In the south of Ukraine on the right bank of the Dnieper River near the Black and Azov Seas stands the wonderful city of Kherson. The luxurious kingdom of nature, rich history, unique cultural and architectural monuments attract numerous tourists at any time of the year, especially in summer, promising a wonderful vacation in Kherson. It is impossible to resist the temptation to take a boat trip on the Dnieper, because its estuary is simply amazing in its beauty. You can hunt, fish, travel along the islands and channels, stroll along the shady boulevards and streets, studying the historical values and sights of Kherson. And you can just sit on the seafront, listen to the cry of seagulls, admire snow-white boats and sailboats waiting for passengers, watch the foam clouds, rapidly changing their shape and outlines. And only the booms of port cranes reflecting in the blue waters of the river and the noise of unloading goods will interrupt your fantasies, bringing you back to the city full of life and energy.
Kherson has gone a long and difficult way from a small town — the cradle of the Black Sea Fleet to a developed cultural and industrial center, one of the leaders in the field of shipbuilding and machine building. Today it is a regional center, a major railway junction, the only city in the country that has a sea and river port. The total territory of Kherson is 6 thousand hectares. This is its present. And what was its past? To find out, you will need to turn more than one page of history, because Kherson is already 232 years old. And not all of them were cloudless, the city went through many difficult periods and falls, but each time it survived and recovered.
The territory of Kherson was inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by archaeological finds of III-II thousand BC. In the IV-III centuries BC. Scythians roamed the Taurian steppe, and were replaced by the Sarmatians. Later, during the period of Kievan Rus, the Dnieper River was a trade route «from the Varangians to the Greeks».
The founder of the city is the statesman and military figure G.A. Potemkin. In 1778, Catherine II instructed him to build a city with a shipyard, a trading wharf and a fortress on the site of the Alexander Shantz fortification. The purpose of the creation was to protect the southern borders of the Russian Empire.
There are two opinions about the origin of the name of the city. According to the first, Catherine II, fascinated by the Greek language, admiring the picturesque shore of the Dnieper, opened from the fortress Alexander Shantz, decided to call the place «Kherson» that translates from Greek means «shore». But most historians hold a different opinion. In the Middle Ages, «Kherson» was called Chersonese, where Grand Duke Vladimir was baptized. The idea of the revival of Byzantium and the foundation of the new Chersonese and predetermined the name of the city.
The construction of the fortress and the city was entrusted to I. Hannibal and N. Korsakov. The fortress was finally built in 1787 by the arrival of Catherine II in Kherson and was a full-fledged defense fortification with the area of 100 hectares. At the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791 the Turks made an attempt to capture Kherson, but were repulsed by Suvorov’s corps on the outskirts of the city. After the war, the fortress continued to function, but after the military shipbuilding finally moved to Nikolaev, in 1835 it was abolished. Now only the remains of the Kherson fortress remind of its former greatness.
Kherson is called «the city of shipbuilders» for a reason, because the shipyard, which in the XVIII century was called the Admiralty, became the cradle of the Black Sea Fleet. The beginning of the systematic construction of military vessels was given by the launching of the 66-gun ship «Glory of Catherine» in 1783. In the mid 1790s Kherson was the main trading city of southern Russia, through its port trade with France, Italy, Spain and other countries was carried out. But, as they say, after the «white streak» there is always a «black» one. After the foundation of Nikolaev and Odessa, as well as the shallowing of the Dnieper bottom, shipbuilding was transferred to the new cities, and their older brother Kherson lost some of the merchant offices, respectively, and the population decreased. But already 1803 brought changes that contributed to the development of Kherson. The city becomes the center of Kherson province. The number of trade enterprises increased, the first educational institutions, theater, library, museums appeared, the railroad to Nikolaev was opened. 1861 gave a new impetus to the development of Kherson’s economy and the reason was the deepening of the Dnepr river bed. Kherson again became an important seaport.
The Revolution, as well as the Great Patriotic War, caused considerable damage. The authorities changed repeatedly, which, naturally, did not contribute to the development of the city, but on the contrary. Since the 1920s, work on the restoration of industry and agriculture began. During the World War II the defense of the city lasted from August 15 to 18, 1941, on August 19 Kherson was captured by the Germans. The occupation lasted until March 1944. 17 thousand civilians were shot and tortured. But people did not surrender: they built fortifications around the city, organized partisan detachments. Their feat is not forgotten. In the Park of Glory in honor of the liberation of the city from Nazi invaders installed a monument — tank «T-34». The armored boat over the coastal cliff of the Pridneprovsky Descent, the veteran cannon in front of the Museum of Local Lore, the sculpture of the winged goddess Nika in the center of Victory Square serve as a constant reminder of the heroism, courage and bravery of Kherson residents in the fight against the Germans.
The sights of Kherson will definitely leave a trace in your memory. First of all, these are the remains of the Kherson fortress of the XVIII century and Catherine Cathedral of 1781. It is worth visiting the Arsenal, Greco-Sophia Church of 1780, Grigorievsky Monastery, the Museum of Nature of the Black Sea Reserve, the legendary wheelbarrow of 1967. The symbol of the city is considered a monument to the first ships of the Black Sea Fleet, created in 1972. It is a three-masted sailing ship on a high pedestal, flanked by bas-relief images of shipbuilders. A great impression is made by the monuments to the people who stood at the origins of the city: Grigory Potemkin, Admiral Ushakov, Russian commander A. Suvorov, English doctor John Howard. Theaters, Philharmonic Society, Museum of Local Lore will not let you get bored. And it is impossible in Kherson. Every year the city hosts the All-Ukrainian festival of musical theater premieres «Melpomene of Tavria». Near Kherson in Kakhovka there is the famous festival «Tavrian Games», and in Skadovsk — «Black Sea Games».
Come to this beautiful and unique southern city, and a good holiday in Kherson you are guaranteed.