Attractions of Kharkiv region

The palace in Staryi Merchyk was built in 1786-1788 by the active state councilor Hryhoriy Shydlovsky, a representative of one of the noblest noble families of the Kharkiv region.

On the site of a somewhat modest parental home, he built a magnificent palace in the style of Louis XVI. Presumably, the project was developed by Kharkiv provincial architect Petro Yaroslavskyi (according to other versions - Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli or Vasyl Bazhenov).

The complex belongs to the earliest architectural monuments of the transition from baroque to classicism. A large two-story building on a high plinth, oval in plan, with one facade facing the courtyard with stone wings, and the other facing the parterre with stairs leading to the shore of the pond. The palace had several drawing rooms and a magnificent ballroom decorated with moldings.

The manor park was laid out in 1724, then expanded. Its landscape was formed by age-old trees, ponds, green lawns, gazebos and bridges. Oak, maple, ash, linden grow. There are also silver and Canadian spruce, and a straight-coniferous pine. A total of about 30 species and forms of trees.

The decline of the estate began after Shyldovsky sold it to Count Orlov-Denisov. In the second half of the 19th century, the new owner, entrepreneur Yevhen Dukhivskyi, cared more about the development of the economy.

In the 1920s, an agricultural school was located in the manor, and the palace was seriously re-planned. Since 1997, the palace has remained ownerless.

"Singing Terraces" is the name given to an orchard with an unusual layout in the form of a huge amphitheater, which was laid on the banks of the Merla River in the 19th century by the famous sugar factory Ivan Kharytonenko.

The local climatic conditions did not allow exotic varieties of trees to be grown here, but an original solution was found. Six south-facing terraces were built on the slope of the stream, which were illuminated by the sun throughout the day. The stone masonry itself also accumulated heat, which made it possible to grow southern fruit trees here.

The amphitheater garden in Horodnie has another feature – unique acoustics. Even quiet sounds can be heard at a distance of up to 60 meters. According to legend, the famous bassist Fedir Shalyapin gave a concert here. In windy weather, one gets the impression that the terraces themselves emit melodious sounds, which is why they were nicknamed "Singing Terraces".

The Fighting Fraternity Museum was opened in the village of Sokolove, where Czechoslovak volunteers of the 1st Separate Czechoslovak Battalion under the command of Colonel Lyudvik Svoboda first fought against the German-fascist forces in 1943 during the Second World War.

During the battle, about 300 enemy soldiers and officers, 19 tanks and 6 armored personnel carriers were destroyed. Second Lieutenant Otakar Yarosh was the first foreign citizen to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (posthumously). Other Czechoslovak and Soviet soldiers who fought side by side with them also received orders and medals.

The diorama "The Battle of March 8, 1943 in the village of Sokolove" occupies the central place in the exposition of the Fighting Fraternity Museum.

Documents, personal belongings, uniforms of Czechoslovak soldiers, samples of military equipment are also presented. Gifts and souvenirs from foreign guests are displayed separately.

Kharkiv Jungle Aqua Park is a large modern indoor water park, the interior of which is stylized as the jungle of South America.

There are 7 swimming pools (including sports, wave, circular, hydromassage, jacuzzi) with 11 water attractions on 11,000 square meters of space, of which 4,000 square meters are occupied by the water entertainment area.

Water slides are distinguished by the profile of the chutes and the steepness of the curves. Super-attractions: the "Space Hole" centrifugal slide (54-meter spiral) and the "Black Hole" slide (16-meter rapid descent).

The temperature regime is maintained throughout the year in the range of 30-33 degrees with 65-70% humidity.

The complex also includes a hotel, restaurant, bars, sauna and massage, solarium, billiards, shooting range.

The Museum of the History of the Resort "Berezivske Mineral Waters" is located in the center of the village of Berezivske, on the left bank of the Uda River, in an old two-story wooden summer house.

The museum's exposition tells the story of the founding and development of the resort and sanatorium "Berezivske Mineral Waters" (Berminvody), introduces the features of using the water of local healing mineral springs, etc. The museum's collection includes household items from the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, vintage clothing, unique photographs, documents and letters.

The "Hyivka" estate on the south-eastern outskirts of Liubotyn was founded in 1802 by retired major Yona Poznanskyi, who bought this land from ensign Mykola Shcherbinin.

The "Hyivka" estate was created in the 1820s - 1870s. All elements of the estate were located along a single axis connecting the palace, the pond and the church. This technique creates picturesque perspectives. The main axis was emphasized by linden alleys oriented to the side entrances to the palace and a wooden bridge over the pond. There was a landscape park in the northern part.

The palace, service building, church, and a number of farm buildings have been preserved. The palace building with elongated proportions in a style combining elements of classicism, Romanesque and Gothic styles, single-story in the central part with two-story risalites, had pointed windows. In the garden there was a five-room outbuilding built in the 1820s in the style of classicism with columns and a dome.

In 1881, the "Hyivka" estate was purchased by the Governor-General of the Kharkiv Province, Prince Dmytro Svyatopolk-Mirskyi, a hero of the Crimean War. Svyatopolk-Mirski turned out to be the last owners of the estate.

After 1917, the "Hyivka" estate was nationalized, an orphanage was placed there, and then a boarding school. Currently, the building is dilapidated. The manor park has fallen into disrepair, but here you can still see a cascade of lakes, a linden avenue and ancient oaks. Tombstones on the graves of princes Svyatopolk-Mirsky have been preserved.

The regional landscape park "Pechenizke Pole" was created in 1990 on the shore of the Pechenihy Reservoir, on the border of the steppe and forest-steppe.

Its area is about 4.5 thousand hectares. On the territory of the park there is an untouched area of ​​the Ukrainian meadow-steppe, where many rare plants grow, including those listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. There is an agricultural farm here, which restores the population of bustards - rare steppe birds, which, like ostriches, do not fly, but move by running on the ground. The park is also home to baboons and other rare animals.

The territory of the landscape park "Pechenizke Pole" stretches along the streams of Hnyluska and Sulymiv Yar, leading to the Pechenihy Reservoir.

The regional art gallery "Art of Slobozhanshchyna" was founded in 1999. The gallery's exhibition halls are located in the center of Kharkiv, on Svobody Square, on the first floor of the 4th entrance of the Derzhprom Building.

The gallery's exposition is updated every two weeks and presents works of various artistic directions - painting, graphics, photography, decorative and applied arts, sculpture, etc.

The gallery also hosts creative meetings with artists, concerts, poetry evenings, seminars and much more.

The church in honor of the 2000th anniversary of Nativity of Christ and in the name of Reverend Serhiy Radonezhsky was founded in Kharkiv in 1998.

A year later, the lower church of Saint Serhiy of Radonezhsky was consecrated, and in 2001 the Church of the Nativity of Christ was completely completed.

In 2007, the icons and paintings of the upper temple were consecrated. On the white walls appeared a wonderful color painting and rich interior decoration. Numerous frescoes tell about the main stages of the Savior's life - from birth to martyrdom on the cross and subsequent resurrection. For better safety, the painting is covered with a layer of wax, which gives it the appearance of "smelt".

Unique stained-glass windows, reaching an area of 85 square meters. They are made in Kharkiv according to the classic technology: from pieces of colored glass, fastened with metal partitions of a special profile.

The first wooden church of All Saints was founded in Staryi Merchyk in 1680.

It was replaced by a new stone church in 1778 at the expense of Count Shydlovsky.

During the Soviet era, the temple was closed, revived only in 1994.

Nearby in the park, traces of a pagan cult were found: a stone woman and a stone altar.

The Church of Archangel Michael in Rokytne was built in 1805 at the expense of Colonel Mykhaylo Kulykovsky on the territory of his estate instead of the old wooden church.

The large stone building is made in the style of classicism. In plan, the temple is round, with two porticos protruding from the side of the porch and the altar. It is crowned by a dome on a drum with windows cut into it. In 1827, a graceful two-story stone belfry was erected. Its first tier was surrounded by columns, the second was decorated with flat pilasters. Unfortunately, the bell tower was destroyed during the Soviet era, when the church was closed.

In 1989, the Archangel Michael Church in Rokytne was returned to believers, in 1992 restoration began.

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in Malyzhyne in 1823 by the local landowner Kostyantyn Pavlov.

In 1833, a stone belfry was erected.

The ancient icon of the Mother of God "Recovery of the Dead", transferred from the former wooden temple, was kept here.

Currently, the Church of the Assumption is in a dilapidated state.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in Kharkiv in 1887-1892 according to the project of Kharkiv city engineer Boleslav Mykhaylovskyi.

The basilica-type church has a tall Gothic belfry with a spire and a round rosette window on the second tier. The organ, made in Bavaria, was installed in 1901. An almshouse, a shelter for orphans, a parish school, and a cemetery chapel were located at the temple.

In 1940, the church was closed by decision of the city authorities. The first post-war Mass was celebrated on the steps of the church only in 1991. By 2000, the restoration and restoration of the interiors was completed. Currently, the cathedral is active.

The Aviation Museum of the Kharkiv State Aviation Production Enterprise Kharkiv Aviation Plant was established in 1966.

The museum's exposition includes over five thousand exhibits, reflecting the more than 90-year history of aircraft construction from the moment the aircraft plant was established in Kharkiv to the present day, during which over four thousand aircraft have taken to the sky from the factory's airfield. The museum's exhibits are located in the exhibition hall and on the open-air exhibition area.

The basis of the exposition is 24 specially made exact copies of all the main aircraft that were produced at the plant at different times. These are aircraft developed by many prominent aircraft designers.

The exposition opens with models of the first Kharkiv aircraft of the "K" brand - the Kalinin`s K-2, K-3, K-4, which became the prototype of all supersonic aircraft of the future. Among the exhibits are also copies of the Neman Khai-1, the Sukhoi Su-2 bomber, the Yak-18 and MiG-15UTI training aircraft. Aircraft designed by Andrii Tupoliev, which were manufactured at the Kharkiv Aviation Plant (Tu-104, Tu-124, Tu-134 and the Tu-141 drone) are also presented in the form of reduced models in the exhibition hall of the Aviation Museum. The museum presents copies of aircraft designed by Oleh Antonov of the "An" brand, which were manufactured at the Kharkiv Aviation Plant over the past four decades - An-72, An-74, An-74TK-200, An-74TK-300, An-140, An-148.

The open-air exhibition area presents real Tu-104A, Tu-124, Tu-134A-3.

Among the unusual exhibits of the museum is the snowmobile "Kharkivianka-2", on which the South Pole of the Earth was explored. Among the valuable exhibits, a real helmet and a suit-overalls of the first test pilot of the aviation plant, Mikhailo Snyehiriov, have been preserved. Photographs, documents, and personal belongings introduce visitors to the biographies of the creators of aviation technology - from general designers to labor veterans who worked in the workshops of the enterprise all their lives.

The museum also has exhibits that are completely unexpected for an aviation enterprise. One of the stands presents an "artificial heart" installation created in 1965 by specialists of the Kharkiv Aviation Plant.

Russian-Ukrainian War

During the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Aviation Museum suffered significant damage from Russian missile attacks and airstrikes, as did most of the buildings on the territory of the aircraft company. Risking their lives, museum and factory employees moved the surviving and damaged exhibits to a safer place. The Kharkiv Aviation Plant is confident that after Ukraine's just Victory in the Russian-Ukrainian War, the Aviation Museum will be restored and visitors will come here again.

The open-air aviation museum was created by enthusiastic aviators from the Kharkiv Aeroclub named after Valentyna Hryzodubova.

At the museum site of the "Korotych" airfield, you can familiarize yourself with the history and models of An-2, MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, Su-17 and Su-27 aircraft, as well as Mi-1 and Mi-2 helicopters. The equipment belongs to the Air Force University.

In addition, the Kharkiv Aeroclub conducts introductory and training jumps with a parachute (with a landing parachute and in the parachute system - "tandem"), flights on airplanes and helicopters.

Competitions (regional, all-Ukrainian and other) in parachute, helicopter and model aircraft sports are also held.