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| PHÎÒÎ: UKRINFORM |
Although Mykolaiv is a fairly young city that does not boast a large number of historical sights or ancient monasteries, as in other cities across Ukraine, it is renowned for its shipbuilding industry and beautiful girls. If you are intrigued by the possible connection between “galleons and gals”, the secret is veiled in the history of this quaint southern seaside port city.
The town was founded in 1789 by Russian Governor General of Novorossiya Prince Grigori Potemkin to serve as a shipyard. Potemkin signed an order for the construction of a shipyard on August 27, 1789, which is considered the city´s date of birth since. The shipyard was built for the repair of naval ships during the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792). Later Potemkin ordered the shipyard to be named Mykolaiv after St. Nicholas, who is considered to be the protector of travelers and sailors in the history of Christianity. Since then, the history of the city has always been closely connected to shipbuilding. In 20th century, Mykolaiv became one of the major shipbuilding centers in the Soviet Union and had the status of a closed city due to the large number of strategically important state-run plants and ports.
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Initially a city with a naval base and a shipyard, it was teeming with sailors, blue-collar plant workers and soldiers that seriously lacked representatives of the female sex. This prompted a call to young women all throughout the Russian Empire to come to Mykolaiv in search of a husband. There is a legend that marriages were conducted in the city without long preparations. Young men and women slated to get married were lined up in separate rows and those that ended up facing one another were married right on the spot.
This made Mykolaiv a popular city among youth throughout the country and resulted in a flood of beautiful girls that did not exactly have the best reputation and therefore had little chances of finding a descent husband in their home town. This is a partial explanation of the large number of beautiful women that currently live in this southern seaside city.
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Riverside promenades
Mykolaiv is a modern city in appearance, laid out on a gridiron pattern of broad streets. The city’s architectural features include a number of cathedrals and churches, the Black Sea Fleet Observatory, the Yacht Club, riverside boulevards and plenty of other attractions. The city is located on the high bank of the Ingul River, which is ideal for the location of a fortress but for historic reasons a fortress was never built in Mykolaiv.
Let’s start out our city promenade from one of the riverside boulevards near the Ingul Bridge, which opens one of the most stunning vistas of the city. Hang a right just before the bridge and you will see one of the most popular boulevards for locals residents – the Adm. Makarov Blvd. – located along Naberezhna St. It was named after the famous Russian admiral Stepan Makarov, who was a native of Mykolaiv.
On your left near the bridge you will see a monument to the great Russian writer Alexander Pushkin, who spent several months in the city and the hill where two rivers turn into one that was believed to be one of the writer’s favorite places.
Makarov Blvd. has two levels. One of them is near the water and the other is located on a nearby hill. It features many maritime symbols such as ship cannons, anchors and chains reminding its residents that their native town is a shipbuilding city.
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The boulevard with its granite parapets and wide alleys resembles an upper deck of a huge ship. These decks are linked by a set of broad granite stairs for pedestrians that lead right up to the river, while the stairs are often compared to the famous Potemkin Stairs in Odesa. Perhaps this is because the Mykolaiv shipyard located to the right that once sent the legendary Potemkin battleship afloat into international waters.
Near the stairs there is a monument to one of the first honorary residents of Mykolaiv Mikhail Faleyev, a landlord, engineer and an aide of Prince Potemkin. He was involved in drafting the city’s first urban development plan.
The boulevard leads to Lenin Sq. that accomodates the city hall andd a huge monument to the heroes of WWII. Lenin Square adjoins Radyanska St., the main drag in downtown Mykolaiv. It is one of the most favorite streets among local residents. It is also special as it is the only pedestrian street in the entire city.
If you take a stroll along this street you will see an unbelievable number of beautiful girls walking around or sitting in outdoor sidewalk cafes located along the street.
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In the small park midway down the street known as Chesnut Park, a new monument to St. Nicholas, the city’s patron saint, was unveiled in 2006. Radyanska St. ends at the intersection of Lenin Ave., where the central concert hall of Mykolaiv and the children’s entertainment park Kazka (Fairytale) are located.
Among other sights of Mykolaiv is the Museum of Shipbuilding and Fleet opened in 1978. It houses a huge collection of marine related objects, including ship models, paintings, anchors, maps, old globes, flags, sea apparel, etc. The museum also features some of the history and craftsmanship of ships that were built in the city. Many ancient ships are on display along with models and interesting facts about all ships that were built in the city and the city’s chronicles. A tour of this museum will make you feel like a member of the ancient Russian Navy or like an adventurous sailor. Mykolaiv also boasts the most famous and highly acclaimed zoo in the country. It was founded by N. Levontovych in 1901. There you will get a chance to see bears, monkeys, camels, wolves, ostriches, eagles, snakes and other animals and birds. A visit to the zoo is highly recommended as a way of spending some quality time on a sunny September day with family or friends.
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Though comparatively young, Mykolaiv has several beautiful churches such as the Cathedral of the Image of the Casper Blessed Virgin Mary built in 1908, the St. Nicholas Church (1817) and St. Joseph´s Roman Catholic Church opened in 1896.
Visiting Mykolaiv to feel the romantic atmosphere of its riverside boulevards and rich naval glory.
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