Cherkasy: attractions, their photos and description

The ancient city of Cherkassy in Central Ukraine has a long and interesting history, which left a lot of amazing places and objects to remember about itself.

Today, travelers increasingly pay attention to the small cities of European countries, so many tourist routes appear Cherkassy. Sights, a guide on which will be interesting to both travelers and new residents of the city, this village have a great cultural and cognitive significance. We will tell you about what you need to see in this city, what to do here and how to spend time.

Geographical position

The city of Cherkasy is located in the center of Ukraine, on the right bank of the Kremenchug reservoir. Historically, the settlement was in a strategically important place in the middle reaches of the Dnieper. The city was built on top of a hill, which gave him advantages in defense. Today, Cherkassy is located on the flat part of the territory, but in general the settlement is distinguished by a hilly relief. The city is adequately provided with land and water resources, which has always contributed to sustainable development.

Etymology of the name

Researchers express different versions about the origin of the name of Cherkassy. The first assumption is based on the fact that the toponym is formed as a result of distortion of the word "Circassians"; The inhabitants of the Caucasus. There is also a version that the name originated from the Turkic phrase "chiri kishi", which means "people of power". Some researchers believe that the word "Cherkassy" is derived from the Ossetian word "eagles". Anyway, all versions lead to the Caucasus and connect the name of the city with a special sub-ethnos - Cossacks. These two factors have become the most important in the history and formation of the city.

History of foundation

The first people in this region appeared in the Paleolithic era. These were the camps of nomadic tribes, which left traces in the form of primitive tools. Later, representatives of the Zimovnikovskaya and Cherniakhov cultures lived here, traces of them in the form of dwellings and graves remained. In the 6-3 centuries BC these territories were occupied by the Scythians, they formed the core of future Slavic tribes. Also here lived such nationalities as glades, Sarmatians, Berendeys, Alans. The first documented confirmation of the existence of the city dates back to 1394, the chronicles mention the fortress on the southern borders of Kievan Rus. Several centuries Cherkassy fought with various invaders: Tatar-Mongols, Lithuanians, Poles. For some time in the 15th century Cherkassy became the center of the old age, in which the Lithuanian governor lived. A little later, the Cossack tribes settled here, who united the inhabitants in the struggle against the Lithuanians and Tatars. In 1493 Cherkassy (Cossacks) captured Ochakov, a city rebuilt by the Ottomans and Crimean Tatars. To protect themselves from enemies, the Cherkassy Castle was built, for several decades it was fortified and withstood numerous sieges. The city began to be built around this fortress, towering on a hill above the Dnieper. The strategic importance of the city is growing in connection with the increasing danger of attacks by neighboring states. The freedom-loving nature of Cherkasy was manifested in their active participation in uprisings of the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. The citizens of the city played an important role in the struggle of the Ukrainian people against the power of the Polish feudal lords. For a while the city became part of Ukraine, but then it was returned to Poland again. In 1793, Cherkasy became part of the Russian Empire. This has a beneficial effect on the development of the settlement, industrial and cultural enterprises are being built here. In the 19th century the real flourishing of Cherkassy began, a railway was laid here, several large factories were opened, and a large trade fair was being held. As a result of the October Revolution, the city joined the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. Since 1991 is the regional center of the state of Ukraine. The rich history of the city allowed him to accumulate a lot of interesting places and attractions. Therefore, tourists increasingly include in their routes Cherkassy. What to see them in this city? There are several answers to this question.

Cherkassy today

Now the city is a major economic and transport center of Ukraine. Its stability is ensured by the developed chemical and food industries, as well as by the automotive industry. About 280 thousand people live in the city. Also Cherkassy, whose attractions are diverse and attractive, is a major tourist center. This area is one of the most promising, as the city has a great cognitive, recreational and cultural potential. Cherkassy is associated with creative biographies of T. Shevchenko, K. Paustovsky, P. Tychyna.

Historical monuments

Examining Cherkassy, whose sights are of great historical interest, it is worth starting from the Hill of Glory. This is the place where there was an ancient settlement of 6-8 centuries. Also here stood the famous Cherkassy fortress, thanks to which the city grew and developed. Today next to the hill stands one of the main churches of the city, and once on top stood the wooden Trinity Cathedral. On the hill there is a memorial in honor of the soldiers and defenders of the rear during the Second World War. During the erection of the memorial, unfortunately, all the remains of historical buildings were destroyed. On the hill, about 5 thousand people were buried, and the Motherland figure stands. From the top there is a magnificent view of the city and the Dnieper. For those who want to learn more about the history of the city in Cherkassy, there are several museums, they will be discussed further.

Architectural monuments

For architecture lovers, the city of Cherkassy, whose attractions have undoubted value, provides opportunities to see several unique objects at once.

The most famous building of Cherkassy is the magnificent house of A. Shcherbiny (now the Palace of Marriages). The building was erected for the residence of a local businessman who made a fortune on the construction of the railway in 1892. The magnificent structure in the Neo-Renaissance style also had stables, a servant's house and a magnificent garden. In 1907 Shcherbina handed over the mansion to the Zemstvo Assembly. After the revolution, the building was nationalized. New owners have destroyed part of the surrounding buildings and the garden, replaced the door. But the house continues to delight with its splendor.

Another architectural "miracle" is the Blue Palace. So people call the building of the hotel "Slavyanskaya". The construction was commissioned by the entrepreneur Skaryna, designed by architect V. Gorodetsky at the end of the 19th century. The building is a real masterpiece of the style of "neo-Gothic", quite rare for Eastern Europe. Today the building houses a bank, the house is well restored and looks very impressive, especially in the evening light.

A unique structure is a water tower, built by the design engineer and architect Shukhov in 1914. There were about 200 such structures in Ukraine, but only a few have survived. Spectacular, openwork construction today is not in the best condition, but Cherkassy, whose sights are being gradually restored, begin to think about preserving the monument. The tower was designed to provide the city with drinking water, but today it is not used for its intended purpose.

It will be interesting to look at the building of the Cherkassy Puppet Theater, located in a house of the early 19th century. This structure belongs to the so-called "model houses" of the architect A. Ruska. In his likeness, public buildings were built throughout Ukraine.

The house of the Tsibulskys is another monument of architecture in Cherkassy. This building was built in the middle of the 19th century and represents an example of European architecture of its time. Today there is a museum of "one book" - "Kobzar" T. Shevchenko.

Natural monuments

In Ukraine many cities are famous for their parks and other natural objects, and Cherkassy is no exception. Attractions - a waterfall, gardens, parks, a river - are worthy to devote to them several leisurely walks. The main natural object in the city is the Dnieper, it is pleasant to make a walk on the ship. This allows you to look at the city from an unusual angle and admire the natural views.

It is not often you will find a real pine forest in the city, in Cherkassy there is such a thing. This park is called the Park of the 50th Anniversary, the Jubilee Park, the Pine Boron. A large park with ponds, lots of different plants, alleys, paths for cyclists allows you to have a great time at any time of the year.

Not far from the city there is a waterfall Vy. Its height is about 2 meters, it gives rise to a picturesque canyon with a length of about one kilometer. The species of this natural object is not at all characteristic of Ukraine, most of all they resemble the Norwegian fjords.

Main Attractions

Not always travelers have a lot of time, and they have a question: what to see in Cherkassy for the day? Residents of the city say that the main attractions are:

- St. Michael's Cathedral;

- Hill of Glory with a memorial complex;

- Cherkassy registry office, it's the House of Scherbina;

- the building of the bank "Ukrsotsbank", the former hotel "Slavyanskaya";

- Valley of roses;

- Kobzar Museum, located in the house of Cibul;

- Buddhist temple "White lotus";

- Shukhov's tower;

- Trinity Cathedral;

- The face.

In general, if there are cities, as if specially created for walks, then one of them, of course, is Cherkassy. What to see in the city? The city itself! On it you need to slowly walk, absorbing the atmosphere, which is the main attraction.

Temples of the city

Cherkasy, whose sights keep the spirit of the times, can not be imagined without temples. They create a special atmosphere and preserve the history of the people. In the city there are several most important religious buildings. The most important of them is the St. Michael's Cathedral, we'll talk more about it later. Also of great importance for the history of the city is the Trinity Cathedral. It was rebuilt in 1991 near the historical site - Castle Hill. From the 17th century on the hill there was a temple that was demolished during the construction of the memorial of Glory. This small, multi-headed church does not restore the historical appearance of the previous cathedral, but continues its traditions. Another interesting Cathedral of Cherkassy is the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin. It was built in 1905, then partially destroyed during the war. In Soviet times it was the only active temple in the city. Since 2002, the church was moved to a new location.

The amazing place for the Ukrainian city is the Buddhist martial arts temple "White lotus", the excursion to which must necessarily be included in the plan of dating Cherkassy. At the historical site, where the Vedic Temple of the Warriors of the World was located in the ancient times, in the 1990s it was built by the followers of the kung fu school. The temple was built on the model in Laos and is the largest in Europe. During the tour you can see a slice of sacred oak, a white and black stupa, participate in a tea ceremony.

St. Michael's Cathedral

In 1994, the city of Cherkasy, whose sights we are considering, acquired another unique place. The Mikhailovsky Cathedral was laid, which today is the largest church in Ukraine, it accommodates up to 12 thousand people. Supervised construction work and created a project of Metropolitan Sofroniy. The cathedral is made in Byzantine style with 7 chapters. Its height is 74 meters. The church plans to finish building a bell tower about 100 meters high. In the church, daily services are conducted, on holidays various visiting priests serve here.

Route for 1 day

Tourists often ask the question: what to see in Cherkassy for 1 day? For inspection, you can choose one of the proposed routes. Although the historical center of the city is not very large, and it can be inspected quickly enough, there are attractions that can be missed. For organized tourists, excursions to Cherkassy are carried out both on foot and by bus, which allow you to see the main places. An independent inspection can begin with a walk along the boulevard of T. Shevchenko, cased with chestnuts, reach the Hill of Glory to see the city as a whole. Then go to the Trinity Church. Further stroll around the city, visiting architectural sights. Visit Mikhailovsky Cathedral, breathe the air in the Valley of Roses. End the day with a boat trip along the Dnieper. Cherkassy, attractions, photos of which deserve the best guidebooks, are worth it to devote to their inspection more than one day. But the main thing you can see for the day, you need to plan the route well.

Things to do

In Cherkassy, there is something to do and except for sightseeing. First of all you need to walk around the beautiful parks of the city. The valley of roses is a small park near the Dnieper. Here, from June to October, roses of many varieties bloom, and walking here is a pleasure. In the park there is an unusual sundial in the form of a bird. Also from the valley are beautiful views of the river. For lovers of fauna in Cherkassy there is a zoo where you can see traditional and rare animals. Also there are always cinemas in Cherkasy, where you can spend time with pleasure and comfort. From the end of April, navigation along the Dnieper begins. Traditional cruise on the river is 1 hour, but it is possible to get a longer walk. For lovers of fishing trips are organized to the islands, where you can fully enjoy the Ukrainian nature.

In Cherkassy set of unusual sculptures, and their search can become a kind of quests around the city. It is worthwhile to find the monuments of Golohvastov and Prone Prokopovna, the Moonshine, Varenik and the Plumber, Fagota and the cat Behemoth.

Museums

Thinking about what you can see in Cherkassy, do not forget about the museums. The Museum of Local Lore offers a very good ethnographic collection, here you can find out how the fate of the region took shape, how the first settlers lived. A special pride of the museum is the full skeleton of a mammoth. The museum of one book is also interesting, in which various editions of the best work of T. Shevchenko, poems "Kobzar" are presented. And besides, here you can see pictures, a collection of postcards, film projectors and many other interesting subjects. In the Art Museum you can see a good collection of folk art of the inhabitants of the Dnieper, an excellent collection of icon painting 16-19 century.

Practical information

Today for many cities of Ukraine the most important sphere of development is tourism. Cherkassy have great opportunities in this respect. Tourists have the opportunity to stay in 9 hotels of the city of different price category. It is very easy to get to the city, an international airport runs in Cherkassy, there is a railway branch, and there is a bus and river connection with nearby settlements.