Uman. National Park Sofiyivka.

Have you been to Ukraine, in the city of Uman, Cherkasy region?

There are many interesting places in Ukraine, there is something to see and where to visit. In Uman there is a beautiful man-made garden, an outstanding monument of landscape gardening art - the National Dendrological Park "Sofiyivka". It is a pity that now the pandemic and entry into the country is closed. From April 2 to May 11, 2020 park "Sofievka" is quarantined.

I suggest you take a virtual walk. It is safe. I will tell you about my last trip to the Cherkasy region, to the city of Uman. Uman is a small but quite famous town. It is especially crowded here in the fall, when pilgrims from Israel come. But my friends and I visited Uman in the spring. This is the time when magnolia blossoms.

City `s history:

On the territory of the city and its outskirts, archaeologists discovered the remains of the Late Paleolithic settlements, Tripoli culture, the Late Bronze Age, Chernyakhov culture. Three thousand years ago, tribes of the Belogrudov archaeological culture lived here. Near Uman, archaeologists discovered mounds of Scythian times.

Sources indicate that over 50 different archaeological sites have been investigated here. People have long lived here. The main type of their activity was agriculture, cattle breeding and hunting. The territory of modern Uman region was inhabited by different tribes.

The dates of the foundation of the city of Uman are not exactly known. Until the beginning of the XVII century. the city did not exist. However, Uman is mentioned in a court document of 1616.

So, we arrived in the city in the morning. And they intended to spend the whole day in the park.

• The park is open to visitors throughout the year. The season of excursions lasts from April 10 to November 15. Daily from 9 to 19 hours.

My friends and I decided to just walk around the park and enjoy nature and socializing. Spring park awakening.

Sofiyivka Park was built by order of tycoon Stanislav Schensny Pototsky, a Belgian engineer. L. Metzel and gardeners-decorators Zaremba and Ferret.

• The park spreads over an area of ​​about 150 hectares in the northern part of Uman. It was created in thalweg on the picturesque slopes of the river Kamenka. In May 1800, the grand opening of the park was held, which was named "Sofiyivka" in honor of Pototsky's wife Sofia. The long-awaited event was a gift to the beautiful wife of Sofia.

Today, the total area of ​​Sofievsky Park in Uman is 179.2 hectares.

The park amazingly combines legends, tales and reality, as well as something inexplicable that will exist forever 

Sofiyivka Park is called a poem of stone, water, plants, architectural structures and sculptural sculptures. It is decorated with statues of Apollo, Cupid, bathing Venus, heroes of Paris, Orpheus and philosophers of Socrates, Homer, Euripides, Aristotle, picturesque bridges, arbors, ponds.

Central part of the park: you will see plots from the mythology of ancient Greece and Rome.

This fountain "Snake" is original and beautiful. It is located in the middle of the Lower Lake. A column of water up to 20 meters high seems to break out from the wide open mouth of a giant snake. An impressive sight!

Natural stone is widely used in the architecture of the park. From huge granite blocks weighing up to 50-60 tons, unique decorative compositions are composed. A local stone at the mouth of the Kamenka River, this formed a unique landscape.

Fancy piles of giant boulders. Naturally, at first glance, this turned out to be part of a sound landscape design plan.

Grotto of "Fear and Doubt" (former name - the grotto of "Tantalus")

Venetian bridge

In the central part of the park is located a large waterfall. Water breaks down from a height of about 15 meters. At the foot of the waterfall there is a lake on which swans live.

Love Island (Anti-Circe Island) is a romantic corner in the Sofiyivka park located on the Upper Lake.

Previously, you could get here only by boat on the lake. Today everything is much simpler - the island communicates with the coast via a wooden bridge.

The Pink Pavilion was built in 1850 in the Renaissance style.

Wooden bridge for pedestrians was built in 1853.

The island is a good place for reflection and relaxation.

Grotto of Venus

The grotto fits perfectly into the surrounding landscape.

In the grotto you can go through the dark corridor in the dam. The grotto of Venus is created in the form of an ancient temple.

Along the alley to the Amsterdam gate.

Grotto Calypso

The grotto carved in a natural rock. This is the grotto of Calypso (another name is Lion or Thunder)

Tarpean rock.

A wooden gazebo on a rock, located to the right along the Main Alley.

The largest number of exotic trees and shrubs that are of high value and arouse interest among lovers of decorative cultures grows in the park.

On the slope of the Lower Lake, there is a natural oak tree.

At this place there was once an oak forest, but only one old oak tree was preserved from it.

English park, Parterre amphitheater and greenhouse.

The decorative look of the park is unique. Here, the features of the relief with the exit of granites and the construction of artificial ponds, waterfalls, canals are skillfully used.

Specialists distinguish five architectural and planning zones in the park. I showed you some of them on the virtual tour.

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• Entrance ticket : UAH

        for adults 70.00 UAH -  ($ 2.62)

        for schoolchildren 40.00 UAH - ($ 1.50)

• Excursion: for adults 50.00 UAH

                   for children 30.00 UAH

•   Tour in a foreign language

                             for adults 75.00 UAH - ($ 2.80)

                             for children 50.00 UAH ($ 1.87)

Address: Kievskaya street, 12a, Uman, Cherkasy region

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