Attractions of Mykolaiv district

The children's town "Kazka" in Mykolaiv is called the Ukrainian "Disneyland". Each building of the cultural and game complex located in the center of the city is associated with some famous fairy tale or folklore character.

There used to be a city market on this place, and when it was moved in 1982, they decided to open a children's amusement park on the former place. First, a large concert pavilion with a golden rooster on the roof was opened, then a wooden fortress and a medieval stone castle were built, as well as a sea harbor with a sailboat "Buyan", which is a model of the first ship built in Mykolaiv. In addition, there are two lighthouses, a real steam locomotive, a carousel with a learned cat and a mermaid from Pushkin's fairy tales. Two new carousels of different types, a ferris wheel, and an autodrome have now been added.

The sundial is the central figure of the "Kazka" children's town.

The National Nature Park "Ivory Coast of Sviatoslav" (Biloberezhzhya Svyatoslava) protects the protected nature of the Kinburn spit, as well as the adjacent water areas of the Dnipro-Buh estuary and the Yahorlytsky Bay.

The Slavs called the sand spits at the mouth of the Dnipro the Ivory Coast. It was here during the return from the Bulgarian campaign (972) that Prince Svyatoslav the Brave of Kyiv and Novhorod spent the winter with his wife.

The special microclimate here is due to the fact that on one side the Kinburn spit is washed by sea water, on the other by Dnipro water, and the land is covered with pine forest and various herbs (more than 620 species). We managed to preserve one of the largest areas of wild orchids in Europe, listed in the Red Book of Ukraine - 60 hectares (bloom in May). Volyzhyn forest (203 hectares) is more than 40 species of ancient shrubs, alder and aspen groves, mighty 300-year-old oaks.

Kinburn has about 150 lakes, some with healing mud. About 50 species of animals live on the peninsula: raccoon dog, spotted deer, fox, beaver. Large turtles live with a shell diameter of 40 centimeters.

Russian-Ukrainian war

The National Nature Park "Ivory Coast of Sviatoslav" is mostly located on the Kinburn Peninsula, which has been occupied by the Russians since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russians are shelling the town of Ochakiv from the occupied Kinburn Peninsula. In addition, only in the first year of the full-scale invasion of the peninsula, 131 fires occurred due to the actions of the Russian occupiers. The fire affected more than 5 thousand hectares of the park. Two employees of the park were in Russian captivity as of March 2023.

The complex of buildings of the Maritime Department (Admiralty) in Mykolaiv began to be created in 1788 during the construction of the Mykolaiv Shipyard.

The complex had a closed structure and was a small fortress. After the reconstruction carried out in the 1840s by order of Vice-Admiral Mykhaylo Lazarev, the Admiralty included a shipyard with a stone fence and main gate, a foundry and a rope factory, various workshops, three-story barracks in the classicist style, as well as a male gymnasium building, which now houses the Mykolaiv Construction College.

Most of the original buildings of the Mykolaiv Admiralty were destroyed during World War II. Nowadays, the admiralty refers to the main administrative building of the Shipyard (1951), which is distinguished by a tall spire. It plays a significant urban planning role, closing the wide and well-planted Sadova Street, serving as the compositional center of the square formed at its intersection with Admyralska Street. Only the foundations and the main gate to the right of the house with the spire remain of the old buildings.

On the night of April 27, 2023, during the large-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, Russia attacked Mykolaiv with four Kalibr missiles. One of the missiles hit the Admiralty building. As a result of the rocket attack, the right wing of the historical Admiralty building was destroyed and the left wing was significantly damaged.

Berezan is a small island at the entrance to the Dnipro estuary, described by Pushkin in "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" as Buyan (in Slavic mythology - a fairy-tale paradise island).

At the end of the 7th century BC (it was a peninsula before the sea level rose), the first ancient settlement of Borysthenes or Borysphenida, founded by natives of the Ionian city of Miletus, appeared here in the Northern Black Sea region. Later, it was a stronghold of the ancient Rus on the way "From the Varangians to the Greeks".

Remains of the Turkish fortification of the 18th century, reinforced concrete fortifications from 1910, batteries from the Second World War, a chapel and a monument at the place of the shooting of Lieutenant Schmidt (1906) have been preserved.

Berezan Island is part of the Olbia National Reserve. Visiting is limited - archaeological research is underway. Excursions to Berezan Island are organized in Ochakiv.

Flotskyi Boulevard in Mykolaiv is a shady pedestrian embankment over the Inhul River that vaguely resembles Primorsky Boulevard in Odesa.

It offers a view of the river, bridges and Peremoha City Park on the opposite bank. In honor of the founding of the city, a commemorative sign - an ancient cannon - was installed on Flotskyi Boulevard.

In 2002, a monument to Colonel Mykhaylo Faleyev, who supervised the construction of the city and the shipyard, was erected nearby. At the other end of Fleet Boulevard is a monument to Admiral Stepan Makarov (1976), a famous scientist and naval commander.

The Kinburn Spit is the western edge of the Kinburn Peninsula, which separates the Dnipro estuary from the Black Sea. The length of the spit is about 40 kilometers, the width is 8-10 kilometers.

Described by Herodotus as Hileya (forested land), later the route "from the Varangians to the Greeks" passed here. Many myths and legends are associated with the Kinburn spit: about the temple of Demeter, about the sacred grove of Hecate, about Scythian gold and about athletic games in honor of Achilles' victory in the sea battle, after which the Greeks nicknamed the spit Achilles' Run (according to another version, it is the island of Dzharylhach) .

In the 15th-18th centuries, there was a Turkish fortress of Kinburn here, opposite Ochakiv, in the area of which Oleksandr Suvorov defeated a large Turkish landing force in 1787 (the ramparts of the fortress have been preserved, a memorial has been opened).

In 1790, between Ochakiv and the Kinburn spit in the middle of the estuary, an artificial Maiskyi island was built with a block fort that controlled the entrance of ships to the estuary (still under the control of the military).

In 1992, the regional landscape park "Kinburn Spit" was created on the spit, which is part of the Black Sea Nature Reserve. About 60 species of animals listed in the Red Book of Ukraine have been recorded on the territory. About 240 species of birds nest here: swans, pink pelicans, geese, pheasants, herons, white-tailed eagles and others.

Kinburn spit attracts tourists with empty and clean beaches.

Excursions to historical and protected places are organized by the administration of the National Nature Park "Ivory Coast of Sviatoslav" (Biloberezhzhya Svyatoslava).

Russian-Ukrainian war

During the Russian-Ukrainian war, in March 2022, Russian troops occupied the Kinburn spit to block traffic from the ports of Kherson and Mykolaiv, and shelled Ochakiv. During the counteroffensive of the armed forces of Ukraine in November 2022, the Kinburn spit remained the only Russian-occupied part of the Mykolaiv region.

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. The Mykolaiv Observatory has its own 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 Old Fleet Barracks in Mykolaiv is part of the complex of buildings of the Admiralty, which was built in the middle of the 19th century for the Maritime Department.

The barracks were built in 1850 according to the project of the architect Karl Akroyd in the style of classicism. The premises were intended for sailors of naval crews. Each of the three buildings of the Old Fleet Barracks accommodated 1,200 to 2,000 people. In 1863, the barracks complex was transferred to the Oleksandrivska Men's Gymnasium, which was located here until the Bolshevik coup of 1917. After the Second World War, the western building housed a construction technical school, and the other two were transferred to the military.

In 2012, the creation of a museum town began on the territory of the Old Fleet Barracks. The Mykolaiv Museum of Local Lore, which used to be located on the territory of Saint Joseph's Church, moved to the main building. The museum was created in 1913 on the basis of the office of rare things at the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, where various finds from the territory of the Black Sea were collected. They formed the basis of the collection, which now has more than 160,000 exhibits.

In particular, the exposition of the local lore museum presents objects found during archaeological research in Olbia, objects from Kyivan Rus, Cossack weapons.

Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, heavy fighting has been taking place near Mykolaiv throughout the year. As a result of Russian missile attacks, 15 exhibition halls of the Mykolaiv Museum of Local Lore were damaged. The northern part of the Old Fleet Barracks building was most damaged. As a result, the museum was forced to dismantle almost 10 thousand exhibits, some of the exhibits were damaged. After the successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in Southern Ukraine in November 2022 and due to the front line being moved away from Mykolaiv, the Museum of Local Lore has gradually resumed its work since March 2023.

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 4,000 individuals of 450 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 Natural History Museum of the Mykolaiv Zoo is open for visitors.

The ruins of the ancient Greek city of Olbia are located on the southern outskirts of the village of Parutyne, on the shore of the Buh estuary.

Pontic Olbia was one of the four largest ancient polises in the Northern Black Sea region, having existed for a millennium - from the 6th century BC to the 4th century AD.

It was founded by emigrants from Miletus, for whom the island of Borysthenes (Berezan) served as a transshipment point. Mentioned in the "History" of Herodotus.

It reached its peak in the Hellenic period (before the 1st century AD), then was a Roman province until it disappeared under the onslaught of the Huns.

The main altar (temenos), the central square (agora), foundations of temples and residential buildings, crypts of noble residents, fragments of the citadel, defensive walls and gates, roads, etc. were found. The search for the ruins of the ancient theater, which probably lies at the bottom of the estuary, continues.

In 1926, the excavation area was declared a state reserve. Now it is the National Historical and Archaeological Reserve "Olbia". A museum has been opened in the premises of the old lighthouse, where finds made during excavations are presented. The dungeon of the ancient crypt is available for inspection. A lapidary has also been opened, in which ancient tombstones and fragments of ancient architecture are presented.

Every year on the 20th of August, the "Muses of Olbia" festival takes place.

The Catholic Church of Saints Peter and Paul in the village of Stepove was built in 1881-1885 by German settlers.

The first Catholic church built in Stepove in 1820-1830 was made of limestone and straw. The new Peter and Paul Church in the neo-Gothic style was built of solid shell.

Currently, the dilapidated church belongs to the UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate, but restoration work is not being carried out. Deprived of ceilings, the church building is gradually collapsing.

The ancient settlement "Wild Garden" in Mykolaiv 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".

The building of the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Mykolaiv was built in 1794 in the style of classicism, designed by architect Illya Neyolov. For some time, the residence of the Black Sea Fleet Commander-in-Chief was located here.

Since 1978, the premises have been occupied by the Museum of Shipbuilding and Fleet. The exposition demonstrates the development of shipbuilding in the Northern Black Sea region from ancient times to the present - more than 100 models of ships of the XVIII-XX centuries. In particular, models of the first ship of the Mykolayiv shipyard - the 44-gun frigate "Saint Nicholas", the legendary 20-gun brig "Mercury", the rebellious battleship "Potemkin", the aircraft carrier "Kyiv", the research ship "Academic" are presented. Also presented are fragments of ancient ships, navigation devices, rare maps and documents.

One of the most interesting exhibits - a diorama "Construction of the first sailing ships on the Mykolaiv Admiralty".

In front of the house is the Alley of Fleet Commanders (busts of Ushakov, Lazarev, Bellingshausen, Nakhimov, etc.).

The Mykolaiv Museum of Shipbuilding and Fleet is a department of the regional local lore museum.

Beykush winery is a small family winery started in 2010.

The vineyards are located on Cape Beykush, between the Berezan estuary and Beykush Bay, near Ochakiv.

Wines by classic technology: manual grape picking, gentle transportation, manual picking of berries, gentle pressing and other manual technological operations.

Regional landscape park "Tylihulskyi" is located on the eastern coast of Tylihulskyi estuary.

It was created in 1995 with the aim of preserving valuable natural complexes and historical and cultural objects of Tylihul, creating conditions for organized tourism and recreation, conducting scientific research, and promoting ecological knowledge.

The Tylihul estuary is considered the cleanest on the Northwest Black Sea coast. In the area of the Tashin Bay and the mouth of the Tsarega River, there is one of the largest virgin steppe massifs in the south of Ukraine. 350 species of plants and 384 species of vertebrates. From the species of birds listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, the following can be found here: cormorant, stilt, sea plover, magpie wader, sandpiper, red heron, yellow heron and others. The estuary has large reserves of healing hydrogen sulfide mud.

There is practically no tourist infrastructure in the protected area, even in the high season the number of tourists is small.

The administration of the Tylihulskyi landscape park is located in the village of Berezanka, 20 kilometers east of the Tylihul estuary.