Travel Ukraine through eyes of great painters and writers

Kyiv: Capital of artistic routes

The capital of Ukraine is not only a center of history and politics but also a place where prominent writers and artists lived and found inspiration.

A walk through Podil allows you to see the houses where Mykola Lysenko and Les Kurbas lived. Moreover, the city's numerous museums and galleries hold unique exhibitions of Ukrainian artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Interesting fact. Every year, on Andriivskyi Descent, art festivals dedicated to contemporary Ukrainian painting and literature are held.

Podil in Kyiv (photo: Wikipedia)

Lviv: City of poets and coffeehouses

Lviv has long been known as the cultural capital of Western Ukraine. Ivan Franko and Solomiia Krushelnytska used to spend time here.

The coffeehouses and narrow streets of the old town have preserved the atmosphere of the late 19th and early 20th century. Local tours offer visits to literary cafés and the houses where masterpieces of Ukrainian literature were created.

Interesting fact. In Lviv, special "poetic routes" have even been created, where you can read poems by famous writers on café walls.

Solomiia Krushelnytska House-Museum in Lviv (photo: Wikipedia)

Carpathians: Inspiration for artists

Carpathian landscapes inspired many Ukrainian artists and poets, including Maria Prymachenko and Yurii Hnatiuk.

The villages of Kosmach and Yablunytsia have preserved traditional architecture and ethnic color, which folk painters often depicted in their works.

Interesting fact. Ethnographic estates in the Carpathians offer painting workshops against the backdrop of mountain landscapes.

Yablunytsia village (photo: Wikipedia)

Poltava and Cherkasy regions: Traces of classics

Poltava is connected with the names of Ivan Kotliarevsky and Panas Myrnyi. Cherkasy is the place where Lesia Ukrainka lived and held literary evenings. Tourists can visit house museums and walk through historic parks that inspired the classics.

Interesting fact. There is an annual open-air festival of literature and art featuring readings of works by Ukrainian writers in Cherkasy.

Ivan Kotliarevsky House-Museum in Poltava (photo: Wikipedia)

Odesa: City of artists and poets

Odesa has always been famous for its vibrant cultural life. Ilia Repin and Osip Mandelstam worked here.

Walking along the Potemkin Stairs, the streets of the old center, and the Black Sea coast allows you to feel the atmosphere of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Interesting fact. On the streets of Odesa, you can find murals with quotes from classics of Ukrainian and world literature.

Potemkin Stairs in Odesa (photo: Wikipedia)

Chernihiv: Poetic corners and inspiration for artists

Chernihiv is one of the oldest cities in Ukraine, where medieval architecture, picturesque parks, and river landscapes come together.

The city and its surroundings were closely connected to the life and work of Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky, one of the most renowned Ukrainian prose writers, as well as Lina Kostenko, who drew inspiration from the region's historical and natural landscapes.

Interesting fact. Chernihiv's parks and alleys still preserve the atmosphere of the early 20th century. These landscapes often became inspiration for realist and symbolist painters.

Local tours combine literary themes with painting, opening up lesser-known locations that inspired Kotsiubynsky and other artists.

Former Zemstvo Board building in Chernihiv (photo: Wikipedia)

You may be interested in:

• Where to travel to taste Ukraine's regional cuisine
• Where to feel an authentic atmosphere and unity with nature in the Carpathians
• Where to find a medieval atmosphere in Ukraine

Sources: Ivan Franko Museum website, Odesa Art Museum, Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi Museum website, Taras Shevchenko National Museum website, Wikipedia, Lviv National Art Gallery website