Attractions of Kharkiv

The sculpture "Fiddler on Roof" was installed on the building of the Kharkiv Conservatory - an architectural monument of the 19th century.

The author of the composition is Seyfaddin Hurbanov. The prototype of "Fiddler" was the famous violist Yuriy Bashmet, but the image is considered collective, and the monument is dedicated to all Kharkiv artists, artists and musicians - people of creative professions.

"Fiddler on the Roof" became a symbol of the "People's Recognition" award - the "Kharkiv Oscar", which is awarded every year in the nominations "Music", "Fine Art", "Literature", "Theatre" and "Architecture".

In 2017, the monument was moved to the roof of the Platinum Plaza building.

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 Museum of Archeology of the Vasyl Karazin Kharkiv National University dates back to 1807, when an antiquity cabinet was established at the university.

In the same year he received artifacts from the excavations of Olbia. They formed the basis of the exposition of the Museum of Fine Arts and Antiquities, established at the university in 1837. At the beginning of the XX century the Archaeological Museum became an independent scientific institution.

The modern exposition is located in the Exhibition Hall in the Main Building of the University. Here are some of the largest in Ukraine collections of objects of the Bronze Age, Scythian era, ancient times, Chernyakhiv and Saltivka cultures.

The Museum of Astronomy of the Vasyl Karazin Kharkiv National University was opened in 2008. The museum is named after Mykola Barabashov, the founder of Kharkiv astronomy and the former rector of the university, who, while still a student, set up an observatory on the roof of one of the city's buildings. In 2020, on the occasion of the 215th anniversary of the university, the opening of the renovated and reconstructed museum took place.

The museum houses a collection of unique astronomical and geodetic instruments from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day. This provides an opportunity to explore the formation and development of astronomy in Kharkiv, Ukraine and the world.

The peculiarity of the exhibition is that it is created in the premises of the Repsold meridian circle pavilion - the largest instrument in the collection - and has an underground floor. Thus, visitors can familiarize themselves with the peculiarities of the process of astronomical observations and the design of the telescope, check the time on a sundial, view a collection of ancient telescopes and a collection of meteorites - one of the largest in Eastern Europe.

AVEC Gallery is one of the main exhibition venues in Kharkiv.

It was opened in 2000 in the Platinum Plaza office and shopping center with the assistance of the AVEC charity fund of the great Kharkiv businessman Oleksandr Feldman.

The best masters of Kharkov have repeatedly exhibited their works in the AVEC gallery. A special place is occupied by the "Dialogue of Cultures" project, which included the following exhibitions: "Images of the Disappeared World", "Foundation of Eternity", "Ethnic Diversity of Ukraine", the exhibition of Nikas Safronov's works "Childhood Memories. With Love for Ukraine" and others.

In the courtyard, there is a light and music fountain in the summer. The sculptural compositions "Orchestra", "Family at Work" and "Enthusiastic Photographer" (2008) by the famous Israeli sculptor Frank Meisler, as well as "Globe of Kharkiv" ("Planet Kharkiv"; 2011) by the artist Mykola Rosenfeld are also installed here.

Free entrance.

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 Andriy Tupolyev, 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 "Kharkivyanka-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, Mikhaylo Snyehirov, 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 Kharkiv suspended Cableway is laid from the Central Park of Culture and Recreation (Sumska Street) to the Botanical Garden (Otakara Yarosha Street).

Along the way, two-seater cabins pass over Sarzhyn Yar, from where a view of Pavlove Pole - one of the old districts of Kharkiv - opens up. The building of the Pavlove Pole boarding station, designed by architect Ihor Popov, is decorated with a mosaic panel by Viktor Savenkov.

The total length of the cable car is 1385 meters, the height is up to 26 meters. Travel time one way - 18 minutes.

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 Central park of culture and recreation in Kharkiv was laid out in 1893-1895 and inaugurated two years later, when the trees had grown a little.

At first it was called Mykolayivsky or Zamisky park. The area is about 130 hectares. Now it is one of the main centers of recreation and entertainment, mass celebrations and folk festivities take place here. On the territory there is an amusement park, the "Park" cinema, the "Mala Pivdenna" children's railway, a cable car, tennis courts, etc.

In 2006, for the Day of the City of Kharkiv, the colonnade in front of the entrance was restored on the side of Sumska Street. The central fountain were also restored.

In 2012, a renewed amusement park was opened, including a "roller coaster" and a Ferris wheel, which are most popular with visitors. Many original bronze sculptures symbolizing each recreation area appeared on the alleys.

During the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Central park of culture and recreation in Kharkiv was repeatedly targeted by Russian artillery. As of the beginning of February 2023, during the Russian-Ukrainian war, there were about 70 hits from rocket launchers and two missile strikes on the territory of Park. About 20 attractions, park alleys, lawns, sculptures, and trees were damaged as a result of shelling.

The Museum of Childhood was created in Kharkiv by the innovative teacher Valeiry Leyko in 2009. The museum is located on the third floor of the Nickname Educational Center (Honey Academy), next to the Kharkiv Theater of Young Spectators.

The goal of the museum is to show the child who they want to be and what they want to do in their future lives, through interactive lectures to help children learn and develop, to give them the opportunity to see the world of travel, sports, books, collecting, and creativity.

The museum's exhibits include antique and modern toys, games, books, construction sets, games, elements of various collections, and everyday objects of children of the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum is interactive - all exhibits can be touched and played with.

The Kharkiv Children's Railway "Mala Pivdenna" is located on the territory of the Central Park of Culture and Recreation and the Lisopark.

The first train passed through "Mala Pivdenna" of Kharkiv in 1940. The length of the road is 3.6 kilometers. Initially, two stations were built: "Park" and "Lisopark". To celebrate the anniversary of the road in 2000, the railway station, track management and other buildings were reconstructed. The "Memorial" platform was also built. Two diesel locomotives - TU2-054 and TU7A-3198 - and two trains with six passenger cars each are currently in operation.

It works from May to the end of October (only on weekends in May and September-October).

The Central Synagogue of Kharkiv was built in 1913. The building in the Neo-Gothic style with elements of the Moorish style was built by architects Yakiv Hevirts, Valentyn Feldman, Mykhaylo Piskunov.

The height of the dome is 42 meters, the area is more than 2 thousand square meters, the capacity is up to 1 thousand people. This is one of the largest synagogues in Ukraine.

From 1923 to 1990, the synagogue did not function, the building housed a club, a cinema, and after the Second World War - the sports association "Spartak". Today, the chorale synagogue belongs to the Hasids.

As a result of Russian missile attacks on Kharkiv during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Choral Synagogue suffered significant damage - the windows in the women's hall on the third floor were blown out by the shock wave.

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 Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Recovery of the Dead" was built in 2006 in memory of fallen soldiers participating in local wars. The initiator was the Kharkiv Regional Union of Veterans of Afghanistan.

Initially, it was planned to build a chapel near the monument to internationalist soldiers who died in Afghanistan, but later it was decided to build a temple for 250 people. It was named after the icon of the Mother of God "Recovery of the Dead" - a revered image before which mothers pray for their dying children.

In the future, the temple complex should also include a bell tower and a church park.

The building complex of the Building of State Industry was built on the initiative of Feliks Dzerzhynskyi, becoming the core of the new administrative center of Kharkiv, which was then the capital of Ukraine.

This is the first high-rise reinforced concrete structure in the USSR (63 meters). The useful area of the premises is 60,000 square meters. The building was designed by a group of Leningrad architects in the then fashionable and advanced style of constructivism. Construction under the leadership of engineer Pavlo Rottert was completed in record time - in 3 years.

Until 1934, the Council of People's Commissars of Ukraine was located here. In 1955, one of the first 45-meter television towers in the USSR was installed on the roof. Now the building houses the regional government, offices of many companies.

In the 5th entrance there is a museum of Derzhprom, created in the 1980s with the participation of Kharkiv writer Eduard Zvonytskyi.

The Derzhprom building is recognized as an architectural monument of national importance - it is the largest monument of constructivism in the world.

RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine on March 1, 2022, Maidan Svobody, where the Derzhprom complex is located, 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.

On September 7, 2023, UNESCO included Derzhprom in the list of objects for enhanced protection and in the preliminary list of World Heritage.

On January 2, 2024, the Derzhprom building suffered severe damage for the second time, when a Russian missile hit next to the building. The impact of an enemy rocket damaged the glazing of windows and stained-glass windows in almost the entire northwestern part of the Derzhprom building.

On October 28, 2024, the Derzhprom building was once again destroyed. As a result of a direct hit by a FAB-500 guided aerial bomb in one of the entrances of Derzhprom during the aerial bombardment of Kharkiv by the Russian occupiers, 3 floors of the building were completely destroyed.