Odessa is a city on the northwestern coast of the Black Sea, the largest port in Ukraine, a major industrial, cultural, scientific, and resort center, the third most populous city in the country.

Odessa is presented mainly by architecture of the 19th-20th centuries. Let’s walk through the streets of the city and explore some of its numerous sights. Photos by Alexander Lipilin

The Opera and Ballet Theater

explore Odessa streets

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Chernivtsi is a city in southwestern Ukraine, 40 km north of the border with Romania, the administrative center of Chernivtsi region. The city is the historic center of Bukovina and, along with Lviv, is considered the cultural center of western Ukraine.

For centuries, Chernivtsi formed as a city with a unique multi-style architecture, rich cultural heritage and tolerant atmosphere. It is one of the few cities in Ukraine, which is rightly considered the jewel of architecture. Photos by Alexey Kulikov

Pedestrian street Kobylyanskaya in the center of the city

Let’s walk around Chernivtsi

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Odessa patios are mentioned in numerous songs, poems, anecdotes about the city and its life. This is a special page in local history, because these patios are the real origins of this city! Yes, don’t be surprised, the myth of Odessa began with Odessa patios philosophy.

These unique sometimes cozy, sometimes mystic places keep the most important secret of Odessa flavor. There are even special tours organized to visit Odessa patios. Let’s go through some of them. Photos by Denis Mukimov

Odessa patios tour

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Not so long ago, Lviv received a new attraction – a miniature park of castles and fortresses. In the park, you can find fortifications once located in the territory of the former Kievan Rus and Poland.

The architect of these unusual buildings is Lviv artist Igor Kachor. It is a kind of reconstruction in miniature (1:50 scale) of ancient castles, fortresses, and fortified churches which are either completely destroyed, in ruins, or need restoration. Photos by Andrew Zhdan

monumental medieval architecture

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Botanical garden in Krivoy Rog is a state research institution of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The total area of the garden is 52.4 hectares. The cost of the ticket is 6 Hryvnas (less than 1 USD).

The collection includes hundreds of various types of plants. Since 2004, the collection of trees and shrubs is recognized as national treasure of Ukraine.

beautiful diversity of fall colors

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Odessa is probably one of the most famous Ukrainian cities known also as the “Pearl of the South”. However, you are unlikely to have seen this Odessa before. Flying over the city, especially at a relatively low altitude, is prohibited.

It is clearly seen that the city is chaotically built up with skyscrapers – Soviet and modern. And on the coast, cottages and hotels are standing almost on the sand. Photos by Vitaliy Milevich

Holy Assumption Monastery

fly over Odessa

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Kharkiv metro is a system of underground lines in Kharkiv, the fourth largest metro in the former USSR states (after metro in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kiev), the second by the number of stations and the length of the lines in Ukraine.

Metro was opened August 23, 1975. The total length of the lines is 39.3 km. There are 29 stations on three lines.

walk through Kharkiv metro

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Kharkov is the largest city in the eastern part of Ukraine and the second most populous city in the country. In Soviet times, it was the largest center of tank-, tractor-, and turbine manufacturing and the third largest industrial, scientific, and transportation center after Moscow and Leningrad.

In 2012, Kharkov was one of the four cities of Ukraine that hosted the European Football Championship 2012. Let’s take a look at the city from not quite usual angle – from Kharkov rooftops. Photos by Richard Zorge

climb to the roofs of Kharkov

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Kerch is a city in the Crimea on the Kerch Peninsula, standing on the shores of the Kerch Strait. Kerch is one of the oldest cities in the world. Its territory is full of historical and architectural monuments belonging to different eras and cultures.

In the summer, due to its location on the shores of the Black Sea and the Azov Sea, Kerch attracts tourists from the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Take a tour of Kerch

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Bila Tserkva (“White Church”) is a city in Kiev region, founded in 1032, with a population of about 210 thousand people. The city is located south of Kiev at a distance of about 84 kilometers.

The city is a well-known Ukrainian climatic and spa resort. It is easy to get to Bila Tserkva, highway E95 passes close to the city. Also, there are numerous trains running from Kiev to Bila Tserkva. Photos by Roman Naumov

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