In Kharkov, I went to our readers Andrey and Yana (I wrote about Andrey and his place of work in previous article), who invited us six months ago, when we were going to ride across Russia. It was still impossible to get ready for the trip, and finally, before the New Year, it took place. I have never been to Kharkov before, buying pies on the platform during the transit of a train through Ukraine to the Black Sea does not count.
The city greeted me with a gray sky and absolutely not snowy weather, although the thermometer showed minus. I suppose that the dullness would have been less noticeable if I came here in the summer. Few cities can boast of their beauty in cloudy weather, and in the season when the trees are just black sticks. Actually, I didn't expect anything special, so I just walked around the city center, looked into small courtyards and photographed everything that caught my eye. At first, the inscriptions in a foreign language attracted the eye quite strongly..
Small houses in the center
Derzhprom - an architectural monument
Hanging locks on the bridge has become a tradition in every country
Nice Kharkiv courtyard
Bay window in a house on Sumskaya street
Bursatsky descent is really steep
Annunciation Cathedral up close
The inscription is symbolically overgrown with a loach
Stone pavement in the city center
Vernissage next to the Assumption Cathedral
Moscow avenue
There is a panacea for all ills here
Plastic lining does not really fit with the rest of the architecture
Nice cobblestone street
The unfinished house reminded me of a medieval castle
Along the way, the collapse has already happened
Violent yellow penny
Some kind of atypical architecture
Remember how it was
There is Darwin street here
Signs I've only seen in Soviet films
One of the squares of Kharkov
Kharkiv metro is the same as ours
Palm print alley
Unfortunately, some of the houses are in disrepair, some sidewalks and roads have been dug up. It is not clear whether the authorities have abruptly taken up global repairs in many places, or «nothing is more permanent than temporary»? Yes, I like all sorts of ruins, but it's scary to imagine that people live inside such houses. It is also unusual that the center is just one Sumskaya street, a step to the side and you get the feeling that you are already on the outskirts - and the buildings are simpler, and people disappear somewhere.
City center and people live here
Permanent renovation on the streets
Not far from Sumskaya street, solid ruins and a construction site
All the water from the river has disappeared somewhere
Sketch from the street
One of the courtyards of the city
5 minutes from the station, and there is no one on the street
There are many small monuments in Kharkov. There is even a monument to a soccer ball, and I especially remember from photographs the one that «tortured metro builder». About him «beauty» a lot of legends have been put together, and this is probably why I could not find it - they removed it. But found «not yet tortured metro builder», he looks, of course, much more prosaic.
Monument to Metro Builder
Monument to Lovers or Dried Children
Monument to Lovers or Dried Children
The sleeping area is the usual nine-story buildings, of which thousands were built in the Soviet incubator. Visually - a return to our Moscow nineties, especially if you enter the elevator. Although here in Moscow, in some areas, we periodically have to deal with similar vandalism. Maybe here too «bad luck»? 🙂
Elevator in a residential area
Children play in the yard
Dormitory district of Kharkov
Dormitory district of Kharkov
Kharkiv changes quite a lot at night. The Cathedral of the Annunciation is very beautiful with illumination against the background of paving stones, wet from the rain. Trees entwined with garlands and night illumination look no less amusing..
Cathedral of the Annunciation at night
Station square in the evening
Evening Kharkov
Freedom Square in the evening
Carousel on Freedom Square
People on the streets are the same as ours, made of flesh and blood. Only from conversations it becomes clear that you are no longer in Russia. Even the Russian language, which the majority speaks here, has a noticeable accent. By the way, I realized for myself that I practically do not understand Ukrainian, God forbid, by 30%. My hospitable hosts said that if we were in Transcarpathia, they would also have a hard time perceiving the local speech, since the real Ukrainian culture and language remained only there, and Kharkov is almost Russia..
People on the streets of the city
Grandpa with a bike
People on the streets of the city
On the streets of Kharkov
Touched by the name in Ukrainian
I dropped by the handmade fair Artishop, held in Khatobe (Kharkov theater). It is a pity that I didn’t have hryvnias with me, so I just wandered around and watched what such interesting people were doing now. At the same time I met the guys who are going to travel a lot.
Guys who are going to travel
Fun Passport Covers
A girl who makes various jewelry, including from ammonites
About my walks in Kharkov and Kharkiv Zoo can be read in the relevant articles 🙂
