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TOWN UZHGOROD
Uzhgorod is a tiny mark
on the map of Ukraine. It is the smallest and also the most
western of all regional centers.
Uzhgorod, the city on the
Uzh-river, honorous its megapolis sisters but preserves its
own face, holds and always held its head high. It has unique
nature and bustling economy with the potential to expend.
It preserves its ancient charm and has gained a business grip.
It may hold in store your cherished dreams, or may hurt you
into vigorous activity in pursiut of success and money.
Uzhgorod is situated in
the pre mountainous area of the Carpathians on both banks
of the Uzh-river when it enters to the north-eastern part
of Danube valley. The city is an administrative, educational,
commercial, tourist and scientific centre of Transcarpatian
region which borders Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. The
mountainous areas of the Ukrainian Carpathians covered with
beach, fir, mixed forests and Alpine meadows, occupy three
quarters of Transcarpatia; there is the geographical centre
of Europe (near the village of Dilove near Rakhiv).
It is easy to get to Uzhgorod
by train, plane, bus or car ; routes from other parts of Ukraine
pass through Lviv via the Veretsky and Uzh mountain passes;
through towns of Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi areas via
Yablounytsky and Veretsky mountain passes. From South-East
Europe the most convinient routes are via Budapest and Nyiregyhaza
in Hungary, Kluzh-Napoka in Ruminia, and from Western Europe
via Koshice and Priashiv in Slovakia, Zheshuv in Poland. The
airports of Budapest, Koshice are used to get to Uzhgorod
in a car after crossing the border check points.
The western line of Uzhhorod
territory p[ractically comes upon the state border with Slovakia
and customs-passing crossing “Tysa” of Kyiv-Budapest highway
is 20 km to the south of Uzhgorod.
Uzhgorod name is derivative
of the Uzh-river. It has changed its form but preserved its
root : Hung, Hungar, Ungvar, Ungujvar. Uzhgorod’s age is over
1105 years. Chroniclers have it that the town appeared as
a fortress in early feudal times of the white Croatian Laborets.
The territory of the city
is about 40 sq. km. It is subdivided into 17 historically
formed areas of Bozdosh, Bolotyna (Marsh), Verbnyk (willow-area),
Talahov, Horiany, Domanyntsi, Dravtsi, Calvary, Mynaj, Subcastle,
Promyslovyj (Industrial), Radvanka, Stantsijny, Storozhnytsa,
Tseholnya, Chervenytsa, Shakta.
The population of Uzhhorod
is multietnic (70 ethnic groups) : Ukrainians, Russians, Hungarians,
Slovaks, Romas, Jipsies, Jews, Germans, Poles, Armenians and
others. About 125.6 thousand people live, work and study in
this smallest of all Ukrainian regional centres.
SEVEN HILLS OF UZHHOROD
Uzhhorod, like most old
towns, lies on seven hills: Castle, Calvary, University, Chervenytsa,
Mining, Onokivtsy, Horiany. If seven hills of Rome are well-known
then those of Uzhhorod are known only to the few. Metaphorically
they have been seven nurses and defenders of the city that
provided space, food, shelter and entertainment for generation
of its citizens. Its architecture is quiet chamber music of
spring showers touching upon its seven notes, whispering something
important of its present and past. Practically all hills make
the city look like a large amphitheatre. Old and new mansions
on the hilltops look like some theatre spectators, watching
the left side residential areas. And the city below sees the
hills as a bow with its arrow-highways leading to the Carpathian
mountains. These hills are beloved by numerous artists who
have painted and photographed them again and again for generation.
CASTLE HILL
The town’s oldest Castle
Hill is of a volcanic nature, it is only about 30 metres high.
Once it was washed up not only by the river Uzh but also by
its tributary Little Uzh. This Hill is a geographical centre
of Uzhgorod. Castle Hill is the cradle of he town because
the castle provided jobs and protected the town populace.
Uzhgorodians are proud
of their castle, an ancient monument that dominates its Eastern
part, and is visible in the city, and from afar. The Castle
is the best preserved of numerous Transcarpation castles though
its fate was very turbulent, the same as that of the city
: it was ruined not once but Uzhgorodians rebuilt it again
and again.
TRANSCARPATION REGIONAL
MUSEUM
The castle started housing
the regional museum with almost 110.000 exhibits, representing
Tranarpatiian flora and fauna with unique herbs, trees and
species; history, starting with the stone age and finishing
with the modern times; folk craftsmanship, including musical
instruments, home utilities, furniture, etc. The numismatic
collection of the museum contains 13 thousand Roman, Austrian,
Hungarian, Russian, Polish, and other coins.
THE FORMER TEACHERS’ SEMINARY
Leaving this quiet village-museum
we see the building of Uzhgorod University Law Department.
The former teachers’ seminary opened in 1794, preparing teachers
for so called “people’s school” organized according to Maria
Terezia’s education law of 1777 all over of the Koshice school
district for about 150 years.
FORMER BASYLIAN ORDER
MONASTERY
Down Zamkova (castle) street
you come to the former Greek-Catholic monastery of Basil the
Great built in 1912; now it houses physical and biological
departments of Uzhgorod National University with one of the
richest Zoological Museums with 5500 species of Transcarpathia
and other lands. There is A. Hrabar collection of birds of
prey, one of the richest in the country.
BOTANICAL GARDEN
Down the former Basylian
monastery runs I. Olbracht street ealier named Pyvnychna,
Wine Rows. On the other side of the street there is the University
Botanial Garden with the area of 3.8 hectares that is a monument
of the garden-park arts. There are about 3900 species, forms
and sots of plants in the ground, and 1100 in warm houses.155
botanical gardens cooperate with its four laboratories.
SUB-CASTLE PARK
A part of woods upon the
banks of the Uzh-river up to Domanintsi was fenced, cleared
out of obstructions, wind-fallen wood, and it was turned into
park. In the course of time Uzhgorod “gripped” and reduced
it to the present status of 2.5 hectares. Of olden times we
have ashes, elms both smooth and mountainous, limes, hornbeams,
poplars. The park has the 500 years old sycamore.
THE GREEK-CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL
It was originally built
as a Jesuit Temple on July 16, 1640. The emperess Maria Terezia
handed it to the Greek-Catholic in 1775. In 1846 bishop Vasyl
Popovich renewed the chapel : ordered a new alter George Reves.
In 1858 the same bishop performed a complex of arts’ works
inside the shrine : its iconostasis was turned baroque ; its
cript was decorated and walls marble-lifted and murals were
painted. The mural upon the ceiling “Raising of the Honest
God’s Cross” was painted by Ferdinand Vydra, who decorated
many Transcarpathian churches.
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
The former bishop’s residence
resembling “Ô letter with the two eight sided towers is adjoined
to the cathedral from the left to the entrance. The western
facade is decorated with blind porticos and A. Bachynsky’s
coat of arms. Now it houses the Library of Uzhgorod National
University with over 1 million two hundred thousand books,
including incunabulas and other valuable monuments.
THEATRE SQUARE
Theatre square is the most
spectacular of all town’s squares. Once it had a fountain
but they demolished it because of a serious damage, and instead
of the soviet type “Board of Honour” there is a platform for
concerts of amateurs and professionals. Its name the square
obtained after the dramas theatre was opened with the first
night of “Natalka-Poltavka” on July 7, 1920.
There is a unique Synagogue
building built in 1907 by two architects D. Papp and F.Sabolchi,
turned into the Philarmonic Society with an almost perfect
sounding hall for 800 spectators.
CORSO
Corso is a trade centre
of Uzhhorod. This street for cab driving obtained its name
thanks to the Drouhets. The crossing of Voloshyna and Corso
streets or so-called Cross is a favourite meeting place for
Uzhhorodians. One of the buildings at that crossings built
at the end of 19th century bears romantic name
“White Ship”.
KORIATOVYCH SQUARE
Corso brings you to the
hub of the city which bears the name of the Lithuanian prince
Koriatovych who in 1393 with his warriors and Podillia peasants
arrived in Tpanscarpathia, and contributsd much to cultural,
spiritual, educational life of the area. It is the hub of
the old city, and consists of two parts : the Eastern part
is a central stop of city buses, taxes, and the Western one
is the covered market place with bustling crowds, busily selling
ad buying vegetables, fruit, bread and what not.
CALVARY
Two centuries old cemetery
and even older street “Temeto utca” (Cemetery, 1691) make
you think of eternal verities. The tombstones of the people
who brought fame to the city are in great number there. The
inscriptions on them are in different languages, testifying
to the changes of history: two mighty empires reigned here
with there multiethnic population.
ZHUPANATSKA SQUARE
The imposing former building
of the regional government (Zhupa) erected in the style of
late baroque in 1809 housed departments where officials of
various ranks daily, routinely dealt with taxes, properties,
disputes. The facade is decorated with the comitat’s coat
of arms: a man with three ears in one hand, and three acorns
which symbolize fertility of land and wealth of woods.
POSHTOVA SQUARE
Poshtova square appeared
in 1932 when the original rounded building of the post office
was built. New premises were built later, the latest being
that of 2000. Opposite it stands a typical town communist
party committe building, locally “tied” by the architect A.
Medvedsky in 1972-1973, now housing the city’s council, and
administration.
Hotel-tourist complex
“Zakarpatye”
- hotel - 579 places,
- 4 halls of a restaurant - 509 places,
- bar - 205 places,
- night bar - 80 places, disco,
- dessert hall - 50 places,
- casino, game hall,
- conference hall - 100 places,
- massage studies,
- hairdressing saloon,
- parking with guards
Hotel complex “Duet”
- hotel - 40 places,
- restaurant - 70 places,
- bar - 26 places,
- sauna with pool,
- fitness,
- parking with guards.
Hotel “Eduard”
- hotel - 16 places,
- restaurant - 38 places,
- sauna,
- open pool,
- parking.
Hotel “Izumrud”
- hotel - 24 places,
- restaurants - 40 places and 50 places,
- sauna,
- parking.
Hotel “Uzhgorod”
- hotel - 140 places,
- restaurant - 130 places,
- restaurant - 20 places,
- cafe - 32 places,
- 2 conference halls - till 25 places,
- sauna,
- hairdressing saloon,
- parking.
Hotel “Druzhba”
- hotel - 89 places,
- restaurant - 50 places,
- banquet hall - 30 places,
- cafe - bar - 30 places,
- conference hall - 60 places,
- parking.
Motel “Piligrim”
- motel - 19 places,
- restaurant - 40 places,
- bar - 24 places,
- parking place.
Hotel “Visit”
- hotel,
- restaurant,
- cafe,
- hairdressing saloon.
Hotel “Nautilus”
- 3 blocks of hotel,
- restaurant, 2 bars,
- parking.
Hotel complex “Svitanok”
- building ¹ 1 - administrative,
- building ¹ 2 - 153 places,
- building ¹ 3 - 69 places,
- club - restaurant - 200 places,
- restaurant - 80 places,
- cafe - bar - 40 places,
- conference hall - 300 places,
- sports grounds - mini-football, volleyball, basketball,
- garage, parking.
Hotel “Àtlant”
- hotel - 7 places,
- restaurant - 32 places,
- parking.
Hotel “Sport”
- hotel - 72 places,
- bar - 20 places.
Hotel “Anna”
- hotel - 10 places,
- cafe - 24 places.
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