Kropyvnytskyi, with a population of 250 thousand, lies in the very centre of Ukraine, 300 kilometres from the capital, at the crossing of roads of European significance. In the regional centre there operate a railway station, an airport, two bus stations, more than a dozen higher-education institutions, museums, theatres, and parks, but the former Yelysavethrad can hardly be called a popular tourist mecca.
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| Kropyvnytskyi. The railway station |
And in vain! Hospitable Kropyvnytskyi can surprise you with its architectural appearance, has a special character, and deserves to be included in weekend tours, all the more so since you can come to the city from any region, and from Kyiv the trip takes only 4 hours.
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| The former Red Cross Hospital of St Anna. 1904. |
Kropyvnytskyi is called the cradle of Ukrainian theatre. The Music and Drama Theatre bears the name of the luminary of national dramaturgy Marko Lukych Kropyvnytskyi, in whose honour the city, after changing six names, was renamed in 2016.
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| The Kropyvnytskyi Music and Drama Theatre |
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| A monument to M. L. Kropyvnytskyi |
The Theatre of Melpomene was built in 1862 and is located in the historic centre, which has preserved public and industrial buildings of the mid-XIX to early XX century.
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| The Transfiguration Cathedral. 1813. |
The five-domed Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God was erected in 1849 in the neo-Russian style.
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| The Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God. 1849. |
The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God has not been closed since 1812, even in the years of atheism and the Hitlerite occupation.
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| The Cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God. 1812. |
The city can boast architectural masterpieces thanks to the work of outstanding builders and architects — Ya. V. Pauchenko, A. M. Dostoevsky, O. L. Lyshnevsky.
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| The Dvortsovyi Hotel. 1837. |
The location of the nearest landmarks is indicated by arrow signs at the crossroads, and historical information is set out on information stands beside the tourist sites.
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| An information stand of the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God |
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| Landmark signs at a crossroads |
Not only the central streets with their sumptuous buildings will conquer the heart of architectural gourmets. On the quiet little streets on the edge of the historic core, hidden from noise and bustle, are charming mansions and villas.
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| 28 Gogol Street |
The surviving mascarons stand watch on the aged facades, awaiting caring hands.
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| A former dwelling house. Vodostichnyi Lane |
And some residents of the architectural preserve lack a respectful attitude to the history of their city.
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| 82 Tarkovsky Street |
Houses kept in exemplary condition are marked with plaques as an example and a stimulus to the neighbours.
And order is kept by cleaners and yard-keepers.
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| A yard-keeper on Dvortsova Street |
Even the soldiers' barracks built in 1850 were part of the palace complex, and in one of them the emperor stayed when he came on a visit.
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| The Hydraulic Machines Plant |
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| The production building of mill No. 1 |
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| A production building. Pokrovska Street |
The agricultural-machinery enterprise was founded in 1874 by the Elworthy brothers.
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| The former Chervona Zirka plant |
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| The Elworthy plant |
A sculpture of the English capitalists has been unveiled beside their brainchild, and in the owners' mansion a museum of the plant has been created.
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| A sculpture of the Elworthy brothers |
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| The museum of the Elworthy enterprise |
The age of the production buildings is far from young, so one must hurry, lest in their place one see ruins and oblivion.
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| The remains of a production building |
The green recreation zone of Kropyvnytskyi is made up of parks and public gardens, and the arboretum with its bright flower beds and entertainment attractions gives the city an inimitable colour, aroma, and atmosphere.
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| Hyacinths in the arboretum |
In the city there are a great many memorial signs and memorial boards to outstanding figures and historical events. In 1892 a bust of the Slavist professor Viktor Hryhorovych was set up in the district town. This was the first instance in the expanses of the empire when a monument was erected in honour of a scholar.
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| A monument to Viktor Hryhorovych |
The city also distinguished itself in perpetuating the name of the leader of the proletariat. In 1925, in the then Zinovievsk — named after the party comrade of the recently deceased Illich — a monument to Lenin was unveiled, the first in the young USSR state. In 2014, in Kovalivskyi Park, the statue left its pedestal, and on the marble base were placed photographs of the defenders of the state's territorial integrity who died in the east of Ukraine.
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| A memorial sign to the fallen defenders of Ukraine |
Kropyvnytskyi is an open-air architectural museum, and for this it can be considered the most attractive regional city in Central Ukraine.
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| The Zirka Sports Club |
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| 38 Gogol Street |
You can reach Kropyvnytskyi by train from Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, Kostiantynivka, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and other cities.
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| A railway bridge over Elworthy Street |
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