Ivanivske. The Manor Bathhouse. Cultural Heritage in Ruins

In a dense forest — neither beyond thrice-nine lands, nor in a thrice-tenth kingdom, but on the outskirts of the village of Ivanivske in the Bakhmut district — a wondrous wonder has been discovered.

Slavkurort. Awaiting the Revival of an Old Resort

Sloviansk resort is one of the oldest mud-cure resorts in Ukraine. Sloviansk has been known for its mineral waters and therapeutic muds since 1827. At the beginning of the 20th century, Sloviansk mud was recognised as the best in Europe and won the Grand Prix at an international exhibition. In Soviet times this resort of national importance was the most financially prosperous trade-union health resort.

 

Sloviansk resort. Donetsk region. The closed "Yuvileinyi" sanatorium

Civil Protection Day. Fire Stations and Watchtowers

Workers of the fire-and-rescue service mark their professional holiday twice a year: 17 April is the Day of Fire Protection, and 17 September is Rescuer's Day. On these solemn days, congratulations are received by people ready to risk their lives in the struggle with the fiery element, by veterans of the fire service, and by the teachers and students of specialised colleges. Also on these days, commemorative events are held in honour of those who died in the line of duty. Excursions to the sites of fire stations and ascents of the observation towers have become a tradition of the celebrations. Let us too take a walk to a few of Ukraine's fire-and-rescue stations and get acquainted with their history.

 

Cherkasy. Fire-and-rescue station No. 2. Kavkazka St., 237

Regional Train 826 Dnipro-Avdiivka. Without Changing

Ukrzaliznytsia continues to restore rail service in the front-line region. In December 2020, the "Maiak" train Kyiv-Avdiivka No. 135/136 made its first trip on the new route. In June, a new regional train was launched, No. 826 Dnipro - Avdiivka, which linked two neighbouring regions — Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk. The train runs along a railway whose construction began 140 years ago, in 1881. For almost a century and a half, the Katerynynska steel main line has remained an important railway stretch with heavy traffic.

The Avdiivka Quarry. No Sea Needed. The Season Still Open

You have seas and lakes, and we have — a quarry. With emerald water and a velvet beach, with little islands and spits, a friendly public and welcoming locals. The worked-out sand quarry in Avdiivka is a popular spot of recreation for townsfolk and for the residents of the nearest towns.

 

Avdiivka. The sand quarry

Khutoro-Chaplyne. Villages of the Synelnykove Area

In the morning, on the way to the suburban train, there was a good omen, one that foretells luck. A rainbow band began from the dark clouds, curling into an arc, then became double and astonished me with its illusion of light for several minutes.

 

Bilokuzmynivka. The Cliffs of Two Landscape Parks

I never compare our stunning landscapes and astonishing, spectacular panoramas with foreign natural monuments. The fawning turns of phrase heard in every region of Ukraine towards foreign curiosities, with invented names like "Rivne Iceland", "Donetsk Maldives", "Ukrainian Venice", "Zhytomyr Switzerland", and the like, are surprising. Perhaps our picturesque mountains and cliffs, lakes and rivers have not won worldwide fame, but they arouse no less admiration and are quite well known to the Ukrainian traveller. So let us cherish and popularise the tourist gems of our own country — the unrepeatable landscapes with their own peculiarities, history, and national colour. Ukraine will always remain Ukraine, without obsequiousness or servility, and in every region there are exotic places, wondrous locations that one wants to tell about and to show to guests and travellers.

In Donetsk region, one of the most inspiring landscapes, where you can draw a reserve of energy, opens out across the steppe expanses 10 kilometres south-east of Kramatorsk and 13 kilometres east of Druzhkivka.

 

The "Kramatorskyi" Regional Landscape Park. The Bilokuzmynivka section

Sloviansk. The Salt Lakes. Rest and Restore Your Strength

One of the most popular medicinal places in Ukraine, where people rest, restore their strength, and take the cure, can be considered the group of lakes in Sloviansk, Donetsk region. A priceless gift of nature — the only salt lakes of natural origin in Ukraine, located far from the sea's expanses, in the basin of the river Siverskyi Donets.

Glasswort. It Is Not as Simple as It Seems

It is not very well known, hardly ever used, grows underfoot, and has a simple name that defines its habitat — the glasswort. It has found its place in the sun where other plant species could not take hold, because of the high concentration of salt. It grows on salt marshes and sea shores, where the layer of humus is entirely absent.

 

The Avdiivka-Chaplyne Suburban Train

The suburban train is not a luxury but a means of transport. The electric train does not always keep to the schedule; one has to wait for it. Sometimes the train is uncomfortable, cold, or crowded, but for many of us the suburban train is vitally necessary, and there is no doing without it.