Attractions of Rivne

The Holy Intercession Cathedral in the city of Rivne is the main temple of the Rivne Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

The foundation stone of the building was laid in 1990 by Patriarch Mstyslav. The completion of construction and the consecration of the cathedral by Patriarch Filaret of Kyiv took place in 2001.

The Holy Intercession Cathedral is one of the highest churches in Ukraine - its height is 55 meters. The cathedral was built in the Ukrainian style. The central dome, symbolizing Jesus Christ, is surrounded by 12 smaller apostle domes.

A monument to Princess Mariya Rivnenska (Nesvytska), the wife of Prince Semen Nesvytskyi, who in the 15th century contributed to the transformation of Rivne from a small village into a large city, was erected in the city center in 2006.

After the death of Prince Nesvytskyi in 1479, Rivne passed into the hands of his wife, who became known as Mariya Rivnenska. She laid a castle on the island and other city buildings, with her the city received the right of Magdeburg and the privilege of an annual fair. In 1507, Mariya Rivnenska (Nesvytska) received from the king the right of eternal possession of the castle and the city.

The private museum "Blacksmith Delights" ("Kovalski Vytrebenky") in Rivne was founded in 2013 by the owners of the enterprise "Rivnebudpostach" (now "Rivnemetalkom"), which is the organizer of the International Blacksmith Art Festival "Metal Heart of Ukraine". The collection was launched by a metal shoe created at one of the festivals.

Currently, the exposition presents more than a hundred products of blacksmith art, both from Rivne blacksmiths and masters from other regions of Ukraine. Among the works are political cartoons and creative experiments with materials by Roman Veligursky, sculptures by Artem Volsky, sophisticated compositions by Viktor Mikhalyov, etc. Metal candelabras, knight's armor, filigree chests and several dozen different metal figures are presented. The largest exhibit is a two-meter long bear with a fishing rod and a bucket.

In 2016, the Art Gallery of Blacksmithing was opened at the museum.

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”, “Antyhandryn”, “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 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 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.

Rivne Park of Culture and Recreation named after Taras Shevchenko is a monument of garden and park art of state importance.

It was founded at the end of the 18th century, and today the age of individual trees reaches 150-200 years. There are 160 species of trees and shrubs here, many of which are exotic - North American (Engelmann spruce, Weymouth pine, catalpa bignonia, ash maple, red oak), Far Eastern (Amur velvet), South European (forsythia European, edible chestnut) evergreen ), species from China and Japan, Central Asia (biota orientalis, magnolia Sulanza, tall ailant, Japanese quince).

In the early 1950s, the park significantly expanded its territory, in 1977-1984, the park was reconstructed, as a result, it was replenished with new species. A cascade of pools with fountains surrounded by willows was created. In total, there are about 5,540 trees and 14,200 bushes in the park. In the spring of 2000, 670 trees (spruce, pine, thuja, birch, linden, maple) and 50 bushes were planted.

At the moment, the park named after Taras Shevchenko covers 32 hectares and has 5 zones: quiet recreation, active recreation, spectacular structures, sports and children's sector.

The Zoological Museum in Rivne operates on the basis of the Stepan Demyanchuk International University of Economics and Humanities. The collection of rare animals, which includes over 2,500 specimens, was collected and systematized by biologist Rostyslav Shykula.

All exhibits are rare for Ukraine. Most of them are exotic invertebrates of the seas and tropical coasts and forests. A significant part of the collection is made up of a section that presents insects from Africa, South America, South and Southeast Asia and adjacent islands.

The diversity of the entomofauna of Ukraine is represented by collections of beetles, butterflies, hymenoptera, bedbugs and other arthropods. Among the rare species of Ukraine are the dead-head beetle, the black apollo, the swallowtail, the podalirius sailfish, the stag beetle, the muskrat, the large oak barbel, the hermit beetle.

The most valuable exhibit in the collection is the Hercules beetle, 14.8 centimeters long - it is also the largest beetle in the world.

Today, only Lviv National University has a similar collection in the western regions of Ukraine.