Andriivskyi Descent is one of the most romantic streets in Kyiv, connecting Podil with the Old City and existing since the times of Kyivan Rus. It received its modern name in the 18th century from St. Andrew’s Church, designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli.
An ancient legend is associated with it: when Andrew the Apostle placed a cross on the hill, an underground sea receded, but part of it remained beneath the ground. That is why the church still has no bells — according to the legend, the first strike would awaken the water and flood all of Kyiv.
The street was densely populated by prominent Kyiv residents. Near the church stands a sculptural pair — Pronia Prokopivna and Svyryd Holokhvastov — heroes of the famous play Chasing Two Hares by Mykhailo Starytsky, based on the work On Kozhumiaky by Ivan Nechui-Levytskyi, and its film adaptation. The events of these works take place here.
Today, the descent is Kyiv’s Montmartre: open-air artists, galleries, cafés, and a unique atmosphere of the city at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries.