Vasylivka. Rescuing the Ruined: Houses, School and Club

The Ukrainian hata is a sacred treasure of our people and a symbol of Ukraine. Artists and poets have dedicated their works to this unique village dwelling. The image of a little whitewashed cottage surrounded by apple and cherry trees, blooming mallows and marigolds, is inseparably linked with the roots of the Ukrainian people. Examples of folk architecture are gathered in open-air museums inPyrohiv, Lviv, Uzhhorod, Prelesne, but even now one can see genuine examples of cultural heritage in our villages. In the village of Vasylivka, Mezhova district, Dnipropetrovsk region, a house from 1888 has preserved its architectural features and the richness of folk traditions.

 

Vasylivka, Mezhova district, Dnipropetrovsk region.

Travel Routes. 10 Small Towns of Ukraine

There are many amazing small towns in Ukraine worth seeing. When planning a one-day trip, a few hours are enough for inquisitive travellers to get acquainted with the notable landmarks and traditions of these wonderful places, which are increasingly included in popular tourist routes.

Zhovkva. Lviv region. Viche Square. A view from the clock tower of the Town Hall

Zaporizke, Slavne, Ukrainka. A Photo-Journey in Mezhova

I shall begin my journey through the villages of Mezhova district from a road sign on the boundary of the district centre of Dnipropetrovsk region.

 

A road sign on the T-04-28 road in Mezhova district

Zhelanna Station. A Tour for Railway Workers' Day

A station that goes by the name Zhelannaya

The steppe, the heat, and dust above your head

And that is all the lyrical data

Of a certain Donetsk station.

The railway stations on the Avdiivka-Chaplyne route have names that are alluring to a traveller — Mezhova, Udachna, Zhelanna. Zhelanna station is located in the settlement of Zhelanne in the Yasynuvata district of the Donetsk region, between the stations of Hrodivka and Ocheretyne.

 

Zhelanna railway station. The settlement of Zhelanne, Donetsk region

The Model Shelterbelt. A Green Wall in the Steppe

Among the protective forest plantings in the Ukrainian steppe there is also a model shelterbelt, which holds the status of a botanical natural monument of local significance.

 

The Wooden Churches of Zakarpattia

Zakarpattia is called the land of wooden churches. In atheist times they were closed and fell into decline. Then they were ruthlessly used as warehouses and outbuildings. Many burned down. Some were attacked by seekers of treasure and valuables. In the Svaliava, Mukachevo, Vynohradiv, Tiachiv, Perechyn, Khust, Rakhiv, Velykyi Bereznyi, and Mizhhiria districts, unique examples of wooden folk architecture have survived. To acquaint people with the spiritual heritage of the Zakarpattia region, tourist routes have been drawn up with visits to the monuments of wooden sacral architecture.

Uzhhorod. The Museum of Folk Architecture and Life. The Church of the Holy Archangel Michael

Prosiana. The Kaolin Quarry 2020 and Other Sights

The rapid development of the mining industry brought with it the working of quarries, which after exploitation now stand abandoned, harming the surrounding environment, polluting water and air, and destroying the soil-and-vegetation layer.

Antonivske, Vesele, Bohdanivka. Along Village Roads

Farm labour and rural idyll do not appeal to every Ukrainian. To the rural backwoods a city dweller comes to the dacha or for fishing with barbecues. There are no supermarkets, no entertainment, a limited circle of communication. Today I shall see how the Ukrainian villages live in Mezhova district of Dnipropetrovsk region, having ridden the electric train for 2 halt points and walked about 14 kilometres on foot.

Antonivske. Halt point No. 18. The Avdiivka-Chaplyne suburban train

Pokrovsk. The Yuvileinyi Park and Its Metamorphoses

The Yuvileinyi Park in Pokrovsk is one of the largest parks in Donetsk region. Its territory covers 26.8 hectares.

 

Pokrovsk. The Yuvileinyi Park

The Vasiukova Mohyla. Dnipropetrovshchyna's High Point

Do you think the highest point of Dnipropetrovsk region is somewhere on the Dnipro cliffs? No, you guessed wrong. The location of the highest point of the Dnipropetrovshchyna has been determined in the steppe zone, to the southeast of the regional centre. It is separated from the Dnipro by 100 kilometres, and from the village of Prosiana in Pokrovsk district — by 2 kilometres.