Private Tour of Jewish Community in Kyiv

Visit Lvivska square in the upper Kiev, the site of the Jewish gate and learn about life of the Jewish in the medieval Kiev. Follow the way from Lukyanovka area to Baby Yar ravine. Visit bronze monument to victims of the holocaust. This monument was built in 1976 just after President Nixon’s (37th President of USA) visited Baby Yar.

Soviet-time monument at Baby Yar is made of 11 sculptures. Especially moving are two of them – a mother with her baby at her breast while her hands are tied up – it symbolises Ukraine enslaved by Nazis and a granddaughter mourning over her dead grandfather.

Other monuments at Baby Yar are more recent. They are Menorah (1991y.) and children’s monument (2001y.). The bronze Menorah depicts Abraham and Jsaak and human procession. Its inauguration ceremony was attended by President Bush’s brother in 1991. Children’s monument is built to remember 15 thousand children and babies killed by Nazis in Baby Yar at time WWII.

Next visit Podil (lower Kiev) where Jews had lived in olden clays and its Synagogue - late 19th century. Aristocratic Lipki area has a few lovely mansions built by wealthy Jews just next to the tsar’s palace. Now these mansions are used mostly by Ukrainian authorities.

Finally visit choral Brodsky Synagogue (1898) and adjacent area. Golda Meir and Sholom Aleichem once lived here. Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel on March 17, 1969, after serving as Minister of Labour and Foreign Minister. Visit Solom Aleichem museum to learn about his Ukrainian birthplace in Pereyaslav and members of his family. Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich, better known under his pen name Sholem Aleichem (March 2 [O.S. February 18] 1859 – May 13, 1916), was a leading Yiddish author and playwright. See Golda Meir memorial plague and Solom Aleichem statue. Also visit Bessarabsky roofed market (1911) built on Brodsku’s money.

Holocaust history and Baby Yar tragedy are presented in the World War II just three showcases.

To see objects of Jewish worship silver. Torah’s crowns, shields, pointers, e.t.c. (18-19th centuries ) visit Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine.