A grand neo-Renaissance opera house on Volodymyrska Street, opened in 1901 to designs by the Russian architect Victor Schröter. The interior — gilded boxes, red velvet, painted ceilings — survived the Soviet century well, and the resident company maintains a serious classical repertoire of opera and ballet.
Tickets are inexpensive by Western European standards and the performances are good. Even outside the performance schedule, the building is worth circling for the facade and the small park behind.