Bakhmut. The World of Sparkling Wines

A New Year's table is hard to imagine without a bottle of sparkling wine, which creates a wonderful sense of celebration. With a glass of champagne we make a wish. How is it born, in what conditions is it made, and do we know how to drink the magical beverage? About this and much else you can learn by visiting the sparkling-wine factory in Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region.

Bakhmut, the sparkling-wine factory. Dionysus with the maenads in the tasting hall

Dubno Castle. An Impregnable Aristocratic Residence

Dubno Castle is one of the most impregnable, wealthiest and most legendary European castles. Emperors, hetmans and kings visited this aristocratic residence. The defenders of the impregnable fortress repelled enemy raids, and the stronghold never once submitted — not to the Tatars, nor the Cossacks, nor the Swedes.

Dubno. The castle. The gatehouse

Donetsk Steppe Reserves: 'Prytorskyi' and 'Halyna Hirka'

The Donetsk steppe inspires poets, artists and film directors, who sing of it in their works.

The 'Halyna Hirka' reserve. Pokrovsk district, Donetsk region.

Rozhirche. To the monastery via Semyhyniv

The cave monastery of the 13th-15th centuries in the village of Rozhirche, Lviv region, is a unique example of sacred building in the rock.

Rozhirche. Stryi district, Lviv region. The cave monastery

Kalush. It both surprised and charmed me

Kalush is an industrial and cultural centre of Prykarpattia, set 30 kilometres from Ivano-Frankivsk. The town is associated with a zone of ecological disaster and the harmful influence of chemical production on the surrounding environment. Despite the intensive industrialisation and the dangerous ecological situation, the atmosphere of this old town of the Boiko region and its national colour can still be felt on its streets.

Kalush. Ivano-Frankivsk region. Heroes' Square

The Krovetska Ravine. A Hike to a Geological Monument

Purpose of the hike: to visit the geological nature monument of state significance, the Krovetska ravine, with a look at the surface outcrop of rock. Route: the Ivanopillia stop (6th kilometre), a worked-out quarry, the village of Ivanopillia, the Krovetska ravine, the Pleshchiivka stop. Distance: 14.2 km over hilly terrain. Time: 5 hours 45 minutes.

Ruda. The Vyhovsky Estate and the Ivan Vyhovsky Museum

The Lviv region has a rich cultural heritage — architectural monuments alone number about 8,500. The centuries-old history of Halychyna is not forgotten; it is preserved, and its glorious past is a source of pride both in the cities and in the small towns. In the village of Ruda, in the Zhydachiv district, in 2004 the first museum in Ukraine dedicated to Ivan Vyhovsky was opened, devoted to the hetman of the Zaporozhian Host and to the history of the Cossacks.

Ruda. The museum of Ivan Vyhovsky

Mykolaivka. Who needs a zemstvo school?

We all come from childhood, and we are inevitably bound to it through school. In 2018 the building of the former zemstvo school of the village of Mykolaivka, in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk region, was granted the status of cultural and historical heritage of Ukraine.

The zemstvo school. Mykolaivka, Pokrovsk district, Donetsk region.

Stradch. The cave monastery of the 11th-13th centuries

The Stradch cave church is a unique historical monument that has survived unchanged since the 11th century.

Stradch. Lviv region. The cave monastery. The church of the Mother of God the Indestructible Wall

Zhovkva. A town in the palm of your hand

Zhovkva is a special town, almost tiny, with an area of 7.6 km and a population of about 13 thousand, but with a rich architectural heritage. One of the smallest towns in Ukraine, it has 55 monuments of history and architecture.

Zhovkva. Lviv region. The Town Hall. 1932.