Attractions of Mykolaiv

A monument in honor of the city's founder, Prince Hrihory Potemkin-Tavriisky, was erected in 2007 next to the first shipbuilding plant, at the place where, according to historians, the prince made the decision to build Mykolaiv.

The bust was made of black granite by the Mykolaiv artist and architect Viktor Makushyn.

The sculpture of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, patron of the city of Mykolaiv, was opened in Kashtanovyi Square in 2005 to celebrate the city's 216th anniversary.

Saint Nicholas the Conciliator has long been considered the patron saint of sailors, protecting their ships on long voyages. The monument to Nicholas the Wonderworker made of gray-blue marble (architect Anatoliy Pavlov and Oleksandr Bondar, sculptor Ivan Bulavytskyi) was created for 1.5 years with public money, so the names of all those who made donations are immortalized on the pedestal.

Kashtanovyi Square is one of the most favorite places of rest for residents of Mykolaiv. Sculptures of lions are installed at the entrance to the square.

The memorial sign at the place of the foundation of the city of Mykolaiv is better known as the "Monument to the Students' Shara" thanks to Mykolaiv students.

At first, it stood in a prominent place before the descent to the lower embankment (on the site of the current monument to Mykhailo Faleev), then it was moved a few hundred meters to the side.

The monument has the form of a cube, on the edges of which are carved images of ships and a long inscription, the first and last words of which make up the phrase "there is a shara".

According to local student tradition, before the session, students who wanted to receive the patronage of the almighty Shara had to come to the monument and beat their heads against the carved corner of the monument, asking for easy grades in the exam.

The bust of Generalissimo Suvorov was unveiled in Mykolaiv in 2010 near the Department of Military Training of Vasyl Sukhomlynsky National University for the 280th anniversary of the birth of the 18th century commander.

The monument to the work of sculptor Dmytro Korinovsky was created at the expense of students and teachers of the military department, activists of the Mykolaiv regional organization of graduates of Suvorov and Nakhimiv schools, and other patrons, instead of the sculpture stolen a few years ago on the Kinburn spit.

On January 5, 2023, during Russia's large-scale military invasion of Ukraine, the monument to Russian General Suvorov in Mykolaiv was dismantled as part of de-Russification. Before that, caring residents of Mykolaiv covered the monument with red paint.

Reference: Oleksandr Suvorov was the organizer of the suppression of national liberation uprisings and deportations, in particular the suppression of the Kolyivshchyna in Right-Bank Ukraine and the Kostyushko Uprising, as well as, in 1778, the deportation of Crimean Christians to the Russian Empire, and in 1782-1783, the deportation of Nogai people from the Kuban. All these measures were marked by brutality and had signs of genocide.

The Mykolaiv regional art museum of a name of Vasyl Vereshchahin represents more than 9 thousand works of fine arts.

The collection was based on 148 paintings by the outstanding battle artist Vasyl Vereshchahin, on whose initiative a society of lovers of fine arts was established in Mykolaiv. His most striking works reflect the course of hostilities in various wars, but the most popular was the painting "The Apotheosis of War" - Vereshchahin's protest against all wars. Central to the Vereshchahin Hall is the Himalayan Trilogy (1880s), an Indian series of works by the artist. In the painting "The Forgotten Soldier" the artist depicts an English infantryman killed and forgotten in the mountains. Widely known series "Letter to the Mother" (1901), three paintings of which are in the exhibition hall. The exhibition includes personal belongings of the artist, the setting of his studio.

The works of Vasyl Tropinin, Oleksiy Venetsianov, Karl Bryullov, Valentyn Serov and others are also presented.

The Vereshchahin Museum is located in one of the best buildings in the city, which is an architectural monument of the second half of the 19th century.

Mykolayiv Astronomical Observatory is a historical scientific institution, the oldest observatory in Ukraine.

It was founded by Admiral Oleksiy Hreyh, who served as Mykolaiv governor in 1821. The observatory provided the Black Sea Fleet with navigational information and instruments, trained navigators. It has its meridian in international astronomical atlases.

Built almost two centuries ago, the premises of the observatory have been preserved to this day in an unchanged form. The observatory museum exposition is located in the Round Hall of the Main Building and two astronomical pavilions. The museum houses a unique collection of astronomical instruments, a collection of astronomical clocks, old books, photographs, paintings, maps.

The pride of Mykolaiv astronomers is the ancient telescope "Repsold Meridian Circle", built in 1834 in Germany. It was used until 2000, when modern computer-controlled telescopes appeared.

The Mykolaiv Vernissage is a small gallery of open-air paintings on Sobornaya near Chestnut Square, a place where Mykolaiv artists exhibit and sell their paintings.

Here you can order any painting, portrait or cartoon from an artist you like. Visiting this gallery is part of the cultural program of most Mykolaiv residents who have gone for a walk in the city center.

Mykolaiv Vernissage has existed since Soviet times. And although the number of artists has decreased significantly since then, this gallery is still considered one of the largest in Ukraine.

There are also several counters with souvenirs, where you can buy magnets or cups with the image of Mykolaiv, small works of art by local craftsmen, jewelry and other small tourist products.

Mykolaiv Yacht Club is a coastal recreation area in the northwestern part of the city on the Pivdenniy Buh River.

The oldest yacht club in Ukraine was founded in Mykolaiv in 1887 on the initiative of Adjutant-in-Chief of the Black Sea Fleet and Ports Yevhen Holikov, historian Mykola Arkas, scientist Volodymyr Ryumin. For its creation, a coastal area was allocated in Spassk - a suburb of Mykolaiv, where at that time the palace of Prince Hrihoriy Potemkin (not preserved) and the Turkish (Sultan) fountain (1792, restored in 1926) were located.

In 1904, the ceremonial opening of the newly constructed stone building of the Mykolaiv Yacht Club, built according to the project of the Mykolaiv architect and member of the yacht club, Leopold Rode, took place. This building has survived to this day.

The Mykolaiv Zoo is considered one of the best in Europe and is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).

It was founded on the initiative of Mykolaiv City Duma Chairman Mykola Leontovych as a private aquarium-museum with free access to the public. Now the collection includes almost 3,295 individuals of 420 species, many of which are listed in the Red Book.

Large animals have the greatest success among visitors: lions, tigers, bears, hippos. The oldest animal in the zoos of Ukraine lives here - the 65-year-old crocodile Vasya. Children are amused by monkeys, chimpanzees and macaques, and adults by the "little nation" of meerkats, for which a special aviary "Meerkat Estate" has been built.

At any time of the year, the garden of live tropical butterflies impresses with a riot of colors. The enclosure for domestic animals "Grandfather's Hut" is decorated in a folklore style, being a kind of museum of rural life in the south of Ukraine.

The zoo has its own anthem, flag, emblem, anniversary coin and postage stamp.

The two-story building of the Officers Club in Mykolaiv is an example of civil architecture of the 19th century.

The house is made in the style of classicism, built in the 1820s by order of Admiral Oleksiy Hreyh as a club for naval officers. In 1872, it received the status of a Naval Assembly and turned into a cultural and educational center for naval employees during the wintering of ships. Prominent naval commanders gathered here - Pavlo Nakhimov, Mykhaylo Lazaryev, Volodymyr Kornilov, Fadey Bellinshauzen, Oleksiy Butakov, Stepan Makarov, Mykola Arkas and others.

It still maintains the profile - it now houses the House of Naval Officers.

Pushkin Square was opened in Mykolaiv in 1988. It is located at the intersection of Pushkin Street and Naberezhna Street, where the Inрul Bridge begins.

In 2011, the square was reconstructed, and the fence around it, which was regularly painted with graffiti, was decorated with drawings based on the plots of famous fairy tales and episodes from the writer's life.

A bronze sculpture of twenty-five-year-old Pushkin on a granite pedestal, created by Yuriy Makushyn, was installed in the park. In 2022, during the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Pushkin sculpture was dismantled by the municipal services of the city by the decision of the Mykolaiv city council.

The Catholic Church of Saint Joseph was built at the expense of Catholic parishioners in 1896 according to the project of the architect Vladyslav Dombrovskyi.

In 1934, it was closed by the Bolsheviks. A local history museum was housed in a nearby building on the territory - one of the first museums of antiquities in the territory of the former Russian Empire (founded in 1803, more than 160,000 exhibits were collected: antiquities from Olbia, instruments of Kyivan Rus, Cossack weapons, etc.).

Since 1992, services have been resumed in the church. In recent years, an organ has been installed, and organ music concerts are held. In the yard - a collection of stone women.

The stone Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Mykolaiv was built in 1813 in the style of classicism. Ornaments and paintings of the 19th century have been preserved.

Since its consecration, the temple has never been closed for a long time, even in the midst of the struggle with religion. After the establishment of the Nicholas and Ascension Diocese, when the city of Mykolaiv became the diocesan center, the Saint Nicholas Church was given the status of a cathedral. The temple was restored, bells appeared on the belfry. In the southern part of the cathedral, a side altar was built in honor of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God. A place for the consecration of water was built near the northern door on the outside.

Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Mykolaiv is included in the list of architectural monuments of state importance.

The Chapel of Saint Nicholas was founded in Mykolaiv in 2004 on Soborno-Mykolayivska Square.

Before the revolution, next to this place, at the intersection of Admiralska and Soborna streets, was the main temple of Mykolaiv - the majestic Admiralty Cathedral.

The Church of Saint Nicholas was designed by the architect Oleksandr Domoratskyi. The height from the base to the cross is 16 meters.

The ancient settlement "Wild Garden" is the remains of the Cimmerian settlement of the 12th century BC.

This port city at the confluence of the Ingul River with the Pivdennyi Buh appeared during the time of the legendary Troy, half a millennium before the foundation of the ancient Greek Olbia.

The settlement was discovered by the archaeologist Feodosiy Kaminsky in 1927, and regular archaeological research has been conducted since 1990. One of the first finds was a bronze cauldron. Next, fragments of ceramic dishes, tools, and animal bones were discovered - these finds are presented in the local history museum.

The foundations of the walls of the ancient premises, the remains of two stone bridges, and the temple premises of the sun worshipers were cleared. In the northern part, a fragment of a defensive wall and a watchtower were excavated.

The settlement "Wild Garden" was a well-fortified Black Sea port city, an important administrative and trade center that received ships and land caravans. Some researchers consider this settlement to be a proto-state.

It is planned to create a museum complex "Settlement "Wild Garden".