Attractions of Rivne district

The numismatic collection of the State Historical and Cultural Reserve of Ostroh is located in the former the Shteynberh residential building (19th century) in the city center.

A significant part of the collection consists of coins, paper money and awards of the Russian Empire, including gold coins of Peter I and Catherine II.

A special place in the exhibition is occupied by the history of the development of Ukrainian money of the twentieth century: paper notes of Odesa, Zhytomyr, Kremenets, Ostroh, national money and securities of the Liberation Struggle of 1917-1921.

The main place in the exposition is given to modern awards of Ukraine and awards of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The wooden church of Oleksandr Nevsky in Kostopil was built in 1893.

The temple belongs to the little-known samples of the last period of the development of Volyn monumental architecture of the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century with the use of the "diocesan" style.

The Ostroh Castle on the mountain above the Viliya River is the former residence of the powerful Ostrozky princes, who in the 14th and 17th centuries owned large lands in Volyn.

Prince Danylo - the first precisely known prince from the Ostrozky dynasty - began to build fortifications on the site of an ancient Rus settlement. His descendants expanded and strengthened their capital for two centuries, which flourished at the beginning of the 16th century under Prince Kostyantyn Ostrozky.

The story of the "black princess" Halshka Ostrozka, who after the death of Illya Ostrozky father, inherited all his fortune is connected with the castle. Real tycoon wars broke out over her hand, she was forced to marry twice, but her uncle Vasyl-Kostyantyn managed to preserve the possessions of the Ostrozky family. Subsequently, he became famous as an educator and defender of Orthodoxy.

The oldest building of Ostroh Castle is the Watch Tower or "Brick Tower" (XIV century), in which the exposition of the local history museum was opened as early as 1916. The main exhibit is the famous Ostroh Bible, published in 1681 by the first printer Ivan Fedorov. A collection of unique Volyn "smiling icons" is on display. A model of the medieval Ostroh is presented. Also preserved is the Round (New) tower (XVI century) with a Renaissance crown of dentils, from the foot of which you can see the domes of the monastery in Mezhirich.

The ancient Epiphany Cathedral (year 1453) is located on the territory of the castle, the silhouette of which was the coat of arms of the city. Under the Catholics, the church was partially destroyed, one wall with loopholes was included in the fortification system of the castle. At the end of the 19th century, the cathedral was reconstructed in the pseudo-Byzantine style according to the project of the architect Basilevsky, and the baths received a characteristic gilding. In 1905, the Nadbram bell tower was built. The temple is active, belongs to the UOC MP.

Since 1981, Ostroh Castle, together with the ensemble of other architectural monuments of the city and its surroundings, has been part of the State Historical and Cultural Reserve of Ostroh. In recent years, a number of accessibility programs have been implemented here. In particular, the reserve implemented the project "Inclusive Museum in Ostroh Castle". Now visually impaired visitors have access to tactile pointers and diagrams, 3D models of some exhibits (in particular, a tactile model of the castle of the Princes Ostrozky), an audio guide with tiflocommentary, a guide for the blind, as well as a guide with adapted text for people with hearing impairments. The site of the reserve is adapted for people with disabilities.

The Peace Museum was opened in Rivne in 1999 on the basis of the International University of Economics and Humanities in 1999 at the initiative of the famous teacher, academician and founder of the university Stepan Demyanchuk.

The Peace Museum is represented by three halls. The first hall outlines the main components of the problem of peace. The exposition is created in sections: "Folk wisdom and Ukrainian thinkers (Hryhoriy Skovoroda, Taras Shevchenko, Mykola Hohol, Mykhaylo Drahomanov and others) about good and evil", "History of the Ukrainian state. The path to mutual understanding and peace in the state", "Ukrainian humanists of the 20th century (Mykhaylo Hrushevsky, Volodymyr Korolenko, Oleksandr Dovzhenko and others)", "The movement of supporters of peace in Ukraine in the post-war periods. Ukraine and the UN".

The following aspects of the problem of peace are separately highlighted: the ecological security of Ukraine; national policy in Ukraine (religious and interethnic relations, mutual understanding and mutual respect); sports and art, activities of public organizations.

The second exhibition hall tells about the struggle for Ukraine's independence within the framework of peacemaking processes. About wars in the history of Ukraine, their participants, national tragedies, the Holodomor and repressions against Ukrainians. These exhibits are divided into three sections: "From the princely era and the Cossacks, to the times of the First and Second World Wars", "The Holodomor in Ukraine and the genocide of Ukrainian Jews", "The Revolution of Dignity and the Russian-Ukrainian War".

The last exhibition reflects the scientific and pedagogical activities of university employees who devoted their work to the issues of peace, humanism, tolerance towards other peoples and nations, the history of the creation and activities of the university. Another part of the stands presents the sporting achievements of students and teachers in sports, their participation in All-Ukrainian and World tournaments, and the promotion of sports as one of the tools for settling peace in the world. A separate stand section is dedicated to partnership activities with universities in Georgia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Canada, the USA, and the UK.

The pharmacy museum opened in Rivne in 2020 on the basis of the oldest Rivne pharmacy No. 3.

From the pharmacy window, pharmacist Józef greets all passers-by, who, according to historical documents, was the owner of this pharmacy at the beginning of the 20th century. On the walls of the pharmacy hang his portraits at work, photos of other luminaries of the Rivne pharmacy business, as well as each stage of the medicine manufacturing process.

The interior preserves restored old shelves from Polish times with figured carvings, which have decorated this pharmacy since 1903. Among the exhibits is a 100-year-old cash register, with which they not only recorded the sale of drugs, but also kept records of patients and opened loans. There is a pharmacist's chest and chair, flasks, beakers, scales and mortars.

The employees of the pharmacy museum have preserved unique handwritten recipes for tinctures, ointments, nourishing creams, etc. Along with regular medicines, you can buy pills “for happiness”, pills “for envy”, “Antihandrin”, “Pills to attract love” - vitaminized herbal preparations of the pharmacy’s own production.

The pharmacy holds master classes during which anyone can try to make vitaminized powders, ointments, and creams.

The Museum of Photography was opened in Rivne by the famous Ukrainian photographer Oleksandr Kharvat in the premises of his own photo studio.

The museum's exposition includes more than 1,000 exhibits - cameras, film cameras, photographic equipment and other equipment used for shooting, starting from the end of the 19th century. Also presented are devices and accessories donated to the museum by world-famous photographers.

Among the exhibits are many unique ones - in particular, a German camera from the Second World War, as well as a journalist's camera made in the 1940s.

Along with other exhibits in the museum - a large library of books on the history of photography, technologies, albums of photographers from many countries of the world, as well as "The History of Rivne in Photographs" by Oleksandr Kharvat.

The earth ramparts of the castle of Prince Bohush Koretskyi, built in the 16th century, are located on Prince's Mountain (Knyazha Hora) in Marynyn.

The wooden buildings of the castle have not been preserved, the former castle bypass now has gardens.

The castle offers a unique panorama of the Sluch valley with rocky rapids, rocky canyons, steep cliffs and a sea of ​​greenery.

A monument to the princes Ostrozki - Reverend Fedir (in a scheme), Kostyantyn Ivanovych (with a sword) and Vasyl-Kostyantyn (with a Bible) - was erected in 2000 in the square in the central square of the city Ostroh.

In the 14th and 17th centuries, Ostroh was the main residence of the powerful Volyn family of the Ostrozki princes. The figures of the three most glorious representatives of the family are immortalized against the background of five arches crowned with a cross.

The author of the monument is Honored Artist of Ukraine Serhiy Chumakov.

The complex of buildings of the Rivne Brewery was built in 1900 by the "Bergshloss Steam Brewery" Joint Stock Company.

The main shareholder was the Czech entrepreneur Bergshloss, who arrived in Volyn at the end of the 19th century with a wave of immigrants from the Czech Republic. He created his enterprise in Rivne on the basis of artisanal beer that had existed in the city since 1849. A company logo was developed, a specially shaped bottle with an embossed stamp was blown.

In addition to the factory buildings, a metal fence has been preserved, in the lace of which Rivne blacksmiths wove the name of the owner of the enterprise.

In 1939, the plant was nationalized, during Soviet times it produced beer brands "Zhigulovske", "Ukrainian", "Slovianske".

Since 2012, the company has been called LLC "Riven LTD". Recently, the assortment has been expanded: dark, wheat, strong and other varieties are produced, the "Bergshloss" brand has been restored. Rivne beer has a natural bright taste thanks to the fact that no pasteurization or preservatives are used in production.

In the basement of the plant's main building, there is a Kant beer restaurant, which offers craft beer from its own mini-brewery.

In 2020, Riven Brewery became part of the new architectural complex "Maidan Bergshloss" Historical Quarter, styled after ancient buildings in various European styles. Most of the premises of the complex are currently occupied by the Optima Collection Bergshloss Rivne hotel of the "Reikartz" chain, and there is an Italian restaurant. The opening of the Beer and Hop Growing Museum is planned.

Rivne Children's Railway is one of the 9 operating children's railways in Ukraine.

The design of the road began in 1948. Its construction was led by road workers PC-7 of the Kovel railway, who were helped on Sundays by the residents of the city. The ceremonial opening of the Small Rivne Railway took place in 1949.

The children's railway line with two dead-end double-track stations runs along the left bank of the Ustya River. The Partyzanska station is located in the very center of the city, near the bridge by which Rivne main street - Soborna - crosses the river. The second station – Ozerna – is on the shore of Lake Basiv Kut. The road management is located at Partyzanska station. There are several artificial structures on the route of the Rivne children's railway - a bridge, a culvert. Stepana Bandery Street crosses the road along the overpass.

P43 rails are laid in the track. The rolling stock of the road in the year of its opening included steam locomotive N.1572 (Kolomensk plant, type 86), two wooden passenger cars of the III class manufactured by the Kolomensk plant, and two cargo platforms. In 1973, the rolling stock of the road was renewed - a diesel locomotive TU3-034 and all-metal Pafawag passenger cars were received. The locomotive was scrapped, the wooden passenger cars were scrapped and disassembled. In 1982, the TU2-137 diesel locomotive was received from the Haivoron Locomotive Repair Plant, and the TU3-034, which had exhausted its resource, together with two Pafawag cars, was handed over to the "Expers" recreation camp for children of railway workers. Nowadays, these carriages are equipped with classrooms. Currently, the rolling stock of the road includes a diesel locomotive TU2-137, 2 Pafawag wagons ("Yuny zhlazhniynik" stock) and 2 cargo platforms.

The Rivne Children's Railway operates from the beginning of May to the end of August, trains run on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

The Museum of the History of the Police of the Rivne Region was founded in 1982 under the Main Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine in the Rivne region.

Employees and veterans of the internal affairs bodies, their relatives and friends, as well as families of deceased law enforcement officers took an active part in the collection of museum materials. Currently, the museum's exposition consists of over two thousand exhibits.

In 2012, a complete reconstruction of the museum was carried out and its exposition was updated, reflecting the history of law enforcement agencies of the Rivne region during the Russian Empire, Poland, and the Ukrainian Revolution.

The structure of the museum consists of nine thematic sections.

In 2015, the Museum of the History of the Police of the Rivne Region received the status of "People's Museum".

The Rivne Regional Museum of Local Lore is located in the building of the former male gymnasium, built in the classicism style in 1839 on the initiative of Prince Frederik Lubomyrskyi.

Mykola Kostomarov, a Ukrainian historian, taught here, and Volodymyr Korolenko, a humanist writer, studied here. During the Second World War, the building served as the Reich Commissariat of Ukraine, next to it was the bunker of General Erik Kokh (preserved).

Since 1975, the premises have been occupied by the Museum of Local Lore, organized in Rivne in 1906. 140 thousand exhibits, including archeological finds, ethnographic exhibition, numismatic collection, objects of the Cossack era, icons. In the square there is an exposition of military equipment.

The Museum of the History of the Rivne Ukrainian Gymnasium "From Gymnasium to Gymnasium" is one of the first public museums in the Rivne region, the exposition of which tells about the history of the educational institution in 1923-1939 and about its revival during the years of Independence of Ukraine.

In September 2003, the museum received the status of "People's Museum".

During the Polish rule in the 1920s, the Rivne Ukrainian Private Gymnasium was known throughout Volyn as one of the most advanced systems of education and upbringing at that time.

The history of the educational institution, which is presented in the museum's exposition, is recreated based on the memoirs of Professor Mykhaylo Hutsulyak, from the letters and materials of Yuriy Shumovsky, Professor of Mathematics Nadiya Ishchuk, from the memoirs of the daughter of the drawing teacher Heorhiy Kosmiadi, as well as from modern research by Candidate of Historical Sciences Valentyna Dobrochynska and others.

During the activity of the Rivne Ukrainian Gymnasium, famous professors  educated hundreds of patriots of Ukraine. Most of the graduates of the Rivne Ukrainian Gymnasium took an active part in the national liberation struggle, becoming members of the OUN, the Sich of the "Carpathian Sich", and the UPA soldiers.

Charming in its provincialism, the Rivne Zoo is located on a relief park area of 4.7 hectares at the entrance to Rivne from the Kyiv side.

Almost 200 species, 700 specimens of animals. Lions and other big cats, bears, monkeys, even-toed animals, and birds are represented. Baghira, a rare black leopard from the Far East, is very popular among visitors. Exotarium works.

It is allowed to feed and hold domestic animals in the "Grandma's Yard" aviary. There is a riding school.

Separate fragments of defensive walls and towers can barely be seen on the site of the medieval castle in Taikury, built in the late 16th - early 17th centuries by Prince Yuriy Vyshnevetskyi.

The castle was made of stone and brick, regular in plan. It had corner towers connecting defensive walls, a drawbridge.

In 1825, the castle burned down. The then owner Oleksandr Illinskyi decided not to restore it and sold it for building materials.

The part of the southern tower, which reached a height of 30 meters and served as a watchtower, was best preserved.