Trip to Vinnytsia in 2016 Autumn
INTRODUCTION
Hello, it's Ukraine.
Vinnytsia is a quite old city, it was found almost 700 years ago. It saw the Golden Horde, and Hitler, as close as it's possible.
Nowadays, it's ain't famous or top city in Ukraine, however, it's an important food&drink centre. One of the chocolate plants ROSHEN (at least top 30 corporations in the world, having the name of president po-ROSHEN-ko) is situated here, as well as it's owner, present president of Ukraine P. Poroshenko started his political carrier in this city.
Probably you know few cities of Vinnytsia region if you ever been to Ukrainian market. For example, Tulchyn city, having trademark TULCHYNKA - butter; or Nemyriv city, having trademark NEMIROFF - strong alcohol producer, distributing production in 72 countries.
Anyway, if you're in Vinnytsia, you won't be hungry or thirsty.
A lot of railways going through this city, connecting some regional cities with Kyiv, so usually it's easy to get to here.
PART ONE
This is the city centre, the former water tower, in present time - the symbol of the city.
This is pigeons. You can't be hungry in Vinnytsia because you always can come to the city centre and catch a few birds, tutorial about catching-cooking easily can be found on YouTube or some other online services. What's the city if there are no hungry, quick metabolizing pigeons on a square, it's a good chance to get marked by a dove. You're welcome.
Statue dedicated to the Second World War, here it is called the Great Patriotic War. Eternal flame even weakly but burning in here.
The Holy Transfiguration Cathedral. Was built by the Dominican Order, who were Catholics, later became an Orthodox church. While walking, I noticed that the architecture and style of churches are different, reminding me of Catholic churches, that's interesting as far as Ukrainians mostly are Orthodox and I habituated to see Orthodoxy everywhere.
Few more pictures, Cathedral is situated in the centre.
Walking down by the street away from the centre you can find a bridge, lying over Pivdennyy Buh river (old Ukr. Southern God).
So, on a river bank, we can see Greek Catholic Protection of the Virgin Church.
In front of the church, there's a statue To the victims of the Chernobyl tragedy.
One of the distinctive features of the city is clean and well maintained public transport, even it looks ancient, Soviet-like style. That can not be said about our capital, where breathing inside transport is disgusting, so what to say about touching the holder. If you want to travel back in time, it's a nice chance to enjoy the nostalgic environment. In addition, want to say, controllers ain't obese in Vinnytsia public transport. If you want to feel a difference, then try tram in Odesa; seems they are looking for only giant people to smash passengers in a crowded bus.
Administration of Vinnytsia region. Walking up by the street in the centre. It looks round and yellow. Could be theatre or anything else, but it's a government building.
Talking about the cleanness of the city, the streets are quite clean as well. This in addition to the presence of coffee shops, lots of hotels and other things made to satisfy tourists, reminds me of Lviv.
Keep walking, there is Central Park. Then suddenly I heard a loud voice, my curiosity led me to the hall, I thought there was a TV show shooting or other performance.
Near the entrance, I understood that it is a hockey stadium. And an amazing feeling overfilled me. At that time remembered Soviet Union cartoon about Rabbit and Wolf, kinda Tom&Jerry. And another amazing this is that I really liked this game even watched not so long, it's exciting! The way how they shoot is not that how I imagined. He shot softly and dazzling hit. Just let in fly so far and in the goal. You must look to understand.
Fairy house seems it's alive and can walk, it's better to watch this house in such colours. Just look! Its head and back, like a turtle! The cartoon is almost alive! Standing on the way to sightseeing terrace.
Maybe the architect watched too many anime. Or it's me amazing?
And look-around nature.
Me, exhausted last night.
Church of Blessed Xenia of Petersburg, Orthodox.
Just a mirror.
Then we run away to a dam. The night was waiting in here. Cool.
We went up to the hill. Bluff hill, not scared because too dark.
Lonely television and radio towers stick out from the city up to starry darkness.
The day's going to the end. Let us smoke a shisha in a bar on a pass which beckoned me at daytime with its eastern ornaments.
PART TWO
The market of Vinnytsia. I like markets because there you can find a lot of interesting and delicious things. Sometimes even thinking it's cheaper, but always must be aware, someone may cheat you.
Here I ate Ukrainian pyrizhok (stuffed buns). Usually, it's stuffed with one of listed: boiled potato, or potato with mushrooms, fried cabbage, meat, apples, cherries, in some regions with boiled peas. That what our climatic area allows to grow. And two classes are fried or baked stuffed buns.
Flower in Ukrainian fast-food restaurant. In Vinnytsia, I noticed that the waiters give two menus for three people, what I found strange. About food can say that portions here mostly wealth and quality not as bad (even good) as in monopolized capital fast-food restaurants caring about money, knowing that anyway people will eat their "foods". Want to add, I got waiters who don't like tips.
In the edge of the city, there's a place, which looks like the ordinary countryside, even when you investigate area carefully you couldn't imagine what was in here tens of years ago. Here is Werewolf - former Hitler base.
Footpath in the memorial. A thick layer of red fir needles covering path, so thick and soft, seems people didn't walk here since Hitler's time. And this red colouring reminds radioactive forest after an A-bomb explosion. Suspicious silence and emptiness.
Watching these rock, which actually are pieces of walls, I can't feel the greatness or at least shape of these buildings. These rocks unable to represent that environment.
As I heard from a guide, that's Stalin wanted to destroy this place, he didn't want to save memories about his enemy.
While watching photographs, I can't believe all these were built and inhabited for two years, at that times. It represents coherence and blitz of Germans.
Is it a hotel or casino?
Weapon Museum. Situated on way to the main campus. Collection of exhibits is normal and abundant.
Probably some of them are unique or rare. New here for me was to see a gas mask for horses.
These postcards or cards that you could see in movies.
And this photo, I saw this style, clothes, definitely saw in a silent movie. It looks creepy but it's a fashion of some days. So, that was real.
From outside this building looks fine, but just step into the doors, you'll think it's abandoned building in disrepair, totally dark with a lot of red-white stripes. If security guard didn't tell me I have to go inside exactly of this building, I could think it's wrong building. My perseverance and confusion let me find doors in the exhibition hall.
Conditions are horrible, the temperature inside is close to the temperature in outside, same as oscillating air humidity. Wooden windows, the only trustful thing is gates protecting exhibits from robbers.
Was happy to hear that I can take any gun to take photos. Frankly speaking in the beginning I was even afraid to simply take photos. But later party started. That's exciting, but I guess it's wrong to play with exhibits. Besides, the value of these items is lost. That time I wasn't thinking about I am holding a gun which probably shoots hundreds of people.
For comparison, in Kiev you couldn't do that, step on the left - pay money, step on the right - pay money, want to take a photo - pay money. However exhibits not always interesting.
In Vinnytsia museums curators ain't severe.
Postcards of that time. Description: "Hello! I'm ve-lee busy now!". So, people played phone in toilets even hundred years ago.
I like motorcycles. My grandfather had one. I can't ride, and not planning to learn, but wish to ride.
Famous poster, Motherland is calling people to join the army.
"Soldier of the Red Army, save us!". This poster looks like a horror movie advertisement. I guess it's representing another kind of war - informational war. In addition to this, I know that Stalin carefully hid the Soviet voice - Levitan. Even now listening to his speech on the radio - "Moscow is speaking, ... ",- information about the intervention of the German army into Soviets, my heart starts shaking fast and ready to explode.
Tank. Guess you know this Tiger.
Other machines on the yard.
Under precipitations.
A hanged parachutist.
Signpost: Field kitchen; Kiev; Moscow; Berlin.
CONCLUSIONS
Choose your own direction to go on!