Only in Ukraine

Chernivtsi

     George Heinzen, an Austrian writer, whose articles were very popular in Austria a hundred years ago, wrote the following about Chernivtsi: “Chernovitz” (Chernivtsi) is a town, in which Sundays start with playing or listening to Schubert and end with duels. This town, situated half-way from Kyiv to Bucharest and between Krakow and Odessa, is a major cultural center, to which the best coloratura sopranos come to sing, in which cabman talk to drivers of fiacres about early medieval poetry, in which the sidewalks are swept with bouquets of roses rather than by brooms, and in which there are more bookshops than cafes. It is a town in which dogs are given names of the Olympian gods and in which chicken peck at the discarded little volumes of bad poetry. Chernivtsi is a pleasure boat with Ukrainian crew, German officers and Jewish passengers sailing under the Austrian flag from East to West and from West to East”.Chernivtsi now, a hundred years later, still preserves some of the features, that fascinated the 19th century journalist.

     At present the streets of Chernivtsi are not swept with bouquets of roses, neither they are washed with soap. But the spirit of the town “a marvel of Europe” lives on.

Chernivtsi - The Residence of Bukovinian Metropolitans

     Situated in Chernivtsi - the European Alexandria- the former Residence of Bukovinian metropolitans is the pearl of the city and the masterpiece of the famous Czech architect Joseph Hlavka. Today, it houses one of the oldest universities in Europe, Chernivtsi Yuriy Fedkovych National University.

     The architectural ensemble comprises three main buildings and the beautiful square. The central edifice with a chapel was formerly the residence of the Metropolitan, the side edifices served as the seminary and the house for guests. The church with its domes and towers contributes to the magnificence of the ensemble.

     The Residence is the spirit of Bukovina. It is the synergy of styles and cultures of peoples inhabiting this land. It brings to mind a medieval stronghold of Alcazar in Granada, Spain, bearing the features of Byzantine and Romanesque architecture.

Bukovina Diaspora museum

     Situated in Chernivtsi, it is the only one of such kind in Ukraine. Here one can get acquainted with the history of all waves of emigration from this land, with the life and activities of the Bukovinians by origin and their descendants who live now abroad, their ties with the Historic Motherland.

Medieval Fortress in Khotyn

     The fortification complex located on the shores of the Dniester River in Khotyn, Chernivtsi Oblast (province), is the most outstanding sample of Ukrainian medieval fortification, being named in 2007 as one of ,,The Seven Wonders of Ukraine’’. The construction of the Khotyn stonework castle, later to become the most unassailable stronghold in the Eastern Europe, started in the second half of the 13th century. Even today, the castle strikes with its grandeur. Stone and earth fortifications stretch out for about a mile.

     Khotyn Fortress is also one of the favourites of the European filmmakers. With a movie “career” for more than four decades and a long list of “roles”, this fortress is a real movie star! It has played the French La Rochele and grim English castles, a magic palace from H.C. Andersen’s fairy tales and R. L. Stevenson’s medieval stronghold. In each role the fortress has been unsurpassed. Until the beginning of its cinematographic career the castle had been a warrior throughout many centuries. The area near the fortress was the site of many battles in the course of the lasting wars with the Turkish army.

Kamyanets-Podilskiy and its medieval fortress

     Kamyanets-Podilsky (Khmelnytsky region of western Ukraine) is listed among the “Seven Wonders of Ukraine” for good reasons. Kamyanets-Podilsky is a museum in itself. Its gems are the mighty fortress, the incredible Old City, and the fairytale Smotrych River canyon. They say that this canyon inspired Mikhail Bulgakov, who was a doctor in the local hospital, for his description of Jerusalem in the novel “Master and Margarita”. . The older part of the town is a registered reserve of history and culture. Its more than 150 historical sites include churches of St. Nickolas (13th century), Saints Peter and Paul (16th century), and Exaltation of the Holy Cross (18th century), the Franciscan monastery complex (16th century), and the Peter and Paul Cathedral (16th–18th centuries).

     Its Old Fortress (12th century) is a witness of Ukraine people’s fight against numerous invaders . The fortress sits atop a peninsula surrounded by the winding Smotrych River valley, forming a natural defense system for the castle.

     In such natural scenery, exciting events should happen! And they did happen.

Hutsulschyna

     The Hutsul region (also spelled 'Hutzul' and 'Huzul') of Ukraine, or "Hutsulschyna," is located in the southeast Ukrainian Carpathians to the southwest of Ivano-Frankivsk (oblast center) and Kolomyia, the main access points. The Hutsuls are a ethno-cultural group with that has had a distinct self-identity for a few hundred years. They moved into the Carpathian highlands between the 14th and 18th centuries. Because of their isolation in the mountains and resistance to change they were able to preserve their traditional way of life, based on cattle and sheep herding and craftsmanship, despite falling under the rule of many different governments. Even the Soviets let them continue their traditional lifestyle and crafts.

     Kosiv is the heart of the Hutsul Land and a well-known centre of handicraft. Beautiful pieces made by its carvers, potters and embroideresses travel around the world to be exhibited in museums of New York, Toronto, Kyiv, and Moscow. One of Kosiv’s main attractions is its handicrafts fair where one could buy everything created by the local folk artists, from embroideries and woodcarvings to beadwork and traditional costumes.