The small and cozy village of Solotvino, located just a kilometer from the border with Romania, surprises its guests not only with its famous salt lakes and mines. It, as well as other small settlements of Transcarpathia, lost somewhere on the endless picturesque expanses, has its own unique, colorful atmosphere, which is especially conveyed by the architecture, as well as ancient parks and beautiful monuments.
One of the most striking, and maybe even the most striking structure of the village is the Roman Catholic St. Istvan Church. This temple was built in 1856 on the site of a wooden chapel erected in 1833 after the founding of the Catholic community here.
The tall neo-Gothic stone church is impressive, and is certainly a real architectural treasure of Solotvino. The austere forms, high walls darkened by time and lack of proper maintenance, with no unnecessary details and lavish decoration, nevertheless evoke the most vivid emotions. Above the front entrance is a quadrangular two-level tower with a cone-shaped dome with a clock on its sides. The dome is crowned with a modest Catholic cross. This building, which is more than a century and a half old, will impress any connoisseur of ancient architecture. However, after admiring the ancient temple, do not hurry to leave this place — not far from the temple there is another attraction of Solotvino — the Monument Park.
Monument Park was founded in honor of the thousandth anniversary of the arrival of Hungarians in Transcarpathia in the park at the church. Here the local Hungarian population decided to create tomb monuments to the leaders of the seven Hungarian tribes. There are several benches around the monuments, on which are carved famous quotes of people who have made a great contribution to the history of Hungary. These are quotes about the native land, about the fatherland, about love for the native language, about survival and faith. And the most striking detail of the park ensemble can be rightly called the white stone monument sculptures depicting Hungarian saints — Duke Imre, St. Laszlo, St. Istvan and others. A walk through such a place is sure to leave a lot of pleasant impressions. Spectacular sculptures in the midst of centuries-old trees against the backdrop of an ancient church — such amazing pictures can only be seen in places with a long history.
Everyone who prefers tourism in Ukraine because of the rich architectural heritage of this country, left by many nations and even civilizations, to see the Church of St. Istvan and Sculpture Park in Solotvino will certainly be very interesting. However, unfortunately, not every tourist knows about their existence. If you are planning holiday in Solotvino, take time to see these brightest sights — their visit will allow you to better feel the atmosphere of the village, founded in the XIII century — more than seven centuries ago, and make a fuller and deeper impression of it.