Attractions of Kamyanka

Kamyanka Central Park is located on the slope of a steep mountain above Tyasmyn. These are the remains of a large romantic park that was founded at the end of the 18th century around the landowner's estate of the Davydov family, which stood on the mountain.

Heroes of the war of 1812, the Decembrists, Pushkin, Petro Chaykovskyi visited the park. After Vasyl Davydov, the owner of the estate, was exiled to Siberia, the park fell into desolation. In 1926, to the 100th anniversary of the execution of the Decembrists, the park was named in their honor. And only in 1975, to the 150th anniversary of the Decembrist uprising, the park was cleared and put in order. In the same year, a monument to Pushkin (author Vira Shatukh), the composition "The Decembrists in Kamyanka" (authors Makar Vronskyi and Volodymyr Chepelyk, architect - Vasyl Hnyezdylov), the stele of the Decembrists were erected.

In one of the cozy corners of the park is the Grotto of the Decembrists. It was built at the end of the 18th century as an architectural decoration of the park. A grotto is arranged in the hill, it is always cool inside, good acoustics. Pushkin liked to rest in it, which is why it is now sometimes called Pushkin's Grotto. Many legends are associated with him. It is said that the Decembrists gathered in the grotto and talked about political topics. According to legend, a secret underground passage connected the grotto with the "Green House", which the Decembrists could use in case of danger. Later, the grotto lost its importance as a place of rest and was used as a fruit and wine cellar. It was restored in 1982. Interesting literary and musical evenings are held here, united under the name "Summer Meetings in the Grotto", as well as the All-Ukrainian Literary Festival.

The unusual round water mill building "Green Mill" (green mill) in the park on the bank of the Tyasmyn River in Kamyanka is also called the "Mill of the Decembrists".

The rotunda mill was built by Kaluha masters Havrilov and Dmitriev by order of the owner of the Kamyanka estate, the Decembrist Vasyl Davydov. According to one version, the "Green Mill" was originally conceived by Davydov as a secret room for conspiratorial meetings of the Southern Society of Decembrists, similar to Masonic lodges. According to the traditions of the Davydov family, it was near the mill that Ivan Shervud, a non-commissioned officer of the 3rd Ukrainian regiment, eavesdropped on the conversations of the conspirators, then passed on their content to Emperor Oleksandr I, which caused the failure of the Decembrist uprising.

As part of the Davyd family estate, "Green Mill" is included in the complex of the Kamyanka State Historical and Cultural Reserve.

The house of the estate manager in Kamyanka is part of the former estate of the Decembrist Vasyl Davydov's family.

The house was built by the son of the Decembrist Lev. Since his father was exiled to Siberia and deprived of his property, the son had no right to his father's inheritance. Then he was invited to the position of chief manager of the Kamyanka estate. That is, de facto he managed his estate, but de jure it did not belong to him.

He built a house for his family and office premises on the plot allocated to him. Petro Chaykovsky, whose sister was married to Davydov, often stayed in this house.

In the 1920s, the Kamyanka NKVD was located here, later a polyclinic and a children's music school named after Chaykovsky.

Currently, the Kamyanka Historical Museum, the Kamyanka Art Gallery and the office of the Kamyanka Historical and Cultural Reserve are located here.

"Green house" is part of the former estate of the Davydov family in Kamyanka.

It is located in the depth of the alley that goes from Heroyiv Maydanu Street along the Tyasmin River. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century as one of the outbuildings of the Davydov family.

It got its name because of the predominant green color: green roof, green shutters, green gallery. Part of the Davydov library, a billiard room and tables for games were located in this outbuilding, which is why it is also called the "House of Cards".

Here, the Davydovs usually accommodated their guests who came to Kamyanka for a few days. It included poet Oleksandr Pushkin, composer Petro Chaykovsky, as well as officers belonging to the secret Southern Society of the Decembrists.

To the right of the central alley are the monument to Chaykovsky (1975, sculptor Mariya Konstantynova, architect Vasyl Hnyezdylov) and the summer theater.

In 1937, the Pushkin Museum was opened in the Green House. In 1940, the institution was replenished with the department of the composer Chaykovsky and received the name "Pushkin and Chaykovsky Literary Memorial Museum". Since 2022, the museum bears the historical name of the building where it is actually located - Green House Memorial Museum.

The exposition presents memorial items of the Davydov family, Chaykovsky's personal piano, a lifetime portrait of the composer painted in Kamyanka.

The Tyasmyn Canyon in Kamyanka is a landscape reserve of local importance.

Steep, almost straight rocks on the left bank of the Tyasmyn River rise upwards in places by 12-15 meters. The rocks are densely overgrown with young forest (Tatar and American maple, hawthorn, rare ferns and mosses).

The wonderful combination of river, stones, forest and steppe create the most beautiful landscapes.