Vinnytsia. A promenade along Soborna. Beauty + history

In recent years Vinnytsia has several times been recognised by the inhabitants of our state as the most comfortable town to live in in Ukraine. Decent roads and a well-organised system of municipal transport, the preservation of the architectural heritage and green oases, cycle paths and benches with solar panels, and of course fountains, fountains.

 

Vinnytsia. A view of Soborna Street by the Central Park

In the warm season the town's squares and streets are adorned with little fountains and powerful geysers.

 

The fountain in the Central Park

But the most amazing water jet of all, created on the Southern Buh, delights the people of Vinnytsia and the guests of the town from April to October with its dazzling spectacle. Spectators flock to the embankment and take their seats on the stands to contemplate the light-and-music show that has become one of the main symbols of Vinnytsia.

 

Vinnytsia. The Southern Buh. The embankment

The multimedia firework display will flare up when it gets dark, and in the daytime you can stretch your legs with a promenade along the embankment,

The embankment. A mock gazebo

The Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God

take a river trip on a pleasure boat

 

Vinnytsia. The Southern Buh. The Central bridge

and walk along the town's main thoroughfare — Soborna Street, which runs from the Central bridge to Haharina Square and the Central town park.

 

Soborna Street

The street came into being at the beginning of the 19th century, when the right bank of the Southern Buh began to be built up, and it runs through the historic centre formed in the second half of the 19th century.

Part of Soborna is paved with cobblestones. All the town's public transport, including trams, trolleybuses and buses, is under the management of a single municipal enterprise. The stops are fitted out with "pockets" and electronic display boards.

 

The tram track has been recognised as the best in Ukraine, and on Soborna it is set into slabs.

 

The most important Orthodox church of Vinnytsia is considered to be the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, which gave the street its name. The church was built in the 18th century by the Italian architect Paolo Fontana as a Dominican church. It became Orthodox in 1839.

 

The Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour

A significant object on Soborna is the Jesuit monastery — a complex of buildings of the 17th century. A wing of the museum of local lore has been housed in the former monastic cells.

 

Soborna St. The complex of buildings of the 17th century

Between the two buildings of the art museum and the museum of local lore, on Shevchenka Square, a monument to the Kobzar was erected for the 200th anniversary of the national poet.

The monument to T. H. Shevchenko

Arrow signposts to the sights help tourists to find their bearings and plan a route.

 

Soborna St. Signposts to the sights

For lunch and a snack, all sorts of pie shops, confectioners' and coffee houses are open on Soborna, and green corners have been created for a rest. Thirty or forty years ago you could fortify yourself with liver pies, which were sold in a small public garden, for which it received the name "Liverpool". Since 2017 the garden has been adorned by a sculptural composition of the Liverpool four, made of metal, glass and plastic.

 

The sculptural composition of the British group the Beatles

The former Kozytskoho garden is now called the European Square, and it draws travellers' attention with the architectural dominant of Vinnytsia — the water tower built in 1912. This calling card stands in the very heart of the town and in its time served as a fire tower; now the building houses a military museum and a tourist centre. Every hour the main chimes of the regional centre announce with their melodious ringing how fleeting time is.

 

The water tower on the European Square

The aristocratic charm of the beginning of the 20th century has been preserved by the Sadovskyi Music and Drama Theatre, where the curtain rose for the first time in 1910.

 

The Sadovskyi Music and Drama Theatre

Step by step, taking in the sights, we come to the Central town park, created in the first half of the 18th century.

 

The arched entrance to the Central Park

The summer theatre in the Central Park

Over its 30 hectares there are stands with oaks 250-300 years old. In the park there are amusement rides, cafes and, of course, a fountain.

 

Flower beds and amusement rides

The Central Park. The restaurant

The Central Park. A bench

Having rested in the park until dusk falls, we return to the embankment to enjoy the best evening water show on the territory of Ukraine, with laser effects and synchronised musical accompaniment.