Day 2. Breakfast in hotel. Sightseeing tour across Kiev (4 hours) During this excursion you will see all the main monuments and places of interest of Kiev. St. Sophia Cathedral, Mikhailovskiy Cathedral, "Golden Gates", Opera and Ballet House, the House with Chimers, Maidan Nezalezhnosti, Motherland Monument, Andriivsky uzviz etc. After the lunch - visit to Pechersk Lavra. Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is a unique monastic complex, included by the UNESCO into the list of the monuments of the world-wide significance. More than 43 million of tourists from all over the world have visited this complex since its establishment. The complex consists of two parts: the above-ground (religious constructions complex) and underground (caves). Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was established back in 1051, when Antoniy, a monk, settled here in a cave excavated in the slope of a hill. Soon he was joined by his soul-mates, which started expanding the caves, and later, when the underground shrine was not able any longer to give shelter to all the brothers - erecting the first monastic buildings. It was these caves that gave the name to the monastery, and "lavra" means the status, which was granted to large and influential monasteries that by their dimensions were like small towns possessing their own streets ("lavra" in Greek means a "street"). The monastery played a notable role in the development of the Ukrainian culture - construction of temples sharpened the skills of architects and artists; here the first in the Kievan Rus printing-house was established. Lavra was a place which hosted the famous chroniclers, writers, scientists, artists, doctors, and publishers. It was here, where in about 1113, Nestor, a chronicler, wrote his "Povest Vremennykh Let" ("The Tale of Times") - the key source of our knowledge about Kievan Rus. Near Pechersk Lavra in the Spass Church on Berestove was buried the founder of Moscow - Yuriy Dolgorukiy Prince. Lavra's caves are a system of underground corridors consisting of two parts - Close and Remote. The first records about the caves are dated 1052. Initially, the monks lived in those caves and later it became the place where they buried the deceased settlers of the monastery. In particular, there were buried: Nestor the Chronicler, the author of "Povest Vremennykh Let" ("The Tale of Times"), Illia Muromets - the ancient hero, and imperishable relics of Lavra's saints. | 
