Wars and Soviet development have reduced city’s historical center. What once have been the center of Ukrainian authentic architecture now is a narrow triangle of old architectural suite between Sumska and Pushkinska streets. The rest is Soviet monumentalism in all its glory, including one of the world's widest squares.

Photo: Kharkiv History Museum web page
Kharkiv was lucky enough to escape the gruesome fate of Donetsk and Lugansk, now controlled by pro-Russian rebels. Despite of the fact that the majority of Kharkiv population speaks Russian, the city is considered to be home of Ukrainian intelligentsia - scientists, engineers and IT-experts. Kharkiv has a vibrant hipster culture, contemporary Ukrainian art and music scene.

Ploshcha Konstytutsiyi

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It is one of the busiest areas of the city on top tourist attraction. Just west of the square, the gleaming domes of the Pokrovsky Monastery are visible from miles away. The grounds of the spacious square house two attractive churches. The smaller and more important of the two is the blue, three-domed 1689 Pokrovska Church. The yellow church next to it is the Ozeyansky Church.

Uspensky Cathedral

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This cathedral with its landmark mid-19th-century bell tower (89.5m tall) is now used only as a concert hall. This tall building awes tourists with architectural elegance. 

Kharkiv History Museum

Photo: Kharkiv History Museum web page
Kharkiv History Museum occupies the big red-brick building. It is surrounded by the large granite sculptural ensemble commemorating Kharkiv’s designation as the first capital of Soviet Ukraine on 24 December 1917 and several anti-aircraft guns and tanks. The exposition of the museum is mostly dedicated to the history of Ukraine during WW 1 and WW 2.

Shevchenko Park

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Central Shevchenko Park is one of those post-Soviet parks where you can sit for hours watching families taking their leisurely strolls, people walking dogs and couples holding hands or drinking their to-go coffees. The park cannot boast an interesting landscape design, however it is considered to be the best one in Kharkiv.

Kharkiv Art Museum

Photo: Kharkiv Art Museum Facebook page
Kharkiv's most famous museum owns one of many versions of Ilya Repin's Zaporizhsky Cossacks Writing a Letter to the Turkish Sultan, which could be found in a room full of Repin paintings in the museum's permanent collection. The entire collection of romantic paintings here is of a high standard for Ukraine.

Being he second-largest city in Ukraine, Kharkiv has far less attractions to offer comparing to the other big cities of Ukraine, such as Lviv, Odessa or Kyiv. Our web destinations.com.ua rounds up top-5 attractions to visit in Kharkiv in order to learn more about the history of Ukraine and its biggest Eastern city.