National Opera of Ukraine

The National Opera of Ukraine is the country’s main opera theater and one of Kyiv’s most beautiful buildings. Located just a few minutes’ walk from the Golden Gate, it seats around 1,300 visitors. The façade is decorated with arches, stucco work and griffins, while a bronze bust of Taras Shevchenko — whose name the theater bears — stands above the main entrance.

The repertoire includes opera, ballet and symphonic concerts, performed in Ukrainian, French, Italian and other languages. Some of the audience favorites are the ballets Don Quixote and Swan Lake, and the operas Zaporizhets beyond the Danube, Madama Butterfly, Natalka Poltavka and Macbeth. The slightly sloped stage floor creates a deeper perspective and enhances the dancers’ movements.

Tickets usually cost 400–1,000 UAH.

Photos: the the-city.kiev.ua website