One of the most ancient cities of Ukraine is Zhytomyr. Its sights deserve attention. Now we will introduce you to some of them.
Base
According to legend, the city, or rather, the castle, was founded in the ninth century by a combatant Zhitomir, who was in the service of the Kiev princes Dir and Askold. The magnificent building located on the banks of the Kamenka River, unfortunately, has not survived to our times. Nowadays this place is called Castle Hill. From the former greatness of the castle, which withstood the siege of the Mongol-Tatars, there were only underground passages, the depth of which is from five to eight meters. Now on the site of the fortress is a city park. In the center of it is an impressive stone boulder with an inscription telling that it was here in 884 that the city of Zhytomyr was founded.
Holy Cross Exaltation Church and other cathedrals
The city is famous for its ancient temples. One of them is the Holy Cross Exaltation Cathedral. This is a splendidly preserved monument of architecture of the seventeenth century. Next to it in the late nineteenth century was built the Holy Cross Church, which is an example of the Byzantine style in architecture. In Soviet times, the church housed a natural history museum with a huge exposition, which contained interesting geological finds and was dedicated to the nature of the region. In addition to Orthodox churches, in Zhitomir it will be interesting to visit places of worship of other faiths. For example, the Lutheran church, built at the end of the nineteenth century, and the Catholic seminary church of St. John of Dukla.
It is also worth seeing the Catholic Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, which was built in the eighteenth century and combines two architectural styles - Baroque and Late Renaissance. The walls of the temple are about two meters thick. Over a hundred years ago, the cathedral was reconstructed. This was reflected in the architecture of the building, which acquired classic features. However, the interior decoration remained the same.
Monastery
A unique ancient monument is located in the Zhytomyr region, namely in Berdychev, the monastery of Barefoot Carmelites. A well-fortified structure looks like a fortress.
The monastery was built in 1642 by the Polish magnate Tyszkiewicz in gratitude to the Lord for the salvation from the Tatar captivity. Over the centuries, he passed from one owner to another. A beautiful baroque building consists of an operating temple and two bell towers.
The walls of the church are decorated with many frescoes of the finest work. Now in the monastery are allocated premises for classes in music and art schools.
The building of the former Magistrate and the Museum of Cosmonautics (Zhytomyr)
Holy monasteries are not the only architectural masterpieces of the city. In the area of ​​Castle Hill is the building of the former Magistrate. This is a surprisingly beautiful two-story building with nine oblong facade windows on the second floor and eight on the first. The flesh-colored walls, surprisingly decorated around the windows, which corresponds to the Neo-Renaissance style, were badly damaged during the Second World War. But, fortunately, it was completely restored.
Zhytomyr, the sights of which we are considering, is the birthplace of the brilliant scientist, the creator of the first Soviet space rockets, Sergey Korolev. In the house where his family lived at the beginning of the 20th century, the memorial part of the Cosmonautics Museum is located. In another, purpose-built building, a part of the exposition is presented, telling about the history of the formation of Soviet cosmonautics. Here are models of spaceships, a capsule with the soil of the moon, transferred to the museum by American astronauts. The room inside has a unique musical lighting.
Episcopal House and Fire Museum
The Zhytomyr Museum of Local Lore is located in a building built in the nineteenth century and called the Episcopal House. In memory of the fact that earlier it was the home of the head of the Catholic diocese. The museum is famous for its collection of paintings by Italian, Polish, Dutch, Russian and French masters.
Arriving in Zhytomyr, the sights must be seen. Tourists should definitely visit the Fire Department Museum, equipped in a fire tower built in the distant 1894.
"House Chimera"
There is an unusual building in the city. It is referred to as the “Chimera House” or “The Heart-Shaped House”. The building is so unusual that if you look at it from a certain angle, you can see only an object consisting of one facade. Therefore, it is also called the Flat House.
Another building that deserves attention from an architectural point of view is the so-called Postal Station. Built in the mid-nineteenth century, it consists of a main building, an outbuilding and a stable. It should be noted that at one time the great Ukrainian poet T. G. Shevchenko stayed here.
sights
Also interesting architectural structures of the city are:
- Filippov’s mansion, built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the Baroque style;
- the building of the Agroecological University, which initially, more than a hundred years ago, was a district court;
- the building in which the Zhytomyr State University named after Frank is now located, and from 1833 until the twenties of the twentieth century the Gymnasium was located.
Not far from Zhytomyr, on the banks of the Teterev River, there is a unique natural site. This is the rock “Chatsky’s Head”. But the object has nothing to do with the famous comedy “Woe from Wit”. The rock, which stands above the river, has the shape of a man’s head. According to one legend, this is the head of the Polish gentry Chatsky, who rushed into the river, fleeing from the Cossacks. According to another version, this is the head of the founder of the Kremenets Lyceum T. Chatsky.
Zhytomyr land gave the world many talented people. One of them is the great Russian writer V. G. Korolenko. The museum, which tells about the writer's childhood and youth, is located on one of the streets of the city, in a house that was once the estate of his family.
Interesting sculpture
In the park, which is located in the center of Zhytomyr, in 2012, a beautiful bronze sculpture was opened called “Spring Girl”. She is a young girl with a wreath in her hands in a fancy dress fluttering in the wind. Nearby is the original bench with an intricate wrought-iron back. The statue "Spring Girl" and the bench have become favorite exhibits for newlyweds photo shoots.
Yuri Gagarin Park and Castle Hill
Nature lovers should definitely visit the Park of Culture and Rest named after Yuri Gagarin. In addition to the incomparable landscapes that open on the banks of the Teterev River, here you can admire hundreds of the most exotic plants. And take an unforgettable walk along the suspension bridge over the river.
One of the best restaurants in the city is considered to be the Castle Hill. The institution is located in the old part of the city, near the
Hagia Sophia. The restaurant can surprise visitors not only with dishes of Ukrainian and European cuisines, but also with the design of the room, as well as live music.
Conclusion
Now you know how the Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr can please guests. Its sights, perhaps, are not so unique, but very interesting, not only in appearance, but also in history.