In the country and beyond its borders Dnepropetrovsk region is famous as one of the largest industrial centers of Ukraine. But it is not only iron ore, granite and even gold that Dnepropetrovsk region is rich in: the region has a rich and interesting history, many beautiful sights of the XVII-XX centuries have been preserved here, and the valleys of the great rivers Dnieper and Samara offer magnificent landscapes and absolutely unique natural beauties.
The history of Dnipropetrovsk region began in the Paleolithic era — more than 100 thousand years ago in the fertile river valleys hunted Neanderthals. In the times of antiquity the territories of the future Dnepropetrovsk region were inhabited by Cimmerians, Scythians, who left traces in the form of many mounds and ancient burial grounds, Sarmatians, Huns, Slavs. Just below modern Dnepropetrovsk, the Goths once founded the capital of their empire.
The secrets of such a long past still keep Chortomlitsky barrow near the city of Nikopol — the burial of the Scythian leader in the form of a 20-meter earthen pyramid, where many treasures were found, Ukrainian Stonehedge (kromleh) at the exit from the village of Mirovoye — an archaeological monument of world significance. Mavrinsky Maidan near Pavlograd — a complex of earthen ramparts of unusual shape and many other archaeological finds is an amazing sight.
Since the IX century, when the famous «Way from Varangians to Greeks» passed along the Dnieper, more and more settlements appeared on the territory of the future region, but already in the XIII century the prosperity of Dnepropetrovsk region was interrupted by the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols.
The new history of the region begins in the XVII century, when on the outskirts of today’s Dnepropetrovsk on a high cliff above the Dnieper by order of the Polish king Sigismund III engineer Boplan erected a fortress Kodak. The fortress has been preserved by earth ramparts on picturesque rocky banks and an ancient Cossack cemetery.
Dnepropetrovsk region is connected with the most important historical fact that influenced what Ukraine eventually became — Dnepropetrovsk region was the center of the people’s struggle for independence: five of the seven Zaporizhian Sessions were located here in the XVI-XVIII centuries. However, the main impetus to the development of the region was the period when the territory of the region became part of the Russian Empire. According to the decree of Catherine II in 1776, the city of Yekaterinoslav — today’s administrative center of the region Dnepropetrovsk — was established, which was the beginning of active development of the territory.
In addition to Dnepropetrovsk, the oldest cities of the region are Verkhnedneprovsk founded in 1780 and Krivoy Rog founded in 1775 — today the longest city in Europe (126 km) and the cultural center of the region. Among the architectural sights of the region are the beautiful Potemkin Palace, built in 1786 by architect I. Starov and the governor’s house of 1850 in Dnepropetrovsk, ancient churches in Kitaygorod village of Tsarichansk district: Uspenskaya (1754), the church-bell tower of St. Barbara (1756) and St. Nicholas (1757), constructions of the Samara Pustynno-Nikolayevsky monastery of the XVI century near Novomoskovsk, the Church of the Nativity of 1812 in the village of Sulitskoe, Holy Trinity Cathedral in 1778 — one of the hundred greatest monuments of wooden architecture, built without a single nail, the only in the country nine-bank church made of wood and many others.
Dnepropetrovsk region is also known for its mysterious sights. In the village of Dneprovokamenka you can see a wooden pole mill preserved from time immemorial and the grave of an old Cossack from 1748. On the Igrensky peninsula in Dnepropetrovsk there is an abandoned cemetery of the XVII century, where many ancient tombstones with inscriptions bring gloomy romance. Seekers of artifacts of Cossack glory, NKVD archives, underground labyrinths, Serko’s hoard, and Yavornitsky’s vault are attracted to Powder Island on the Dnieper.
But the sights of Dnepropetrovsk and the whole region do not end here. Tourists from all over the country annually visit the Soly Liman Lake and its balneological resort and mud cure, and nature lovers enjoy the views of the Eagle’s Nest rocks in the Krivorozhsky iron ore deposit and go to the Samara Forest, where for a few hours you can visit Russian pine forests, centuries-old oak forests, Asian desert and even polar tundra; those interested in our lesser brothers get unforgettable impressions at the ostrich farm in the village. Those interested in our lesser brethren have an unforgettable experience at the ostrich farm in the village of Mayskoye and in the bison nursery located near the confluence of the Samara and Volchya rivers. If we talk about the areas that Ukraine is proud of, Dnepropetrovsk region will certainly be one of them. It hides real natural wealth, pleases the eye with beautiful architecture of old towns and truly amazes with ancient sights and archaeological finds.