The city of Voronezh is the center of the Voronezh region, located on the southern tip of the central part of Russia. More than one million people live in the urban agglomeration today, most of whom have no idea about the great historical past that left its mark on the formation and development of the settlement.
Becoming a city
Excavations carried out on the territory of Voronezh showed that in ancient times there were as many as 4 settlements in this place. The northern tip of the city is known for a huge archaeological complex called "Voronezh Vantite". On its territory, more than half a thousand burial mounds were discovered and investigated, evidence that settlements arose very early in these places.
The appearance of references to the city dates back to the second half of the 16th century, when the construction of the Voronezh fortress was underway under the control of its first governor, Saburov. Initially, the structure was wooden, so several times it was mercilessly burned out completely, killing all the local residents. After another fire, the walls of the fortressbuilt from stone. It turned out that the construction of new elements began in 1585, as written evidence has been preserved. This date is celebrated by the inhabitants of the city as the day of its foundation and is widely celebrated.
A city with such a long history simply cannot but have significant historical and cultural monuments, temples, libraries and museums. Indeed, the real we alth of Voronezh is its cultural heritage, which is worth considering in more detail.
Monuments of Voronezh
There are a lot of them in this city. The entire cultural range, which is the monuments of Voronezh, can be divided into two categories. The first is monuments to great personalities, objects and past events. The second is the animal world.
Monuments to famous personalities and objects
greatness. The monument is located in the square of the same name, which is popular with local residents as the best place for walking.
Another no less famous monument is considered to be a model of the ship "Mercury" in full size. This ship took part in the defense of Cherkassk and the campaign against Kerch four centuries ago. The ship is securely moored to a concrete pier and will never be afraid again.neither the sea wind, nor its absence. A tourist who decides to see the sights of Voronezh has no right to pass by the most famous sculptural composition among students, installed in the courtyard of the Architectural University and called "Student and Professor".
Looking at how serious and thoughtful the faces of the characters are, it's safe to assume that the sculptor captured them at the moment of the exam. Anyone can play the role of a student by sitting next to him on a bench.
When looking at memorabilia and people depicted in bronze, one should not forget about the metal pine cone, which is installed on the alley of the Scarlet Sails park. She was created so naturally that only her large size betrays that she is not real.
Voronezh is so rich in memorable places and sculptures that you can start studying them right from the territory of the main station, where a real steam locomotive with wagons is installed, which once transported coal, but today is decommissioned and takes pride of place on a pedestal.
For a city that seemed to have nothing in common with France, Voronezh has a lot of French, for example, a small copy of the Eiffel Tower 3 meters 24 centimeters high. The structure was designed as a gift from the Nikitin Gymnasium, whose students study French. Thanks to such an unusual and wonderful present, the residents of the city and its guests can feel for a moment the presence in France, in its capital.
In such a big city, there simply cannot be a monumentto the great musician, folklorist, who was born and studied in Voronezh - Mitrofan Pyatnitsky. In Revolution Lane in 1988, a monument was opened to him, which is a bust of a musician. It is installed on a high pedestal in the form of a column and is surrounded by a large marble semicircle. This place in the summer is a favorite for chess players, who are located just behind the pedestal.
Setting out to explore all the sights of Voronezh, it is worth mentioning the monument to science, installed on Friedrich Engels Street. This sculpture is made in the form of a DNA molecule and has no analogues anywhere in the world, as well as the monument called "Abstract Woman", made in a style that is only typical of Picasso. The location of the unusual structure is Plekhanovskaya Street.
In the park "Dolphin" on the shore of the reservoir there is a water tower painted by graffiti lovers. Now her wall is an image of a huge giant, so realistic that it seems very real, even goosebumps run down the back, especially at dusk, when the image seems to come to life.
"The legends of the ancient times" are resurrected on the streets of the city along with Pushkin's poems. But the special meaning of the work of A. S. Pushkin is acquired when looking at the monument to his fourth cousin, politician and philosopher Dmitry Venevitinov, which serves as an adornment of the historical museum in his honor. At the entrance to the local courthouse, Themis, the goddess of justice, froze in all her punishing beauty. Feature of thissculpture, it is believed that a snake froze at the feet of the goddess, on which the sculpture, in fact, stands.
Our ancestors already in ancient times were famous for their ability to create sculptures depicting people and animals. The goal that they pursued at the same time was purely religious, since these statues were worshiped and prayers were performed at their foot, and gifts were brought. But those times have gone into the deep past, and now such sculptures can only be seen at the building of the local history museum. The stone statues on display serve as a kind of calling card that attracts visitors here.
The central square of Voronezh is decorated with a monument dedicated to the bird's nest. It itself was created from the remains of car parts, the eggs are also metal, painted in yellow and white, the size of the composition is considerable. Looking around the sights of Voronezh, you should also pay attention to such an object of creative thought.
Many famous writers and poets left their mark on the pavements of Voronezh, for which grateful residents immortalized them in busts, statues and pedestals. So, monuments were erected to Sergei Yesenin, Alexei Koltsov, Andrei Platonov, Osip Mandelstam, Ivan Bunin and Nikitin Ivan Savich. Voronezh residents also erected a monument to Vysotsky, who also made a significant contribution to art.
Perhaps the most romantic place in the city can be considered a sculptural exposition called "The Stranger", located in the city center. Her appearance is as follows: a beautiful girl is sitting on a chair, next to her is an empty chair, on the shoulders of whichBlazer. It is clear that the girl is not alone, just her boyfriend went out somewhere, as if giving his place for a while to everyone who wants to get acquainted with the beauty, sitting next to her.
Sculptural compositions dedicated to animals
All the children of the world who love animals and admire their fidelity and devotion, no doubt, will immediately recognize in the sculpture, located on the Revolution Square, a true friend of all the children - White Bim Black Ear. The sculpture was cast in 1998 and has since become an object of worship for toddlers.
This monument is not the only one dedicated to animals. There is also a statue of a cat, or rather a kitten, which played the main role in the cartoon "Kitten from Lizyukov Street".
You can see this miracle on the street, which is exactly what it is called. The monument was erected in 2005 and is a scene that took place between a kitten and a crow in a tree.
But a dog and a cat are not the only human friends who deserve to be depicted in sculpture. Therefore, at the hotel "Yar" a curious tourist can see a monument to a horse. This is a very beautiful and unusual sculpture, as the animal is holding a rail in its teeth.
Another monument to the horse is located in Pervomaisky Park and is called "Bathing the Black Horse", because it depicts a scene in which a boy rider drives a horse into the river to drink.
It just so happened that people erect monuments not only to real, but also to mythical animals, such as griffins and sphinxes. See sculptures of these creaturesyou can only look closely at the ridge of the roof of the Voronezh Philharmonic. The building is more than a century old, it survived all wars and all governments, was restored more than once, and only the sphinxes and griffins remained in the same place.
Voronezh, a city far from exotic tropical forests, still boasts an unusual sculpture for Russia - a monument to an elephant, or rather two elephants, installed at the entrance to the art gallery "Nefta" on Koltsevaya Street. Another such sculpture, but already frozen in anticipation of the panther's jump, is located on the corner of Kardashov Street.
Continuing to consider the art of creating images of animals in marble and stone, we should also talk about its more modern direction - graffiti, since it was with the help of it that a hummingbird was created on one of the walls of the Poisk shopping center. Unlike most drawings made in this style, this one is a true cultural masterpiece.
Caves of the Voronezh region
After examining the city's monuments, each person will undoubtedly be surprised how rich and beautiful the city itself is, how wonderful it is to be born and live here, and also think for sure that this tour cannot be completed. And he will be absolutely right, because in the vicinity there are a large number of caves, grottoes, as well as other natural and man-made beauties. But the most beautiful sights of Voronezh are the caves, most of which are man-made and created as places of worship for believers and monks.
The most ancient cavesthose that are hollowed out in the Big Divas in the 10th century are recognized. No less famous is the Kalach cave, which appeared three centuries later. Many of them have direct access to the rivers Don, Quiet Sosna and Bityuga, as they were hollowed out by hermits right on steep cliffs to make it difficult for outsiders to access them. Today, several dozens of such caves are known, and all of them are very interesting for study and research. But it’s not worth setting off on your own, because the banks have become not strong enough, landslides and landslides are possible. The vaults of some caves can crumble at the first movement, so it’s not worth spending a lot of time on them. It is best to spend it on exploring other equally important places.
Temple complexes of Voronezh
Temples of Voronezh attract with their amazing beauty and antiquity. For a long time they have kept sacred Orthodox relics, which pilgrims from all over Russia come to bow to.
The most revered temple in the city is the Intercession Cathedral, the construction of which began before the Revolution, and ended only by the end of the 20th century. The church was consecrated in honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos and today is one of the most beautiful.
Going on a trip to the temples, you should not miss the Annunciation Cathedral, the construction of which was completed only by 2009. It is known for its height, which reaches 97 meters. This makes the Cathedral of the Annunciation one of the tallest Orthodox buildings.
There are temples of older buildings in the city. So,Epiphany Cathedral, currently closed for restoration, was founded in 1647. It was originally a small wooden church, and only then became a stone temple.
In addition to Orthodox churches, Voronezh also has places of worship for believers professing a different religion. So, in 1901, the first synagogue appeared in Voronezh, the doors of which are open to those who wish to visit it at any time of the year. Undoubtedly, all the temples of Voronezh require more careful study and inspection, since there is nothing better than seeing everything with your own eyes.
Museums and Libraries of Voronezh
When seeing the sights of Voronezh and the region, special attention should be paid to a large number of museums and libraries. This allows us to classify the city as one of the cultural capitals of Russia. Arriving to see Voronezh and its memorable places, each traveler will find something that he will like, since the theme of museums and their content, architecture and history are completely different. For convenience, they are best divided into the following categories:
- Local history.
- Historical museums dedicated to memorable events of Russian history.
- House Museums.
- Buildings of historical value.
Let's consider each of the above categories in more detail.
Local history museums
The only one of its kind is the regional museum of local lore, opened to the public in 1894 in the building of the City Duma. By the beginning of the 40s of the last century, there were more than 100 thousandexhibits, which, unfortunately, were badly damaged during the Great Patriotic War. After the victory, the museum was evacuated for some time, and then returned to Voronezh, where in 1959 it was opened to the public in a new building on Plekhanovskaya Street, where it is located today. The employees of the institution are ready to tell the tourist and everyone about the entire history of the region, from antiquity to the current state of the city.
Historical museums dedicated to memorable events of Russian history
The objects that cover historical events in Voronezh include the Arsenal Museum, dedicated to the history of the Great Patriotic War. It presents weapons, clothes, documents and other memorable evidence of the past. It is a branch of the Regional Museum of Local Lore. In the city itself there are also many monuments dedicated to the heroes of the Second World War.
House Museums
Many famous personalities lived and worked in Voronezh, which is confirmed by the number of house-museums created here. Thus, the most remarkable is the building where Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak, a favorite children's writer, lived in 1915-1916. Here are some of his works, personal items and everything that he loved so much during his lifetime.
The Venevitinov estate has also become a house-museum, where memorabilia belonging to the prince and his family, as well as many beautiful works of art are collected.
Art lovers, of course, will want to visit the house-museum of the artist Nikolai Ge, who lived in Voronezh, but after the revolution emigrated toFrance. Turned into a museum and the house where writer and poet Ivan Bunin was born in 1870.
Buildings of historical value
The buildings of historical value include the structure of the Agricultural Institute, the old "red" building of the University, the old building of the distillery, the premises of the former Centralnaya Hotel, the mayor's house, the barracks of the Smolensk regiment, the houses of Vartanov, Romensky, Zemskov, Shtempel, Kligman, as well as the building of the Bristol Hotel. All these buildings have a fairly long history, and only the surprisingly well-chosen location of their location has preserved them to this day.
The Literary Museum named after I. S. Nikitin, located in the already mentioned house-museum of this man. It was founded in 1922. We should also mention the Regional Art Museum named after I. N. Kramskoy. The building itself is also considered to be of historical value, as it was built in the Baroque style at the end of the 18th century.
Libraries
The Voronezh Scientific Library named after I. S. Nikitin, opened to readers in 1864. During the war, the invaders destroyed the entire library fund, which by that time numbered 600,000 books. The opening of the new library took place only in the 60s, after the necessary number of publications had been collected. Currently, thousands of handwritten, electronic and audiovisual sources are stored here in the funds. Visitors will receive anyinformation.
Places to walk
After enjoying the study of monuments and museums, visiting the library, the theater building and other significant objects, you can go to the garden or walk along the picturesque bridges. The gardens of Voronezh are not as numerous as parks and squares, but, for example, Botanical, founded by Peter the Great, currently pleases visitors with countless of the rarest and most beautiful plants. Just as beautiful is Pervomaisky, whose trees are already centuries old.
The city is divided into several parts, so the structures that unite them play a big role. The bridges of Voronezh are very extensive and picturesque. The most important are three similar structures: Chernavsky, Vogresovsky and Severny. But they do not attract the attention of travelers, but a stone bridge located at the intersection of Karl Marx and Chernyshevsky streets, which perfectly complements the surrounding architectural ensemble.
Holidays with children
Surprisingly, among all this cumbersome and harsh history, there was a place for children who can be taken to hundreds of interesting places. You should start, of course, with Baba Yaga's house, then offer to inspect the accordion house, as well as visit the children's theater. Near the building of the latter there is a fountain, in the center of which there is a small figurine of a fairy. The kids will be delighted. You can also visit the Voronezh Oceanarium with children, which will undoubtedly impress with its size and abundance of aquatic life. On holidays you can get to the magnificent fair. Voronezh fairs are famous for the variety of both products and all kinds ofentertainment that will impress even the most capricious child.
So, Voronezh is one of the amazing cities of Russia, which has become famous for a large number of memorable and historical places. It is simply impossible to list them at once, as well as to visit them in one day. Even a week is not enough for a visitor. Therefore, you need to prepare in advance and choose the most interesting sights of the city of Voronezh, photos of which will decorate your family photo album.
