The city of Dnipro is located on the banks of the deep water river of Ukraine - Dnipro, in the very center of the country. It is one of the largest industrial centers of Ukraine and the space capital of the country, where bold developments and global achievements in the field of engineering are carried out.
Dnipro used to be an inaccessible zone where entry and exit were prohibited. Entry was allowed only with a special "passport" due to the high strategic importance of the city. He was known for his developments in the field of rocket engineering, as well as conducting important scientific and technical tests.
At present, the city of Dnipro, in addition to its powerful metallurgical facilities, offers tourists and travelers many cultural attractions. The infrastructure is well developed here, and the industrial appearance of the metropolis is masked by sophisticated modern architecture, lush green parks and powerful water flows of the river. Modern Dnipro is one of the most attractive and popular cities of Ukraine.
Population
There has long been a joke in Dnipro that the city sometimes becomes a millionaire, then loses this status again. The number of residents in the city constantly fluctuates around one million. At the same time, the ethnic composition of the residents is relatively homogeneous. The majority of the population is Ukrainians, who make up 79% of the total number of residents, and there are also many Russians in the city - about 18%. Belarusians, Armenians, Jews and Azerbaijanis are represented in the minority and make up about 1% of the total population.
In general, the inhabitants of Dnipro are reserved and friendly people with a great sense of humor.
Geography of the Dnipro
In Dnipro there are 8 administrative districts. Among them, the most attractive for tourists are: Soborny district with its symbol - Monastyrskyi ostrov, Shevchenkivskyi district, located on the right bank and known for its Sicheslav embankment, as well as Central district, where administrative institutions, Dnipro-Arena stadium, Lazar Globa Park are located and a river port. For convenience, it is better to buy a guide in advance and make a visit route.
Famous places in Dnipro
Monastyrsky Island Park, Cathedral Square, Yavornytskyi Avenue, Potemkin Palace and the longest embankment are considered symbols of the city. In addition, the list of iconic sights includes the Mykolaiv Cathedral, the Mother of God Fortress, Katerinoslav Boulevard (sometimes called "New Arbat"), the fountain with light music "White Swan", the world's largest Jewish complex "Menorah" and many others.</p >
A brief history of the city of Dnipro
The history of the city of Dnipro dates back to ancient times. In the Stone Age, the first settlements of ancient people already existed here. This is not surprising, as the fertile fertile lands and clean water of the deep river attracted many to these areas. Later, nomadic tribes of Scythians and Sarmatians also stopped here. They were the first to subdue the raging rivers. Some researchers claim that already in the 2nd century AD there was a connection via the Dnieper with the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.
In 870, Byzantine monks founded a temple on Monastir Island, which was not chosen by chance. This place was considered the northernmost of all that was visited by one of Christ's disciples - Andrew the First-Called, who came here with the mission of teaching about Christianity. However, during the Mongol-Tatar invasion, the temple was destroyed, and the number of residents on the territory significantly decreased.
In the 16th century, active life on Monastir Island was revived thanks to the activities of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. At this time, about a dozen villages appeared here, crafts developed, and the first fortifications were built.
The history of the city of Katerynoslav begins with the decree of Empress Catherine II in 1776, which marked the beginning of the birth of a real city. Initially, the area chosen for construction, on the banks of the Samara River near the confluence of the Kilchen River, turned out to be unsuccessful due to the swampy terrain. Soon, the leader of the empress, Prince Grigory Potemkin, proposed to move the city to the right bank of the Dnieper, and this is how the city of Katerynoslav appeared. It was conceived as the third largest city of the Russian Empire after Moscow and St. Petersburg with the aim of defending the state from the Commonwealth of Nations. However, after the death of Catherine II, the city began to decline. The background of this event is no less interesting.
At the end of the 18th century, the city of Katerynoslav was renamed Novorossiysk by Emperor Paul, but in 1802 it returned its former name. After the fall of the tsarist regime in 1926, the city received a new name in honor of the revolutionary Grigory Petrovsky and the Dnipro River - Dnipropetrovsk. Due to the features of the local landscape, such as the Dnieper Highlands with beams and hills, the city is also called the "City on three hills". Currently, it is officially known as Dnipro.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the metallurgical and trade industries, as well as the nuclear, defense and space industries, began to actively develop in Dnipropetrovsk, which led to the city acquiring the status of a large industrial center. The first rocket factory was opened within the city, and many different factories and Prydniprovska TPP were also built. In parallel with this, culture developed, and the population grew.
In 2016, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine decided to change the communist name of the city of Dnipropetrovsk to a more symbolic and meaningful one - Dnipro. Today, the city continues to write its history, developing in the direction of European values with perseverance and purposefulness.
The best time to travel to Dnipro
Dnipro is located in a temperate-continental climate zone, where air humidity increases in autumn and spring due to the proximity of the Dnipro River. In winter, air temperatures are relatively mild, about -4°С, frequent thaws and fogs. The summer is warm, but it can be dry and hot, with frequent temperatures around +25°C. The best time to visit the beaches of Dnipro is early autumn or in the second half of spring. During this period, the sky is clear and clean, the air is fresh and warm, with normal off-season temperatures around +15°С. Lovers of peaceful sightseeing tourism will find here an ideal time to visit.
If you are interested in event tourism, the cultural life in the Dnipro is rich throughout the year. In different periods, you can visit music and dance festivals, art exhibitions, performances in theaters and the circus, take part in sports fishing, attend master classes at the Museum of Ukrainian Painting, enjoy bright football events and other events. The main thing is to check the details on city posters! If you are not focused on events, then you can choose the best time to visit the Dnipro depending on your preferences and planned activities.
What places should be visited in Dnipro?
Take a walk along the historical paths of the Monastyr Island, where the ancestral home of the city of Dnipro is located, located in the Shevchenko Central Park of Culture and Recreation. A pedestrian bridge leads to the island, where you can see the monument to the great Kobzar and the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas.
Walk along the longest promenade in Europe (about 30 km) and enjoy modern architecture, cafes and restaurants. Sicheslav embankment, located on the right bank of the Dnieper, is especially beautiful in the evening, when special lighting is turned on, creating a mysterious atmosphere. From here you can admire the panorama of the river. Local residents say that all roads in the Dnipro lead to Sicheslav embankment!
Visit the large-scale "Battle for the Dnipro" diorama on Cathedral Square, which will help you travel back in time and learn about the tragic pages of the Second World War. You can also visit the only ATO museum in Ukraine, founded in 2016 on the initiative of the participants of the operation and volunteers. The museum consists of four zones with different emotional perception.
Find peace of mind by the lake with tame swans in Lazar Globa Park. In the park you can enjoy green lawns, cozy cafes and attractions for children and adults.
You can ride a trolley over the river and enjoy the spectacle of the "Roaring Dnipro" waterfall. The route starts from the observation deck in Shevchenko Park and ends on Monastirsky Island.
At the Interpipe Steel plant, you can learn more about metallurgy and appreciate the latest environmentally safe technologies and the good design of the plant.
At the National Aerospace Museum, you can see for yourself the well-deserved status of Dnipro as the space capital of Ukraine. Life-size exhibits of rocket and space technology, satellites, space stations, combat missiles are presented here, and you can also learn a lot of interesting things about the life of Ukrainian scientists-developers and designers of equipment for space exploration in the museum.
On Starokozatskyi Street, you can join an excursion and walk through the labyrinth of underground tunnels crossed by the Polovytsia River. In addition, at 15 Vykonkomska Street, there is a "focus" of a house with one wall, which is worth trying to figure out.
In front of the entrance to the restaurant on the water "Poplavok" there is a red carpet where you can feel like a celebrity. The opening of this establishment was dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the city in 1976, and the taste of fish here is considered unsurpassed.
The Merefo-Kherson railway bridge impresses with its bold construction. The curved arcs of the roads, which challenged the technical stereotypes of their time, are today a monument of engineering architecture of national importance. The bridge remains unique in Europe due to its curvilinear trajectory.
In the unusual "Creek" theater, you can enjoy aesthetic pleasure in an authentic setting. Here, one person, Honored Artist of Ukraine Mykhailo Melnyk, performs the role of actor, director, screenwriter and decorator. During its twenty years of existence, the Creek Theater won the hearts of not only local residents, but also guests of the Dnipro.
