Kherson-city and nature in one.

Cherson is a city in southern Ukraine, located on the Dnieper River. Kherson is relatively young, having been founded only in 1778 by Gregory Potemkin, under the orders of Russian Empress Catherine II, who sought to fortify the southern border of the Empire. It was to serve as a fortress and shipbuilding center for the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Soon after the decision was made to build the city, a fortress, a shipyard and then a settlement were established.

Kherson is Ukraine's heat pole. In early March the daytime temperature is around 20 degrees. In summer, on the other hand, you have to set yourself up for more than 30-degree heat.

Not far from the city is Askania Nova, an experimental reserve created in 1883 by German settler Friedrich von Falz-Fein. Measuring 33,300 hectares, the site is unique not only for the acclimatization zoo with rare, extinct animal species and the dendrological garden it contains, but also for the fact that it is probably one of the last - if not the last - place in the world where you can see a real, unspoiled steppe. The beauty of the reserve has been recognized by UNESCO and included in the list of protected areas.

In addition to Askania Nova, there is another natural attraction in the vicinity of Kherson - the Aleshkov Sands, the area of the largest desert in Europe, called the Sahara of southern Ukraine. 46 thousand hectares of space is extremely impressive. Located only thirty kilometers from the capital of the Kherson region, this "attraction" was created relatively recently and even by accident, in the 19th century, when a flock of sheep belonging to Friedrich von Falz-Fein - the aforementioned creator of the Askania Nova reserve - completely devastated the grass while grazing, exposing the sand. According to other sources, the area was drained as a result of a change in the channel of the Dnieper River. The area is a semi-desert, whose sand heats up to 75 degrees in summer. There are sandstorms and frequent fires, which not infrequently uncover remnants of the training ground that existed there until 2004. So it is certainly a place worth seeing for its visual uniqueness, unparalleled in Europe.

Kherson's monuments and attractions are mixed with the industrial face of the city - factories and industrial plants. Until recently, a statue of Lenin greeted passersby from the city's main square. It was toppled in 2014 in the wake of the events on Euromaidan and in the southeastern part of the country. Aside from the monument, many sites from the Soviet era remain untouched by the hand of history.

One of the most popular sites in Kherson is its historic center, which has retained the typical appearance of a 19th century city.

The city's main thoroughfare is Ushakova Avenue, from which smaller streets diverge to the east and west. Walking along the avenue towards the port, it is worth turning left, where the remains of a fortress can be found in the city park. Part of it is a powder magazine now used as a restaurant. On the opposite side of the street is the arsenal with a monumental colonnade. This is one of the first buildings of the Kherson fortress.

The fortress at the mouth of the Dnieper River was established next to Alexander Shantz's earlier fortification. Parts of it that are still standing - the bastion, the arsenal building, two arched gates built back in the late 18th century. Ochakiv (western gate) and Moskva (northern gate) with their neighboring bastions - are definitely worth seeing. However, the most interesting preserved part of the fortress is the beautiful St. Catherine's Cathedral next to the arsenal. It was built in the 18th century in the style of early classicism with motifs of medieval Balkan architecture. There lies the body of the city's founder, Potemkin.

In Kherson, the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Sophia is worth a visit. It is the oldest surviving temple in the city. It was built by Greeks who settled in the city in the 18th century. Inside you can see preserved wall paintings, a beautiful carved iconostasis and wooden sculptures. The former synagogue building also testifies to the city's multiculturalism.

In addition to Lenin in the form of a now defunct monument, John Howard found his place in the urban space. He is an English prison reformer whose life falls during the construction of Kherson. After he was imprisoned in one of the French prisons, he began his struggle to improve the conditions of detention centers in France and Britain. In 1789, he arrived in Crimea, where he wanted to describe the poor conditions of Russian army hospitals. He did not complete his mission. He died in 1790 in Kherson. City authorities back in the time of Alexander I honored the Englishman with a monument, which is also an 11-meter sundial. Forbes magazine included it in the top five unusual street clocks of Ukraine.

The bus stop is located at the Bus Station, 1 Polkovnyka Kedrovskiy Street.

You are welcome to board the buses !

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