Wednesday, 21 April 2021

Slovianka. The Pearl of the Steppe Estate

As the May holidays draw near, and the summer vacations behind them, we think more and more about where to spend them. The pandemic has forced Ukrainians to reconsider their travel routes in favour of little-known destinations, giving up the popular resorts. Quarantine restrictions push travellers and holidaymakers to change their plans, to look for new uncharted corners and to draw fresh emotions from what they see. Having sat out several weeks or months in self-isolation, people long to break away from ordinary life, to relax in the lap of nature, to hurry nowhere and to make incredible discoveries.

The "Pearl of the Steppe" estate is exactly the place where you can spend your leisure not with a crowd of tourists galloping past the sights, but resting far from the rhythms of the urban bustle, with a blanket on the meadow and a fishing rod at the evening glow. We are off in search of inspiration, adrenaline and endorphins!

Slovianka, Dnipropetrovsk region. The "Pearl of the Steppe" estate

The mini-hotel is situated in the village of Slovianka in Dnipropetrovsk region, 2.5 kilometres from the M-04 road.

A sign on the road points the way to the guest house.

Slovianka. The road sign pointing the way to the estate

Guests have two accommodation buildings at their disposal, with a cafe and a banqueting hall. The management tries to meet all the wishes and requirements of its guests.

Slovianka. An accommodation building at the estate

Dishes of Ukrainian and European cuisine will leave even the most demanding gourmets satisfied. Vegetables grown by ecologically clean methods are served straight from the garden bed.

Slovianka. Dishes of Ukrainian and European cuisine

The doors of this little pearl of the steppe are open all year round. Resting in the comfortable rooms, you can take your mind off difficult everyday life, gather energy and improve your health.

Slovianka. One of the estate's comfortable guest rooms

On the grounds of the estate there are two swimming pools, a sports ground, a playground, gazebos, a car park and rest areas.

Slovianka. The rest areas on the grounds of the estate

The list of entertainments includes sleeping on beehives, coniferous baths in tubs, a sauna, and boat and bicycle rental.

Slovianka. Entertainments on offer to guests at the estate

The museum of Ukrainian daily life deserves special attention; it gathers exhibits from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Slovianka. The museum of Ukrainian daily life

The museum is housed in a wattle-and-daub cottage, recreated after the model of traditional Ukrainian dwellings in the Dnipro area. The front room displays a stove, a bed, wooden and clay dishes, household items, a spinning wheel, a spindle, musical and garden tools, clothing, icons, embroidered towels and much more.

Slovianka. The museum of Ukrainian daily life. The front room

The unique collection gives a good idea of the material culture of the region's population.

Slovianka. The museum collection. Material culture of the region

In the yard of the village house are kept objects hewn from stone: millstones, threshing rollers and troughs.

Slovianka. Stone millstones, threshing rollers and troughs in the yard

The most valuable exhibit is the statue of a Cuman warrior. Our ancestors set such stone idols up at sanctuaries and burial grounds in the 11th-13th centuries. Today the idol of grey sandstone guards the peace of those resting at the estate.

Slovianka. The stone statue of a Cuman warrior

The ethnographic display is completed by a shaduf well and a well with a windlass.

Slovianka. The shaduf well of the ethnographic display

Slovianka. The well with a windlass at the estate

The "Pearl" stands on the bank of the Byk river, a tributary of the Samara. This narrow winding blue ribbon links Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The blue sky is reflected in the river, which has freed itself from its shell of ice.

Slovianka. The Byk river, a tributary of the Samara

At sunrise nature comes alive, the rays light up the banks and freeze in the droplets of dew.

Slovianka. Sunrise over the banks of the Byk

You can tour the slopes of the gullies and the riverside on foot, by bicycle or on horseback. Walking around the neighbourhood, holidaymakers will take real pleasure in listening to the birdsong, in seeing glades of primroses and the buds on the trees in the shelterbelt. Before long the banks of the Byk will drown in a riot of young foliage.

Slovianka. The gully slopes and riverside around the estate

The panorama of the local beauty takes your breath away: burial mounds rise above the plain cut through by gullies. These ancient kurgans are part of the cultural heritage of Slovianka, a village with a rich history.