There is no denying that Ukraine has a number of amazing historical and cultural landmarks that visitors from around the world come to see. The country is in fact among the top 10 places in the world that have received the most number of tourists or visitors. And in July 2007, an online poll was conducted in the country to determine the top seven monuments and attraction sites in Ukraine. This was not just a mere popularity contest as the two-part survey was participated in by 77 thousand people and an Expert Council composed of cultural authorities, historians and representatives from the travel and tourism industry. The “Seven wonders of Ukraine” is not only a guide for tourists but also helps the Ukrainian government in preserving the country’s rich heritage.
1. The Fortress in Kamianets-Podilskyi Oblast
One of the oldest cities in the country, Kamianets-Podilskyi is located in southwestern Ukraine. The historical complex in the city stands as a witness to its military significance in numerous wars and conflicts. Walking through the quaint streets gives visitors a feel of its medieval spirit. Tourists will find a wealth of architectural landmarks in its numerous fortifications, the cathedral, the castle as well as Polish, Ruthenian and Armenian legacies which can be found in the markets.
2. Sofiyivsky Park
This world famous garden part receives a record of over 500,000 visitors a year. Founded in 1796 by the Polish Count Stanislaw Szczesny Potocki, the park is named after his wife Zofia Potocka. The Sofiyivsky Park is an arboretum located in Uman city near the Kamianka River. Aside from its impressive gardening design representing 17th to 18th century European landscape gardens, the park has over 2,000 types of local and exotic trees and brush. There are also waterfalls, fountains, ponds and a stone garden.
3. Saint Sophia Cathedral
Known in Ukraine as Sobor Sviatoyi Sofiyi, this amazing cathedral located in Kyiv was built in the 11th century and took almost two decades to complete. It represents the Baroque architectural style while the interiors are done in the Byzantine style. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as is now a museum showcasing the best of Ukraine’s Christian history.
4. Pechersk Lavra
The Cave Monasteries of Kyiv is another UNESCO World Heritage Site which features a number of impressive architectural monuments. It is located at the hills of the right bank of the Dnipro River and is one of the oldest and most important Orthodox Christian monastery in Ukraine as well as in Eastern Europe. Aside from the underground cave systems, fortification walls and the cathedrals, the most important attraction in the site is the Great Lavra Belltower which can be viewed across the Kyiv skyline.
5. Khortytsia National Reserve
Declared a State Historic and Cultural Reserve and the site of many important events in Ukraine, the large island is situated in the Dnipro River within the city limits of Zaporizhia. It has gained prominence throughout the history of Ukraine especially in relation to the Zaporozhian Cossacks who built military fortresses on the island. It has a unique geographical terrain consisting of steppes, oak groves, meadows, ravines and plavni. It also has a unique assemblage of flora and fauna. The island now has a museum called the Zaporizhian Cossack Museum which features artifacts from as far back as the Stone Age to the 20th century. As well, there is the Cossack horse show and amazing views of the horizon across the Dnipro River.
6. Khotyn Fortress
Another medieval military stronghold, the Khotyn Fortress is a crowd-drawer for the city of Khotyn in western Ukraine. It has been named as a National Ukrainian Architectural Preserve and has been used as a setting for a number of popular movies such as The Three Musketeers, The Arrows of Robin Hood, Taras Bulba, Black Arrow, and Old Fortress to name a few. Its beginnings can be dated back to the construction of the Khotyn Fort in the 10th century and has been extended through the centuries.
7. Chersonesos
An archaeological reserve in southwestern Crimea, the Chersonesos Taurica is a Greek colony/city founded about 2500 years ago by settles from Heraclea Pontica. The name means “peninsula” in Greek which refers to the site on which the colony was built. The amazing ruins which was first excavated by the Russian government in 1827 reflected the extent of architecture knowhow of the people during that era. The buildings have a mixture of influences of Greek, Roman and Byzantine cultures. There are tombstones, a hundred-meter long defense wall, a Roman amphitheatre and a Greek temple.
