How to be awesome in Kyiv metro?

You cannot come to Kyiv and leave this city without trying its metro. It is reliable, convenient and a little bit crazy…

How to be awesome in Kyiv metro?

Are you wondering what is happening here? This is Pecherska metro station in Kyiv at a rush hour. Here is a small tutorial for you how to become a master of Kyiv metro!

Know the right time. If you only want to see the stations, better not to enter metro at a rush time, which is around 8:00-10:00 a.m. and 5:0-7:00 p.m. The time around 6 p.m. is especially crazy, and you might be even stuck in the line to enter the metro.
Pay with your debit/credit card. In Kyiv metro you can pay buy buying tokens (8UAH per ride), metro card, where you can put money for many rides (which is more comfortable), and the new option that allows you to use your debit/credit card as a ticket (as long as it has PayPass). Almost all the central metro stations have this option – just find the entrance that has MasterCard/Visa sign on it.
Know the rules. The unwritten rules of Kyiv metro are same as for any metro that is carrying too many passengers. When entering Kyiv metro you might see these doors that are almost flying there and back. It is nice to hold them, and not to let them go into the face of somebody who is following you.Take off your backpack once you enter the train. It is not only for your security, but also for comfort of other passengers, as it makes easier for them to enter and get off the train, and you will not hurt anybody while moving around. Also it will save you from seeing too many grumpy faces, as nobody likes to see people who are running around the train with their backpacks and actively hitting everybody. You will see quite often that at such busy stations as Maidan Nezalezhnosti/Khreshchatyk, Palats Sporty/Lva Tolstogo, Theatralna/Zoloti Vorota people get off to let other people go out. It might not be your stop, but it is nice to do so, as people will not be stuck behind you and noboty will be pushing each other to make their way out. I see many people who are not following these simple rules, and it drives crazy, seriously.
Know the right stations. If you only go to the metro to explore the stations itself, you might be interested in Arsenalna metro station – the deepest one in the world (105.5 meters), Zoloti Vorota (in top 20 most beautiful stations in the world) or Universytet.
Learn to read. No, I am not telling you to learn Ukrainian. But I heard many people complaining that the signs are not translated. So here I want to assure you: THERE IS English version. However, the English names are written in smaller size. Also all the stations are announced in English too.

Something you need to know about Kyiv metro

Do not search for bins there. Because you will simply not find it. They were not installed to increase the security of passengers.
A lot of metro stations are the shopping malls at the same time – people sell everything – from flowers and coffee to underwear.
Do not search for women among the Kyiv metro drivers – they do not exist. Women mostly drive the trams and trolleybuses here.
The metro in Kyiv is built as a nuclear shelter, where people can hide in case of nuclear explosion. For this situation, it is equipped with water, food storages and toilets.

Kyiv metro is an easy and convenient way to move around the city – fast and free of traffics. The only traffics might be human made ones, but if you managed to transform from Zoloti Vorota to Theatralna at 6 p.m. – congratulations! you mastered Kyiv metro!

If you want to explore not only Kyiv’s undergroung but things on the ground too, welcome on my Awesome Kyiv Author Tour!