CENTRAL UKRAINE

99 shtetl Uman Zhytomyr Berdychiv Vinnytsya Bratslav Podilsky Medzhybizh Kamyanets- HIGHEST POINT : 370M 370M : HIGHEST POINT „ and and ( p102 ) Korolyov Korolyov ( p106 ) Bratslav , ( p104 ) ( p104 ) Uman ( p101 ) when you’re in , Sofiyivka Park Sofiyivka Park Vinnytsya ( p103 ) Berdychiv Kamyanets-Podilsky (black earth) in this region where Cossacks once roamed. Unbeknownst to many, where (black earth) in this region Medzhybizh castle of grounds of Uman’s in masters Nuclear Missile Museum in Dr Pirogov Cosmonaut Museum Zhytomyr Bridge to the stunning the Turkish Walk over Stroll through the phenomenally landscaped deceased Hasidic Watch devout Jews revere track at the Head way off the beaten or visit the famous Rock-climb Get up close and personal with embalmed POPULATION: 5.5 MILLION 5.5 MILLION POPULATION:

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS „ „ „ „ „ „

South of Kyiv the forests of Polissya yield to the vast flatlands of Podillya. Before WWII Before of Polissya yield to the vast flatlands Podillya. South of Kyiv the forests jewel of central Ukraine lies at the southern border Podillya: Kamyanets-Podilsky,The a „ Central Central Ukraine is known as the home of Ukraine’s famed black loam, rich soil that puts region This than just But you’ll find more of Europe’. on the table in Ukraine – ‘breadbasket bread chornozem between Kyiv and the Belarusian border to the land known as Polissya, which lies largely pick outdoorsy types ample chance to scale cliffs, giving the north, is naturally forested, One can many rivers. of the region’s berries, swing birches or sashay in the flowing waters here. poets being equally content imagine of Settlement, birthplace lay at the heart of the Jewish of the Jewish Pale this region north (demarcation line), which stretched established the Pale the Great (village). Catherine Jews from Russia and 18th century to remove to Lithuania and west into Poland, in the late Hasidism was founded in Podillya the allowed to live. in which they were mark the area that draw scores with tombs of Hasidic masters is peppered 17th century, and the region trace of central Ukraine’s Jewish practically every Nazis obliterated The of Jewish pilgrims. Jewish cemetery, in the form of a decrepit remains but the odd poignant reminder culture, eyewitness to the Nazi horror. of an aging or the testimony mass burial site a forgotten Watched over ‘island’ in the sky surrounded by natural moat of Smotrych River. granite by its famous fortress, Kamyanets-Podilsky sight that, remarkably, continues to is an incredible It’s hard to see this situation continuing for much longer, though. tourists. few see relatively www.lonelyplanet.com

© Lonely Planet Publications 98 CENTRAL UKRAINE ries, you might enjoy taking inZhytomyr’s enjoy taking ries, youmight hunter. Ifyoudon’tfitoneof catego- those mushroom pickers, andtheodd canoeists ally campers, bikers, mountain rock-climbers, whodomakeUkraine. Those ithere are usu- ofheavy touristtraffic southernandwestern noneof the andsees tending intoBelarus, The bulkof theregion liesnorthof Kyiv,ex- of Kyivinalldirections isknownasPolissya. The woodsy,river-sliced region radiatingout 100 Mecca. Onsummery weekends, bungee jump- zhytomyr something of an adventure-sports the city’sleafysouthern edge,through making why.TheTeterivsee River slice cutsadeep stop raving about theplaceand it’s easyto tioned inthiscity 100kmwestof Kyiv can’t US Peace Corps volunteers who endupsta- % ZHYTOMYR Around Kyiv ( section p95 ). eastern portionof Polissya iscovered inthe bothwestofhistory of Kyiv. Berdychiv, The easy-going charm orexploringtherich Jewish POLISSYA

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inside. more Slightly worthwhile is the musty archaeological and cultural exhibits its attractive baroqueexterior than forthe Mon &Sat) (maydan Zamkovy 1;admission2uah; of baroque churches. The for loversand lavish interior, isa must-see (1748), withits distinctive peach exterior bul Kafedralna. Towering maydan Soborny, alongtree-lined (west of) easily identifiable byitsgiant Soborny, isashort walkwestof here andis less squares. Thecity’smainsquare, maydan one of Zhytomyr’scount- from maydanRad, pedestrian isalong A goodplacetotake Zhytomyr’spulse Sights &Activities cover the main sights. to issufficient types. Ahalf-day sedentary there’smuseum nottoomuch todivert more outsideofsaid, Zhytomyr’sfamousspace bikingandhiking. That rain formountain huge forest justacrossitprovides quality ter- bridge, whilea ers theBerdychivsky flyoff r b

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unrenovated r$26,renovated s/d$40/70; are where inEnglish.Thehouse Korolyov was to Zhytomyr. Some of placards themuseum’s space nutit’sprobably notworthaspecialtrip and quite welldone,butunlessyou’re atrue actual Soyuzrocket. ismodern Themuseum satellites, lunarrocksandan cluding several trappings of theSoviet spaceprogram,in- walk aroundadarkroompacked withvarious music playsandfake stars glimmerasyou the formerSoviet space-aged Union.Suitably Sergey Korolyov, iswellknownthroughout claimed Soviet rocket andlocalhero engineer Tue-Sun, closedlastThuofthemonth) 5;admission7uah; vul Dmytrivska topography. forested dioramas thataccurately portrayPolissya’s enous foxes, elk,wolfandwildcatslurkingin Here specimensof you’ll findstuffed indig- Tue-Sat) Museum Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels fast (16.50uah) andexcellent Georgian cuisine 8am to11pm), witha large, break- fillingset for itsGeorgian restaurant, Pirosmani (open on maydan Soborny.The hotel isalsoknown nies have viewsoverlooking statue the Lenin somebalco- looking forsome USSR nostalgia, The doublesare actuallysuites and,forthose vated rooms here are well worth theupgrade. much better value. renovated roomsattheUkrainaHotel are something alittlemore upscale,theclassier of theirtime. ifyou’re However, lookingfor style showerheadswere clearlywayahead love andthewaterfall- thehalf-bathtubs, Soviet-style butfunctionalandclean.We unrefurbished roomshere are agreat deal– Zhytomyr Hotel Sleeping &Eating Zhytomyr. of ofroutes Denyshi, upthecliffs 10kmwest toits bul Stary southern terminus. bridge over thegorge. Toreach theparkfollow Berdychivsky accessible viathepedestrianised views of theriver gorge and theforest beyond, upgreat in thesummermonths andserves of thecentre, directly acrossthestreet from the museum. dedicated tohislife,born, nowamuseum is s/d $30/50,renovated $36/60; The Rock climbers rave aboutthebolted Flanking theTeteriv River about 1.5kmsouth Ukraina Hotel Ukraina Hotel , housed inaformer Orthodox, housed church.

Korolyov Cosmonaut Museum CosmonautMuseum Korolyov (bul Kafedralna 14; admission 2uah, 14;admission2uah, (bul Kafedralna Gagarin Park Gagarin ( % ( % 472 999; vul Kyivska 3;unrenovated 472 999;vulKyivska 228 693;maydanPeremohy; p h is ahive of activity ) Thestylish reno- 10am-1pm &2-5.30pm , namedafter ac- POLISSYA ••Berdychiv h ( % p 10am-5pm 372 653; ) The eerie, overgrowneerie, Yitzhak’sLevi mausoleum isinBerdychiv’s JEWISH CEMETERY Sights resource forinformationon the city. town’s remarkable Jewish cemetery. Yitzhak (1740–1810)whoisburiedinthe for followers of revered Hasidic master Levi the cityremains pilgrimage animportant site hundred,munity numbers onlyseveral but Jewish daysBerdychiv’s com- outskirts. These and buryingtheminmassgraves onthetown’s just about oneof every thecity’s39,000Jews Jewish. TheNazistookcare of that,executing populationwasmore than80% Berdychiv’s Jewish culture. Attheturnof the19thcentury, intellectualimportant centre andhotbedof on thesouthernedge of Polissya wasoncean town guesstodaythatthissleepy You’d never % BERDYCHIV hours). (3¼ sporadic andtake more thantwiceaslong of Zhytomyr. TrainstoandfromKyivare depart frommaydanPeremohy inthecentre metro stop(see p93 arrive). These atand take a To make Zhytomyr adaytripfromKyiv, Getting There&Away bezplatno 3.50uah. TheauthenticUkrainianambienceis of costs beer up forlessthan20uah.Ahalf-litre bridge inGagarinPark, where youcaneasilyfill outdoor to forsake the restaurants andheadforthe a disco by evening. food isstrictlyEuro-Ukrainian.Itturnsinto This restaurant hasacowboythemebutthe accepted. cards (mains12uahto20uah).Creditpriced right eral decades, but it was the Nazis who sealed eral decades, butitwas theNazis whosealed The graves predate the Nazis byatleast sev- Hebrew inscriptions,lie flatontheground. Many tombstones, etched withbarely legible neglected almosttothe pointof disbelief. ously askew andvirtuallyhiddenby weeds, -odd boot-shaped tombstonesliehide- looked hasbeen after,itself several-hundred Kladovyshche; vulLenina) In thewarmermonths, yourbestbetis Kanyon The website www.berdichev.org isagood (8-)0414 /pop87,600 marshrutka shashlyk

(free). (bul Peremohy; mains 10-25uah; (bul Peremohy; mains10-25uah; БЕРДИЧІВ stands above stands thepedestrian fromtheZhytomyrska . Whilethemausoleum Jewish Cemetery Cemetery Jewish h 1pm-4am) (Evreysky 101

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