The picturesque Park of Culture and Otykh named after T.H.Shevchenko is a favorite place of recreation of citizens, an interesting attraction for guests of the city for more than two centuries. It is the former Potemkin garden became the place where at the end of the XVIII century the prince laid out a paradise orchard, where, enjoying the magnificent views of the Dnieper, Dnipropetrovsk residents have a rest from the bustle and everyday life, tourists get acquainted with the city and its brightest virtues.
The history of the park dates back to 1743, when a legendary person — Cossack Lazar Globa settled on a hill near Monastery Island and laid out a huge orchard around his house. Historians attribute the emergence of the Polovitsa settlement, which became part of the future city, to Globa.
The next stage in the formation of the park was the foundation of Yekaterinoslav, when the territory of Globa’s garden became the residence of Prince Potemkin. Globa also founded another garden lower to the river, which today has become the second main park of the city and is named in his honor.
At the end of the XVIII century architect I. Starov — the author of the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg built here a magnificent Potemkin Palace in the style of classicism, which has survived to our time and has become one of the main attractions of the city. Under Potemkin’s reign, a marvelous garden was laid out near the palace, where lemon, date, pomegranate, and orange trees grew, and there was even a pineapple orangery.
After Potemkin’s death his palace was passed to the Ekaterinoslav nobility and became the center of gathering of the city’s elite, and in 1887 folk festivities were held here in honor of the centennial of the city — since then it has become a favorite place of rest for all citizens.
In honor of T.H. Shevchenko the park was renamed in 1925 as part of a large-scale reconstruction, and the second reconstruction took place in the 70s of the last century, when it was given the status of a monument of garden and park art of state importance. The beauty and amazing atmosphere of the historic city park could not be destroyed neither by the war, nor by other troubles of the XX century. The former Potemkin Park was, is and will be the most beautiful and romantic place in Dnipropetrovsk.
Today in T.H. Shevchenko Park you can not only walk along the numerous shady alleys, visit the attached Monastery Island, famous for its history and wonders, but also see a lot of interesting things.
An unusual, but very harmonious architectural solution was the construction of the current restaurant «Nautilus» in the park, reminiscent of a medieval fortress, majestically rising on the rocks castle. In the park there are monuments to the Sorrowful (Eternal Bride) in memory of the students who died during the war, V.P. Karuna — the hero of the liberation of the city.
Beautifully emphasize the grandeur and romantic atmosphere of the park entrance collonade in the so-called Stalin Empire style. And, of course, its main decoration remains the magnificent Potemkin Palace, about which there are legends. Many residents of the city say that there is a real dungeon under the palace, which has not been explored so far, so it is not known for what purpose Potemkin built it and what is in it.
A walk in Dnipropetrovsk Shevchenko Park is a wonderful opportunity to get better acquainted not only with the external beauty of the city, but also with its history, legends, to admire the waters of the mighty Dnieper under the shade of picturesque trees. The beauty and atmosphere of this attraction of Dnepropetrovsk are remembered by all guests of the city for a long time, and every city dreams of such a wonderful park.