National Opera House

(50 Volodymyrska Street. Tel.: 044-2791169, www.opera.com.ua)

A night out at the opera remains blessedly cheap and yet as grand a way to spend the evening as any. Kiev’s opera house is not thought to be one of Ukraine’s best – most rate Lviv’s and Odessa’s opera houses as among the best in the region – but it is nevertheless boasts impressive acoustics and a talented team of performers.

 Why should I go? Where else can you get this kind of high brow sustenance for less than $ 15? Plus it was here in Kiev Opera House that Russian PM Pyotr Stolypin was assassinated in 1911, an event which some historians have argued paved the way for the failure of Russian democracy and the eventual victory of Bolshevism.  The Russian PM is said to have turned to the Tsar in the royal box and bowed before succumbing to his wounds. An almost operatic ending in the most fitting of settings.

Feel free to ask a question or leave a reply!