...If I come again some spring / In the grey disguise of years, / Seeking ache of memory here. (Robert Frost)
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The Vanishing World of the Ukrainian Jewry

Table of Content

CHERNIVTSI

[CHERNIVTSY, CHERNOVTSY, CHERNOWITZ] 
Quick Facts
Places of Interest
Side Trips
Hotels
Restaurants



Quick Facts and History
The administrative center of Chernivtsi Province (ethnographers refer to it as Bukovyna or, rather, northern Bukovyna). The area of the province - 8,100 sq.km. The population of the province - 944,000 (considerable percentage of Romanians and Moldavians). The population of the city - 260,000. 

Northern Bukovyna in the 10th-12th centuries was a part of Kyiv Rus; in the 12th-13th - of Galicia-Volyn Principality; then it fell under the Tartar control; in 1345 Bukovyna went under the Hungarian reign, but shortly it became a part of the Moldavian state; in 1514 it was conquered by Turkey; in the second half of the 18th century in the course of the war between Russia and Turkey it was annexed to Austria and remained a part of it till 1918, when it was annexed to Romania. Northern Bukovyna united with the rest of Ukraine in 1940.

The first mention of the city of Chernivtsi dates back to the 12th century. It was founded on the river Prut as a fortress to protect the Slavic territories from steppe nomads raids. Lasting periods of foreign domination and the multi-national ethnic structure of the population determined the peculiar architectural image of the city, folk art and cuisine.

A one night stay is usually enough to visit the major sites of the city. Tourists having ethnic roots in the area may stay longer (itineraries tailored on request).


Included in: "Zarvanytsya 2000" (brief description, detailed program), "The Ukrainian Center of Europe" (brief description, detailed program), "Grand Tour of Ukraine" (brief description, detailed program), "Super Grand Tour of Ukraine" (brief description, detailed program), "Bukovyna" (brief description, detailed program). 


Places of Interest
The city tour of Chernivtsi includes: the former residence of the Bukovynian archbishops, now the University of Chernivtsi (erected in 1864-82, designed by famous Czech architect Josef Glavka); Chernivtsi Opera House (1869-75) - a masterpiece of the Austrian architects Fehlner and Helmer (the ones who designed Opera House buildings in Vienna and Odesa); Armenian Church (1869-75) designed by Joseph Glavka (due to its excellent acoustics, chamber music concerts often take place there); and the famous Kobylyanska Street - most characteristic example of Austro-Ukrainian secession style.
Photo of Chernivtsi University The University of Chernivtsi to some extent resembles the Oxford University in England, doesn't it?


The open-air Museum of Traditional Rural Architecture and Every-Day Life of Bukovyna (historical park).


For those interested in the history of Ukrainian literature and theater the museums of Olga Kobylyanska and Yuriy Fedkovych can be recommended.


The Museum of Bukovynian Diaspora (for tourists of Ukrainian, or rather Bukovynian background). 


Side Trips
Kamyanets-Podilskiy and Khotyn.

Kosiv

Trip to a Bukovynian village, visit to a private farm, lunch at the farmer's house.


Hotels
CHEREMOSH HOTEL *** +


Restaurants

At the hotel.