The Kyiv Funicular ( uk, Київський фунікулер) is a steep slope railroad on
Kyiv Hills
Kyiv Mountains or Kyiv Hills ( uk, Київські гори, Київські пагорби) is a term used in journalism and literature for hills and highlands around the city of Kyiv that range from approximately 150 to almost 200 meters. The ...
that serves the city of
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Kyi ...
, connecting the historic ''
Uppertown'', and the lower commercial neighborhood of
Podil
Podil ( uk, Поділ) or the Lower cityIvankin, H., Vortman, D. Podil (ПОДІЛ)'. Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine. is a historic neighborhood in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It is located on a floodplain terrace over the Dnieper betwe ...
through the steep
Volodymyrska Hill
Volodymyrska Hill or Saint Volodymyr Hill ( uk, Володимирська гірка, ''"Volodymyrska hirka"'') is a large park located on the steep right-bank of the Dnipro River in central Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Its most famous and pro ...
overseeing the
Dnieper River
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine an ...
. The line consists of only two stations and is operated by the Kyiv city community enterprise
Kyivpastrans
Kyivpastrans is a municipal company that operates public transport in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Its operations include electric trams, city buses and trolleybuses. It also operates the Kyiv Funicular and some urban rail lines.
Kyivpastrans wa ...
.
History
The funicular was constructed during 1902–1905, and was first opened to the public on . The construction cost, about 230,000
rubles
The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union.
, currencies named ''rub ...
, was covered by a
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
owner of the
Kyiv trams. The funicular was the project of Arthur Abrahamson, who received professional training on railroad engineering in
Zürich
, neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon
, twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco
Zürich ...
,
Switzerland and
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
. The station vestibules were initially developed by N. Pyatnitskiy, and the railway structure was designed by N. Baryshnikov.
Due to its proximity to the
St. Michael's Cathedral, it was once named the ''Mykhailivskyi Mekhanichnyi Pidyom'' ( uk, Михайлівський механічний підйом, literally ''St. Michael's Mechanical Lift''). After the cathedral was destroyed by the
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
authorities in 1935–1936, the name of the funicular was changed.
In 1984 the lower station changed its outlook. It was redeveloped by architects Janos Vig, Valentine Yezhov, and others.
Various facts
The funicular uses the two rail and passing-loop system. The two cars are designated with the
Cyrillic letters ''Λ'' ( uk, Лівий, lit=left) and ''П'' ( uk, Правий, lit=right) which stand for left and right cars. The funicular was renovated three times: in 1928, 1958, and 1984.
Track gauge
In rail transport, track gauge (in American English, alternatively track gage) is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many ...
: . Total track length: . The total gradient of the slope on which the funicular runs on is 36%. The cable cars are powered by an
electric motor
An electric motor is an electrical machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a wire winding to generate for ...
which is located inside the upper station and in tram type.
The travel time between the stations is approximately 3 minutes. The route is from the
Mykhailivska Square
Saint Michael's Square ( uk, Михайлівська площа, translit=Mykhailivska ploshcha) is a square in Old Kyiv, Ukraine. Located in the Shevchenkivskyi District of Kyiv, the square lies in front of Saint Michael's Golden-Domed Mon ...
in the Uptown to the
Poshtova Square in the
Podil
Podil ( uk, Поділ) or the Lower cityIvankin, H., Vortman, D. Podil (ПОДІЛ)'. Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine. is a historic neighborhood in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. It is located on a floodplain terrace over the Dnieper betwe ...
. The ticket price is much like for the other city-owned public transportation methods, ₴8 (approx. US$0.3 as of July 2018). The funicular provides daily service to 10,000-15,000 passengers, and annually to 2.8 million passengers.
Originally funicular built as trams were unable to ride the grade. Later funicular fare was included in tram monthly tickets if tram is alone transport in it.
The funicular was closed on September 25, 2006 for restoration, which is usually conducted every year.
The total cost of the restoration was expected to be ₴455,400 (about US$90,500). The funicular is operated by Kyivpastrans.
Gallery
File:Київський фунікулер 1.jpg, Lower station
File:Верхняя станция киевского фуникулёра.jpg, Upper station
File:Фунікулер 1.JPG, Upper station with night illumination
File:Киевский фуникулёр.JPG, Lower station
File:Фунікулер 3.JPG, Lower station with night illumination
File:Київський фунікулер 2.jpg, Carriage
See also
*
Odessa Funicular
*
List of funicular railways
This is a list of funicular railways, organised by place within country and continent. The funiculars range from short urban lines to significant multi-section mountain railways.
A funicular railway is distinguished from the similar incline eleva ...
References
*
External links
фунікулерi
''Wiki-Encyclopedia Kyiv''
Photos of Kyiv Funicular
{{Transport in Kyiv
Funicular railways in Ukraine
Rail transport in Kyiv
Metre gauge railways in Ukraine
Railway lines opened in 1905
Tourist attractions in Kyiv
1905 establishments in the Russian Empire