Zhytomyr Ukraine (Zhitomir)

Zhytomyr (Zhitomir) is one of the oldest historical and cultural cities of Ukraine. It has been situated on the banks of the river Teterev and river Kamianka for 11 centuries. This city is known for Sergei Korolev – the famous Soviet scientist, constructor of the rocket-space technique and the rocket weapon of USSR, the founder of the practical astronautics – who was born here. He was the man, who placed the artificial satellite on the orbit of Earth in 1957. The name “Zhitomir” has not only this city but the small planet under the number 117 240 on the occasion of the 100-anniversary of the birth of S.P. Korolev.

In the city there is even the museum of astronautics, where the visitors can feel themselves the real pilots of the spaceship, by sitting in the pilot chairs and visiting the space capsule. In this museum take place the exhibitions of the contemporary art. In front of museum is situated the house-museum of Korolev, in which one can get information about the life of the great scientist.

The theme of astronautics implemented in the name of the park in the city – Gagarin Park. It is one of the main parks in the city. In the park stays the monument to Mig-15 flying in the sky – this is the monument to the pilots of the second air force. In some distance from the plane there is the beautiful park with the name “Park in name of the 30th anniversary of the victory”. From the park there opens the marvelous view on the city and Zamkova Mountain, which was the start point of the city building. There are the museum of nature – the former Church of Exaltation of Cross and the local history museum.

In the beginning of the 20th century in Zhytomyr city were 17 orthodox churches, 13 of them were of stone. The city is rich in beautiful sacral architecture: Podolskaia Orthodox Church, Catholic Church of St. John from Dukly Seminarian, the Lutheran Church in style of modernized gothic, Intercession Church, the beautiful new building of the nunnery of Benedictines, the Chapel with vaults on the Polish cemetery, Church of Intercession of Mother of God, Church of the Jesus Commandments and the Cathedral of St. Mikhail.

Almost all sights of the Zytomyr are situated in the center of the city. There are many old beautiful buildings in the city. One of them is the town hall on the Korolev Square – the building of the Zhitomir city council, built in 1900. The other attraction is two unordinary old water towers. One of them is situated near the Philharmonic Society. Nowadays there is the restaurant here. In the city there is even the old House – illusion on the Theatre Street. If to watch on it only from the front, you’ll never suspect that it consists only of one wall.

Nowadays the number of the monuments in Zhytomyr (Ukraine) grows up. In 2008 in Zhitomir appeared the monument to the victims of famine “Angel, which is sad…” The monument amazes with its unordinary beauty and lightness.

The city is also famous for the thing that in 1980 on the Berdychiv Bridge was the way of the Olimpic Flame.