CITIES: DNEPROPETROVSK

Dnepropetrovsk, city (1990 est. pop. 1,186,000), capital of Dnepropetrovsk region, central Ukraine, on the Dnepr River. A hub of rail and water transportation, it is a major industrial centre with a huge iron and steel industry based on iron ore from the nearby Krivoi Rog mines and coal from the Donetsk Basin. The city also has plants producing heavy machinery, chemicals, rolling stock, and food products.

The city is very warm in summer (average daily temperature in July is +25-27 C) and cold in the winter (aver. day temp. is -3-4 C). Best time for visiting is in the late spring - the second part of April and May (nice nature and fresh air), and early in autumn: September and October (beauty of towns yellow parks). Long periods of rain are normal in autumn. Other times are mainly dry with a few showers or storms in the summer time.

Large and beautiful, it is the main city of Central-East Ukraine. This constant fortress settlement has existed since the middle of the 16th century. The new town was founded in 1776 by the Russian duke, Potemkin by order of Catherine II, Empress of the Russian Empire and called Yekaterinoslav from 1776 to 1926. During 1918 the towns name was Sicheslav (The Glory for Sich/Fortress of Cossacks).

Dnipropetrovsk has been the major center of the steel industry from the beginning of the 20th century until the present. It has also dominated in the spacebuilding industry since the 1950s.

Today, the city is the major trade, finance and industrial center of Eastern and Central Ukraine and third city in the country by population. There are 11 universities, academies and institutes in Dnipropetrovsk.

Construction of the Metro (underground, subway) was completed in late 1995. International airport (direct lines from Vienna, Frankfurt on Maine, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Moscow etc...)

"The City of Yekaterinoslav - entirely the creation of Prince Grigoriy Potyomkin" - wrote the famous Ukrainian historian Dmytro Yavornitskyi. And the construction plans were far ahead of their time...

The central streets of the city were renamed during the Soviet time in honor of the outstanding revolutionaries. (And it is interesting, the largest of them is in honor of German figures.) So the central street of the city has the name of Karl Marx. It is a very beautiful, wide and long parkway, which stretches east to west through the central part of the city. It was founded in the XVIII century and parts of its buildings are the actual decoration of the city. In the nucleus of the city is Zhovtneva square, on which is the majestic Cathedral that was founded by order of Katherine II (Russian empress) in 1776.

On the square, there are some remarkable buildings: the Museum of History, Diorama "Battle for the Dnieper River (Second World War)", and also the beautiful park in which you can rest in the hot summer. Walking down the hill to the Dnieper River, you will arrive in the large Taras Shevchenko Park (which is on the right bank of the river) and on Monastyrskiy Island. This island is one of the most interesting places in the city. In the IX century, the Byzantian monks based a monastery here. It was destroyed by Mongol-Tatars in the XIII century.

The compact "old town" does not exist in Dnipropetrovsk anymore. Many historic buildings and churches were destroyed in the Second World War and in Stalins communist times in the 1930s. (You can see pictures of the old city of the 19th century Yekaterinoslav here). However all of Central Avenue, some street-blocks on the main hill (the Nagornaya part) between Pushkina Prospekt and Embankment, and sections near Globy and Shevchenka parks have been untouched for 150 years. An evening walk through those parts of the city is very pleasurable...

The Dnieper River is a wonderful creation of nature that keeps the climate mild and the air fresh. You can see it from many points in Dnepropetrovsk. From any hill (there are 7 in the city) you will find a beautiful view of the river, islands, parks, outskirts, river banks and hills. There was no need to build huge skyscrapers in the city in Soviet times. Powerful industries preferred to construct offices close to their main factories away from the centre of town. In the last ten years of independence the price of land in Ukraine has grown considerably. All the new office buildings are being built in the same architectural style as the old buildings....

The Karl Marx Prospekt is the main trade artery of the city. There are plenty of shops and cafes of different sizes and for different income levels. The abundance of trade points can be observed also in several streets and squares contiguous to the Karl Marx Prospekt in the area around the Central Department Store (TSUM) - the biggest market place in the city.

To buy souvenirs, the best site is Exhibition on the boulevard across from TSUM. Large supermarkets are located far from the central part of the city; mostly in residential areas.

Some museums and exhibition halls are always open for you.The largest and most popular is the Historical Museum named for Dmitry Yavornitsky. The Museum of Art has quite a good collection of pictures representing different styles and epoch.

Globy Central Park, Shevchenka Park, Embankments, river beaches and islands are the favorite places of most of the townspeople. During the summer there are a great number of cafes along the wide Dnieper River (1 km. width approx.), on main streets, and in the parks.

The City Opera and Ballet Theatre, Russian and Ukrainian Drama theatres, some Youth theatres, and Circus are waiting for you all year round.