A true sensation of Kyiv archaeology: the remains of the foundation of the Southern Palace of Vladimir the Great, built at the end of the 10th century. This section of masonry was discovered relatively recently when a retaining wall was removed during repair work — revealing stonework more than a thousand years old beneath it.
The total area of the palace was about 500 square meters, the foundation depth reached one meter, and the building itself had two levels.
It was here, in the Gridnytsia — the great ceremonial hall — that Volodymyr gathered his retinue, received ambassadors, and hosted magnificent feasts remembered in medieval epic tales. Nearby stood two other palaces: the Western Palace and the three-story Northern Palace. Together, they formed an entire princely complex at the heart of the detinets.
What you see today is only a small fragment, yet it is enough to sense the scale and grandeur of the capital of Kyivan Rus’.