Excursion to Premier Palace
In our wonderful city of Kyiv, there is something to see, but every time it is interesting to visit places where it was not possible before for some reason.
View of Shevchenko boulevard from the terrace of Serge Lifar room
For me, such a discovery was an excursion to the 5* Premier Palace Hotel, which is located on the corner of Pushkinskaya Street and Shevchenko Boulevard.
Hotel lobby
The building is historic. It was built in 1909.
At that time, the hotel was called "Palast-Hotel" (in the French manner).
The modern "Premier Palace Hotel" consists of two buildings. The main part with an entrance from Pushkinskaya street (it was it that was originally planned as a hotel). The second part overlooks Shevchenko Boulevard (and was previously the apartment building of the merchant Lev Ginzburg).
The hotel began to receive guests in 1912. At that time, the hotel had 150 rooms, in which amenities such as electricity, telephone and water supply were available. And up to a thousand people could visit the restaurant at the same time.
In 1918, the building was damaged as a result of the shelling of Kyiv by Russian artillery. In the same year, Hetman of the Ukrainian State Pavel Skoropadsky was hiding in one of the hotel rooms, where he signed a document on renunciation of power, after which he fled to Berlin.
The Soviet government decided to leave the building to function as a hotel. The hotel was partially destroyed during the war in 1943, when German troops were leaving the city.
After the end of the war, the Premier Palace Hotel was renamed the Ukraina Hotel, the name existed until 1999, until the last reconstruction of the hotel.
In 2001, the Premier Palace Hotel opened its doors to guests of Kyiv as a five-star hotel.
View of the hotel dome from the lobby
In the beautiful lobby of the hotel, luxurious furniture, everything sparkles and amazes the eye.
Hotel lobby
There are six elevators, four of which are like transparent capsules.
Hotel lobby
An interesting detail: every day at 00.00 in the elevators they change the rugs on which the day of the week is indicated.
Carpet in the elevator
This was done specifically so that guests arriving at different times and from different time zones know exactly what day of the week it is.
Most recently, the administration decided to popularize the hotel among Kiev residents and guests of the capital by conducting free tours.
Hotel dome
In addition to the modern stylized interiors of the lobby. . .
View from the elevator to the lobby
. . . and restaurants, during the tour you will be shown the themed deluxe rooms of the hotel (depending on their availability as guests).
We were lucky: we watched the Hetman issue, made in the Ukrainian baroque style and dedicated to Hetman Pavlo Skoropadsky.
"Hetman" issue
The bed in the room is covered with skins, and sabers hang in a niche stylized as a fireplace.
There is also a portrait of Skoropadsky in the room.
In general, the hotel has a large collection of paintings, which includes 274 exhibits. . .
Lobby interior
. . . and the interior of the hotel is complemented by vintage art.
Stained Glass
We also visited three personalized suites:
Vertinsky - the room has a gramophone, sheet music and a photo of the singer.
Interior of the Vertinsky Room
Interior of the Vertinsky Room
There used to be a Pierrot doll (the most recognizable stage image of Vertinsky), but the guests were frightened of her, and she had to be removed : )
"Vysotsky" - in the issue there are portraits of the singer, posters, notes and a radiogram.
Vysotsky Room Interior
Radio in the room "Vysotsky"
Vysotsky changed his hotel rooms every time, because the fans always found him and did not let him rest. Therefore, it is not known for certain which rooms the singer stayed in.
View from the Vysotsky room
It was decided to make one and dedicate the room to the memory of the singer's stay in the hotel.
“Serge Lifar” - everything in the room “breathes” with ballet (even the curtains are made especially for this number with figures of dancers).
Serge Lifar is a great dancer and choreographer from Kiev who emigrated to France in 1923.
In 1961, Lifar visited the USSR and was able to visit Kyiv. His hometown remained dear to him until the end of his life.
“Even the beautiful brilliant Paris could not make me, a Kievan, forget my wide, majestic Dnieper, ” he said.
The hotel room is dedicated to this event.
Interior of the room "Serge Lifar"
There is also an issue "Lyubov Orlova" and the most popular number - "Bulgakov". But both of them were busy with guests and we did not see them. As the guide told us, the room "Bulgakov" is almost always busy. Many guests who come to Kyiv associate Bulgakov's name with mysticism. And in the room there is also a figure of the Behemoth Cat! So there is no end to those who want to stay in it!
Photos of these and other rooms can be seen on the hotel website.
The tour lasts about an hour. At the end, you can go up to the restaurant on the roof of the hotel, or you can walk along the corridors and marble stairs and look at the paintings.
You can sign up for a tour at the hotel's Facebook page.
I recommend to everyone.
