Travel ideas for Ukraine - unique sights, worth Guinness records

The Temple of Donators is one of the most important sights of the Crimea. It’s located in an incredibly beautiful place, in one of the caves of Eski-Kerman mountains. It’s incredibly difficult to find this amazing cave storing priceless religious artifacts. Travelers are advised to go sightseeing with an experienced guide, otherwise there would be a great risk of getting lost in the maze of insurmountable mountains and dense forests. Main features of the ancient cave temple are primeval murals; according to scientists, they were painted in the 12th century.
According to one version, the temple was founded by a wealthy ducal family, whose name remains unknown. Currently, there is the only pathway that originates in the valley and gradually rises to the entrance of the temple. Despite the fact that the shrine can be seen from afar, it’s not easy to find the path leading to it among the dense thickets of trees and a huge number of scarps. Beautiful frescoes and inaccessibility are not the only distinguishing features of the Temple of Donators. Since ancient times, locals believed in miraculous power of these places, which was confirmed by amazing stories of people who have visited the shrine. ... Complete sights collection

Mishor AI Petri certainly stands out among the most prominent attractions of Crimea; it was opened in 1988. It originates in the foothills of the picturesque village of Mishor and takes passengers to the top of Ai-Petri. The cable car is 2,980 meters long. The intermediate station is situated at an altitude of 391 meters, and the terminal station is found at an altitude of 1,153 meters.
Construction of the cable car began in 1967; the original project needed substantial amendments. The country through which Mishor Ai Petri passes is incredibly picturesque and complex at the same time; it was very difficult to organize a cableway along high cliffs. The cable car runs two cabins, each of which can accommodate 35 people.
It would take about 15 minutes to get from the bottom to the terminal station, during which passengers will have an opportunity to appreciate beauty of the surrounding landscapes in full. The top of Mount Ai Petri is equipped with magnificent viewing platforms. These amazing places are very popular among guests of the Crimea. Not everyone knows that Miskhor Ai Petri is mentioned in Guinness World Records. Span between its middle and upper station is the world's longest unsupported span, with a length of more than 2 kilometers. ... Complete sights collection

The Ukrainian city of Pripyat has always been associated with one of the most horrible disasters in the world over the past decade – an explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. That was the construction of the plant that marked the beginning of a new settlement. Pripyat was officially proclaimed a city in 1979 and had grown to a population of more than 47 000 people by the time it was evacuated, seven years later. On April 28, 1986, the very next day after the explosion the "City of Atomic Scientists" was almost empty.
The deserted city is located on the banks of the nearby Pripyat River. The city itself and the surrounding areas have been so badly contaminated by radiation fallout that they were declared a danger zone. The main threat to visitors is radioactive dust that has ingrained in the soil, trees and buildings.
Tourists are attracted to these places by a chance to explore the abandoned buildings. The citizens were leaving so quickly that many of them left a lot of things inside. Pripyat still maintains the status of the city, although no one lives there for a long time. Every year once residents of the city visit their abandoned piece of homeland to meet up with friends and like-minded people who have experienced that terrible tragedy. Traditionally meetings take place in early May. Just for a few days Pripyat comes alive, human voices and traffic sounds are heard through the city. ... Complete sights collection

Literally the most optimistic cave (Optymistytschna cave) in the world is located in Ternopol region, in Ukraine. It has the impressive size. The confused tunnels of the cave have the length of more than 230 km. The Optimistic Cave is the longest peak in the world. The complicated underground labyrinth was discovered in 1966. To date, more than 200 large expeditions have visited the cave.
One of the most striking discoveries of the scientists were the helictites - the unique calcite information. It was formerly thought that the Helictites can develop exclusively in the limestone caves. If the scientists will prove that the complex complex of the underground labyrinths is linked to the neighboring cave by the Optimistic Cave, it becomes one of the greatest speleological discoveries of recent years. In this case, the general length of the cave will be increased to 123 km.
For the convenience of the researchers, about 20 camps were equipped in the underground vaults. The largest and best equipped one is 'Oasis' camp, where about 50 people can recover. It must be mentioned that the Optimistic Cave is not only one of the largest, but also one of the safest caves in the world. The tourists and the participants of the spelaeological children's clubs visit them regularly. ... Complete sights collection

Nuclear disaster, which happened in 1986 on the Chernobyl plant, is considered one of the greatest ecological catastrophes in human history. Their consequences for the once flourishing industrial city became irreparable. Today Chernobyl is the empty ghost town, which is absolutely unsuitable for life. The huge emission of radioactive pollutants in the explosion became the largest in the whole history of atomic energy. Even today, it is very dangerous to visit the city, as the radiation level is still high.
According to official data, dozens of people have died from radiation. Thousands of people living in the field of damage suffered from oncological diseases. The terrible catastrophe had also added irreparable harm to the reproductive system of humans. The number of inborn pathologies among the children whose parents have experienced the disaster of the Chernobyl plant has increased a hundred times. There were many legends about the terrible mutants living in Chernobyl. Not all of these legends are a brain sprout.
Plant and animals, which can be seen in the city terrarium, look really terrible. Their appearance, to say the least, is unhealthy. There is a lot of effort to find the symmetrical leaf on one of the trees in Chernobyl. The news about the animals mutating in the city are kept secret. Some terrible shots can still be found in the net. One of the most dreadful and dangerous cities in the world attracts the researchers and the scientists, whose main subject is the mutating flora and fauna - the valuable material for the study. ... Complete sights collection

One of the most remarkable and romantic places on earth can be found in the Ukrainian city of Klevan. Its landmark is the Liebestunnel - the three-kilometer long railway track, on both sides of which the tall trees grow. Their crowns are linked together and form an incredibly beautiful corridor. For many years now, the romantic tunnel has attracted photographers from all over the world, as well as the newlyweds, who organize the original and very beautiful photoshootings.
The railway through the tunnel is in operation. Three times a day, the train goes here, which supplies the raw material to the nearby woodworking company. The dense green tunnel of the right arch form is a true botanical phenomenon. No one has ever laid hands on his education. The tunnel is beautiful in all seasons. In late spring and summer, it plays with all shades of green color, and in the autumn is red colored. The natural attraction can also be visited in winter when the tree vaults are covered with snow.
The couples who visit this romantic place have a good tradition. As a testament to fidelity and allegiance, they plant the flowers of the railway, which make the marvelous love tunnel even more romantic. The length of the tunnel is quite large. Some of the railroad tracks around which they have been formed have long since disappeared. These places are as found for walks. Here one can enjoy the beauty and the greatness of nature for hours. ... Complete sights collection

One of the most egregious cases of radiation detection occurred in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, which now is known throughout the world. The capsule with the radioactive element cesium-137 was detected within the wall of a residential building. The history of this case goes back to 70s of the last century, when an ampoule with cesium was lost during industrial activities in Karanskyi career. One of the large enterprises mined gravel and crushed stone in this quarry. The vial fell out of a measuring device during the planning stage.
An extraction of gravel had to be stopped immediately. The search for the ampoule lasted a week, but ended in failure. That days, the rubble from the quarry was used extensively for the construction of Olympic facilities in Moscow, as well as for building houses in the surrounding cities. Kramatorsk was among those cities too. In 1980, a building #7 on Gvardeytsiv Kantemirovtsiv Street was put into operation. The dimensions of the ampoule, which was lost in the 70's are only 8x4 mm; it emitted up to 200 roentgen per hour.
Already in 1980, the residence was fully settled. A year later, a 18-year-old girl, who lived in one of the apartments, suddenly died. In 1982, her 16-year-old brother died too, and then his mother followed them. Even after that, the flat with the radioactive ampoule in a wall didn’t attract much of a public attention, despite the fact that all the people died from leukemia. A new family moved into the apartment, and their boy died there too. His father managed to start a detailed investigation, during which the vial was found in the wall. For 9 years, while the ampoule was in the wall, 6 people died and another 17 tenants have been recognized as disabled in the radioactive flat. ... Complete sights collection

In the immediate vicinity of the Crimean city of Bakhchisaray there is the valley is named after Mother Mary - Maryam-Dere. Adherents of the Christian religion know the gorge because of the old Assumption Monastery that was founded in the 8th century. According to legend, it has been built by monks, who fled from Byzantium. The picturesque gorge reminded them of the home country, so they decided to start their abode there. According to another version, the monastery was built on the spot where shepherds have found the icon of Holy Mother. The latter is widely known as the Bakhchysarai icon.
Close to the place where the icon was found, the first cave temple was set. The monastery was founded later. Since its founding, the Assumption Monastery has been a special place. Even during the Russian-Turkish war it managed to avoid looting and destruction. Only in the post-revolutionary period, the monastery fell into disrepair. For several years, the neuropsychiatric boarding was situated there.
Amazing tours along the gorge are conducted for pilgrims and tourists. The length of the landmark is about 2 km. Besides the monastery, guests of these picturesque places will be able to see the wonderful mountain scenery, look at the once inhabited caves and see the remains of the rock art. Currently, the Assumption Monastery goes through another large-scale reconstruction. The renovated building looks incredibly impressive. There are lots of visitors in the monastery. All travelers can experience its unique relics and special historic atmosphere. ... Complete sights collection

Odessa catacombs are one of the biggest in the world. Its length is approximately 2,5 thousand kilometers. The main part of the underground ways are the old quarries, where stones for city building were taken. In the 19th century the catacombs have begun to build but after the revolution the rock work have to be stopped. The reason covered in a serious geological threatens.
These huge undergrounds have an outstanding history. After the revolution in 1917 they were full of criminals. Many of them weren’t shut in a prison for decades because they hid deep in the underground. During the Second World War, these catacombs were the natural shielding for soviet soldiers. The most interesting labyrinths are located under the historical district of Odessa.
According to some reports, right here in the beginning of the 19th century was made the first quarry. The walls have saved the interesting epigraphs that were made by workers. Another peculiarity of catacombs is that they are united with other natural solutional caves in one complex. Natural solutional caves are interesting not only for speleologists but also for tourists. Odessa catacombs are one of the most twisted and dangerous undergrounds in the world. Even specially trained dogs can’t get form them out by themselves. Today the underground tunnels are used for city needs. There are placed the warehouses of local factories and telephones. ... Complete sights collection

St. Andrew Church in Kiev was built in honour of St. Andrew the First Called. It has been built for 5 years and was finished in 1754. Notwithstanding that the cathedral high is 46 meters, it looks very graceful. The building is decorated with a number of unusual Baroque style elements. There have saved grand windows and doors with a neat ornament, wonderful columns and pilasters.
The main decoration of the cathedral is the iconostasis in the Baroque style. It was made by the best masters from Saint-Petersburg. The iconostasis is made from lime. There was used gold leaf technique that made the iconostasis red that is not usual for church decoration. St. Andrew Church resembles a luxurious palace. Its halls are decorated with paintings, the walls have a lot of fretworks, also saved hundreds of years old carving.
The cathedral has placed in a quite complex geological area. Because of that there were made a lot of rebuilding works. Movement of ground waters is the reason of splits in walls. Landslides can also make a number of damages for the church. The cathedral was a victim of thunderbolts, cupolas were partly destroyed by it. The last large renewal was in 1978-1979. Several years ago, the religious monument was closed for renovation. ... Complete sights collection