Park life

The legends of Sofiya. The first park, Sofiyivskiy, is a several-hour ride from Kyiv by car, in the town of Uman. There are a number of legends connected with the creation of the park. One of them is the story about a beautiful and frail woman, Sofiya, who asked her lover to build this park and which was thus named after her. The park was created in the 17th century in accordance with French and English styles, which were very popular in those times. The park was designed using a strict geometric framework, while at the same time uses the already existing natural landscape to create a harmonious, interesting place, with many distinct features to explore.
Walking around the park, I came across marble statues, which I later found out were all ordered from France and Italy by Stanislav Pototskiy, the owner of the manor and the future husband of Sofiya. All of the statues refer to episodes in Greek and Roman mythology, which isn’t surprising, since Sofiya herself was of Greek origin.

For me, exploring the park was like putting together the pieces of a puzzle, scattered across its grounds. In one corner of the park I walked around the Valley of Giants, the huge heaps of stones, put one on top of another, illustrating the ancient legend of the Cyclops (the one-eyed giants that lived on one of the Greek islands). In another corner I saw a marble pavilion with columns, dedicated to Flora (the Roman goddess of spring and flowers). I was greeted with small surprises at every step.

The park also has an interesting attraction based on traditional 17th century entertainment. Visitors get into a small boat, which is rowed by Charon (the ferryman in Greek mythology who took souls of the dead to the underworld), who leads the boat into a dark, tunneled canal lined with interesting images, which symbolizes the river Acheron (a mythological river that was crossed by the souls with the help of Charon). At the end, the audience is taken to a large basin surrounded by trees and shrubs. The trip was meant to be frightening and fun back in the 17th century, although nowadays it doesn’t seem very scary.

The park has a great variety of interesting plants and is considered to be one of the most beautiful and richest parks in Europe.

In the heart of Khortytsya

One more place I would advise you to visit is the island of Khortytsya, which is situated in eastern Ukraine, in the very center of Zaporizhzhya, one of Ukraine’s biggest industrial cities. The island itself is the largest in Europe, and despite the fact that it is surrounded with smoking factory chimneys, it is a well-known forest reserve and historical place. Khortytsya was the location of the famous Cossack settlement, Zaporizka Sich. Presently, there is an authentic reconstruction of the colony, built of wood, reed, and straw there. Other reminders of the historical value of the place are the historical museum and the horse theater, in which the horsemen are all clad and armored as Cossacks. The island is also studded with remnants of other old cultures, including various stone images of women (known as “stone babas”) and ruined pagan temples and mounds.

Walking in the park, I’m always surprised by the number and variety of people that visit Khortytsya. Unlike Uman, it’s restricted from large public gatherings and so is a calm place. You come across very different types of people, like archeologists and others interested in the pagan culture and religion, rock climbers and tourists that hike the islands rocky hills, hippies, who meditate on the glades or sing songs to a guitar, horseback riders, herbalists, entomologists, fishermen, and others who simply want to relax in nature. Another plus of the island is that it is situated a maximum of 25-20 minutes from the city center and can be reached by practically any means of transportation.

The true South park

Continuing the list of notable parks, I simply can’t overlook Nikitskiy Botanical Gardens, situated in the Crimea, near Yalta. The gardens are a true paradise for lovers of flowers, since from the 19th century it has gathered various species of plants coming from Asia, the Mediterranean, Africa, and South America. You can even buy some of them at a flower shop located on the garden’s grounds. At the gardens’ entrance you will be greeted by a remnant of Soviet realism – a huge bust of Lenin surrounded by a rainbow of colorful flowers.

In addition to the flaura and fauna, located in different parts of the gardens under poetic names like Palm Alley, Bamboo Grove, and Cactus Garden, there are other kinds of entertainment. The gardens have a lot of decorative basins and pools with lilies pads and fish. You can even feed the fish. Among the fountains there is the “Fountain of Tears,” which is an exact replica of the famous fountain ordered by a Crimean khan (an equivalent of a king or prince) in Bakhchisaray (a small town which used to be the historical residency of Crimea’s khans – part of the history of the Crimean Tatar population). The fountain is known as the embodiment of love of the old khan for his young wife, and his grief after her early death.

You should keep in mind that the gardens can get really stuffy in the summer, but to combat that there are numerous shops selling cool water and ice cream. There is also a wine tasting shop, where you can taste Crimean wine combined with berries, fruit and nuts gathered in the Nikitskiy garden. In addition to wine, you can also try herbal mixtures that are supposed to help improve your immune system and can be used for healing. All the herbs are grown there and are also sold as aromatic oils, balms, essences, perfumes, and aroma candles.

Hutsul nature

In western Ukraine, nature is more abundant than in the east or south, and, moreover, has an unusual flavor. Also known as Hutsulshchyna, this part of the country took some of its traditions from Poland, Hungary, and Moldova, and created something new and exotic to Ukrainian culture. The small town called Kosiv in the Ivano-Frankivsk region is considered to be one of the most picturesque places in Hutsulshchyna. The town is situated amidst mountains, small Carpathian rivers and forests. While exploring Kosiv, you can do it on foot or hire a horse for a ride. There are also activities for adventurers, like bicycle and rafting trips. The Kosiv park, unlike Nikitskiy and Sofiyivskiy, doesn’t have any specially grown flowers or exotic plants – it’s a forest reserve where you may even catch a glimpse of wild bears or hogs. If you are interested in handmade crafts and souvenirs, traditional embroidered, ceramics, carved and woven goods, are all sold in Kosiv. Since the town is a small one, it is best to plan a trip that includes stops at other western Ukrainian towns, and traveling by car would be best.