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 Vinnytsa - Culture

Vinnitsa as a small settlement was founded on the picturesque banks of the Southern Bug river in 1363 by Lithuanian Prince Olgert.

But numerous archaeological excavations have proved that Slavic tribes lived in this area as far back as deep antiquity. The history of this land is closely connected with the names of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Ivan Bogun, Maxim Krivonos, Justim Karmalyuk and many other heroes of Ukrainian people.

Since the Middle Ages and XVII-XLX centuries we have had the pieces of a tall brick town wall, several churches and cathedrals, many private residences which are used for different purposes now.
If you are interested in history it would be useful to visit our museum of Local Lore which is situated in the center of Vinnitsa near the bridge across the Southern Bug. There are exhibitions devoted to various periods of the development of Vinnitsa : antique coins and vases and the cutlery of the Slavs to the modern examples of the production which Vinnitsa enterprises produce.

The citizens of Vinnitsa and our guests like to attend the estate-museum of famous doctor Pirogov (1810-1881), the founder of the battle-field surgery, scientist and  pedagogue.

He invented narcosis, gypseum cast and many other things. One of the main streets in our town, the Medical University and the region hospital are named after him. In Pirogov street you can see the monument to this outstanding doctor. The monument was unveiled in 1971 on the occasion of the centenary of the Red Cross Society in Russia. Every day many tourists from Ukrainian towns and villages and from abroad come to this estate- museum on excursions. They can look at the rooms where the professor wrote his scientific works, examined patients, rested, listened to music played by P. Tchaikovsky.

They will surely get much pleasure walking in the park that surrounds the house. Some old trees in the park were planted by Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov and members of his family. Not far from this place there is the church which the family attended and the burial vault where the balmed body of the scientist is kept.

Many our guests enjoy visiting the museum of the classic of Ukrainian literature Michailo Kotsubinskiy (1864-1913). The small white-washed house where he lived with his family is in the centre of Vinnitsa.
It was Kotsubinskiy who first thought about the creating of the public library in Vinnitsa. There is a monument to the writer near the house and the street where it stands is named after Kotsubinskiy.

There is one more place in our town which is known all over the world - The Hitler Headquarters. It is situated between Vinnitsa and the village of Strizhavka.

During the Great Patriotic War many soldiers and officers were captured and imprisoned in special camps. There were engineers, builders and good workers among them. They were picked out and taken to Vinnitsa to build a huge underground structure for Hitler and his staff. Many thousand people were shot after the headquarters was built. All the entrances were concreted, mined and hidden. At the end of the World War 2 this place was heavily bombarded but still nobody knows what is really inside.

Many talented people lived and visited our region. For example in the village of Tymanivka Tulchin region Suvorov regiments practiced their military art. The house where the general lived is still kept as a museum. You can see the uniform, weapon and ammunition of Russian army of that time.

Alexander Mozhaisky lived in the village of Voronovitsa, Vinnitsa region. He designed the first Russian aircraft and spent his own money for this invention. Now the village has the aviation museum in the house where the scientist lived

In Kukavka Mogiliv-Podilsky region you can attend the church. It was painted by young Vasiliy Tropinin, famous Russian artist whose canvases are on exhibit in the best art galleries of the world. Our museum of Local Lore also has the honour of showing some his paintings.

The town of Nemirov was the birth place of great Russian poet Nikolai Nekrasov. There is a monument to him there. The former palace of Princess Shcherbatova is the monument itself. It was visited by outstanding Ukrainian composer M.Lysenko, Ukrainian writer M.Vovchock, Russian composer P.Tchaikovsky and other well-known people. P.Tchaikovsky was an often guest in the estate of countess Fon Mekk.

Now Vinnitsa is one of the 25 regions of Ukraine. It is situated in the central part of Ukraine. Total area of Vinnitsa region is about 16 thousand sq. miles, the population of the city is about half a million people.

The main rivers are the Southern Bug and the Dnister. We also have nearly 50 small rivers and 2300 lakes. The natural resources are the following: the deposits of granite and lime stone, clay, sand and mineral spring water in several places. Our rivers and lakes are full of fish: carps, pikes, perches, catfishes.
There are insects: bees, butterflies, ladybirds, grasshoppers, different bags and gadflies. Forests and green meadows are stores of berries and mushrooms.

There one can meet such animals as field mice, hedgehogs, hares, wild goats, boars.

The climate of Vinnitsa region is moderately humid. The usual temperature in summer is +22 C, in winter - 6°C. The bathing season lasts from June to August and many citizens go picnicking during weekends. Sometimes you can come across a wolf or an elk.

The most frequent birds in our region are robins, sparrows, crooks, storks, starlings, magpies, blackbirds.

Oaks, birches, maples, pines, elms and asps are usual forest trees. In the streets and parks there are limes, poplars, ash-trees, snow-ball trees, lilac and jasmine. You can meet as many chestnut trees as in Kyiv.

As an administrative centre of Ukraine Vinnitsa is the seat of the local legislative, executive and judicial branches of the power in the region.

Naturally, Vinnitsa is the industrial, transport, agricultural, cultural, and educational centre of the region. The enterprises of Vinnitsa and such industrial centres as Kalynivka, Zhmerinka, Gaisin, Bershad can produce chemicals, motors and instruments, radio and TV lamps, building details, furniture, food products.

Vinnitsa is known as agricultural centre because of the fertile soil of the region, favourable for vegetables and fruit trees. The main crop is sugar beet. Sugar beet raising and sugar industry are widely spread.

Although Vinnitsa region has a great economical and agricultural potential, still most of the enterprises do not work and unemployment is constantly increasing.

The Agricultural Academy, the Technical University, the University of Trade and Economy and the Medical University train the specialists almost for every branch of economy.

Vinnitsa is the cultural centre not only for its historical places, museums and monuments but also because of two theatres, several dancing ensembles an choirs. The Drama Theatre named after he well-known Ukrainian actor Sadovsky is situated in the centre of Vinnitsa. Theatre visitors can enjoy dramas, comedies, musicals performed by the local actor company.

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