During the five-hour New Year’s marathon the main square of Kiev (Maidan Nezalezhnosty) was attended by about 200,000 people.

The following photos were taken in the last minutes before the New Year as you might guess looking at empty streets of Ukrainian capital. Photos by Oleg Stelmakh.

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Tags: Kiev city · New Year

Ukrainian Carpathians Mountains are the part of Carpathian mountain range, located mainly in western Ukraine on the territory of Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia and Chernovtsy oblasts.

The length of Ukrainian Carpathians from San River to the sources of Suchava River is 280 km, width – 100 km. The total area is more than 24 thousand square km. The absolute height of the mountain range varies from 120-400 m in the foothills up to 1500-2000 m along the main ridge.

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Tags: Chernovtsy oblast · Ivano-Frankivsk oblast · Lviv oblast · Zakarpattia oblast

At the end of 1950 according to a special decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR it was decided to create special bases to store nuclear weapons. The main objectives were to assemble and store nuclear devices, replace the weapons with expiring warranty period, test electronic and mechanical components, and give nuclear weapons to the army for combat use.

One of such bases called Feodosia-13 was built in Kiziltashskaya Valley (near Sudak and Feodosia cities in the Crimea).

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Tags: abandoned · Crimea Republic · Feodosia city

Akkerman fortress located in Belgorod-Dnestrovskiy city (Odessa oblast) is a historic and architectural monument of the 13th-15th centuries. It is one of the most preserved fortresses on the territory of Ukraine. Also Akkerman fortress is the largest fortification in the country.

All the buildings of the fortress are surrounded by fortress walls, the length of which reaches 2.5 km. The initial number of towers was 34, 12 of which were hollow, battle towers. The rest towers were bastions and half bastions. They were later turned into artillery platforms. Photos by Alexander Lipilin.

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Tags: Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi city · fortress · Odessa oblast

National sports complex “Olimpiyskiy” (“Olympic”) is a multipurpose sports facility in Kiev, Ukraine. The stadium is the main sports arena in Ukraine and one of the largest stadiums in Europe.

The stadium is located in the center of the city, on the slopes of Cherepanovaya Mount. Address: Kiev, Krasnoarmeyskaya Str., 55 (Pechersky District). The nearest subway stations are “Olympic” and “Palace of Sports”.

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Tags: Euro 2012 · Kiev city

The house #17/2 located on Shelkovichnaya Street in Kiev is a former mansion of a famous merchant and philanthropist Semen Semenovich Mogilevtsev built in 1901 by the talented architect Vladimir Nikolaevich Nikolaev. Kievites named it “The Chocolate House” for the characteristic color and rich decoration of the facades.

The mansion is a two-storey building with a large basement and an attic over an extension. The plan of the house is typical for rich mansions of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. The main facade, facing Shelkovichnaya and Pilip Orlik streets, is decorated in the style of the Italian Renaissance. The appearance of the building is preserved almost in its original form. Photos by macwrangler.

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Tags: Kiev city

Not far from the Ukrainian regional center Rivne there is a town known as Klevan. The main attraction of it is one of the most romantic places in the world called “The Tunnel of Love”. During the warm months of the year the trees planted next to each other form a fairy green tunnel along one kilometer long section of the railway.

The tunnel is very popular among lovers who like to make a wish and kiss there. If the love is sincere, then the wish will come true. Stunningly beautiful place! Photos by Oleg Gordienko.

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Tags: Rivne city · Rivne oblast

Neo-gothic style Roman Catholic Church of Exaltation of the Holy Cross was built in Fastiv in 1903-1911. Today, this architectural monument of national importance is the main sight of the city. The church was constructed at the expense of representatives of the Polish gentry.

The author of the design was architect W. Dombrowski. Main feature of the church is the asymmetry of its western facade. The asymmetric structure of the facade of the building is explained by the influence of art nouveau style.

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Tags: church · Fastiv city

Yeni-Kale is an ancient fortress located in the Crimea on the shore of the Kerch Strait. The fortress was built by the Ottomans in 1699-1706. The name is translated from Turkish meaning “new castle” (yeni – new, kale – fortress). Currently Yeni Kale is on the territory of Kerch city.

Yeni Kale was of great strategic importance. Located at the narrowest part of the strait the fortress, armed with powerful guns, controlled the passage of ships between the Azov and Black Seas. The construction was led by Goloppo – an Italian who had converted to Islam. Also several French engineers took part in the construction. Photos by Alexander Lipilin.

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Tags: Crimea Republic · fortress · Kerch city

The Valley of Ghosts is a numerous collection of stone sculptures on the slopes of the Southern Demerdzhi Mountain located near Alushta city.

The shapes of stone figures resemble human figures, animals, mysterious creatures, objects, and, depending on time of day and lighting, their images are changing. In addition thick fog is common there.

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Tags: Alushta city · Crimea Republic