Tours Travel

Ukraine Kharkov

When you travel to kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, you are not only going to a city rich in history and culture, and has a fantastic nightlife; you are also taking your first step in a fascinating country that travelers from Western Europe and North America are beginning to discover as a great tourist destination. Guests staying at kyiv hotels soon realize that Ukraine has more to offer than they ever imagined, and they can access it all from their kyiv accommodation. One place where you can experience the real Ukraine is the city of Kharkiv.

Capital of the Kharkiv oblast (province), the city is located at the junction of the Lopan, Kharkiv and Udy rivers in eastern Ukraine. It is the second largest city in Ukraine and was founded in 1656 as a fortress to protect Moscow from marauding Tatars. It gained prominence as a commercial and cultural center, and in 1765 it became the administrative capital of Ukraine.

Kharkiv’s history has been dramatically tragic. He suffered in the First World War and in the battles of the Russian Revolution. During World War II, the armies of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union fought four major battles for control of the city, destroying most of it. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed.

Kharkiv today is a bustling city with many attractions for visitors. One of the most important is Freedom Square. This is the third largest city center square in Europe. The square was originally named after the founder of the hated Bolshevik secret police, but was renamed when Ukraine became independent. However, it is still dominated by a statue of Vladimir Lenin.

Your tour of Kharkiv must include two impressive churches. The Cathedral of the Annunciation is the most important Orthodox place of worship in the city. It was once one of the tallest religious buildings in the Russian Empire, with a bell tower eighty meters high. The Cathedral of the Assumption, dating from the 1820s, was torn down by the Soviets in 1929. The cathedral was restored in the 1970s.

The Derzhprom building, located on Freedom Square, is a landmark of Kharkiv. It was once the tallest building in Europe and was considered one of the great architectural achievements of the 1920s. More than 5,000 workers worked on it, using tools as basic as shovels and wheelbarrows.

No visit to Kharkiv is complete without a stop at the monument honoring Taras Hryhorovych Shevenko (1814 – 1861), the great Ukrainian poet, artist and humanist. He was the founder of modern Ukrainian literature and is considered a national hero. Pilgrims who wish to honor the victims of World War II and the Holocaust can visit graves and monuments both inside and outside the city. There are also monuments to the martyrs of the Stalinist purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and nationalists. Other great attractions include the Military Museum and the Children’s Narrow Gauge Railway. When you travel to kyiv, remember that all of Ukraine awaits you.