I fell in love with Ternopil as long as 30 years ago. Even then it was un-Soviet, unlike the other regional centres, and I marked it out for myself as a town that ranks among the three best cities of Ukraine.
This time I arrived in Ternopil early in the morning, and the first thing I saw as the August sun rose was about 200 schoolchildren, at 6 in the morning, walking along the street on a pilgrimage to holy places. A priest accompanied them. I thought that my trip was off to a fine start, and the town — to a happy future.
Without knowing the past, there will be no future. In Ternopil, history is known and cherished. The town was founded in the mid-16th century and belonged to various states, which left its mark on its culture. Sadly, during the Second World War 85% of the buildings were destroyed. Thanks to the people of Ternopil and their love for their town, it is now one of the most beautiful in the country.
A witness to all the historical events is Ternopil Castle, founded in the 16th century.
There are many places of worship of different denominations in the town. The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was founded in 1570.
The Church of the Nativity of Christ had a defensive purpose.
The cathedral was built between 1749 and 1779.
The Church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God was built in 1992 on the site of one destroyed by the Bolsheviks.
The Ternopil Local History Museum, one of the best in the country, holds the most valuable exhibits in its ethnographic, historical-numismatic, archaeological and natural-history departments. Collections of fine art are on display in the Art Museum and the picture gallery. The Museum of Political Prisoners is housed in the basement cells of the former NKVD-KGB remand prison.
In 2016 the "Retro-Kortezh" museum of exclusive cars opened, where 20 automobiles with unusual histories are displayed. On show are a Jaguar that belonged to US President Richard Nixon and a Maybach from Hitler's headquarters near Vinnytsia.
Separately, I am publishing photos of the cars and the photo exhibition "Winners", dedicated to the ATO soldiers who were wounded but not broken.
The Ternopil Academic Drama Theatre named after T. H. Shevchenko is not only an architectural ornament of the town but also a spiritual centre, where performances, festivals and authors' evenings take place. In December Ternopil fills with jazz music during the Jazz Bez festival.
The philharmonic hall invites you to musical evenings, and the Theatre of the Actor and Puppet houses a simply fairy-tale puppet museum.
To attend any festival — of art, of cuisine, of Lemko culture, of beer, of borscht, of the vyshyvanka — is a great piece of luck. Here they know how to organise them, and guests flock in from everywhere.
Ternopil is a sporty town.
Professional teams from 11 countries took part in the European Championship and the World Championship of powerboat sports, which were held on the Ternopil Pond.
On City Day, 28 August, all the people of Ternopil came out onto the squares and streets to admire their beloved town and to congratulate one another. Guests from other cities greeted them. I met a young woman from Kramatorsk who had come especially for the celebration to visit friends who had given shelter to her family in 2014.
By the way, Russian-speaking tourists who fear that they will not be understood here have no reason even to think about it. I deliberately spoke Russian in cafes, hotels and on the streets. The people of Ternopil are very friendly, courteous and tolerant. They will understand you and point you the way, and they will chat with you, whatever language you speak.
Ternopil has several parks; the town simply drowns in greenery and flowers. One of the youngest and most beautiful is the "Topilche" hydropark. All sorts of amusement rides and playgrounds are favourite spots for the townsfolk to relax.
It is noticeable that the authorities pay attention to protecting the environment, switching to ecologically clean forms of public transport.
The silvery gleams of the numerous fountains, fitting harmoniously into the town's architectural ensemble, make it elegant and cosy.
And such details as the lamps and benches lend it refinement and romance.
The town has an enormous number of monuments of all kinds. The most famous and monumental are those to historical figures, poets and cultural leaders. The monument to Danylo Halytsky, the prince who united the western Ukrainian lands.
By the monument to Ivan Franko, the Kameniar (the Stonecutter), celebrations were held marking the poet's 160th anniversary.
The classics of world literature are not forgotten either — our Kobzar and the Sun of Russian poetry.
A sculpture of incredible beauty of the Ukrainian Madame Butterfly — Solomiya Krushelnytska.
Ternopil is a town of singular beauty, and its unusual monuments only underline it.
Ternopil is a youthful town — students alone make up 20% of the population.
Newlyweds have taken a fancy to this tree on their wedding day.
And later the storks bring them a miracle.
There is a slightly sad story behind the "Chance Encounter" monument — a gift to the town from the ambassador of the Netherlands. The sculptural composition featured two ladies conversing on a bench. But one of them was stolen, alas. In my opinion, the artist Stuart Johnson should give it some thought and "invite" a gentleman to the chance encounter under the lindens, one who would become a companion and friend to the young lady.
An invisible man forgot these shoes. Perhaps he is right beside us, but unseen.
Do other towns really have city maps like these?
All the tower and street clocks in the town showed the correct time, and that says a great deal. The three-sided clock has been restored on the site of an old one destroyed during the war. Their peculiarity is that the figure "4" is written like this: IIII.
The decoration of buildings with wall paintings looks very modern. This mural depicting Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky was unveiled and consecrated on 27 August 2016.
The Ternopil Pond came into being together with the town and served defensive and economic purposes. Its area is roughly 300 hectares.
A new embankment with a special surface has opened, the banks have been reinforced, and a skate park and cycle paths have been created.
You can take a trip across the lake on a pleasure boat or a sailing yacht.
The town has very well-developed tourist infrastructure.
There are many restaurants, cafes and bars. The summer terraces astonish with the variety of their interiors and their offerings.
The "Alligator" hotel and entertainment complex.
Haiova Street, 29
http://alligator.te.ua
Coordinates: 49°32’32"N 25°36’36«E
The "Bunker-Muz" restaurant-bar-gallery.
Shevchenko Boulevard, 1.
http://bunkermuz.te.ua
Tel. +380 98 295 14 66
Coordinates: 49°33’21"N 25°35’45«E
The venue runs a dynamic art scene, with art displays and installations, daily encounters with artists and cultural figures, and an exchange of ideas. Trainings, lectures, film screenings.
Ethnographic restaurant "Staryi Mlyn" and the "Vahon-Samohon" museum.
Brodivska Street, 1a.
http://samogon.org
Coordinates: 49°33’35"N 25°35’59«E
The "Kovcheh" restaurant-brewery.
Zhyvova Street, 5a
Tel.: +380 98 628 00 60; +380 352 52 45 45
Coordinates: 49°32’52"N 25°35’5"E
An eco-project supplied with its own sources of energy thanks to solar panels. The materials used in building this ship-brewery are mostly of natural origin. The wood the interior is finished with is 200-300 years old. The establishment was built using the old technique of "decorating with clay and straw".
A "Tesla" charging station for electric cars has been installed.
On the brewery grounds, works by Serhiy Kuznetsov in the junk-art style are on display.
The Ternopil region is a land of Christian shrines, castles, palaces, memorial complexes and natural monuments. Great attention is paid to preserving its 34 castles. I invite you to take a walk around Zbarazh Castle, Vyshnivets Castle and around the town of Kremenets up to Mount Bona, and also to take a sled ride down the toboggan-bobsleigh track.
There is no doubt that Ternopil has a great and happy future. This is a truly European city in Ukraine. It inspires and adds energy. I greatly enjoyed my journey around the Ternopil region, and I gladly share my impressions.
I thank all the organisers of the trip to the beautiful city of Ternopil. And in conclusion — a boat ride on the Ternopil Pond.
For enquiries:
the tourism department of the Ternopil Regional Administration:
tel. +380 352 43 42 31; +380 67 688 50 13.
Ternopil, Hrushevskoho Street, 8
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