Attractions of Kharkiv region

Humpy sands are the only semi-desert in the Kharkiv region (sometimes called the Kharkiv or Kytsivka desert).

Aeolian sand deposits, similar to dunes, arose on the site of a tank training ground near Chuhuiv, which was operated from the 1960s to the 1990s. The sandy hills are covered in places with moss, lichen, grass and shrubs.

A huge sandy area attracts extreme jeepers. Sometimes there are rusty shells.

The building of the Land Bank in Vilshany was built in 1912 (according to other data - in 1903).

Architecture in the Art Nouveau style. Currently, the building houses the village council of Vilshany.

Berestyn Museum of Local History named after Porfiry Martynovych is located in a historical building in the city center.

It bears the name of the founder - Ukrainian painter, folklorist, ethnographer Porfiry Martynovych.

Museum funds include 24,000 exhibits. In particular, the exposition tells about the construction of the Ukrainian fortified line and the Byelovska fortress, which started the history of Berestyn.

In the section devoted to the history of the gas industry of Ukraine, a model of a drilling tower, documents and photographs of drill rigs, rock samples are presented.

The Lozova Museum of Local Lore has been operating since 1967 and is now subordinated to the Lozova City Council.

The archeological exposition presents items from the burial of a nomad and stone women of the XII-XIII centuries. Objects of the Cossack era are acquainted with the history of the region: saber, clay flask, fragments of pipes.

The foundation of the town of Lozova in the XIX century is told in photographs, plans and orders, which show the construction of the railway, household items of the first railwaymen, furniture of different segments of the population.

In 2001, the history hall of the Lozova Forging and Mechanical Plant was opened.

The square in the center of Kharkiv at the intersection of Pushkinskoy, Zhon Myronosyts and Darvina streets near the metro station named after the architect Beketov is called  Maidan Arkhitektoriv.

In 2009, the square was completely reconstructed and turned into a kind of sculpture park. Sidewalks were laid, lawns were laid, and benches were installed. In the center of the square is a romantic Monument to Lovers, created based on a sketch that won the city's student competition.

Around the monument are the "Seven Wonders of Kharkiv" - white marble models of the city's best architectural buildings: Derzhprom, Assumption Cathedral, Taras Shevchenko monument, Annunciation Cathedral, "Mirror Stream" rotunda, "House with Spire", Intercession Cathedral.

The Maidan arose at the same time as the Kharkiv Fortress and until the 19th century was called the Yarmarkova (Fair) Square (since 1659, the annual Assumption Fair was held here, which by the middle of the 19th century had become one of the largest in the country).

In winter, the square was a favorite place for sledding. Over time, the square was named Mykolaivska in honor of the church of the same name, which was located on it.

In the 19th century, the first brick buildings appeared on the square. In particular, the Noble Gathering, near which stood two cannons that were once armed with the Kharkiv fortress (not preserved). Opposite, according to the project of the architect Oleksiy Beketov, the following bank buildings were built: St. Petersburg International (building 22; now the Central branch of the Savings Bank), Volga-Kamsky (building 24; now the Puppet Theater), Moscow Merchant (building 26; now the House of Technology) and Zemelny (building 28 ; currently a motor vehicle technical school).

At the beginning of the 20th century, the building of the square was supplemented by the Metropol hotel, the multi-apartment residential building of the insurance company "Russia" (building 1/17; now the Labor Palace), the building of the Azov-Donskoy Bank (building 14; now "Ukrbiznesbank") and others.

In 1919, Mykolaiv Square was named after Moisei Tevelev, a member of the Kharkiv underground regional committee of the CP(b)U. In Soviet times, the stock exchange building and the Mykolaiv Church were demolished to make way for a tram line.

During the Second World War, many buildings were destroyed. After the liberation of the city, the people of Kharkiv restored the Maidan, including the Beckett houses. For a long time, the square had the name of the revolutionary Tevelev, then - Soviet Ukraine. Since 1996 - Maidan Konstytutsii.

In 2012, the Monument to the Independence of Ukraine was opened in the center of the Maidan Konstytutsii, created by Kharkiv sculptors Oleksandr Ridnyi and Hanna Ivanova.

On March 2, 2022, during the battles for Kharkiv during the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Maidan Konstytutsii in Kharkiv was fired upon by the Russian army. The Palace of Labor was severely damaged. Buildings adjacent to it were damaged, in particular, an adjacent residential building, the building of the Kharkiv City Council, and others.

The current Serhiivskyi Maidan below the Universitsky Hill, along the former embankment, was formed at the beginning of the 18th century as a shopping area with benches and taverns, where auctions were held 4 times a week.

It was called the Basarna Square or the Lopansky Bazaar. In the 19th century, a wooden covered market was built at the Lopansky Bazaar. In 1835, all the houses burned down during a great fire. In the middle of the 19th century, the construction of stone commercial buildings began, in particular, Serhiivskyi row, named after the Kharkiv governor (the square was called Serhiivskyi). In 1868, stone stairs were built instead of wooden ones, which were located in the place of the current ones.

In 1875, the construction of Novo-Serhiivskyi row was completed, in which the city museum soon opened. In 1890, a two-story Mykolaivskyi row was built on the site of the burned-out Serhiivskyi row according to the project of the architect Alfred Spiegel. In 1898, stone shops were built on the banks of Lopan according to the project of the academician of architecture Oleksiy Beketov. The "Grand Hotel" was located in the southern part of the square.

In 1932, the square was renamed Proletarska. After the Second World War, the square was reconstructed. Trees have been planted along the banks of Lopan, and a square with flower beds and lawns has been laid out. The Universitsky Hill and its slopes were arranged, and new stairs were built.

In 2016, the historical name of the square was returned - Serhiivskyi Maidan.

Maidan Svobody in Kharkiv is the central square of the city. It is among the twenty largest areas in the world.

According to legend, at the time of its construction it was the largest square in Europe (11.9 hectares), although in reality Chess Square in Bordeaux had a similar area (12 hectares), and Kuybyshev Square in Samara with adjacent squares was even larger (17.4 hectares ).

Maidan Svobody was built in 1926-1928 as the new administrative center of Kharkiv, which was then the capital of Ukraine. Initially, it bore the name of the revolutionary Dzerzhynskyi, who was engaged in construction (it is believed that he was the initiator of the clearing of chaotic buildings in the historical center of Kharkiv).

Since 1995, the square has had its current name. Political actions, fairs, festivals and concerts often take place here.

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine on March 1, 2022, Maidan Svobody was attacked by Russian Kalibr missiles. One of them hit the historic building of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, injuring twenty people and killing ten. All the windows were broken and significantly damaged, and in some places the ceilings were completely destroyed. According to preliminary estimates by experts, the building cannot be restored.

A two-story half-timbered building opposite the central entrance to the territory of the Parkhomivka sugar factory is called Malevyich's house in Parkhomivka.

The enterprise was built at the end of the 19th century by Pavlo Kharytonenko, a sugar factory. In 1890-1895, Severyn Malevych, the father of the future artist Kazymyr Malevych, who also lived in Parkhomovka, went to school here and learned to paint, served as the manager of the factory.

Local residents claim that the Malevych family lived in this house, built for employees of the sugar factory.

The private manor-museum of Slobozhansk life "Ukrainian House" in the village of Nyzhnia Ozeriana was created by the Yelahin family in a restored 300-year-old village house in Mazanka with an authentic interior.

The exhibition presents a variety of rural household items: spindles, chests, stags, cauldrons, pots. Lots of towels and embroidered bedspreads.

Theatrical tours are conducted.

The Kharkiv Maritime Museum illuminates the history of seafaring in models.

The exposition visually tells about how wooden ships were built and launched, how warships of the 17th century were arranged, how tools were used on an old sailing ship, how gold was extracted from sunken galleons.

The exposition presents beautifully executed models of ships created over the course of dozens of years. You can also see navigation devices, facsimile maps, engravings, documents (partly from the archives of the Royal Society of Great Britain), written by brave travelers themselves.

Kharkiv Stadium "Metalist" is the home arena of the football club of the same name. Opened after reconstruction in 2009 for the Euro-2012 championship. Accommodates more than 35,000 spectators.

The history of the stadium began in 1925, when the leadership of the city of Kharkiv, which at that time had the status of the capital, decided to use the wasteland near the city center for the stadium, and a year later it was already opened as the main sports arena of Ukraine.

In 1950, the stadium had to be rebuilt after the Second World War. It was not subject to serious reconstruction until 2009. Currently, the "Metalist" stadium in Kharkiv is one of the most modern in Ukraine and has one of the best lawns. It was nicknamed "The Spider" for its characteristic metal supports that resemble spider legs.

Excursions are held, during which you can visit the stadium bowl, premises for football players, official representatives of the teams and the media, visit the children's football academy of FC "Metalist", buy souvenirs in the football paraphernalia shop. Excursions are conducted upon request for groups of at least 10 people. The duration of the tour is 60 minutes.

The Museum of History Kharkiv Metro is housed in several halls of the Kharkiv Metro Public Administration building.

On the stands of the metro museum, the history of the construction, formation and development of the enterprise is displayed, various exhibits are presented, which in one way or another belong to the long-term activity of the Kharkiv metro, and the company's awards and commemorative gifts are exhibited.

In particular, you can see models of trains that carry passengers every day, a mock-up of an electrical depot, a jackhammer with which metro builders used the first meters of the Kholodnohirsk-Zavodska Line tunnels, samples of metro workers' uniforms from different periods, a nobleman's lantern, and more.

The tall building with a clock tower in the center of Chuhuiv was built in 1831 to house the divisional corps and district headquarters of the military settlements of the Slobidsko-Ukrainian (Kharkiv) province, the district center of which was the city of Chuhuiv from 1817 to 1857.

The corps of military topographers was also located here, where 13-year-old Illya Repin studied in 1857. After the liquidation of the military settlements, the building was adapted for a military school, where many famous people studied. In different years, the following were located here: the school of red officers, the Suvoriv school, the school of junior flight officers, the training center of border troops.

Currently, the building has been partially restored, and an art gallery has been opened in it. The works of the laureates of the State Prize named after Illya Repin are presented: Lidiya Brodska, Oleksiy Hrytsay, Heliy Korzhev, Andriy Kurnakov, Oleksandr Laktionov, Mykola Romadin, Valentyn Sydorov, Volodymyr Stozharov, brothers Tkachovs, Borys Uharov, Mykola Fomin.

The building stands on a steep hill, which offers the best view of the picturesque surroundings of Chuhuiv.

The rotunda of the "Mirror Stream" fountain in Victory Square opposite the Opera House is considered a hallmark of the city.

It was built in 1947 according to the project of the architect Viktor Korzh in honor of the Victory in the Second World War.

Until 1930, the Myronosytska Church (1701) was located on this site, then a wasteland and a trolleybus park. According to legend, the decision to create a square with a fountain was made by the city authorities after Mykyta Khrushchev, who visited Kharkiv, was dissatisfied with the view from the window of the regional committee.

At first, the gazebo-fountain was called "Glass stream". In 2007, for the 60th anniversary of the "Mirror Stream", its reconstruction was carried out. The next reconstruction took place in the fall of 2019.