Kiev stands on the hills of the right bank of the Dnipro River. These hills are not very good for city development. If the ground becomes oversaturated with water, landslides begin to occur. If water accumulates between two layers of clay, a huge mass of mud can rush down, destroying everything in its path. To prevent this, at the beginning of the 19th century engineers took measures to protect the slopes. In fact, slopes can be protected in two ways:
The first is to build retaining walls that hold the slopes; the second is more complicated but more effective. It involves building a branching network of tunnels deep inside the Kiev hills to collect water from the aquifers, from where it is gravity-fed through the tunnels to the Dnieper River.
So far, Kiev urban explorers have explored more than 53 kilometers of drainage tunnel systems under the city. Most of these tunnel systems are concentrated deep in the steep slopes above the right bank of the Dnieper, but there are also tunnels in the Kurenivka and Amurskaya Square neighborhoods. Even under the “Ukraine” hotel, which stands above Maidan Square, there is a drainage tunnel system that was built in two tiers.
A drainage tunnel is, to some extent, an active model of a natural cave. Water passing through the thickness of the ground dissolves minerals that settle on the tunnel walls and ceiling, forming stalactites, streaks and stalagmites.
As in natural caves, bats live in the drainage tunnels. They sleep in hidden places during the winter. When hot weather returns to Kiev, they fly out through the openings in the ventilation shafts in search of food.
Some of the drainage tunnels were built between the mid-19th and early 20th century and are of historical interest. The first drainage tunnels were built by engineers of the Russian Empire deep in the slope near the entrance to the Kievo-Pecherska Lavra monastery. Local urbexers named this early tunnel system “Nikolskaya” because its construction was completed during the reign of Tsar Nikolay II in 1916. In places, the old tunnel system merges with modern galleries. The most notable spot in this dungeon is the “Royal Well” – the largest underground waterfall in Kiev, falling from a height of 22 meters.
A few more interesting places in Kyiv to visit with us.
Cascadian tunnel
The tallest tunnel in the “Nikolskaya” drainage system. It got its name from its cascading arched ceiling. A Tour to dungeons of Kyiv is the best way to have a good time!
“Thru digger” hall
One of the Kiev urban explorers left a toy rabbit in this hall, and it now serves as the mascot of the tunnel system.
If you climb to the top of the “Kings Well”, you can reach the longest drainage tunnel system in Kiev. The “Askoldova” system got its name because it has several entrances near the Askold’s tomb memorial neighborhood. The total length of the tunnels in this labyrinth reaches 5 kilometers. The tunnels of this system collect groundwater from the hills that stretch from Kiev-Pechersk Lavra to the Green Theater.
33-meter-deep shaft
This shaft was built beneath one of the Kiev hills. You can explore these labyrinths inside the Kiev hills with an experienced urbex guide from the ANOTHER.KIEV crew. Contact us through our Drain Tunnel tour booking page.
Unlike the underground rivers of Kiev, tours of which are seasonal, the drainage tunnel systems can be visited all year round.