Dendrological park "Sofiyivka". Sofievsky Park, Uman

For anyone, even the most capricious traveler, Ukraine is an amazing country. Here, literally at every step there is something interesting. Deep caves and high mountains, wide rivers and endless lakes, ancient cities and modern cities. One has only to look closely, and you will definitely discover something new.

This article will tell you about Sofievsky Park - a place that really fascinates from the very first minutes of its visit. And, in fact, it does not matter at all when exactly you decide to visit here - snow-white winter, golden autumn, blooming with the first flowers in spring or summer smelling of herbs, this trip is guaranteed to be remembered for a long time.

Among other things, the reader will receive a lot of useful information, for example, about how much an excursion to Sofievsky Park costs, how best to get to your destination, what to see first and why you should go there as soon as possible.

Uman. Sofievsky Park - a highlight of the Cherkasy region (Ukraine)

Modest, but quite interesting both in historical and cultural terms, the town of Uman is located in the very center of Ukraine, in the Cherkasy region. Far from everyone, even from local residents it is known that this corner is visited annually by hundreds of thousands of tourists.

Why? What is the reason for such popularity? The whole point is that this locality Thanks to its fame, it is largely thanks to the amazing masterpiece of landscape gardening culture - the national dendrological object called Sofievsky Park.

I would like to note that today this place is one of the most beautiful territories in the world created by man. It surprises and fascinates with its fabulous grottoes, amazing landscapes, mirror ponds and magnificent sculptures.

Sofievsky Park (Ukraine) is a temple of nature, the most beautiful monument of landscape art, one of the most romantic corners of the state, built in the name of love and serving as its symbol for more than 200 years.

How this place was created

I would like to note right away that Sofievsky Park in the form in which we can observe it today is the result of the work of several generations at once.

Initially, this masterpiece was laid in 1796. Its founder was the landowner Stanislav Pototsky, who owned about one and a half million hectares of land. Serf villagers, and according to documents that have come down to us, the magnate had about 150 thousand of them, were actively engaged in construction, replacing each other in turn and freeing themselves from other types of work for this time.

How did the idea of ​​creating such a park come about? The thing is that the landowner, being already married, fell madly in love with a married Greek woman, Sophia, whom he met on one of his many travels. Despite the harsh laws of that time, the lovers withstood all the lengthy divorce proceedings and received approval for marriage from the Empress Katerina herself.

After all the trials that fell out, the couple settled in one of their estates near Uman and began to look for a place to create a corner where they could completely escape from problems and worries. The newlyweds chose a place where two rivers - Kamyanka and Umanka - merged, considering it the most successful for the realization of all their plans.

The park's first architect, Metzel, developed the basic idea and master plan. Stanislav and Sofia wanted to recreate in this place an illustration to the ancient Greek poems "Odyssey" and "Iliad".

Of course, it took a lot of hands to carry out all the work. Even according to the most rough estimates, Sofievsky Park was built by 800 workers, who took more than 10 years to complete it.

The park was first opened in 1800, but at that time its construction had not yet been fully completed. Work continued on improving ponds and laying alleys. Unfortunately, Count S. Pototsky did not wait for completion, as he died in 1805, having spent more than 2.5 million royal rubles on his brainchild.

In 1830, the park became a state park and was named the Tsarina's Garden. Emperors of Russia took Active participation in its further arrangement and visited it at the first opportunity.

In the 80s of the twentieth century, numerous waterfalls, fountains, ponds, bridges, gazebos and statues began to be held in the park.

How to get to Sofiyivka

As mentioned above, Sofievsky Park, whose history cannot but captivate even the most experienced traveler, is located in the Cherkasy region, in the city of Uman. You can get to Sofiyivka different ways and on any A lot of transit bus routes pass through this regional center, so you can get here from almost all parts of the country without problems.

By the way, it should be noted that the main entrance to Sofievsky Park is located just opposite the main bus station of the city, so a tourist will definitely not have to wander through the narrow streets of an unfamiliar city.

You can also go to Uman with the help of the railway. From the station to the gates of the park, at intervals of several minutes, three shuttle buses go at once. In this case, the journey will take no longer than 10 minutes.

But if you want to get there in comfort, you should use the services of a local taxi.

Sofievsky park. Prices for visiting

The entrance to the territory of the arboretum is controlled by the local administration and costs 25 UAH. for an adult and 15 UAH. for children.

For a fee, you can purchase a schematic map of this place with specially marked routes. When traveling in groups, it is still recommended to use the services of a guide.

In the central part of Sofiyivka, near the Upper Pond, there are a sufficient number of different attractions, the cost of tickets for which is the most diverse. For example, a bicycle rental will cost a visitor 50 hryvnias per hour, and a scooter or roller skates can be ridden for 40 hryvnias. Many people like a walk on an open boat or an excursion along an underwater river.

Also in the park there are enough stalls with themed calendars, postcards, magnets and other souvenirs.

A place for lovers to walk

Sofiyivka is rightly called the most romantic corner of Ukraine. Why? The thing is that the park actually personifies the love song of Count S. Pototsky for the beautiful Sophia.

There are white marble statues everywhere, shrouded in branches of exotic trees. Shady paths are ready to give coolness even in exhausting summer heat. Swans and ducks glide along the smooth surface of the mirror ponds, and the crystal sound of waterfalls merges with the singing of amazing birds.

The atmosphere is really romantic. No wonder Count S. Pototsky often walked here with his Sophia. Their favorite routes were the paths along the Upper Pond, the Ionian Sea, Lake Acheron, the Cretan Labyrinth and the Valley of the Giants.

The famous river Kamyanka and its sights

To date, a special site has been built on the Kamyanka River, which has the name Belvedere, which is difficult for a modern person, which in translation into Russian sounds like “a stunning view”.

At the bottom of the observation deck you can see a huge stone block lying a little carelessly, called the “Stone of Death”. Where did such a terrible definition come from? There is a perfectly logical explanation for this. When they wanted to lift the stone, located above the Belvedere, in order to move it to a more successful place, according to the architect, it suddenly collapsed, crippling and even burying many serfs under it.

Since then, the block has been lying here, recalling the terrible events of past years.

Sofiyivka - a place where they declare their love

Numerous travelers who study the culture of Ukraine, as a rule, ask the same thing: “We were going to visit Sofiyivskyi Park (Uman). When is the best time to visit this place? It is rather difficult to answer this question unambiguously. Why? The thing is that everyone finds something of their own here. Some people like the abundance of birds, some enjoy wandering along the paths, and there are those who gather courage and go on a trip along or climb stones, passing over or under waterfalls.

One thing I would like to say for sure. Those newlyweds who decide to go to Sofiyivka on their wedding day or during their honeymoon will definitely not go wrong.

Like the city itself in spring, summer, autumn and winter, it is filled with views and landscapes of fabulous, sometimes some kind of surreal beauty. Even the air itself seems to be saturated with extraterrestrial feelings of passion and love - wonderful statues in the Greek style, picturesque rocks, cozy gazebos, noisy waterfalls, boulders and hills covered with grass and flowers, shady alleys and cool grottoes...

Legends and fairy tales of Sofievsky Park

Do you believe in omens? Then you definitely need to go to Sofiyivka as soon as possible. There is simply a huge number of secluded places specially designed for the fulfillment of desires. Touch the stone, lean against the rock, close your eyes while passing under the grotto, and your innermost will surely come true.

For example, according to one of the legends, if you get dry from the water under the Big Waterfall, your plan will surely come true. By the way, from a personal example, we confirm that this is not difficult to do, since the passage under the waterfall completely allows you not to get wet.

The second story refers to the grotto of Calypso. It tells that if an unhappy person enters the grotto, he will become happy, and if he is happy, he will certainly become even happier. In order for all dreams to come true, it is necessary to go around the stone column in the middle of the grotto with your eyes closed three times. Also, a small fountain flows in the corner of the grotto, into which tourists throw coins for good luck.

Another legend tells about the miraculous healing by the waters of the Diana's Mirror grotto at the foot of the Venus waterfall. Sick people come here every year. They say that the source actually helps many.

Flora and fauna of the old park

According to many, this place actually acts as a real museum of wildlife. For many years here has found its new house several tens of thousands of exotic plants imported from all over the world. Right next to the entrance to the park is the main alley, completely planted with century-old French chestnuts and rare species of poplars.

But in the greenhouses of Sofiyivka, seedlings of the most beautiful plants of our planet are grown, some of which can be purchased for quite a moderate fee. Also today, a rose garden operates in the park, in which several hundred different types of flowers are grown.

Various fish are found in the ponds, exotic ducks and majestic swans swim. Nests are made in the trees and birds call to each other. And in the thickets at any time of the year you can spot funny squirrels.

What to see first

Starting a walk through Sofievsky Park from the main entrance along a wide alley, the first thing you should pay attention to is the Pavilion of Flora, made in the Doric style. By the way, this is also the favorite territory of local swans, who simply love to eat grapes that grow abundantly here.

In front of the pavilion, on the left side, three springs are spouting at once. According to legend, if you drink water from the middle, you will become beautiful, and from the extreme - healthy and rich, respectively. Are you afraid to be confused? Try the water from all at once, just to be sure!

Bypassing a huge number of natural monuments, it is worth getting to the Upper Pond on the island of Anti-Circe. This is the very heart of the park, where ladies in hats and puffy dresses and gentlemen in luxurious suits. Surprised? All these outfits from different eras and styles can be rented on the spot! Try to imagine yourself as a kind of time traveler. The fee, by the way, is very symbolic.

In general, Sofiyivka has everything your heart desires: amazing landscapes, stone grottoes, antique statues, rocks, transparent lakes, murmuring waterfalls, mysterious reservoirs, various kinds of cascades and many others. interesting places, without visiting which, you should not leave the park.

Hungry? Where can you eat?

Still, the amazing city of Uman. Sofievsky Park is another proof of the generosity and hospitality of the local population. Here they like to please, revealing the beauty of their land. And if they accept to treat a traveler, then they do it with all the cordiality of real Ukrainians. Cafes, restaurants and canteens are literally at every step.

By the way, next to the main entrance to the arboretum there is a pizzeria with excellent cuisine and very affordable prices for such a crowded place.

And in the park itself, near the Upper Pond, there are several outlets where you can order a hot dog or buy chips, as well as refresh yourself with sweet sparkling water or ice cream.

Getting to know the city itself

In general, it should be noted that Uman is a beautiful, cozy and rather ancient settlement of the Cherkasy region, in which the past and the present are harmoniously mixed today.

Moreover, he is known not only for his masterpiece of garden art, the aforementioned, but also for the grave of the founder of Hasidism - Nachman.

Many people know that in the world Uman has the glory of one of the main places of pilgrimage. Several thousand visit the city each autumn.

1. Sofiyivka under the Pototskys (1796 - 1831)

Ionian Sea in Uman's Sofiyivka

The park was founded in 1796 by Count Stanisław Felix Szczęsny Potocki (1751 - 1805) on the territory of his possessions in Right-Bank Ukraine in the city of Uman. The opening of Sofiyivka took place only in May 1800, which was associated with the flood of 1799, and timed to coincide with the name day of the count's wife, Sophia Glyavone-Witt-Pototska (1760 - 1822), after whom the park was named.

The total cost of arranging the park amounted to 2 million silver rubles, including the payment of serfs according to the general chinsha.

Tarpeian rock in Uman's Sofiyivka

Initially, the entrance to the park was from the side of the greenhouse (from the side of the Uman State Agrarian University), and the composition of the complex was located along the bed of the Kamenka River (until 1796 - the Bagno River), which served as the basis for the park's water system. According to the original plan for the construction of the largest park in Europe, conceived by Metzel, the following were created:

• a water system consisting of interconnected ponds, waterfalls, sluices and rivers: Upper Pond (8 ha), Acherusian Lake, Lower Pond (1.1 ha), r. Cocytes, r. Styx, r. Ocean, r. Mnemosyne, r. Acheron, r. Flegeton, r. Summer, Semestruyka fountain;
• rocks Lefkadskaya and Tarpeiskaya;
• grottoes of Venus, Nut, Fear and doubts;
• sculptures.

Waterfall in the Valley of the Giants in Uman's Sofiyivka

After the death of Stanislav Potocki (March 14, 1805), Sofievka is inherited by his eldest son from his first marriage with Jozefina Amalia Mnishek (1752 - 1798) Jerzy (Yuri) Szczęsny Jerzy Potocki (1776 - 1810). The heir cedes the possession of the county town of Uman and, in the place with it, Sofievka, to his stepmother, Sophia Witt-Pototskaya, with whom they had a long-term love affair, in exchange for paying off his debts in the amount of 30 million Polish zlotys.

Due to the need to pay off the debts of her stepson and husband (7.5 million Polish zlotys), Sofia in 1808 tries to sell the county town of Uman and Sofievka with it to the Russian tsarist government. This deal was never concluded, although the owner personally turned to Alexander I (1777 - 1825) in 1810 with a request to speed up the consideration of the issue.

Until 1813, the park was kept in excellent condition thanks to the efforts of its creator L. Metzel. But after his departure to Warsaw to the post of head of the land and military communications of the Kingdom of Poland, Sofiyivka does not receive proper care.

River Styx in Uman's Sofiyivka

In 1815, the poem "Zofiówka", written in 1806 by the Polish writer Stanisław Trembiecki (1737 - 1812) and translated, commissioned by Sofia Witt-Pototskaya, into French, published in Paris and brings Sofiyivka pan-European fame.

However, in the possession of the one in the name of love for which it was founded, the park was not for long. After a long oncological illness in Berlin on November 22, 1822, Sophia died, and her embalmed body in a carriage with a fan in one hand and a bouquet in the other was brought to Uman and buried in a crypt near the Basilian Cathedral.

Ithaca Island Umanskaya Sofiyivka

After the death of Sophia, the estate passes to her son Alexander (Aleksander Potocki) (1798 -), who returns Sofiyivka to its former beauty, and also complements the architecture of the park with new works, installing statues on the Caucasus Hill - T. Kosciuszko and on the Champs Elysees - Yu. Poniatowski. In the possession of Alexander in 1829, a description of the flora of the park was compiled by A. Andrzheevsky.

In connection with the suspicion of Alexander Potocki in connection with the Polish rebels (the uprising of 1831), although he denied this in his personal correspondence, his estates, after the suppression of the uprising on October 21, 1831, were sequestered in favor of the Russian state.

2. Sofiyivka - Tsaritsyn Garden (1831 - 1859)

Flora Pavilion in Uman's Sofiyivka

Despite the requisition, Sofiyivka was under the control of Alexander Pototsky until March 13, 1832, when it was transferred to the Kiev State Chamber, and later in the same year - as a gift to Alexandra Feodorovna (1798-1860) by her husband - Emperor of All Russia Nicholas I (1796 - 1855) . As a confirmation of this, in 1850, the pedestal of Tadeusz Kosciuszko was dismantled on the Caucasian Hill and a bronze statue of the queen was installed.

From 1836 to 1859, Sofiyivka Park was under the jurisdiction of the Office of Military Settlements, and Karl Ferre was the main gardener at that time.

Thanks to the laying of Sadovaya Street in 1838, and the conversion of the street into a highway in 1853, the park becomes more accessible to visitors, which gives a new impetus to its further development:

Island of Anti-Circe in Uman's Sofiyivka

• the main alley and the Zheleznaya Rura spring were ennobled (1838);
• pavilions Fungus and Chinese are erected (1841);
• two towers in the Gothic style are erected at the central entrance (1844);
• completed the construction of a stone pavilion in the Gothic style on the island of Anti-Circe in the Upper Pond and the Flora pavilion designed by K. Rapponet (1845);
• on the orders of Nicholas I, the pavilion in the Gothic style was demolished and built in the Renaissance style according to the project of A. I. Stackenschneider on the island of Anti-Circe (1850);
• entrance towers are rebuilt according to the project of A. I. Stackenschneider in the antique style (1852),
• the grotto of Apollo is filled up, and in its place an obelisk with a gilded three-headed eagle is erected in honor of Nicholas I's visit to the park (1856);
• the Serpent Fountain is installed (c. 1852-1859).

3. The main school of horticulture in Russia in Sofiyivka (1859 - 1929)

Parterre amphitheater in Uman's Sofiyivka

At the direction of the Emperor of All Russia Alexander II (1818 - 1881) in 1859 Sofiyivka was renamed into "Uman Garden of the Main School of Horticulture" after its transfer to the Main School of Horticulture of Russia.

In 1870, Sofiyivka again suffered a flood - the dam of the Red Pond was washed out and the stream passed through the central part of the park.

According to the project of Vasily Vasilievich Pashkevich (1856 - 1939), an arboretum (English Park) was laid in the park on an area of ​​2 hectares (1889 - 1890). However, the main work during this period was aimed at maintaining the park in its original state.

The total area of ​​the park in 1897 was 152 hectares, and the number of specimens of decorative and fruit plants reached 382 thousand.

After the revolution of 1917, Sofiyivka was nationalized and renamed in 1919 into the “Park named after the III International”.

4. Sofiyivka State Reserve (1929 - 1955)

Fountain of the Serpent in Uman's Sofiyivka

By the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR N26 / 630 of May 18, 1929, Sofiyivka was declared a state reserve and recognized as an independent organization, which was several times transferred to the subordination of various departments (People's Commissariat for Land Resources, the Department of Reserves, the Department of Architecture, etc.). At the same time, part of the park territory remained under the control of the Agrarian University.

In 1945, the park was renamed again and received the name "Uman State Reserve Sofiyivka". And in 1946, funds were allocated for the restoration of the park in the amount of one million rubles, due to which the architectural elements of the park, statues and the alley system of the park were restored.

On an area of ​​20 hectares in the park, a decorative nursery is being created, designed to enrich the flora of Sofiyivka.

5. Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR in Sofiyivka (1955 - 1980)

Grotto of Apollo in Uman's Sofiyivka

In 1955, on September 26, Sofiyivka was transferred to the subordination of the Central Botanical Garden of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR.

During this period, there is an increase in the area of ​​the park due to the lands of the Uman city communal farm (6.19 ha), the Uman Agricultural Institute (9.5 ha) - in 1958 and the military unit (5.1 ha) - in 1972. Work on the improvement of the park does not stop: the Rose Pavilion has been repaired, the road and alley system is being improved, and the main entrance is being replaced with a metal fence.

In 1956, all sculptures in the park were replaced with copies made of organic glass or plaster, and the originals were transferred to storage.
The main alley in 1974 was supplemented by the Silver Streams spring, designed by E. Lopushinskaya.

On the night of April 3-4, 1980, Sofiyivka again suffered a natural disaster - a mudflow caused by intensive ice melting after a snowy and frosty winter. Its traces can still be seen from the marks on the tree bark of the main alley at a height of 3 m. The damage included significant destruction of elements of the park's architectural ensemble (bridges, dams, statues, alley-road pavement) and the flora of the park.

6. Arboretum Sofiyivka (1980 - present)

Stream in the oak forest Menagerie (Sofiyivka)

After the natural disaster of 1980, damage to about fifty park objects was repaired as soon as possible (four months).
In the period from 1980 to 1993, along with the development of new territories, which consisted in the organization of the administrative and economic part (the construction of garages, libraries, a water tower, etc.), the previously lost objects of the park were being restored: the Gribok arbor, Acherusiyskoye Lake according to the projects of E. Lopushinskaya.

January 23, 1991 Sofiyivka receives the status of an independent research institution of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Sofiyivka Park near Uman was not created for long, from 1796 to 1800. Only thanks to the free labor of a huge number of serfs, it was possible in such a short time to create an ensemble with complex hydraulic structures, laying and arranging huge stones, planting imported adult trees.

In this park, the main thing is not the plan, not the composition of green spaces, not the disclosure of large and small prospects, such as in Sokirintsy or. Here the task is to create a certain mood, an occasion for various kinds of associations, philosophical reflections. The park has a clear melancholic coloring. Heaps of stone blocks, water falling from heights or calmly flowing in a stone gallery, cool twilight grottoes, stone and hanging bridges, cascades, gorges and romantic gazebos, marble sculpture - this is the arsenal of tools used by park builders to create the impression of "Uman miracle, as they later came to call it. One can argue about whether the sense of proportion and proportion between natural and invented is not lost here, because the free interpretation of the romantic park created conditions for the development of individual taste, and the taste of the owner, Count Potocki, could not but be reflected in the details. He dreamed of making his park more original and interesting than estates near Moscow. The park is a work of landscape gardening art, outstanding for its beauty, craftsmanship and technical excellence. The integrity and completeness of his compositions speak of the high professional level of his creators.

In the picturesque tract Kamenka, in a treeless valley, the river flowed. Bagno. The name of the tract characterizes the surrounding landscape in the best possible way - boulders and rocks are piled up all over. This feature has determined a completely unique image of the park. Local stone was widely used for the construction of dams and bridges, for locks and for pedestals for sculpture. Fabulous grottoes and grandiose waterfalls, extraordinary pools and fountains were created from stone. At a great depth, a gallery for an underground river was pierced. Styx, the bed of the oval Dead Lake was cut down and other structures were created that reproduced famous mythological scenes.

Invisible murmuring streams flow among the stones. A fantastic Valley of the Giants was created from stone with huge boulders and fragments of rocks randomly scattered.

Simultaneously with the movement of stone in the park, places were cleared for picturesque glades and deciduous and coniferous trees, ornamental shrubs. During the construction of the park, local and exotic species of trees were widely used - plane tree, various types of pine, prickly spruce, fir, tulip tree. The exposed slopes of the beams were planted with local species - oak, linden, maple, hornbeam and ash. Separate large-sized exotics were brought from afar with a clod of earth and landed in glades to create complete park compositions. Thus, the main massifs of the park called Dubinka, Gribok and Menagerie were formed, on the territory of which especially large works were carried out when laying the park. The first builders of the park were the Belgian engineer Metzel and the serf gardener Zaremba. Complex compositional tasks were solved immediately on the spot, without a preliminary plan, which required great professional experience and skill. By the time the construction was completed, reservoirs and an island were created, the channels of the streams feeding the reservoirs were changed, fountains and waterfalls were arranged, a greenhouse was built and trees and shrubs were planted. Thus already at this time the most interesting form was given to the rocks, the stone was transformed into sculptures and romantic structures, the surrounding waters were directed so as to enliven the valleys and groves with their course, and the enriched nature in all its diversity unfolded its brilliant appearance. In 1831, the park was renamed Tsaritsyn Garden and from 1836 to 1859. was under the jurisdiction of the Office of Military Settlements. During this period, a lot of work was carried out to reconstruct and expand the park: new alleys were created, wide roads were built for walking in carriages around the park, a beautiful chestnut alley was planted, which has survived to this day.

Some of the old ones were restored and new park structures were created - a large gateway, the main entrance, the Rose Pavilion, the Flora Pavilion, new greenhouses were built and the old ones were restored. The area of ​​park plantings has increased due to new plantings, and on the slope, below the greenhouses, there are extensive vineyards and plantations of rare plants.

Architects V.P. Stasov, acad. A. I. Stackenschneider, according to the project of which the main entrance to the park and the Rose Pavilion were built, and Makutin, the author of the Flora Pavilion. All these buildings have survived to our time. In 1859, Sofiyivka was placed at the disposal of the School of Horticulture. It occupied one of the leading places among special educational institutions of this profile not only in Ukraine and Russia, but also abroad. The development of the park during this period is associated with the name of prof. VV Pashkevich, who taught botany and gardening here since 1885, was the chief gardener of Sofiyivka. In 1889-1890, under the leadership of V.V. Pashkevich, a decorative nursery was founded and a landscape arboretum was laid out, which later received the name of the English Park. At the same time, planting continues on the territory, and in 1897 the green fund of the park was about 382 thousand specimens of ornamental and fruit plants.

In 1929 the park was declared a state reserve. During the temporary occupation of Uman by the Nazi invaders during the Great Patriotic War, the park suffered significant damage - collections of greenhouse plants, a large palm section, valuable collections from tree nurseries were badly damaged, and many sculptures were destroyed. Immediately after the liberation of the city by the Soviet troops, the restoration of the park began. Gardener L. A. Kazarinov gave sixty years of his life to Sofiyivka (from 1894 to 1958). The history of the development and restoration of the park is devoted to scientific research and numerous publications of Ph.D. architecture of I. A. Kosarevsky. Currently, the park is under the jurisdiction of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The area of ​​the park is 152 hectares. The main park-forming species are pedunculate oak, common spruce, Scots and Austrian pines, Siberian larch, Norway and field maples, small-leaved linden, hornbeam, sycamore, beech, pear, some specimens of which reach large sizes. The undergrowth consists mainly of European and warty euonymus, hawthorn, viburnum.

The edges of the massifs are edged with brightly flowering ones - wild rose, steppe cherry, almond, spirea, blackthorn. In low places, near springs, in the valley of the Kamenka tract, silver willow, poplar of various species, aspen, alder, honeysuckle, fern grow.

There are few plantings that have survived to this day from the first plantings. These are mainly ancient oaks, huge lindens, majestic ash trees in the area of ​​the Menagerie, Dubinka and the Champs Elysees. In the northwestern part of the park, thanks to a high dam, a storage pond was created - the Upper Pond with an area of ​​​​about 8 hectares with an island, which ensures the functioning of the park's water system. It is more than 10 m higher than the Lower Pond. The river valley curves sharply from northwest to south. Thus, the compositional axis is asymmetrical in relation to the entire territory: 1/3 - from the Upper Pond to the beginning of the Lower Pond and 2/3 - the strongly elongated and narrow Lower Pond and the river flowing from it. Kamenka. This was reflected in the entire composition, built according to the increasing degree of emotional impact.

The main entrance to the park is in the south. From the entrance along the river. Kamenki go along the valley paths (Little Switzerland). The main alley is conceived in such a way that all attention is directed to the right, to the picturesque slope of the opposite bank of the river, where the Tarpeian rock with the Birch arbor and groups of picturesque stones along the channel are located. The alley leads to the pavilion of Flora, placed along the axis of the Lower Pond. The pond is surrounded by walking paths. Along the coast and along the paths there are sculptures, grottoes, and a belvedere. The number of "vents" gradually increases and culminates in the area of ​​the Waterfall and grottoes. Further, the tension subsides, the path along the channel rises to the Upper Pond - a vast open space with a calm expanse of water. All paths in the park are natural, they are laid horizontally, sometimes almost parallel due to slightly terraced slopes. Approximately at the same level, there is a greenhouse in the north and a large elongated clearing with a Chinese gazebo in the west. You can climb a serpentine to the greenhouse, and a path with a large slope leads to the Chinese gazebo. Behind the Chinese gazebo begins a new Sofiyivka - site modern park, limited by Gogol and Kievskaya streets, as well as the territory of the Agricultural Institute. The area of ​​this territory is 55 hectares. The old and new parts are compositionally linked to each other, creating a single landscape and park formation, formed by the eastern, central and western hills, separated by two beams. One of them is the river valley. Kamenka, the other is Grekova beam, almost parallel to it. A wide alley runs along the slope of the Grekovaya beam, connecting the old and the new (northern) entrances. The beam with a system of ponds designed in it is the compositional axis of this part of the park. The main alley is complemented by a circular walking route and a system of paths that take you to the most interesting areas. A large pond with an area of ​​1.2 hectares is located along the axis of the Chinese gazebo. Another body of water Spring turns into a rocky stream. Early flowering plants are planted along the shore of the reservoir, the shore is treated with stones in the form of terraces. The Japanese Garden, the Iris Garden and the Poets Garden are located along the stream bed. The new circular alley is connected to the old part of the park by a path leading to the statues of Euripides and Winter. The volumetric and spatial solution of the large bypass alley is based on a system of open and closed spaces that create a constant change of impressions. At the new entrance, a plot has been designed for mass events. The attendance of the park is constantly increasing, therefore, measures are being taken to protect its valuable plantings, create comfortable conditions sightseeing tour groups and amateur tourists. The new part of the park serves as a buffer zone, which assumes the function of a city park for the recreation of city residents. Compositionally linked with the protected area, it provides not only its protection, but also inspection.

The biblical name "Garden of Eden" is used to describe places where a person feels as if he has grown wings. But what should such a garden look like? To find out about this for sure, we advise you to come to Uman in the Cherkasy region and visit the arboretum " Sofiyivka».

This park is a real miraculous place of power, gives love, because in 1796 it was founded in the name of love. The idea of ​​this man-made miracle, on the creation of which thousands of serfs worked, belongs to the Polish count Stanislav Potocki, who was madly in love with his beautiful wife, the Greek Sophia.

When Count Potocki and Sophia met, both were married and each had a difficult past behind them. The count survived the death of his beloved woman, while Sophia went from an Istanbul courtesan to the wife of the commandant of the Kamenetz-Podolsk fortress. The beautiful and intelligent Sophia Witt captivated the heart of Potocki. He built this heavenly park of love for Sophia and in 1802 gave it to her for her birthday.

About the love park of Count Potocki - " Sofiyivka' - you can talk endlessly. Here, even the air is somehow special, intoxicating, saturated with tenderness and love, such that it sets you up for romance, gives calm and amazing lightness in thoughts, feelings and desires. Sofievsky Park is also called a temple of nature, a poem of stone, earth, water, architectural structures and sculptures.

Sofievsky Park was created based on ancient Greek myths, which was best embodied in its beautiful landscapes. The main entrance to the park is decorated with two stone watchtowers, the crown of which is borrowed from the temple of Vesta, the patroness of the hearth and sacrificial fire in Ancient Rome. This is the first special place of power in this park, which is called the Crown of Vesta. If you believe the legend, passing through this arch with your loved one, you are guaranteed happy and long years together.

From the entrance to the depths of the park leads the main alley, which is decorated on both sides with centuries-old chestnuts and poplars. Near the alley, the Kamenka River quietly carries its waters. On the slope of its shore rises a group of stones called the Tarpeian rock.

Between the columns of the pavilion, views of the Lower Pond with the 18-meter-high “Snake” fountain and the terrace of the Muses are visible. Above the lower pond hangs the Lefkada Rock, in which, if you look at it from the side, you can guess the profile of a person who is too similar to Count Pototsky himself. The Belvedere site was built on it.

Further, leaving behind the Thunder Grotto and the grotto of Venus, we rise to the Upper Pond, in the very center of which there is an artificial island of Love with a Pink Pavilion. Here you can admire the Amsterdam lock, and then take a trip on a huge boat in complete darkness by the underground river Styx, leading to the Dead Lake.

Many who wish to find happiness in their personal lives associate their hopes with the island of Love. It is believed that when a person is unlucky in love, it is enough for him to go around the island three times, and he can calmly wait for a happy meeting.

Be sure to visit Calypso Grotto. In it, Potocki personally left a parting word in Polish for posterity: “Whoever is unhappy, let him come in and become happy, and whoever is happy, let him become even happier.” They say that you need to touch the sign with the inscription, and then walk around the big stone three times, and then happiness will definitely appear in your life.

The park has a staircase with seventy-seven steps. It is known that on the day when the count gave the park to his beloved, he carried her in his arms up these stairs, kissing her on every step. Walk through them too to feel how the warmth of love penetrates your soul.

There is also a place in the park that, according to legend, grants wishes. This is the Big Falls, so that it will give you success, you just need to overcome the passage located just behind this waterfall. And if you stay dry, your wish will come true.

Briefly about Count Potocki

Count Stanislav-Felix Frantsevich Potocki ( middle name Schesny, which means "happy") was born in 1753 ( according to other sources - 1752). He was only son Polish magnate Frank Silesius Potocki. The young count was brought up in love, but also in severity. His mentor was priest Wolf, who instilled in the young count a sense of responsibility, mercy and concern for the peasants. The count's parents hoped for a profitable dynastic marriage with a representative of a count or princely family. However, Schesny fell in love with Gertrude, the daughter of Count Komarovsky, who owned only a few villages.

In 1770, Schesniy, secretly from his parents, married Gertrude. After that, on the orders of her father, Silesius Potocki, the pregnant Gertrude was kidnapped. She was taken to a monastery. And so that the dear unfortunate woman did not scream and did not attract attention, she was covered with pillows, under which she suffocated. The corpse of Gertrude was thrown into the hole. Upon learning of this, the young Count Potocki tried to commit suicide, but he was saved by a jura ( in the 16th - 18th centuries, this was the name of a young guy - a squire, an assistant to a Cossack foreman).

In December 1874, young Potocki married Jozefina Amalia Mnishek, but these were not the most joyful years in the count's personal life. Josephine Amalia was distinguished by a violent temperament and not too high morality.

Many years will pass until the count feels that a real feeling has come into his life. He will fall in love with Sofia and, in honor of his chosen one, will lay a park of incredible beauty.

Little help

Calypso- in ancient Greek mythology- a nymph who lived on the island of Ogygia and sheltered Odysseus, who escaped on the wreckage of the ship. On Ogygia, Calypso lived in the midst of wonderful nature, in a grotto covered with vines. She kept Odysseus for seven years, hiding from the world. To connect with her beloved forever, the goddess offered Odysseus eternal youth and immortality. However, the hero-traveler managed not to succumb to the charms and seductive offers of Calypso and continued his difficult journey to his beloved wife.

Venus was once the Roman goddess of gardens, her name was used as a synonym for fruit. Later, she became not only the goddess of beauty and love, but also the patroness of the Romans. Venus gained particular popularity in the 1st century BC. BC e., when the emperor Sulla, who believed that Venus gives him happiness, desired her patronage, the famous military leader Pompey, who dedicated the temple to the goddess as a winner, Julius Caesar, who considered her the progenitor of the Julius.

Rocks and architectural structures created views and perspectives of different plans (Main Alley, English Park, Champs Elysees and others).

When Ludwig Metzel completed the construction, the entrance to the park was from the side of the greenhouses (that is, from the courtyard of the Agricultural Academy). Then they came to "Sofiyivka" on horseback along the current streets of Tyshchik and Kievskaya.

The Polish writer Stanisław Trembiecki dedicated the poem "Zofiówka" to the park in 1806, which was later translated into several other languages.

Tsaritsyn garden

By the 200th anniversary of the founding of the park in 1996, the work of the Iron Rura spring was resumed, its historical name was returned. The water of this spring comes from the grotto "Diana". At the entrance to the park from the street. Sadovaya, on the left, immediately behind the entrance tower, there is a hill planted with junipers, thujas and firs. There is a pool in this hill, from which water flows to the Iron Rura and a waterfall with a small saucer of water, built according to the project of the architects of the UkrNIIInzhproekt Institute V. B. Kharchenko and O. P. Humenny. In the same year, the National Bank of Ukraine issued a commemorative 2 hryvnia coin dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the park's foundation.

South part

Main entrance

The park starts from the main entrance along Sadovaya Street. Behind him is the central alley. The towers of the main entrance, built in -1852, have survived to our time along with the entrance gate. The fence from the towers has changed many times over the course of a century and a half - from wooden on clay columns, then metal on granite columns, to the form that it has today, along with a reconstructed bridge, steps and a tourist service complex, which today bears the status of the House of Scientists' Creativity National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. This house has an original architecture, and at the top of the building there is an observation deck. In addition to the museum, the House of Creativity of Scientists has a hotel for 45 people, a restaurant, and a sauna.

central alley

Before natural disaster, which took place on the night of April 4, 1980, the main entrance was decorated with balsam firs. They died, and in their place two columnar arborvitae 20 years old were planted, which fit well into the architectural ensemble.

House of creativity of scientists

Tarpeian rock

Pavilion of Flora

To the right, near the entrance to the park, behind the thuja wall was the building of the Museum of the history of the park. It was opened in September 1985 . The museum, created on a voluntary basis thanks to the enthusiasm of the park workers and its fans, was not designed for mass visit. It was methodical center for training guides. It also contained materials on the history of Sofiyivka. The building in which the museum was located was built in 1957, until 1980 it was used as an administrative and laboratory building, and in 1996 its funds were transferred to the building of a modern administrative building located in the park. Now, from the place where the museum was located, there is a view of the granite rocks and the small Lake Geneva, which appeared in the 1930s.

On the territory of the meadow, which is located above Lake Geneva, in 1841 a wooden gazebo was built for the sentry soldier. It resembled a fungus in its shape, therefore the territory of the slope on the right along the way to the park was called "Fungus". The gazebo was restored in 1994.

Along the central alley of the park, on the way from the Main Entrance to the Tarpeian Rock, a group of fir trees grows on the right, as well as a swamp cypress (two-row taxodium). These trees were planted in 1891. Previously, this section of the park was called Little Switzerland. It is known from historical archival materials that this section of the park acquired its completed form during the period of military settlements, after the construction of the entrance towers was completed.

The alley ends with the pavilion of Flora. A square is planned in front of it, from which, going around the pavilion, several roads diverge. The asphalt road through the Venetian Mostok leads to the Upper Lake and to the exit to the territory of the Uman Agricultural Academy (the former Main School of Horticulture), along the greenhouses to the viewing platform near the obelisk. From there, along the Upper Alley, you can go to the Bellevue Terrace and return to the square to the Flora Pavilion. On this road, near the central part of the park, you can walk in a carriage.

Another road from the Flora pavilion rises steeply to the left and up, leads to the entrance zone to the park from Kievskaya street, to the administrative and economic zone of the park, to the Dubinka meadow and further to western part where created modern views parka.

The lower alley runs along the shore of the Lower Lake.

Up close, the Pavilion of Flora looks exquisite, thanks to its precise architectural forms, tall Doric columns, and a bas-relief on the frieze that depicts leaves and bunches of grapes. The ornament was made in 1852 according to the drawings of the academician of architecture A. I. Stackenschneider. Granite steps lead to a spacious oval hall. Between the white columns opens the panorama of the Lower Lake.

central part

Venetian bridge

The compositional solution of the central part of the park is based on scenes from the mythology of Ancient Greece and Rome, and some places resemble the dwellings of Greek gods, heroes, writers and philosophers.

To the right of the pavilion "Flora" is the so-called Venetian bridge, made of granite wedge-shaped stones of the arched vault. The bridge is decorated with granite pylons, between which heavy forged chains hang. A little below the bridge there is a wooden lock for passing water into the bed of the Kamenka River.

In the middle of the Lower Lake, from the wide-open mouth of a snake wriggling on a stone, a column of water beats - the fountain "Snake". Water enters the fountain through an underground water supply line, laid out of granite hewn stone along the road that leads from the academy and the greenhouse to the pavilion of Flora.

Opposite the Thunder Grotto (Calypso's Grotto), there is a sump and an offshoot of a conduit to supply water to the interior of the grotto. The settled and thus purified water is fed into the fountain through cast-iron pipes laid at a slight slope, by gravity, which leads to a minimum loss of pressure force during friction of water against the walls of the pipeline.

Fountain "Snake"

The diameter of the fountain head "Snake" is reduced by 10 times compared to the water pipe. The water supply is precisely calculated and a simple engineering solution for its eruption from the fountain provides a small difference in height between the fountain column and the level of the Upper Lake of only 1.5 - 2.5 meters, and thus the height of the fountain reaches 12 - 16 meters. At first, the water of the fountain hit the height simply from a hole in the stone and the fountain was called "Samson", like the well-known fountain in Peterhof. Later, during the military settlements, a sculpture of a snake was installed on the stone. The snake was cast in bronze by an unknown master. If its knot is stretched in length, it will be 10.65 in size.

In the center on the Lower Alley - a statue of Hermes (among the Romans - Mercury). This statue has been in the park since 1800, it was installed, like other statues, in different places in the park and restored several times.

At the end of the Lower Alley is, on a high granite pedestal, a two-meter statue of the ancient Greek poet-playwright Euripides. He is depicted in full height with a scroll in right hand and a bunch of manuscripts at the feet. The sculpture of Euripides is the only one in the park, which has not been moved to another place since its installation in 1800. In 1996, all the original marble sculptures were transferred to the museum, and copies made of plaster and plexiglass were installed in their places.

Bridge to the Square of Collections

View of the Lower Lake

Grotto of fear and doubt

Grotto of Scylla

Further, near the foot of a steep slope, there is the source of Hippocrene (Hippocrene). According to Greek mythology, the source of Hippocrene appeared from the blow of the hoof of the winged horse Pegasus (hence the “horse spring”) on the mountain of the Muses Helikon in Boeotia. The source is dedicated to Apollo and the Muses.

On a square pedestal near the spring, in 1851, a statue of Venus bathing was installed, which used to stand in the grotto of Apollo. Now in this place there is a copy in plexiglass, made in 1952. Below the statue from a granite pedestal, spring water runs, which has the same temperature at any time of the year. Water fills a bronze half-cup, decorated with a decorative image of snakes, and, overflowing over its edges, flows down a granite underground channel into the Lower Lake.

A metal bridge leads across the lower lake to the Collection Square, from which a view of the Big Falls opens. Water comes here through the underground river Acheron from the Upper Lake. The waterfall was built in the first period of the park's creation.

The collection area is decorated with various architectural elements of the park composition. This name appeared during the period when "Sofiyivka" was under the jurisdiction of the military settlements. At that time, a military band played in the park on Sundays and noble people of the city gathered here to listen to music and dance. But the square was created during the first period of the park's construction.

The gathering area is framed by wooden benches. It is located on an oval-shaped peninsula. In the center of the square there is a pool, in the middle of which there is a large granite vase. Ornamental fish swim in the pool. Water enters the pool through an underground cast-iron pipe from the Upper Lake and is kept at the same level, because the water level is discharged into the Lower Lake through a granite channel laid underground. In summer, the vase is decorated with bright flowers. There is a statue of Paris near the pool.

To the left of the square is a grotto. A large granite block weighing more than 300 tons, hung without support and rests only on three points. The reliability of this structure was checked by nature itself. In,, 1986, when a significant earthquake occurred in Uman, the grotto remained intact. The grotto is called the Grotto of Fear and Doubt (earlier name - Grotto of Tantalus).

Above the Grotto of Fear and Doubt, near the Big Waterfall, there is a small pedestal. Once there was a statue of Cupid, made of white marble. Of the original, only Cupid's wings have survived. In 1996, according to photographs, it was cast by the Kyiv sculptor I. D. Didur from organic materials and installed in its place. The statue depicts a boy who scattered all his arrows, the string that connected the ends of the bow was torn. Cupid leaned back and breaks his bow.

Above the Gathering Square, granite steps go up along a large granite boulder. Next to the left is the Western Grotto (Grotto of Scylla). The grotto is made of pink granite and contains granite benches and a table.

Further, on the right, there is a platform carved into the rock along the edge of a steep cliff. The site is called the Belvedere, because a statue of Apollo Belvedere stood on it for some time. During the period of military settlements, in 1847, the site was surrounded by an openwork metal fence, which has survived to this day. In front of the entrance to the site, you can see the lower part of the rock, which resembles the profile of a human face. According to some stories, this is the profile of Ludwig Metzel, according to others, Stanislav Pototsky. The observation deck on the Belvedere is decorated with an antique marble statue of Orpheus.

Just above the Belvedere rock, the adjacent area is called the Caucasus Mountain. On the Caucasus Hill, a white marble statue of the leader of the Polish uprising of 1794, Tadeusz Kosciuszka, was installed. In 1847, by order of Nicholas I, who then visited Uman and Sofiyivka, the statue of Kosciuszko, along with the statue of Napoleonic General Yu. Poniatovsky, which was also installed by O. Pototsky on the Champs Elysees, was sent to Gomel. Instead, the tsar promised to send a statue of his wife Alexandra Feodorovna, in whose honor "Sofiyivka" began to be called "Tsaritsyn Garden". And in 1850, this statue, depicting the queen in bronze, sitting in an armchair, was installed here. IN Soviet period the statue of the queen as a highly artistic work of the famous Russian sculptor V. A. Sherwood was sent to the Hermitage. In 1939, a monument to V.I. Lenin was erected here. In 1941 it was destroyed by the Germans. In 1964, a marble bust of T. G. Shevchenko was installed on the Caucasus Hill on the same pedestal on which the statue of the queen stood. In the newspaper "Umanskaya Zarya" dated May 29, 1964, an image of the monument was published. The pedestal did not match the bust in size, and in 1965 a new granite pedestal was made, but the bust of T. G. Shevchenko was never installed, it was transferred to the village of Rodnikovka in 1985, where it still stands today.

Statue of Euripides

Venus bathing

East End

truncated column

To the east of the Amur statue on the left side are granite steps that lead to the Loketek and Oreshek grottoes. They were created in the first period of the construction of the park.

Grotto Oreshek is located with right side. It completes the composition of the Valley of the Giants. Granite lava was cut out in the Oreshek grotto, and a three-stage waterfall was made next to it.

To the left and below is the Loketek grotto - a massive natural rock. It has a bench and a round table. He is mentioned in all famous descriptions"Sofiyivka". The grotto was made in honor of King Vladislav of Poland.

Further along the alley there is a bridge across the bed of the Kamenka River, which leads to the Tempe Valley. In this place, Ludwig Metzel tried to create a prototype of the Greek Tempe Valley. 9 birches grew here, which allegorically displayed the nine sons of Potocki. Two of them (Kostantin and Nikolai) died at an early age, as did Potocki's daughter Helena. As a memory of their early death, a granite obelisk was erected in the valley, which has the name "Truncated Column", (Broken or Broken Column). Near the base of the obelisk there is a gravestone granite stone, which resembles a sleeping lion, and a stream of the Kamenka River flows nearby, divided into three separate small waterfalls. They are called "Three Tears" and allegorically express the mother's sorrow for three dead children.

"Nature and Art"

Grotto of Calypso

Pheasant

pink pavilion

The next part of the park is called the Champs Elysees. Near the entrance to the Champs-Elysees lies a granite boulder of natural shape, and next to it is a hewn four-sided polished granite column. These two stones happened to be side by side in "Sofiyivka" and over time began to be called the composition "Nature and Art".

Deep into the Champs Elysees, on the left side on a green meadow, on a granite pedestal, there is a granite vase. On the right side of the meadow with a vase, there is a section of stones of various sizes. The stones are covered with moss, lone trees and bushes grow between them, and paths go without a definite direction. At the beginning of the construction of the park, this area was called the Cretan labyrinth. To the right are three separately grown white poplar trees that have already died. They are called "family tree".

To the east of the Champs Elysees is the largest grotto carved into natural rock. It is called Lvovy or Gromovaya (the original name is Calypso Grotto). Not far from the entrance, on the right wall, there were two lines carved into the wall in Polish, which belong to Stanislav Pototsky: “Forget the memory of misfortune here and take happiness higher, if you are happy, then be even happier.”

Further along the alley is the grotto of Thetis (Venus). The grotto has a vestibule consisting of four columns. They hold on to a granite slab and a semicircular window. The middle of the grotto is decorated with a sculpture of Venus Medicea, restored last time in 1952 .

To the left of the grotto of Thetis is a round pavilion called Pheasant. This pavilion is built of round oak columns, inlaid with oak, ash and maple bark. It was installed in the park in 1812. During the flood in 1980, the Pheasant was also destroyed, and its roof was brought by a stream of water onto the stones of the Cretan labyrinth, where it was dismantled and taken out in parts. In addition to the renovated roof, the pavilion was made of new parts according to the drawings of the Ukrproektrestavratsiya Institute. Inside the pavilion is a small pool with a fountain in the center. Water for it is supplied through a pipe from the Upper Lake, the height of the water jet reaches 3-3.5 m.

In the most northeastern part of the park is Lake Superior. There is an island on it, on which a pavilion stands out, lined with exotic plants. This is the Island of Love (the previous name is the island of Anti-Circe). The island of Anti-Circe was created during the first period of construction of the park in the expanded part of the Upper Lake, or the Enchanting Sea. The serfs poured the island by hand and gave it an oval shape in such a way as not to close the distant vistas of the lake.

The shores of the island of Anti-Circe, like the lakes, are lined with granite. Communication with the island was first carried out by ferry or boat, and in 1853 a wooden bridge for pedestrians was built on stone supports between the north coast and the island.

On the slope, to the west of the Lower Lake, there is a natural oak forest, which is called Dubinka. There used to be an oak forest in this place, but only one old oak tree has survived from it, in a clearing near the Chinese arbor. All the other trees, which create a picture of dense natural wild forest, were planted later and are less than 200 years old. Some of them were planted back in the first period of the park’s construction, some later, and even more self-sowing here, which was not cut down for a long time, and only during -2002 hornbeams, maples, ash-trees and other self-sowing trees and bushes were cut, uprooted and after planning seeded lawn. In the 1960s, exotic trees were also planted behind the Dubinka. Previously, there was a Greek forest here, known since the time of the Turkish invasion in 1674. Obviously, the Grekova beam, which runs through the entire park along its southern edge, got its name from the forest. The last remnants of the Greek forest, which are still preserved on the top of the Grekovaya beam, were cut down and sold at the beginning of the 20th century to replenish the city treasury.

Next to the pavilion, a memorial stone was installed in 1975 in memory of the revolutionary events that took place here. The glade served as a venue for the first city rallies, demonstrations, and gatherings. Here, in 1904, the first May Day took place, and in 1919, workers celebrated the First of May.

Northern part

Scheme of the English Park

The English park, or V.V. Pashkevich Arboretum, is located in the northern part of the park. It occupies a small area in the shape of a triangle, with an area of ​​about 2 hectares. Its top is adjacent to the gates of the Uman Agricultural Academy. One side of the triangle is bounded by a wide paved highway lined with century-old lime trees. The other side borders on the parterre amphitheater, and on the base line there is a clearing with a bust of Socrates. The territory of the arboretum is densely cut by a rather complex labyrinth of paths. There is a pool that once housed a collection of aquatic plants, as well as a rocky hill once covered with succulent plants - perennial plants whose vegetative organs are able to accumulate moisture, so that they can grow in deserts, on stones and in sands.

On the plots of the arboretum, the largest number of exotic woody and bushy plants, valuable both in decorative and forestry terms, grows, their number in 1987 was more than 100 species and forms.

Parterre amphitheater

Greenhouse

Along with the English Park in the west is the Parterre amphitheater and the greenhouse. In front of the greenhouses, a section of the park was created on three levels in a regular style. Top part- These are trimmed lawns of the correct form, the edges of which are decorated with various varieties of polyanthus roses. The middle part of the Parterre Amphitheater is made of a granite wall and a wide horseshoe-like alley, which smoothly goes around the gentle part of the slope with rich herbaceous vegetation, which descends to the pool with the Semistruy fountain. The granite retaining wall, erected in 1845, is decorated with coils of roses, wild grapes, honeysuckle, and roses also grow near the edge of the slope, as in the upper part of the amphitheater.

The parterre amphitheater has undergone many changes. During the time of the Pototskys, there was a main entrance to the park here. Then the name of this site appeared - the Valley of Roses. The rectilinear two-row thuja alley before the Great Patriotic War consisted of only one row of thujas planted in 1910. She imperceptibly limited the regular part of the park, she was cut at a height of no more than 1 m. During the war, there was no necessary supervision of the park, the arborvitae were not cut even after the war. In the 1950s, another row was planted, the upper one was the western thuja. Since the capacity of the serpentine of narrow paths between the rows of roses did not provide free passage for visitors, whose number was increasing, in 1957 the site was redesigned. Granite steps were built in the center of the slope, which led to the Semistruy fountain, and on the ridges, where roses once grew, they planted different types and forms of juniper and thuja, and the edges were planted with tamariks. Almost all the steps in the park were originally wooden, over time they collapsed and constantly required repair, so in the 1960s they were replaced with granite ones.

Obelisk "Eagle"

When the restoration of the park was carried out in 1996, the fundamental reconstruction also affected the Parterre amphitheater. The map of "Sofiyivka" for 1855 is taken as a basis, on which this section of the park is clearly visible. Therefore, having dismantled the granite steps, the serpentine path was resumed, and forty-year-old ordinary and columnar arborvitae, junipers, mulberries and other valuable plants were transplanted to the newly created landscapes of the Western part of the park.

The Semistruy fountain was built during the first period of the park's construction. Fountain - a small round pool with an openwork bronze vase in the middle. From the center of the vase, seven powerful jets of water shoot up. Water is supplied to the fountain by an underground gravity water supply from Lake Acherontiyskoy. Due to the difference in terrain, the height of the central jet of the fountain reaches 5 m. Excess water is discharged through underground drains into the Lower Lake.

Behind the fountain is a statue of "Winter". The statue depicts an old man, his face expresses pain, suffering, he tries to cover himself with a tunic to protect himself from the cold. It was believed that this is an allegory of both the seasons and the life of a person. Previously, the statue was called the sculpture of the Eternal Zhid.

Below the Parterre amphitheater is the Terrace of the Muses. A granite obelisk was installed on it in 1856. Before the revolution of 1917, the top of the obelisk was decorated with a gilded three-headed eagle, and the inscription indicated that it was erected in honor of Nicholas I's visit to the park. After the revolution, the obelisk and the inscription disappeared, and only on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Sofiyivka in 1996, according to the project of the Ukrproektrestavratsiya institute, the same institute made a three-headed eagle - the family coat of arms of the Romanov dynasty. The obelisk is surrounded by a forged decorative chain.

Scientific work

Research laboratory premises

In Sofiyivka, scientific work is carried out in the field of dendrology, horticulture (including the study, acclimatization and introduction of valuable plants) and park construction, botany and plant ecology. National Dendrological Park "Sofiyivka" is a research institute within the Department of General Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine No. 68 dated April 18, 2005.

Structure of the National Dendrological Park "Sofiyivka" as a research institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

• The general management of the research institute is carried out by -

Director of the National Democratic Party “Sofiyivka” of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Corresponding Member NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Kosenko I.S.

• coordination scientific work and general management of scientific departments

carried out by the scientific secretary Ph.D., senior researcher. Grabovoi V.N.

• Scientific departments:

1. Department of dendrology, pack building and plant ecology (Head, Ph.D., Senior Researcher Muzyka G.I.)

Park "Sofiyivka" with a division of dendrologists headed by the chief gardener Podolyanets N.P.

2. Department of Plant Reproductive Biology and Implementation (Head, Ph.D.

Research Laboratory for Plant Protection (headed by Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Yanovsky Yu.P.)

Pilot production nursery

3. Department of herbaceous plants of natural and cultural flora (Head, Candidate of Biological Sciences Kuzemko A.A.)

4. Department of Physiology, Genetics and Plant Breeding (Head, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, Associate Professor Opalko A.I.)

Laboratory of plant micropropagation (Head, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Nebikov M.V.)

• Scientific support units of that service

1. Division of Scientific and Technical Information. Science Library. 2. Tourist service unit: House of scientists’ creativity, Shop “Flora Sofiyivki”, Aquarium, Cafe “Sofiyivka”, hotel “Sofievsky” security 8. Accounting and personnel department

The main activities of the arboretum:

• study of the natural and cultural flora of the southern part of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine
• preservation in natural conditions in the zone of the southern part of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine of collections of living plants, including rare and endangered species, as well as plantings of landscape compositions of the park
• carrying out research work in the field of introduction and acclimatization of plants and protection flora, as well as the development of issues of landscape park construction on the basis of the arboretum
• development of breeding technology valuable species and introducing them into culture
• scientific and educational work in the field of botany and nature conservation, ornamental horticulture and landscape architecture

The most important scientific achievements:

Technologies for seed and vegetative propagation of ornamental plants have been developed and modified, for which more than 200 thousand seedlings are grown annually, which are used in landscape compositions of the park and other objects near the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine.

In vitro micropropagation technologies have been developed for many ornamental and rare plants.

A hazelnut nursery with an area of ​​10 hectares has been created.

Over 800 scientific papers, including 34 monographs, have been published based on research materials of the last decade.

An archival search was carried out, behind which the architectural design of the buildings was established and the historical names of individual compositions and small architectural forms were renewed on the basis of images from the poem of Homer Odysseus.

For recent years built in the western part of Sofiyivka new park with an area of ​​53 hectares, in which, using the latest achievements in landscape gardening art, park compositions were created, in which the main part of the collection fund of park introducers is concentrated, which, in accordance with the order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated February 11, 2004 No. 73, is included in the register of the National Treasure.

International scientific and scientific-technical cooperation There are direct cooperation agreements with the Polish Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Botanical Garden of the Poznań University, the Kurnicki Arboretum of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Botanical Garden of the University of Lublin, the Museum and Castle in Lanziuty, the Polish company Super Flora, the Warsaw Botanical Garden of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Botanical Gardens of the Warsaw University, the Botanical Brno Garden (Czech Republic, Chisinau Botanical Garden (Moldova), Jiamu University (Jiamusi University in China), Forestry Department of Wanqing County of Dilin Province, with Jiamu University (Institute of Life Science), with Beijing Botanical Garden, with Jiamus Gardening Company Shenzai Co. Ltd. in China.)