Zhytomyr, sightseeing: museums, temples, monuments

One of the most ancient cities of Ukraine is Zhitomir. Its attractions deserve attention. Now we will introduce you to some of them.

Base

According to the legend, the city, or more precisely, the castle, was founded in the ninth century by the vigilant Zhitomir, who was in the service of the Kiev princes Dir and Askold. Unfortunately, the majestic structure located on the banks of the Kamenka River has not survived to our times. Now this place is called Castle Hill. From the former grandeur of the castle, which stood the siege of the Mongol-Tatars, there were only underground passages, the depth of which is from five to eight meters. Now the city park is located on the site of the fortress. In the center of it there is an impressive stone boulder with an inscription telling that it was here in 884 the city of Zhitomir was founded.

The Holy Cross Church and other cathedrals

The city is famous for its ancient temples. One of them is the Holy Cross Exaltation Cathedral. This is a beautifully preserved monument of architecture of the seventeenth century. Near it in the late nineteenth century the Cross Exaltation Church was built, which is a model of the Byzantine style in architecture. In Soviet times, the museum housed a natural history museum with a huge exposition, which contained interesting geological finds and was dedicated to the nature of the region. In addition to Orthodox churches, in Zhytomyr it will be interesting to visit the religious buildings of other faiths. For example, the Lutheran church, built in the late nineteenth century, and the Catholic Seminary Church of St. John of Dukla.

And also see the Catholic Cathedral of St. Sophia, which was built in the eighteenth century and combines two architectural styles - Baroque and late Renaissance. The walls of the temple are about two meters thick. Over a hundred years ago the cathedral was reconstructed. This affected the architecture of the building, which acquired classic features. However, the interior has remained the same.

Monastery

The most unique monument of antiquity is the monastery of the Barefoot Carmelites located in the Zhytomyr region, namely in Berdychiv. A well-fortified structure resembles a fortress in appearance.

The monastery was built in 1642 by the Polish magnate Tyszkiewicz in gratitude to the Lord for saving from the Tatar captivity. Over the centuries, he moved from one owner to another. A beautiful Baroque building consists of an active temple and two bell towers.

The walls of the church are decorated with many frescos of the finest work. Now the monastery has facilities for music and art schools.

The building of the former Magistrate and the Museum of Cosmonautics (Zhitomir)

Holy monasteries are not the only architectural masterpieces of the city. In the area of the Castle Hill is the building of the former Magistrate. This is an amazingly beautiful two-story building with nine oblong windows of the facade on the second floor and eight on the first floor. Walls of corporal color, surprisingly decorated around the windows, which corresponds to the style of neo-Renaissance, was badly damaged during the Second World War. But, fortunately, it was completely restored.

Zhytomyr, whose sights we are considering, is the birthplace of the brilliant scientist, the creator of the first Soviet space rockets Sergei Korolev. In the house where his family lived at the beginning of the 20th century, the memorial part of the Cosmonautics Museum was located. In another specially constructed building, a part of the exposition is presented, telling about the history of the formation of Soviet cosmonautics. Here are the models of spacecraft, a capsule with the soil of the Moon, transferred to the museum by American astronauts. The room inside has a unique musical lighting.

The Bishop's House and the Museum of Fire Protection

Zhytomyr Museum of Local History is located in a building built in the nineteenth century and called the Episcopal House. In memory of the fact that earlier it was the home of the head of the Catholic Diocese. The museum is famous for its collection of paintings by Italian, Polish, Dutch, Russian and French artists.

Arriving in Zhitomir, you should definitely see the sights. Tourists certainly should visit the Fire Protection Museum, equipped in a fire tower, built in the distant 1894.

"Chimera House"

In the city there is an unusual building. It is called "House-chimera" or "House in the form of the heart." The building is constructed so unusual that if you look at it from a certain angle, you can see only an object consisting of one facade. Therefore, it is also called Flat House.

Another building, worthy of attention in terms of architecture, is the so-called Postal Station. Built in the middle of the nineteenth century, it consists of a main building, an outbuilding and a stables. It should be noted that at one time the great Ukrainian poet TG Shevchenko stayed here.

sights

Also interesting architectural structures of the city are:

• Filippov's mansion, built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the Baroque style;
• The building of the Agroecological University, in which, initially, more than a hundred years ago, there was a district court;
• The building in which the Zhytomyr State University named after Frank is now located, and from 1833 until the twenties of the 20th century the Men's Gymnasium was located.

Not far from Zhytomyr, on the banks of the Teterev River, there is a unique natural object. It is the rock "The Head of Chatsky". But to the famous comedy "Woe from Wit" the object has nothing to do. The rock that stands above the river has the shape of a man's head. According to one legend, this is the head of the Polish nobleman Chatsky, who rushed to the river, escaping from the Cossacks. According to another version, this is the head of the founder of the Kremenets Lyceum T. Chatsky.

Zhytomyr region gave the world many talented people. One of them is the great Russian writer VG Korolenko. The museum, which tells about the children's and youth's literary years, is located on one of the streets of the city, in a house that was once the estate of his family.

Interesting sculpture

In the park that is in the center of Zhytomyr, in 2012 they opened a beautiful bronze sculpture called "Spring Girl". She is a young girl with a wreath in her hands in a fancy dress fluttering in the wind. Nearby there is an original bench with an intricate forged back. The statue of "Girl Spring" and the bench became the favorite exhibits for the photoshoot of the newlyweds.

Park Yuri Gagarin and Castle Hill

Nature lovers should definitely visit the Gagarin Culture and Recreation Park. In addition to the unparalleled landscapes that open onto the banks of the Teterev River, hundreds of the most exotic plants can be seen here. And make an unforgettable hike along the suspension bridge over the river.

One of the best restaurants in the city is considered to be the Castle Hill. The institution is located in the old part of the city, near the Hagia Sophia. To surprise visitors, the restaurant can not only dishes of Ukrainian and European cuisine, but also the design of the room, as well as live music.

Conclusion

Now you know what the Ukrainian city of Zhitomir can bring to the guests. Its sights, perhaps, are not so unique, but very interesting, not only in appearance, but also in history.