 50km
ride through Van Gogh-like sunflower- and haystack-filled landscapes and across the gi-
ant Kaniv dam on the Dnipro. Taxi drivers charge around 160uah.
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Kaniv
04736 / POP 26,700
When Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine's national poet, died in 1861, his famous poem
Za-
povit
(Testament) requested his fellow countryfolk bury him on a hill overlooking the
great Dnipro River where, after rising up and liberating the land, they could 'freely, and
with good intent, speak quietly of him'.
Kaniv, 162km down the Dnipro from Kyiv, is the spot they chose. In 1925 the steep
and scenic bluff overlooking the river,
Tarasova Hora
, was designated a State Cultural
Preserve. On a hill above the mothballed river pier you'll find the poet's tomb, which is
crowned with a tremendous statue of the man himself. There is an observation point in
front with great views of the river, and 15 hectares of parkland to explore behind the
statue. Behind the grave is the huge and surprisingly glitzy
Taras Shevchenko Museum
(
www.shevchenko-museum.com.ua
;
admission 10uah; 9am-3.45pm Tue-Sun)
, which prides
itself on its interactive touchscreens, glass cases of first editions and big-print engravings
of the moustachioed one himself.
Sleeping in Kaniv is a way of combining it with Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky on a relaxed
two-day trip. You can stay in the Spartan hotel
Tarasova Gora
( 321 10, 322 72; vul
Shevchenko 2)
, which is located right on the historical hill and was built on the orders of
Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who came back from a US trip overexcited about panel
boards. The much fancier, 13-room
Knyazhya Hora
(
095 283 3833, 315 88;
www.knyazhahora.com.ua
; vul Dniprovska 1; r 500-950uah;
)
is located down by the river
and offers immaculate, European-standard facilities.
Kaniv is just about doable as a long day trip from Kyiv. Kaniv buses (45uah, 3½
hours, at least hourly) depart from Kyiv's Vydubychi bus station. Tarasova Hora is about
7km south of the bus station. A taxi should cost around 25uah.
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Vyshhorod & the Kyiv Sea
04596 / POP 23,000
