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Sofiyivsky Park (dendropark) in Uman', Ukraine
Address: 12-a, Kyivska street, Uman', Cherkasy Region, Ukraine, 20300
Tel: +380 (474) 436 319, 436 111
- Sofiyivsky Park in Uman, Ukraine
Sofiyivsky Park is a landscape park or Ukrainian state dendrology park “Sofiyvka” of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. It is located in Uman, Cherkasy Oblast of central Ukraine and stretched out on the area of 179,2 hectares. Park “Sofiyvka” is a masterpiece of world landscape gardening art of the end of 18th - the beginning of 19th centuries. Sofiyivsky Park was founded in 1796 by Count Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki, a Polish noble. The park is named after his Greek wife Sofia (Zofia Potocka) to whom it has been given as a gift in May, 1802. The idea to create a park in a romantic style with the help of the Roman and Greek mythology belonged to Sofia. (they say, poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey" by Homer served an inspiration during the creation of the park).
The cost of the original park was estimated at roughly 15 million złoty! The first and the main architect was Ludwik Metzel, who brought there many rare plants from all around Europe.
- Park “Sofiyvka” in Uman
The park has been confiscated and became one of the possessions of Nicholas I, who renamed it to “The Tsar's Park.” The park was intensively restored between 1966 and 1972.
Sofiyivsky Park is one of the world famous garden-park art creations, preserved to the present time. For almost 200 years it amazes visitors with its outstanding beauty, which includes absolutely wonderful landscapes, exotic plants, antique sculptures, ponds, waterfalls, fountains and a stone garden. Nowadays, there are more than two thousand different types of plants. In 1995 “Sofiyvka” took part at the International competition “Europe Nostra” and has received all possible awards, including a medal, a diploma and a board for work on restoration and preservation of monuments of history and culture.
Park “Sofiyvka” was named one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine on August 21, 2007, based on voting by experts and the internet community. Read more
