Dendrological park "Sofievka". Sofievsky Park in Uman - a story of beautiful love

The tourism season for true travelers is open all year round. One of the magnificent places where lovers of the unknown are advised to visit is Sofievsky Park (Uman). The photos presented in the article allow those who are just planning to take an excursion to admire this incredibly beautiful landmark.

Sofievsky Park (Uman) is an outstanding monument of landscape gardening culture, created at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century. The park was founded in 1796 by the wealthy owner of vast Ukrainian estates, Count Potocki, who named his masterpiece in honor of his beautiful wife and presented it to his wife on her name day in 1892. Since then, the park has gained worldwide fame and popularity. To admire the beauty of the world celebrity, thousands of tourists flock to Uman every year.

Sofievsky Park: introduction

"Sofievka" is the National Dendrological Park of the NAU Research Institute. It is located in the northern part of Uman, on the picturesque banks of the local Kamenka River. Attraction address: 20300, Cherkasy region, Uman. Call: 04744 36319. Sofievsky Park (Uman) occupies an area of ​​179.2 hectares. Open: from 09:00 to 18:00.

“Sofievka” is a monument to the world landscape gardening culture at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Guests can admire more than 3,323 species of trees and bushes, both local and exotic, among which the tulip tree, Weymouth pine, swamp cypress, plane tree, ginkgo, spruce, etc. are of particular interest. The park staff compiled and published a catalog of plants, numbering 1994 classification groups, which include tree and shrub species, as well as types of herbaceous plants. In 1985, one of the minor planets of the solar system - No. 2259 - was named “Sofievka” in honor of the Uman park.

History of Sofievsky Park (Uman)

Founded in 1796 by Count Potocki and given as a name day gift to his wife Sophia, a beautiful Greek woman, in 1802, the park was designed in a romantic style using ancient Roman and Greek mythological scenes. The Arcadia Park, located on the Nevoburovsky estate of Princess Radziwill, was taken as a model. The construction manager was the Belgian military engineer Metzel, all work on the park's arrangement was carried out by Uman serfs. Consistently, workers worked on creating objects: the Great Waterfall, equipped with an iron bridge, the Amsterdam Gateway, the Grotto of Lion and the Grotto of Venus with a waterfall, the Rybka pool, the Upper and Lower ponds, the underground river. Styx, entrance gate, Flora pavilion, "Pink Pavilion" on the island. Love; Chinese gazebo.

When construction was completed by Ludwig Metzel in the early 1800s, the entrance to the park was located from the greenhouses in the courtyard of the agricultural academy. In those days, visitors came here on horseback. The Polish poet S. Trembecki, fascinated by the landmark, dedicated a poem of the same name to the park, which was subsequently translated into foreign languages. It is known that all Russian aristocrats who visited Podolia tried to stop by Sofievsky Park (Uman).

In 1832, after the suppression of the uprising in Poland, the confiscated possessions of the Pototskys were transferred to the Kyiv Treasury and subsequently presented by Emperor Nicholas I to his wife Alexandra Feodorovna.

In the 30-50s of the 19th century, the park was subordinate to the Department of Military Settlements. During this period, it is called the “Tsarina’s Garden” and undergoes significant changes. In March 1859, by decree of the Tsar, “Sofievka” was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Main Russian School of Horticulture. It is replenished with new plantings, regular sanitary cuttings are carried out here, and scientific and experimental work is carried out. In 1929, the park was declared a state reserve.

War and natural disaster

During the Great Patriotic War, Sofiyivka was significantly damaged. In the post-war years, repair and restoration work was actively carried out here, and the territory expanded. In 1955, the arboretum reserve was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In 1956, all sculptures in the park complex were replaced with glass or plaster copies, and the originals were transferred to storage.

At the turn of 1979-1980, the park suffered great destruction during a flood caused by sudden melting of snow. The consequences of the natural disaster were eliminated in a short time.

Park today

In 1996, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the park, a commemorative coin was issued (denomination - 2 hryvnia). In February 2004, the park was given the status of a national institution.

Today, the originals of the Sofievsk park sculpture are exhibited in the hotel-museum, located at the main entrance. Opposite the bus station there is a new entrance. There is a store nearby that sells seedlings. On weekends, Sofievsky Park (Uman) experiences a large influx of visitors.

Park facilities

Along the course of the Kamenka River, a number of ponds and pools have been created: the Upper one covers an area of ​​more than 8 hectares, the area of ​​the Lower one is up to 1.5 hectares, etc. There are waterfalls (the height of one of them is about 14 m), cascades and sluices, an underground up to 224 rivers long - Acheron. The park is decorated with rocks (Levadskaya, Tarpeiskaya), grottoes (“Fear and Doubt”, Venus, “Nut”, pavilions (“Pink”, Flora), exquisite sculpture and picturesque pavilions. By arranging various tree species, combining them with rocks and ponds and architectural structures, a number of interesting views and diverse perspectives were created (Champs Elysees, Main Alley, English Park, etc.) The Arboretum is one of the most visited European attractions.

Uman, Sofievsky Park: excursion in winter

Some consider the winter Sofievka much more pleasant than the summer one. During the warm season, tourists usually crowd here, and sometimes there is no crowd on the bridges and near the fountains. In winter, Sofievsky Park is quiet and calm.

Mostly photographers or families with children come to Uman in winter. Sofievsky Park in winter (the photos in the article allow you to admire its frozen beauty) is a real winter fairy tale. It is in vain that some believe that the park loses much of its attractiveness in winter. Tourists who love to come here assure that this is not the case. It turns out that in winter all the fountains in the park freeze. Has anyone seen anything more amazing and beautiful?

What to visit?

Conventionally, the park is divided into 5 parts. According to Count Potocki's plan, the landmark was to become a real illustration of the immortal poems - the Iliad and the Odyssey.

We haven't had such a beautiful autumn for a long time.Multi-colored trees, yellow fallen leaves on the not yet faded, bright green grass, the last warm days - a fairy tale. Everything around is so bright and unnatural that it’s as if it’s been painted. Where is the most beautiful place in Ukraine at this time? That's right, in Uman. So it’s time for us to hit the road) Waiting for usSofiyivka is the largest and most beautiful park in the country. Under the cut there are almost half a hundred photographs, some text and a story about how tourists are scammed. At the end of autumn, let's remember how charming she was this year.

I have been to Sofievsky Park many times, but recently only in winter. In January there is a lot of snow here and almost no people - quiet, cozy and beautiful. Here you can take a look. The main rule for visiting Sofiyivka in high season is to never go on a day off. We, of course, forgot about it and came back on Sunday. In the most popular places there is no crowd. But mWe will still try to avoid the crowds and find cozy, deserted corners in the crowded park.

2.

Sofiyivka - 218. Briefly: once upon a time there lived a certain Stanislav Pototsky - a Polish tycoon, military leader and prominent official. He decided to somehow please his wife and for her birthday he built a park in the very center of Ukraine - with fountains, waterfalls and sculptures. This is such a modest name day gift. He named the park, naturally, in honor of his wife. By the way, she did not appreciate her husband’s emotional impulse and soon cheated on him with his own son. o_O But that’s not what our story is about)

3.

Almost all modern sculptures and objects appeared later. After the Polish uprisings, all of Potocki's property was confiscated in favor of the Russian Empire. Tsar Nicholas I gave the park to his wife and renamed Sofievka Tsaritsyn Garden. Soon a gardening school was located here. It is surprising that this idea came to mind during the empire. Usually the Bolsheviks were famous for this. Now there is a university here. The building on top is a greenhouse. The lawn in front of them is proudly called the Parterre Amphitheater.

4.

The stupid “Don’t walk on the lawn” rule doesn’t apply here. You can walk, sit, lie down - that’s what everyone does. In summer, the flower beds are even more colorful and beautiful.

5.

Very sincere. It immediately reminds me of some French motifs.

6.

One of the classic views of Sofiyivka is a large pond (here it is called the Ionian Sea) and a snake fountain. The wind carries the spray and a rainbow appears. Cute.

7.

There are just a lot of people at the pond. But the gondolier is bored - there are no clients. Boat rides along the underground river are in much greater demand. More about her later.

8.

Everyone considers it their duty to feed the swans. Usually no one has anything edible with them, so they tear up the grass and throw it into the pond. Swans almost never eat it. As a result, the water is dirty, the lawn near the shore is bare. By the way, there are a lot of swans - both in the pond and near the waterfall.
9.

There is pandemonium in the area of ​​the waterfall. If I didn’t take a photo here, it means I haven’t been to Sofievka))

10.

In winter the waterfall is completelyand looks more powerful. And now - just a small stream.

11.

Above the waterfall there is a through grotto. Passed - make a wish.

12.

13.

Living sculptures in Sofievka are unique. They only stand still when people want to take pictures with them. The rest of the time they move as if nothing had happened. They should at least be told what the point is.

14.

But ordinary stone sculptures are very beautiful. They themselves are in poor condition. For some, you can guess how old they are by their layers of paint; for others, there are simply not enough details. An archer, for example, stands without a bow.

15.

But the fabulous autumn background changes everything and makes them very attractive.

16.

17.

18.

Paths, alleys.

19.

Whatever you say, rough paving stones look very good. It may be uncomfortable to walk on in heels, but it looks great.

20.

Another classic view of Sofiyivka. Island of lovers.

21.

We take a step to the side - and the view is no longer classic)

22.

Every object in Sofiyivka - be it a sculpture, a gazebo or even a lawn - is named after something mythical. It seems like these are illustrations for Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Here, by the way, is the author himself.

23.

His colleague in the writing workshop is Euripides.

24.

Cupid mending a bow. It's time to really fix it.
25.

26.

There is a lot of water in the park. Ponds, rivulets, fountains, cascades.

27.

28.

Underground river Styx. There is a lot of work for the ferryman. The underground boat ride is one of the most popular attractions in the park.

29.

Reflection. It's as if it was painted on canvas with oil paints.

30.

Chinese gazebo. I’ve been to Sofievka so many times, but I only got to it for the first time now.

31.

Nearby is a tree on which everyone ties knots for good luck. Since most people don’t have anything like that with them, they knit cellophane bags. Ugh.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

About the unpleasant. There are women wandering around the park begging people for entrance tickets. Like, you don’t need them anymore. Then they hand them over to the administration and have some percentage from the leftist. The most interesting thing is that many people give. And it turns out that according to the documents, the park is visited by much fewer people than in real life. A ticket is 25 hryvnia (about $3), millions go into someone’s pocket over the course of a season. Bitches. Some women offer to exchange the ticket for a magnet. There are more attacks on such a ball. Here is one of them at work - the country should know its heroes.

37.

The most interesting thing is that people don’t even think that their financial interest directly depends on this. It's the same as not taking a ticket on a tram. The chain is simple: according to documents, there are few visitors - a lot of money is spent on maintaining the park - prices need to be raised. And then those who gave the tickets will be indignant - they say, how can it be that everything is becoming more expensive... Remarks like “The aunts have a small salary, let them work hard” are not accepted. The anger is released, you can continue to enjoy nature)

38.

39.

40.

41.

Orange leaves on bright green grass. After all, autumn this year is fabulously beautiful - when else will you see something like this.

42.

43.

Golden foliage, blue sky. Beauty.

44.

It's getting dark. The sun breaks through the branches of trees from which the leaves have not yet completely fallen off.

45.

We were in Uman a month ago, at the end of October. By the way, the season officially ended this weekend. Now all the fountains will be turned off, the statues will be packed in protective casings, almost all tents with souvenirs will be removed , the street performers will disperse. When the snow falls, it will be incredibly quiet and cozy here. I sincerely recommend it. But you can look at Uman itself in winter. For some reason, tourists neglect the town itself and limit themselves only to visiting the park.

46.

Liked? Press the button.

Stay with us, add yourself as a friend - there is a lot of interesting things ahead.

Sofiyivka (meanings).

Coordinates: 48°45?47? With. w. 30°13?21? V. d.? / ?48.76306° N. w. 30.22250° E. d.? / 48.76306; 30.22250 (G) (O) (I)

Nation? flax dendrologists? chess park "Sofievka"(Ukrainian Sofiivka) is a park, a research institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, located in the northern part of the city of Uman, Cherkasy region of Ukraine, on the banks of the Kamenka River. These days it is a vacation spot. About 500 thousand people visit it annually. Area - 179.2 hectares.

“Sofievka” is a monument of the landscape type of world gardening art of the late 18th - first half of the 19th centuries. It is home to over 3,323 taxa (species, forms, varieties, cultivars) of local and exotic trees and bushes, among them: swamp cypress, Weymouth pine, tulip tree, plane tree, ginkgo, spruce and many others. The park staff published a catalog of plants, which contains 1994 taxa, of which 1220 are tree and shrub species and 774 herbaceous plants, including 25 taxa of hazel, 24 of beeches, 41 of spruces, 100 of lianas, 320 of roses, 57 of rhododendrons , 376 - ground cover and 98 - flowering plants. In 2007, the park's plant collection included 2,103 woody and 1,212 herbaceous taxa[ source not specified 1167 days].

The park is located at: Cherkasy region, Uman, st. Kyiv, 12a. Since 1980, the director of the arboretum has been Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Ivan Semyonovich Kosenko.

In 1985, minor planet No. 2259 was named “Sofievka” in honor of the Uman park.

Story

Base

Sofievka Park was founded in 1796 by the owner of the city of Uman, Polish tycoon Stanislav Pototsky, named after his wife Sophia Witt-Pototskaya and presented to her on her name day in May 1802.

The park was created in an almost treeless area, divided by the Kamenka River, gullies and canyons that cut into granite, which often came to the surface. When creating the park, the relief was skillfully used, but without a pre-planned plan. During the completion of the work, local and exotic trees and shrubs were planted in certain areas, at the same time the first architectural structures were built and decorations were created in the form of sculpture, mainly antique.

The main composition of the park runs along the Kamenka riverbed, where a number of independent pools and ponds were built: Upper - over 8 hectares, Lower - about 1.5 hectares and others, waterfalls (one of them 14 m high), locks, cascades, underground river Acheron ( length 224 m).

The park is decorated with rocks (Leucadian, Tarpeian), grottoes (Venus, “Nut”, “Fear and Doubt”), pavilions (Flora, Pink), gazebos, and sculptures.

Thanks to the arrangement of different tree species, combining them with reservoirs, rocks and architectural structures, views and perspectives of different plans were created (Main Alley, English Park, Champs Elysees and others).

When Ludwig Metzel completed the construction, the entrance to the park was from the greenhouses (that is, from the courtyard of the Agricultural Academy). Then we came to Sofievka on horseback along the current streets of Tyshchik and Kievskaya.

The Polish writer Stanislaw Trembecki dedicated the poem “Zofiowka” to the park in 1806, which was later translated into several other languages.

Tsaritsyn garden

In 1832, after the Polish uprising, all the Pototskys' possessions were confiscated and transferred to the Kyiv Treasury Chamber. In the same year, Nicholas I gave it to his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna.

In 1836-1859, “Sofievka” was subordinate to the Department of Military Settlements. During this time, the park undergoes significant changes compared to what Ludwig Metzel built in it from the very beginning:

In 1838, Sadovaya Street appeared. It connected the park with the city. The Main Alley was expanded and paved with paving stones. Water is removed from the center of the park to the Main Entrance. In 1844, two towers in the Gothic style were built here, which, on the orders of Nicholas I, who visited here in 1847, were demolished, and instead, under the leadership of the Uman architect Makutin, according to the design of the architect A. I. Stackenschneider, they were built in 1850-1852 towers in antique style. On the terrace of the Muses, the grotto of Apollo is filled up and the obelisk “Eagle” is installed. In 1841, the “Mushroom” gazebo and the Chinese gazebo were built. In 1842-1845, the Flora Pavilion was built according to the design of the architect Rapponet. In 1843-1845, the Pink Pavilion was built on the island of Anti-Circe.

During this time, a bust of Tadeusz Kosciuszko and a sculpture of Józef Poniatowski were removed from the park. During this period, Sofiyivka was called the “Tsarina’s Garden.”

The gardeners at that time were P. Ferret, who created a terrace on the shore of the Lower Lake in 1840 and a terrace of the Muses on the northern shore near the Hippocrene spring, and Bossier, who opened a long-range perspective from the amphitheater onto the Lower Lake by cutting off the tops of several trees.

Gardening school

On March 30, 1859, by royal decree, “Sofievka” was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Main School of Horticulture of Russia, transferred from Odessa to Uman. The park continued to be called the “Tsarina’s Garden,” although by decree of the Tsar it was called the “Uman Garden of the Main School of Horticulture.”

Since 1899, under the leadership of Professor V.V. Pashkevich, the park has been replenished with new plantings ( English park), where over a hundred species and forms of rare trees and shrubs were collected. At this time, sanitary cuttings of vegetation are carried out.

At the beginning of the 20th century, well-known specialists in the field of fruit and vegetable growing in Russia worked at the school - V.V. Pashkevich and P.G. Schitt, the assistant to the chief gardener was F.A. Kryukov.

After the revolution, Sofiyivka began to be called the “Garden of the Third International.”

Now - Uman National University of Horticulture.

State reserve

By Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR N26/630 of May 18, 1929, “Sofievka” was declared a state reserve.

The greenhouse, greenhouses and, accordingly, part of the park territory remained under the control of the Agricultural University. The park was given an independent status, and until 1955 it was resubordinated several times to different departments, such as the People's Commissariat, the People's Commissariat of Land, the management of nature reserves, the management of architecture, which were created under the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR.

In 1945, the park received the full name “Uman State Reserve “Sofievka””.

In 1946, the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR adopted a special resolution “On the renovation and improvement of the Uman State Reserve “Sofievka””. 1 million rubles are allocated for the repair and restoration of the park.

In 1948, a master plan for the renovation and development of the Sofievka nature reserve was approved.

In 1949, a decorative nursery was created on an area of ​​20 hectares. Work is being actively carried out on the repair and restoration of small architectural forms, the road and alley system, and sculptures in the park. An inventory of tree and shrub species is being carried out, scientific works are appearing on the history of the park, its dendroflora, sculptures, and small architectural forms. During the same period, the originals of the marble sculptures of Apollo Belvedere, Venus the Bather, and Mercury were lost, of which copies in organic glass remained, and the statue of Cupid, like the bust of Stanislav Trembetsky, disappeared without a trace, although marble wings from the statue of Cupid, which are now located, were later found in the museum.

Academy of Sciences

On September 26, 1955, the Sofievka arboretum, on the basis of Resolution of the Council of Ministers of Ukraine N 1184, was transferred to the system of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR and is subordinate in its scientific activities to the Central Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR.

During this period, significant work was carried out to restore the park’s facilities and update them, expanding the park’s territory. Thus, in 1958, by resolution of the Cherkasy Regional Council, “Sofiyivka” was allocated 6.19 hectares of land from the lands of the Uman Municipal Municipality and 9.5 hectares from the lands of the Uman Agricultural Institute. The staff in the park has been updated and even increased due to the scientific department compared to 1836, when the largest volume of work was carried out here.

In 1972, an area of ​​5.1 hectares, which previously belonged to a military unit, was annexed to Sofievka. At this time, all wooden stairs are replaced with granite ones, and the integrity of the ground amphitheater as a park composition is violated, since instead of serpentine paths, granite stairs cross it in the center from the Semistrui fountain to the greenhouses of the Agricultural Institute[ source not specified 1167 days]. The Pink Pavilion is undergoing a major overhaul with the granite foundation being replaced. At the Main Entrance, instead of a wooden fence on brick pillars, an openwork metal fence with granite columns is being built. On the Main Alley, according to the design of E. Lopushinskaya, the “Silver Streams” spring was built in 1974. During these same years, the paving stones of the park were paved from the Main Gate to the gate of the Agricultural Institute. At the same time, the round flowerbed that was in front of the Flora pavilion is removed. From the bridge to the Anti-Circe Island to the dam along Internatsionalnaya Street, a landscaped alley is being created with water outlets and granite steps.

Disaster

The winter of 1979-1980 was snowless and frosty. The ice thickness reached more than 0.7 m, and the ground froze to a depth of 1.5 m. Then in March 1980 there were heavy snowfalls, and low air temperatures remained almost until the middle of the month. After a sharp warming, in the second half of March, the snow began to melt. According to experts, the flow of water into the lake in the park was so large that even if all culverts on the lakes had been fully opened two weeks before the natural disaster that occurred, even then they would not have been able to pass a large amount of melt water , which entered the park’s reservoirs. The flood washed away the land dam along Internatsionalnaya Street, and the entire mass of water from the Krasnostavsky reservoir with an area of ​​more than 17 hectares in the form of a mudflow swept across the surface of the ice of Lake Superior and went downstream of the Kamenka River, where the main objects of the park are located. During the flood, granite pylons with vases near the Main Entrance were knocked down. The right tower was shifted and turned along its axis on the granite base, and almost the entire metal fence on the granite base was knocked down on the right side.

Although the vegetation of the park suffered significant damage during the flood (some centuries-old trees that decorated the central part of the park died, while others were significantly damaged), the species composition of the plantings was practically preserved. At the same time, self-seeding trees and bushes that were not valuable for park landscapes also died. The flood damaged the asphalt surface of the Main Alley and completely destroyed the road and alley system of the park in its lower part from the Grotto of Thetis to the Main Entrance from the street. Sadovaya, all metal and wooden bridges, sluices, individual sculptures and small architectural forms were demolished and destroyed. The consequences of the flood were eliminated in a short time.

Recovery

The greatest restoration, repair and restoration work in Sofievka was carried out after the natural disaster in 1980, when more than fifty objects were restored in four months. During the period from 1980 to 1993, according to the project of E. Lopushinskaya, Lake Acherontiysk was put in order and the Gribok gazebo was built. Since 1980, the territory of the former military unit with an area of ​​5.1 hectares began to be developed, where the administrative and economic zone of the park was organized. Here, 25 garages for cars, tractors and vintage carriages, which are purchased in Poland, are being practically rebuilt from scratch. The equipment maintenance station was overhauled, and a small laboratory building with rooms for visitors is being completed. On the basis of former ammunition depots, where during the war the Germans organized a hospital for Soviet prisoners of war from the Uman pit, a library with a reading room, a canteen for workers and employees with a rest room, a meeting room with 90 seats, warehouses were built, and in 1996 a boiler room was gasified , a water tower was built to supply water from a well drilled in the western part of the park. Since 1993, the park has been guarded by a police unit.

Since 1991, the park has received the status of a research institution of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the park in 1996, the work of the Iron Rura spring was resumed and its historical name was returned. The water of this source comes from the Diana grotto. At the entrance to the park from the street. Sadovaya, on the left, immediately behind the entrance tower there is a hill lined with junipers, thujas and spruce trees. In this hill there is a pool from which water flows to the “Iron River” and a waterfall with a small saucer of water, built according to the design of the architects of the UkrNIIInzhproekt Institute V. B. Kharchenko and O. P. Gumenny. In the same year, the National Bank of Ukraine issued a commemorative coin with a face value of 2 hryvnia, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the founding of the park.

On February 28, 2004, by Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 249/2004, the dendrological park received the status of a national institution and became known as the National Dendrological Park "Sofievka".

Park objects

According to the architect's plan, the park is a visual illustration of individual parts of Homer's poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey".

South part

The park starts from the main entrance on Sadovaya Street. Behind it is the central alley. The towers of the main entrance, built in 1850-1852, have survived to this day, along with the entrance gate. The fence from the towers has changed many times over the course of a century and a half - from wooden on clay columns, then metal on granite columns, to the form it has today, along with a reconstructed bridge, steps and a complex for serving tourists, which today has the status of the House of Scientists' Creativity National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. This house has original architecture, and at the top of the building there is an observation deck. In addition to the museum, the House of Scientists' Creativity has a hotel for 45 people, a restaurant, and a sauna.

The upper part of the cone-shaped roof of the entrance towers is completed with decorations that resemble a torch. According to one version, the main entrance to the park resembles the entrance to the Athenian market, and the details that complete the watchtowers are borrowed from the temple of the goddess Vesta in Tivoli (Italy). For a long time, the entrance to the park was decorated with Italian pyramidal poplars, which were brought by Stanislav Potocki. It was from “Sofievka” that they spread throughout Russia (this is evidenced by a letter from Emperor Alexander I of Russia to Sophia Witt-Pototskaya, in which he thanks her for transporting pyramidal poplar seedlings that arrived in St. Petersburg)[ source not specified 1167 days].

Before the natural disaster that occurred on the night of April 3-4, 1980, the main entrance was decorated with balsam fir trees. They died, and in their place two columnar thujas, 20 years old, were planted, which fit well into the architectural ensemble.

On the right, near the entrance to the park, behind the thuja wall, there was the building of the Museum of the History of the Park. It was opened in September 1985. The museum, created on a voluntary basis thanks to the enthusiasm of the park workers and its fans, was not designed for mass visits. It was a methodological center for training guides. It also contained materials on the history of Sofiyivka. The building in which the museum was located was built in 1957, until 1980 it was used as an administrative and laboratory building, and in 1996 its funds were transferred to the modern administrative building located on the territory of the park. Now, from the site where the museum was located, there is a view of the granite cliffs and the small Lake Geneva, which appeared in the 1930s.

On the territory of the clearing, which is located above Lake Geneva, in 1841 a wooden gazebo was built for a guard soldier. It resembled a fungus in its shape, which is why the area of ​​the slope on the right as you go into the park was called “Mushroom”. The gazebo was restored in 1994.

Along the central alley of the park, on the way from the Main Entrance to the Tarpeian Rock, a group of spruce trees grows on the right, as well as a swamp cypress (two-row Taxodium). These trees were planted in 1891. Previously, this section of the park was called Little Switzerland. From historical archival materials[ source not specified 1167 days] it is known that this section of the park acquired its completed appearance during the period of military settlements, after the completion of the construction of the entrance towers.

The Tarpeian Rock is located on the right along the Main Alley. On it there is a wooden gazebo of light construction, which continues the rock. It was first installed in 1839, later, when it became dilapidated, it was removed, and only in 1950 was it rebuilt again. The rock is named after the southwestern wall of the Capitoline Fortress of Ancient Rome, which has survived to this day. Under the Pototskys, the park ended here.

In front of the Flora pavilion, on the right, there is a source - “Silver Keys”. Its decoration is made in antique style. This is a horseshoe-shaped structure made of granite, on the edges of which there are two vases with decorative plants. In the middle part of the vertical wall there are pipes decorated with bronze, from which spring water flows. The Silver Keys fountain was built in 1974 according to the design of the Kyiv architect Lopushinskaya on the site of a booth with an iron pipe for releasing water, which had stood here since 1850.

The alley ends with the Flora Pavilion. In front of it there is a planned square, from which, going around the pavilion, several roads diverge. An asphalt road across the Venetian bridge leads to Lake Verkhneye and to the exit to the territory of the Uman Agricultural Academy (formerly the Main School of Horticulture), along the greenhouses to the viewing platform near the obelisk. From there, along the Upper Alley you can exit to the Bellevue terrace and return to the square to the Flora Pavilion. Along this road, near the central part of the park, you can stroll in a carriage.

Another road from the Flora pavilion rises steeply to the left and up, leading to the entrance area to the park from Kievskaya Street, to the administrative and economic zone of the park, to the Dubinka clearing and further to the western part, where modern views of the park have been created.

The lower alley runs along the shore of the Lower Lake.

Up close, the Flora Pavilion looks exquisite, thanks to its precise architectural forms, tall columns in the Doric style, and a bas-relief on the frieze that depicts leaves and bunches of grapes. The ornament was made in 1852 according to the drawings of academician of architecture A. I. Stackenschneider. Granite steps lead to a spacious oval hall. In the gaps of the white columns a panorama of the Lower Lake opens.

central part

The compositional design of the central part of the park is based on scenes from the mythology of Ancient Greece and Rome, and some places resemble the home of Greek gods, heroes, writers and philosophers.

To the right of the Flora pavilion is the so-called Venetian Bridge, made of granite wedge-shaped arched stones. The bridge is decorated with granite pylons, between which hang heavy forged chains. A little below the bridge there is a wooden sluice for passing water into the bed of the Kamenka River.

In the middle of the Lower Lake, from the wide-open mouth of a snake writhing on a stone, a column of water shoots out - the “Snake” fountain. Water enters the fountain through an underground water supply line made of granite hewn stone along the road that leads from the academy and greenhouse to the Flora Pavilion.

Opposite the Thunder Grotto (Calypso's Grotto), there is a settling tank and a branch conduit to supply water to the interior of the grotto. The settled and thus purified water is fed into the fountain through cast iron pipes laid at a slight slope, by gravity, which leads to a minimum loss of pressure force due to friction of water against the walls of the pipeline.

The diameter of the “Snake” fountain head is reduced by 10 times compared to the water pipe. The water supply is precisely calculated and a simple engineering solution for its eruption from the fountain ensures a small difference in height between the fountain column and the level of Lake Superior of only 1.5 - 2.5 meters and, thus, the height of the fountain reaches 12 - 16 meters. At first, the water of the fountain flowed into the heights simply from a hole in the stone and the fountain was called “Samson”, like the famous fountain in Peterhof. Later, during military settlements, a sculpture of a snake was installed on the stone. The snake was cast from bronze by an unknown craftsman. If its knot is stretched in length, it will measure 10.65 m.

In the center on the Lower Alley is a statue of Hermes (for the Romans - Mercury). This statue has been in the park since 1800, it was installed, like other statues, in different places in the park and was restored several times.

At the end of the Lower Alley there is, on a high granite pedestal, a two-meter statue of the ancient Greek poet-playwright Euripides. He is depicted in full growth with a scroll in his right hand and a bundle of manuscripts near his feet. The sculpture of Euripides is the only one in the park that has not been moved to another place since its installation in 1800. In 1996, all the original marble sculptures were transferred to the museum, and in their place, copies made of plaster and plexiglass were installed.

Further, near the foot of the steep slope, there is the source of Hippocrene (Hippocrene). According to Greek mythology, the source of Hippocrene appeared from the blow of the hoof of the winged horse Pegasus (hence the “horse source”) on the Mount of the Muses Helikon in Boeotia. The source is dedicated to Apollo and the Muses.

In 1851, a statue of Venus bathing, which previously stood in the grotto of Apollo, was installed on a square pedestal near the source. Now in this place there is a copy in plexiglass, made in 1952. Below the statue, spring water flows from a granite pedestal, which has the same temperature at any time of the year. Water fills a bronze half-bowl, decorated with a decorative image of snakes, and, overflowing over its edges, flows down a granite underground channel into the Lower Lake.

A metal bridge leads across the lower lake to the Gathering Square, from which you can see the Big Waterfall. Water comes here through the underground river Acheron from Lake Superior. The waterfall was built during the first period of the park's creation.

The gathering square is decorated with various architectural elements of the park composition. This name appeared during the period when “Sofievka” was under the jurisdiction of the military settlements department. At that time, a military band played in the park on Sundays and noble people of the city gathered here to listen to music and dance[ source not specified 1167 days]. But the square was created during the first period of park construction.

The gathering area is framed by wooden benches. It is located on an oval-shaped peninsula. In the center of the square there is a pool, in the middle of which there is a large granite vase. Decorative fish swim in the pool. Water enters the pool through an underground cast-iron pipe from the Upper Lake and is kept at the same level because the water level is discharged into the Lower Lake through an underground granite channel. In summer, the vase is decorated with bright flowers. There is a statue of Paris near the pool.

To the left of the square there is a grotto. A large granite block weighing more than 300 tons hung without support and is supported only by three points. The reliability of this structure was tested by nature itself. In 1838, 1976, 1986, when significant earthquakes occurred in Uman, the grotto remained undamaged. The grotto is called the Grotto of Fear and Doubt (an earlier name was the Grotto of Tantalus).

Above the Grotto of Fear and Doubt, near the Big Waterfall, there is a small pedestal. Once upon a time there stood a statue of Cupid made of white marble. From the original, only Cupid's wings have survived. In 1996, according to photographs, it was cast by Kyiv sculptor I.D. Didur from organic materials and installed in its place. The statue depicts a boy who has scattered all his arrows, the string that connected the ends of the bow is broken. Cupid leaned back and broke his bow.

Above the Collection Square there are granite steps going up along a large granite block. Nearby on the left is the Western Grotto (Scylla's Grotto). The grotto is made of pink granite and contains granite benches and a table.

Further, on the right, there is a platform carved into the rock along the edge of a steep cliff. The site is called Belvedere because a statue of Apollo Belvedere stood on it for some time. During the period of military settlements, in 1847, the site was surrounded by an openwork metal fence, which has survived to this day. Before entering the site there is a view of the lower part of the rock, which resembles the profile of a human face. According to some stories, this is the profile of Ludwig Metzel, according to others - Stanislav Potocki. The observation deck on the Belvedere is decorated with an antique marble statue of Orpheus.

Just above the Belvedere Rock, the adjacent area is called the Caucasus Mountain. On the Caucasus Hill, a white marble statue of the leader of the Polish uprising of 1794, Tadeusz Kosciuszko, was erected. In 1847, by order of Nicholas I, who then visited Uman and Sofievka, the statue of Kosciuszko, together with the statue of Napoleonic general Y. Poniatowski, which was also installed by O. Potocki on the Champs-Elysees, was sent to Gomel. Instead, the tsar promised to send a statue of his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, in whose honor “Sofievka” began to be called “Tsaritsyn’s Garden”. And in 1850, this statue, depicting the queen in bronze sitting in a chair, was installed here. During the Soviet period, the statue of the queen, as a highly artistic work of the famous Russian sculptor V. A. Sherwood, was sent to the Hermitage. In 1939, a monument to V.I. Lenin was erected here. In 1941 it was destroyed by the Germans. In 1964, a marble bust of T. G. Shevchenko was installed on the Caucasus Hill on the same pedestal on which the statue of the queen stood. The newspaper “Umanskaya Zarya” dated May 29, 1964 published an image of the monument. The size of the pedestal did not match the bust, and in 1965 a new granite pedestal was made, but the bust of T. G. Shevchenko was never installed; it was transferred to the village of Rodnikovka in 1985, where it still stands today.

East End

To the east of the Amur statue, on the left side there are granite steps that lead to the Lokotok and Oreshek grottoes. They were created during the first period of park construction.

Grotto Oreshek is located on the right side. It completes the composition of the Valley of the Giants. In the Oreshek grotto, granite lava is carved out, and next to it there is a three-stage waterfall.

To the left and below is the Lokotok (Loketek) grotto - a massive natural rock. It has a bench knocked out and a round table installed. It is mentioned in all known descriptions of Sofiyivka. The grotto was made in honor of the King of Poland Wladyslaw Lokotok (Polish. Lokietek, according to legend, he received the nickname “Lokotok” for his small stature - 130 cm).

Further along the alley there is a bridge over the bed of the Kamenka River, which leads to the Tempei Valley. In this place, Ludwig Metzel tried to create a prototype of the Greek Tempeian Valley. There were 9 birches growing here, which allegorically depicted the nine sons of Potocki. Two of them (Kostantin and Nikolai) died at an early age, as did the Pototskys’ daughter Helena. As a memory of their early death, a granite obelisk was installed in the valley, which is called the “Truncated Column”. Near the base of the obelisk there is a gravestone of granite, which resembles a sleeping lion, and next to it flows the stream of the Kamenka River, divided into three separate small waterfalls. They are called “Three Tears” and allegorically express the mother’s sadness for her three dead children.

On the right, on a granite pedestal, there is a marble bust of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. The park also contains busts of Aristotle, Homer and Socrates.

The next part of the park is called the Champs Elysees. Near the entrance to the Champs-Elysees lies a granite boulder of natural shape, and next to it a hewn tetrahedral polished granite column. These two stones accidentally ended up next to each other in Sofievka and over time began to be called the composition “Nature and Art”.

Deep into the Champs Elysees, on the left side in a green meadow, there is a granite vase on a granite pedestal. On the right side of the meadow with a vase there is an area of ​​stones of different sizes. The stones are covered with moss, lonely trees and bushes grow between them and paths go without a certain direction. At the beginning of the construction of the park, this area was called the Cretan Labyrinth. On the right are three separately grown white poplar trees that have already died. They are called the "family tree".

To the east of the Champs-Elysees is the largest grotto carved into natural rock. It is called Lion or Thunder (the original name was Calypso Grotto). Not far from the entrance on the right wall there are two lines carved into the wall in Polish, which belong to Stanislav Potocki: “Forget the memory of misfortune here and accept happiness above, if you are happy, then be even happier.”

Further along the alley is the grotto of Thetis (Venus). The grotto has a vestibule consisting of four columns. They support a granite slab and a semicircular window. The middle of the grotto is decorated with a sculpture of the Venus of Medicea, last restored in 1952.

On the right side of the Grotto of Thetis there is a statue of Apollo of Florence. The sculpture is made of plexiglass in accordance with the marble sample, which has become completely dilapidated. Its first copy was cast and installed here in 1958, but in 1980 it was destroyed by a flood. This is the second copy, made in 1980.

To the left of Thetis's grotto there is a round pavilion called the Pheasant. This pavilion is built of round oak columns, inlaid with oak, ash and maple bark. It was installed in the park in 1812. During the flood in 1980, Pheasantnik was also destroyed, and its roof was carried by a stream of water onto the stones of the Cretan labyrinth, where it was dismantled and taken out in parts. In addition to the updated roof, the pavilion was made of new parts according to the drawings of the Ukrproektrestavratsiya Institute. Inside the pavilion there is a small pool with a fountain in the center. Water for it is supplied through a pipe from Lake Superior, the height of the water jet reaches 3-3.5 m.

In the very northeastern part of the park is Lake Superior. There is an island on it, on which a pavilion stands out, planted with exotic plants. This is the Island of Love (previously called the island of Anti-Circe). Anti-Circe Island was created during the first period of construction of the park in the expanded part of Lake Superior, or the Enchanting Sea. The serfs built the island by hand and gave it an oval shape so as not to block the distant vistas of the lake.

The shores of the island of Anti-Circe, like the lakes, are lined with granite. Communication with the island was first carried out by ferry or boat, and in 1853 a wooden bridge for pedestrians was built between the northern shore and the island on stone supports.

The pavilion was built in the Gothic style, but after Nicholas I visited the park in 1847, on his instructions, this pavilion was demolished, and in its place in 1850 a new one was built in the Renaissance style. It still exists today and is called Pink after its first color. The design of the Pink Pavilion was made for Sofievka by academician of architecture A. I. Stackenschneider, and its construction was carried out under the leadership of architect I. Makutin.

Currently, the pavilion is a tall structure that logically fits into the overall ensemble of the island with its trees and bushes and is the central architectural point on the island. The pavilion's plan is based on an octagon.

The Amsterdam Gateway is located on the shores of Lake Superior. The sluice equipment was installed during the first period of construction of the park and is designed to allow boats to pass from Lake Superior to the underground Acheron River and back, as well as to drain water from the lake.

The gateway consists of two interacting parts. The first works constantly, shutting off water from Lake Superior. At the bottom there is a control valve, through which the depth of water in the underground river and lake is adjusted to a certain level using a screw. This part of the lock equipment was also destroyed during the 1980 flood and then rebuilt. The second part is a one-time-use gateway, the swing of which is driven by a special winch, and a wooden shield on massive iron chains can either be lowered, completely blocking the access of water to the underground river, or raised, allowing water to pass through.

The underground river Acheron was built during the first period of construction of the park, its length underground is 211 m, and starting from the Upper Lake - more than 223 m, width 3 m and height 3 m. The depth of water in the channel reaches 1 m. Throughout the entire underground channel 4 hatches are installed, with the help of which it is partially illuminated and also provides aeration.

West Side

The western part of the park begins from the entrance along Kievskaya Street, near which there are the Flora and Aquanarium stores. Administrative and economic buildings are located here, a rose garden has been created, where more than 5,000 specimens of over 150 varieties of roses grow.

On the slope, west of the Lower Lake, there is a natural oak grove called Dubinka. There was once an oak forest in this place, but only one old oak tree has survived from it, in a clearing near the Chinese gazebo. All other trees, which create the picture of a dense natural wild forest, were planted later and are less than 200 years old. Some of them were planted during the first period of construction of the park, some - later, and even more are self-seeding trees, which were not cut down for a long time, and only during 1999-2002, hornbeams, maples, ash trees and other self-seeding trees and bushes were cut out, uprooted and then planning sown lawn. In the 1960s, exotic trees were also planted behind Dubinka. Previously, there was a Greek forest here, known since the Turkish invasion in 1674. Obviously, Grekova Balka, which runs through the entire park along its southern edge, got its name from the forest. The last remnants of the Grekov Forest, which still remained at the top of the Grekovaya Balka, were cut down and sold at the beginning of the 20th century to replenish the city treasury.

During World War II, the occupiers chose the Dubinka clearing as a burial place for their soldiers.

The Chinese gazebo, built entirely of wood and painted in different colors, was previously restored several times, most recently in 2001-2002. To the side of the gazebo stands an old oak tree, about 400 years old. Folk legends say that it was under this oak tree that the heroes of the peasant anti-feudal uprising of 1768, Maxim Zheleznyak and Ivan Gonta, met.

A memorial stone was installed next to the gazebo in 1975 in memory of the revolutionary events that took place here. The clearing served as the venue for the first city rallies, demonstrations, and gatherings. Here, in 1904, the first May Day took place, and in 1919, workers celebrated the First of May.

Northern part

The English Park, or Arboretum named after V.V. Pashkevich, is located in the northern part of the park. It occupies a small triangle-shaped area of ​​about 2 hectares. Its top is adjacent to the gates of the Uman Agricultural Academy. One side of the triangle is limited by a wide asphalt highway lined with hundred-year-old linden trees. The other side borders the ground amphitheater, and on the base line there is a clearing with a bust of Socrates. The territory of the arboretum is densely cut by a rather complex labyrinth of paths. There is a pool that once housed a collection of aquatic plants, as well as a rocky slide once covered with succulent plants - perennial plants whose vegetative organs are able to accumulate moisture, thanks to which they can grow in deserts, on rocks and in sand.

In areas of the arboretum, the largest number of exotic tree and bush plants grow, valuable both in decorative and forestry terms; their number in 1987 was more than 100 species and forms.

Along with the English Park in the west there is the Parterre Amphitheater and Orangery. In front of the greenhouses, the park area is created on three levels in a regular style. The upper part consists of trimmed lawns of regular shape, the edges of which are decorated with various varieties of polyanthus roses. The middle part of the Parterre Amphitheater is made of a granite wall and a wide horseshoe-shaped alley, which smoothly bends around the gentle part of the slope with rich herbaceous vegetation, which descends to the pool with the Semistruy fountain. The granite retaining wall, erected in 1845, is decorated with coils of roses, wild grapes, honeysuckle, and roses also grow near the edge of the slope, as at the top of the amphitheater.

The ground amphitheater has undergone many changes. During the time of the Pototskys, there was a main entrance to the park here. Then the name of this area arose - the Valley of Roses. Before the Great Patriotic War, the rectilinear two-row alley of thujas consisted of only one row of thujas planted in 1910. It imperceptibly limited the regular part of the park; it was trimmed at a height of no more than 1 m. During the war, there was no necessary supervision of the park; thujas were not trimmed after the war. In the 1950s, another row was planted, the top one being Thuja occidentalis. Since the capacity of the serpentine narrow paths between the rows of roses did not provide free passage for visitors[ source not specified 1167 days], the number of which was constantly increasing, the site was redeveloped in 1957. Granite steps were built in the center of the slope, which led to the Semistrui fountain, and on the ridges where roses once grew, different types and forms of juniper and thuja were planted, and the edges were lined with tamarisk. Almost all the steps in the park were originally wooden, but over time they collapsed and constantly required repairs, so in the 1950-1960s they were replaced with granite ones.

When the park was restored in 1996, a radical reconstruction also affected the Parterre Amphitheater. The map of Sofievka for 1855 is taken as a basis, on which this section of the park is clearly visible. Therefore, having dismantled the granite steps, they resumed the serpentine path, and forty-year-old ordinary and columnar thujas, junipers, mulberries and other valuable plants were transplanted into the newly created landscapes of the Western part of the park.

The Semistrui Fountain was built during the first period of construction of the park. The fountain is a small round pool with an openwork bronze vase in the middle. Seven powerful jets of water shoot upward from the center of the vase. Water is supplied to the fountain by an underground gravity pipeline from Lake Acherontia. Due to the difference in terrain, the height of the central jet of the fountain reaches 5 m. Excess water is discharged through underground drains into the Lower Lake.

Behind the fountain there is a statue of “Winter”. The statue depicts an old man, his face expresses pain, suffering, he is trying to cover himself with a tunic to protect himself from the cold. It was believed that this was an allegory of both the season and human life. Previously, the statue was called the sculpture of the Eternal Jew.

Below the Parterre Amphitheater is the Terrace of the Muses. A granite obelisk was installed on it in 1856. Before the 1917 revolution, the top of the obelisk was decorated with a gilded three-headed eagle, and the inscription indicated that it was erected in honor of Nicholas I’s visit to the park. After the revolution, the obelisk and the inscription disappeared, and only for the 200th anniversary of Sofiyivka in 1996, according to the project of the Ukrproektrestavratsiya institute, the same institute made a three-headed eagle. The obelisk is fenced with a forged decorative chain.

There is an opinion[ Whose?], that the serfs did not work for free, and Stanislav Szczesny Potocki paid them a certain amount, and there is also an opinion that not a single worker died during the construction of the park, which is very implausible, since there were several hundred thousand serfs, and they worked both in harsh winter and hot summer, etc.

Scientific work

In Sofievka, scientific work is carried out in the field of dendrology, horticulture (including the study, acclimatization and introduction of valuable plants) and park construction, botany and plant ecology. National Dendrological Park "Sofievka" is a research institute within the Department of General Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in accordance with Resolution of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine No. 68 dated April 18, 2005.

Structure of the National Dendrological Park "Sofievka" as a research institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

The general management of the research institute is carried out by -

Director of the NDP "Sofievka" of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, corresponding member. NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Kosenko I. S.

Coordination of scientific work and general management of scientific departments

carried out by the scientific secretary, candidate of biological sciences, p. n.s. Grabovoi V. N.

Scientific departments:

1. Department of Dendrology, Park Construction and Plant Ecology (Head: Candidate of Biological Sciences, Senior Researcher, Muzyka G.I.)

Sofievka Park with a division of dendrologists headed by chief gardener Podolyanets N.P.

2. Department of Plant Reproductive Biology and Implementation (Head: Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Researcher Balabak A. A.)

Research Laboratory for Plant Protection (Head: Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Yanovsky Yu.P.)

Experimental production nursery

3. Department of herbaceous plants of natural and cultural flora (head: Candidate of Biological Sciences Kuzemko A. A.)

4. Department of Physiology, Genetics and Plant Breeding (Head of Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor Opalko A.I.)

Laboratory of microclonal propagation of plants (Head of Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Nebikov M.V.)

Scientific support units and services

1. Division of Scientific and Technical Information. Science Library. 2. Tourist service block: House of Scientists' Creativity, Flora Sofiivki store, Aquanarium, Sofievka cafe, Sofievskaya hotel 3. Housekeeping service. 4. Machine and tractor service. 5. Energy Service. 6. Repair and construction service. 7. Security service. 8. Accounting and HR department.

The main activities of the arboretum:

studying the natural and cultural flora of the southern part of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, preserving in natural conditions in the zone of the southern part of the Right Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine collections of living plants, including rare and endangered species, as well as plantings of landscape compositions of the park, carrying out research work in the field of introduction and acclimatization of plants and protection of flora, as well as development of issues of landscape park construction on the basis of the arboretum; development of technology for propagating the most valuable species and introducing them into culture; scientific and educational work in the field of botany and nature conservation, ornamental horticulture and landscape architecture

The most important scientific achievements:

Technologies for seed and vegetative propagation of ornamental plants have been developed and modified, for which over 200 thousand seedlings are grown annually, which are used in landscape compositions of the park and other objects in the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine.

In vitro microclonal propagation technologies have been developed for many ornamental and rare plants.

A hazelnut nursery with an area of ​​10 hectares has been created.

Based on research materials of the last decade, over 800 scientific papers have been published, including 34 monographs.

An archival search was carried out, which established the architectural design of the buildings and restored the historical names of individual compositions and small architectural forms based on images from the poem of Homer Odysseus.

Over the past years, in the western part of Sofiyivka, a new park with an area of ​​53 hectares has been built, in which, using the latest achievements of landscape gardening art, park compositions have been created, in which the bulk of the collection fund of introduced plants of the park is concentrated, which, in accordance with the order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 11.02. 2004 No. 73 included in the register of National Treasure.

International scientific and scientific-technical cooperation There are direct cooperation agreements with the Polish Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Botanical Garden of the Poznan University, the Kurnicki Arboretum of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Botanical Garden of the University of Lublin, the Lanziuti Castle Museum, the Polish company Super Flora, the Warsaw Botanical Garden of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Botanical Garden of the University of Warsaw, Botanical Garden Brno (Czech Republic), Chisinau Botanical Garden (Moldova), Jiamusi University in China, Forestry Administration of Wangqing County, Dilin Province, with Jiamu University (Institute of Life Science), with Beijing Botanical Garden, with Jiamus Horticulture Company Shencai Co. Ltd. in China.)

Within the framework of these agreements, there is an exchange of experience, specialists, scientific and technical information and professional literature. Every year, the parties to the agreements exchange specialists in the transfer of scientific and technical experience and conducting scientific research in various directions, and also cooperate in the introduction and cultivation of new plants.

Park problems

One of the main problems of the park is pollution of the territory by visitors. The massive influx of tourists only deepens the crisis of the ecosystem. In addition, neighboring structures, such as a gas station, also have a negative impact on the vegetation of the reserve. For the balanced development of the Sophia Eco-Museum, not only funds are needed to support the infrastructure of the park, but also a change in the mentality of visitors and city residents. The park administration hopes that adding the monument to the UNESCO World Heritage List will change the situation for the better.

Tourism

The park is usually open to the public from 9 a.m. daily (although you can enter the park earlier), and after 6 p.m. admission to the park is free. But in 2011 it will be open from May 1 to November 15 this year from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and you can also order a visit. Numerous tour guides are available to visitors.

A very popular entertainment among tourists is a ride on Segway electric scooters. You can ride around the park either in a group or individually. There is also a Venetian gondola in the park, this is perhaps the most romantic attraction on which you can sail around the island of love. For water activities, you can also take a ferry ride or take a boat ride on the underground Acheron River. Ride on horseback or in a carriage, take pictures in outfits that were fashionable in the 19th century, ride on catamarans and oar boats.

You can always see newlyweds in the park. In the Flore pavilion they even register marriages, not only for residents of Uman, but also from other cities of Ukraine.

Numerous souvenirs, books on the history of Uman and Sofievsky Park are sold on the territory of the park and near its entrances, and there are fast food stands.

Gallery

• Ukraine

• 922 views

National Dendrological Park "Sofievka" is located in Uman, on the banks of the Kamenka River. It covers an area of ​​180 hectares and is an example of landscape gardening art. Currently, Sofiyivka Park is a popular holiday destination in Ukraine; more than 500,000 people visit it annually.

200-year history of Sofievka

Sofievka Park was founded at the beginning of the 19th century by Polish Count Stanislav-Felix Potocki for his wife Sofia Glyavone-Pototskaya, after whom the park was named. For its construction in 1796, the terrain was very well chosen - hilly, divided by ravines, with large granite blocks on the banks of the river. The park plan was designed by landscape designer Ludwig Metzel, and the idea to create a park in a romantic style using images of the heroes of Homer's Odyssey and Iliad belonged to Sofia herself. Local serfs were hired to carry out construction work for 6 years. In 1802, Sofievka Park was completely landscaped and presented to Sofia for her birthday.

In 1832, the park was confiscated from the Pototskys and transferred to the Kyiv Treasury Chamber. After 4 years, by decree of Nicholas I, “Sofievka” became subordinate to the Department of Military Settlements and began to be called the Tsaritsyn Garden. Architect Andrei Stackenschneider was invited here to build new structures: the Rose Pavilion, the Flora Pavilion, the Chinese Gazebo and other buildings - this was the heyday of the park.

In 1859, the park became the training base of the Main School of Horticulture of the Russian Empire. At this time, the flora of Sofievka is enriched, and the English Park is created from rare plant species.

After the revolution of 1917, the Tsaritsyn Garden was renamed the Park named after the Third International. The school of horticulture existing on its territory became an agricultural technical school, later an agricultural institute, and today it is the Uman National University of Horticulture.

From 1955 to the present, Sofiyivka has been subordinate to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

What to see

Sofievsky Park is interesting for its romantic atmosphere, artificial ponds and picturesque buildings:

From left to right: Pink Pavilion, Flora Pavilion, Chinese Gazebo

From left to right: Snake Fountain, Grotto of Venus, Great Waterfall

From left to right: Calypso's Grotto, Fear's Grotto, Scylla's Grotto

In Sofievsky Park there are busts of ancient Greek philosophers and sculptures based on subjects from Greco-Roman mythology.

From left to right: Cupid, Venus bathing, Paris

Entertainment in Sofievka Park

In Sofievsky Park, in addition to excursions, there are many other entertainments for adults and children:

• 30-minute boat ride (100 UAH);
• catamaran riding (50 UAH);
• ferry ride (50 UAH)/gondola ride (200 UAH);
• boat ride on the underground river Acheron (50 UAH);
• horseback riding (30 UAH);
• ride in a horse-drawn carriage (150 UAH);
• horse-drawn sleigh ride (150 UAH).

Skating for children by boat on the underground Acheron River or by ferry - 25 UAH.

Excursions: opening hours, tickets

Address: st. Kyiv, 12a/ st. Sadovaya, 53, Uman, Cherkasy region, Ukraine

How to get there: You can get to Uman by bus, in particular, from Kyiv they depart from the Central Bus Station and Railway Station.

Schedule: daily from 9.00 to 18.00.

Entrance fee:

• adult - 50 UAH;
• for children - 30 UAH.

The excursion season lasts from April 7 to November 15, but subject to pre-order, service is possible at any time of the year.

Excursion price

*Tours for foreign visitors are conducted in English, Polish, French and German.

If you liked the Sofievka arboretum, we also bring to your attention the beautiful one, which is located in the Goloseevsky district of Kyiv.

Park "Sofievka" on the map of Uman

National Dendrological Park "Sofievka" is located in Uman, on the banks of the Kamenka River. It covers an area of ​​180 hectares and is an example of landscape gardening art. Currently, Sofiyivka Park is a popular holiday destination in Ukraine; more than 500,000 people visit it annually.

Today I will continue the description of our odyssey through Sofievka Park. So, we were in Uman at 16:00. There was no large influx of tourist groups; evening time was approaching. Mostly these were walking groups of people.
My story will include our impressions, historical information from the Sofiyivka guide, and photographs. And now we set off on a new journey.

"....Whoever has not seen Sofiyivka does not have a complete understanding of how art influences nature. If you want to have a true understanding of what is usually called the Champs Elysees, the earthly paradise, come to Sofiyivka and be amazed at the genius creative. There, nature and art, combining all their powers, created a wonderful creation... What harmonious harmony in the amazing fusion of their mutual works! Nothing can compare with what you see here: everything enchants, captivates. Do not think, however, that I I wanted to present to you a far-fetched beauty..." - this is what the famous Russian traveler I.M. Dolgoruky wrote, enchanted by the unique beauty of the garden, when he visited Sofievka in 1810.

“Sofiyivka” is called by many a temple of nature, a poem made of stone, water, earth, architectural structures and sculptures, located on 150 hectares.
From the very beginning of its existence, the park became known as “the miracle of Ukraine” or “one of the wonders of Europe.”

Everyone who comes here is transported to another era in which the flow of time stops. Even the air here is somehow special, intoxicating, imbued with love, tenderness, setting you in a romantic mood, giving peace and fabulous lightness in feelings, thoughts, desires.

What won’t a man do for the woman he loves?! And so, one of the richest people of the 18th century, Count Felix Pototsky, decided to present his beautiful wife Sofia, a Greek by birth, with more than a romantic gift of love - a beautiful park in the city of Uman.

Not doting on his young wife, Pototsky plans to lay out a park of fabulous beauty, and such that it would contain a piece of Hellas, the birthplace of Sophia, and the Champs Elysees, and wonderful plants, sculptures - in a word, everything that would dispel the longing for his beloved homeland. Everything in Sofievsky Park - picturesque rocks, noisy waterfalls, fountains, cool grottoes, wonderful statues - was done for the love of a woman of unearthly beauty.

They gave it once!

A little history
The chronicles, yellowed by time, will inform those who are interested in history that it all began like this: Count Stanislav Szczesny (Felix) Potocki, a descendant of the great crown hetman, one of the richest people, both in our country and in Poland, met an amazing woman in Warsaw beauty and unusual destiny - Sofia. She was born in distant Constantinople, but soon she was welcomed at the courts of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI in Paris, Catherine II in St. Petersburg.

A contemporary of Sofia wrote about her this way: “As good as the goddess Grida. She dressed either in Greek or in French. Wherever she appeared, she captivated everyone, crowds followed her, some climbed onto chairs just to see her.” But then she only saw Stanislav Potocki. And, in the end, on April 17, 1798 in Tulchin, on the family estate, Count Pototsky married Sophia Witt, and since then they have lived as a married couple in Uman.

It was then that Potocki conceived his greatest project. Already at the end of 1796, he began construction of a fantastic natural park dedicated to the beautiful Sofia.

Pond

Why a park? One day, in July 1795, Sofia, on the way from Hamburg, stopped at the estate of Countess Helena Radziwill, which is not far from Warsaw. Impressed by the luxurious Arcadia park created there in the Greco-Roman style, she (of course, without even the slightest hint or secret intention) wrote an innocent letter to her beloved: “After lunch we went to see Arcadia.” It’s hard to imagine something better and more romantic. You know "Arcadia", but you saw it 10 years ago. Imagine how young trees can grow in 10 years, and how much has been done here to improve this place... I am madly in love with "Arcadia". There is not a single species of flowers and exotic plants in the world that does not grow here. Walking through the gardens of Arcadia, I felt that in the midst of summer I was experiencing spring again. Arcadia very much reminds me of Crimea. You know that in that region with your income “In two years it would be possible to have the same, and maybe even more beautiful, Arcadia, because there is no need for artificial plantings.”

Writing this, Sofia did not know, and perhaps did not want to know, that the realization of her romantic dream of a park in Crimea at that time was simply unrealistic for Pototsky: his manager had brought the financial state of the estate to bankruptcy. However, love turned out to be stronger than financial difficulties. Pototsky begins to look for a place and money for a future park.

Pond

What attracted the count most was the northern outskirts of Uman. This secluded corner of the wild landscape was unique and charmingly unique. Here and there huge granite blocks came to the surface, and in some places lonely stunted trees and bushes grew. Here, however, two centuries-old oak trees also grew. In many places, springs seeped out from under the stones, and the Kamenka River flowed at the bottom of the central beam. Potocki asks his adjutant and talented architect, Polish military engineer Ludwig Metzel, if it is possible to make a “party” out of this yar? Metzel agrees. And Sofia, who is already fed up with provincial Uman, eagerly picks up the idea of ​​construction and asks that the park in honor of her Greek descendants have the features of ancient classical Hellas. “The garden is in bloom” – in record time.

At the end of 1796, Metzel began work. As he later recalled, “the best gardener from foreign lands,” the German Oliva, was assigned to help him. The implementation of engineering and technical (roughly speaking, “menial”) work was entrusted, of course, to the fragile shoulders of the peasants. Most likely, Stanislav Pototsky, imagining the future park, recalled the beautiful landscapes of France, Germany, and his native Poland. He was greatly impressed by the famous St. Petersburg ensembles - the Big and Small Caprice, Trifonova Mountain in Tsarskoye Selo, the cascades near the Apollo colonnade in Pavlovskoye. But he had never seen such a mysterious, unique place, created by nature itself, as in Uman.

Planting of trees began along the reservoirs, including seedlings brought from distant countries: plane tree, honey locust, thuja, tulip tree and other exotics. The park was enriched with antique sculptures, obelisks, and decorative vases.

Already at the end of the 1800s, separate corners of the park were ready, which are connected, as intended, with Greek legends and myths. In just a few years, Uman builders and gardeners created a real miracle on a vacant lot. Sofia was indescribably delighted with the park.

The park was opened in May 1802, although the work was not yet completely finished. When the trees and bushes were already sufficiently rooted, fountains, cascades of waterfalls, artificial ponds and streams began to operate. The long-awaited event was a birthday present for the beautiful Sofia. A loving and caring husband created a real holiday extravaganza. Contemporaries recall that in the evening, “after the guests had examined the garden and admired its beauty, illumination was arranged - the lake, in which the fiery shores were reflected, was especially beautiful.” From those times to this day.

No matter which way you enter the park, it is beautiful! The main entrance is decorated with two stone watchtowers, the crown of which is borrowed from the temple of the ancient Roman goddess of the hearth and fire, Vesta and Tivoli. All brides try to bring their grooms here: Vesta herself will bless you and your companion when you pass under her crown.

From the entrance to the park, the main alley runs deep into it, lined on both sides with centuries-old chestnuts and poplars. Next to the alley, Kamenka quietly murmurs. The slopes of the Kamenka valley are directed towards a group of stones called the Tarpeian rock.

Tarpeian rock. According to legend, in ancient Rome this was the name given to the steep cliff of the Capitoline Temple, from which those condemned to death were thrown.

The main alley leads to the Flora Pavilion, an extremely beautiful architectural structure with a white colonnade in the Doric style.

The gaps between the columns reveal enchanting landscapes of the Lower Pond, the Snake fountain (18 meters high), the Muses terrace, and the Belvedere.

Above the lower pond on the right side there is a place with colossal stone piles. There is the Lefkad rock, which almost hangs over the water.

Well, if you look at the Levkad Rock from the side, you can guess the profile of a man very similar to Pototsky himself. A platform was built on it - the Belvedere, and below there lies a huge granite block, called the stone of death. This block was supposed to be raised above the Belvedere, but according to legend, during installation it collapsed, crippling and forever burying many serfs under it.

Just as it is impossible to imagine Sofiyivka without ponds, it is impossible to imagine ponds without birds. Graceful white swans have become permanent residents of the Lower Pond. But these are not the only inhabitants; they are accompanied by a grey-black goose, small ducks and a noisy family of gray ducks. These ducks have become so fond of the park that, according to the guides, they invariably return to their native lands to their nests.

Duck

In the trees we often saw squirrels flashing between the leaves.

Walking along the shady alleys of the park, we come to the statue of Eros.

A few meters from the statue, above the river there are two grottoes, Polyphemus and Loketek.

Loketek Grotto is carved into granite rock. Its decoration is a simple bench and a round table. A great place for privacy.

Me and Larisa at the Loketek grotto

On our way there is a bridge over a river in the Tempey Valley.

Bridge over the river

The Tempe Valley ends with a stone composition

And finally, from the Tempe Valley, the alley opens onto the sunlit Champs Elysees - evergreen meadows with the purest air.

Glades

The lawn of the Champs Elysees is decorated with oaks, spruce, black alder, maple....

Glade

Passing the terrace of the Muses, the Lower Alley leads us to the source of Hippocrene.

From the Big Waterfall to the Levkad Rock, the Lower Pond washes the shores of a small peninsula - the Meeting Site. In the center of the Assembly Square is the Temple of Poseidon pool with a granite vase in the middle.

In Sofiyivka there are many grottoes made of granite: these are the grotto of Diana, the grotto of Tantalus, the grotto of Scylla, the grotto of Loketek, the grotto of Thetis...

The largest among them is the Lion or Thunder Grotto or Calypso Grotto. It is carved into natural rock.

In the grotto, to the right of the entrance, everyone can see the saying of the first owner of the park in Polish:

“Lose here the memory of misfortunes and accept eternal happiness. If you are happy, be even happier.”

Among the stones of the labyrinth against the backdrop of lush greenery, the lifeless skeleton of a white poplar is noteworthy. It is called the “family tree”, which is a monument to the gardener who created this once living structure.

From the Thunder Grotto there is a view of a wide clearing and the Grotto of Thetis
In the Tarpeian Valley we pass by the Thunder Grotto and the Grotto of Venus.

To the left of the Grotto of Thetis, standing out for its shape, there is a pavilion in which pheasants were kept during the Potocki era. That's why the pavilion was named "Pheasant"

From the Pheasant, you can climb granite steps to the Upper Pond, which stretches over 8.6 hectares. Here you can admire the Amsterdam Gateway and take a trip in absolute darkness on a huge boat along the underground River Styx, leading to the Dead Lake. The Amsterdam Gateway is always crowded. An underground river connecting the Upper and Lower Ponds originates here. Riding along this river is an integral part of the excursion. The river in the park is a 224-meter-long tunnel with four hatches - wells for lighting and air.

along the underground river Styx

You can take a boat trip along the Upper Pond.

In the center of the pond there is an artificial Love Island with a Pink Pavilion. This picturesque place is called the island of Anti-Circe, since a sorceress with opposite, good qualities was supposed to live in Pototsky’s park.

On one side of the Upper Pond is the English Park, lined with hundred-year-old linden trees, on the other side it adjoins the Parterre Amphitheater. This is the main entrance to the park.

From Assembly Square you can easily get to another corner of the park on a terrace that leads to the Dubinka clearing, where there is a century-old oak tree, which is difficult for three people to grasp, and a Chinese wooden gazebo.

Liked? But this is just a story with photographs taken by me and Natalochka. Be sure to find time and come to Uman. Here you will see everything with your own eyes.