Bicycle route around the city (4.7 km)
Start of the route: Staromiska Street (The stone near the park)
Key locations:
• Kamianetska Street: №48 sculpture-fountain of Baron Munchausen → №58 / 1 Holocaust Remembrance Museum in Khmelnytskyi region → Holy Intercession Cathedral (113, Volodymyrska Street, entrance through Kamianetska Street);
• Turn on L. Tolstoho Street across the bridge: monument to the victims of Proskuriv pogrom in 1919;
• Haharina Street: Khmelnytskyi Regional Philharmonic → monument to B. Khmelnytskyi → №18 (manor of general Kondratii Kalistratovych Kondratskyi) → Khmelnytskyi City Council (Oleksiiivske Real Specialized School) → Palace of Solemn Events;
• Hrushevskoho Street: №90 (mansion of Countess Binetska) → №84 (house of merchant Shylman) → №68 Khmelnytskyi Regional Literary Museum.
Route description
Staromiska Street
The name of the street speaks for itself – it is one of the oldest streets in Khmelnytsky!
By the beginning of the twentieth century mostly Polish population of Proskuriv lived here. It is believed that the partial formation of the street began in the XVI century, when Ploskyriv Castle towered over the Southern Buh River. A century ago the street was called Mala Buzka, because it runs along the Southern Buh River. The street had been naming after Vitalii Prymakov since 1965, but in 2014 City Council decided to rename it in memory of old Proskuriv. Today there is a memorial sign on the street – monolithic Podillia granite with the inscription that this is the place, where the history of Khmelnytskyi began.
Kamianetska Street
This oldest and longest street in the city is almost 7 km long. It has actually been existing since the emergence of Ploskyriv settlement, which was located on land among the Southern Buh River swamps. Already on Proskuriv first known plan (1800) Kamianetska is clearly marked as one of the two existing main roads of the city under the name “Postal road to Kamianets”. From the second half of the XIX century the street is already known as Kamianetska. In Soviet times the wave of renamings has not passed by the street – from 1925 to 1991 it was named after the red commander M. Frunze. In 1991 the street was given back its historical name.
Baron Munchausen
When you dare to start a bicycle trip through the time and space of Khmelnytskyi (Proskuriv), do not miss the legendary Artist House (48, Kamianetska). Pay attention to the top floor of the building – once the best art workshops of the city were located there, but now almost nothing indicates it. Although no, here lives an important witness to the abandoned art secrets!
He is standing in the very centre of a small courtyard – Mr. Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von … Baron Munchausen himself. He sits on a halved horse and looks anxiously at where the other half of the horse has gone.
Come and say hello to “the one who beats forty-seven ducks at a time”, and maybe he will tell you some of his stories.
Holocaust Remembrance Museum
Walking further along Kamianetska Street, you will come across a restored two-story building, which is Thiia Jewish community centre. Here is the impressive Museum of Holocaust Remembrance. The formation of the museum collection began in 1999. In September 2010 the museum received a permanent premises and in September 2012 a permanent exhibition was opened. The concept of the museum and the main rule that guided the selection of materials for display, were: “The Holocaust happened not only in Germany or Poland, it happened in our region, in our city, on the next street”. The premises of the Museum are connected with the events of the Holocaust – during the war three girls from the Jewish Soloviovs family were bought from the ghetto by their own grandfather and hidden in the house.
Holy Intercession Cathedral
Although the Holy Intercession Cathedral does not have a Kamianetska Street “registration” (its postal address is 113, Volodymyrska Street), but still, walking through Kamianetska Street, the main church of the city can not be overlooked. The sanctuary is interesting not only for its appearance, but also for its location: in the twentieth century this residential area of Proskuriv was called Zavallia and on the place, where the Holy Intercession Cathedral was built, a rampart was used as good land for vegetable gardens by city residents.
Monument to the victims of Proskuriv pogrom
An ancient cemetery stretches behind Kamianetskyi Bridge. In fact, there are 3 historically significant cemeteries in the area: 1) victims of World War II and Stalinist repression cemetary, 2) Polish cemetery, 3) Jewish kirkut.
There is a monument to the victims of Proskuriv Jews pogrom on the territory of the latter.
After the local Bolsheviks (many of whom were Jews) attempted to revolt against Petliura Directory in February 1919, the head of garrison Ataman Semesenko ordered the extermination of Proskuriv Jewish population, including women, old people, and children. His subordinates went to the Jewish quarters to fulfill command. People were cut with checkers and stabbed with bayonets so as not to waste bullets. The deacon of the local cathedral Klymentii Kachurovskyi was killed, when he interceded for the children. About 1,600 people were buried in a huge pit. In 1925 the collected funds were used to create the monument that survived the Second World War, but demanded restoration. The restoration was made in 2000-2001. Bronze bas-reliefs of the monument were created by Khmelnytskyi sculptor Kostiantyn Korzhev.
Haharina Street
It runs in the central part of the city – from Hrushevskoho Street to Zavadskoho Street. In the XIX century the street was an integral part of the Boulevard, laid according to the city development plan of 1824, hence the ancient name of the street – Starobulvarna. In 1961 the street was renamed in honor of the world’s first cosmonaut Yurii Haharin.
Khmelnytskyi Regional Philharmonic
Turning to Kamianetska Street, you will definitely notice a pompous snow-white building with tall columns. This is Khmelnytskyi Regional Philharmonic. A little over a century ago this place was a huge wasteland, which had a quite official name – Horse Square.
Over time the area was built up with one-story houses. The future Philharmonic acquired a new look in 1960: the construction of a majestic building with a hall with 750 seats for Petrovskyi (now Starytskyi) Music and Drama Theatre needs was completed at the intersection of Frunze (now Kamianetska) and Haharina streets. The theatre has been here for more than 20 years and in 1982 moved to a new placement, after which the building was transferred to the regional Philharmonic.
Monument to Bohdan Khmelnytskyi
Next to the regional philharmonic stands one of the largest monuments to Bohdan Khmelnytskyi in the city, created in 1993.
Bohdan figure is in motion: the mace is raised high in his right hand, he holds the stirrups in his left hand. The sculpture is installed on a flat trapezoidal pedestal lined with slabs.
18, Haharina (estate of Kondratskyi)
As you walk along Haharina Street, look carefully in all directions as there are many interesting hidden historical monuments! On the side of Independence Square there is a house that once belonged to the judge of Proskuriv County Peace Mediators Congress – Kondratii Kalistratovych Kondratskyi. In June-July 1919 Striletska Dumka magazine editorship of Sich Riflemen Corps operated in the estate.
Khmelnytskyi City Council (Oleksiivske Real Specialized School)
A little lower, on the opposite side of the street, you can see a beautiful building of the early twentieth century. Today Khmelnytskyi City Council is located in the building, but it appeared in 1904 as Oleksiivske Real Specialized School. Thanks to the senior chairman of the Odesa Court Chamber, Active State Councilor Borys Yuliiovych Vitte, it was decided to organize a real specialized school in Proskuriv in 1900. Soon the new educational institution two-story building construction has started on Starobulvarna Street. The first real specialized school, named after the heir to the Russian throne, Tsarevych Oleksii, construction was completed in 1904. In the same year 12 red beeches were planted near the school, of which only 4 have survived to this day. The trees have the status of nature botanical monument.
Palace of Solemn Events
House №4 on Haharina Street is one of the most beautiful old buildings in the city. The two-story mansion in the Baroque style was built in 1903 and belonged to one of the Proskuriv doctors. Before the First World War the owner leased his house to a military department. After the war the building passed from one military to another, and after the Second World War there lived nomenklaturers. Since 2001 the building has been using as Palace of Solemn Events after major repairs.
The walls of the Palace still remember the emergency meetings and heated debates led by famous military leaders of the twentieth century. The most famous of them is general Oleksii Brusylov, who went down in history with his unique operation known as Brusylov offensive. The military past makes the building very popular.
Hrushevskoho Street
Hrushevskoho Street is one of the most interesting streets in the city, as it has preserved many buildings of the XIX-XX centuries, which are architectural monuments of local significance. It was built according to the city development plan of 1824 and had its first name Komertsiina, which is due to the fact that along the street were allocated land plots for the wealthy segments of the city population construction (mostly industrialists and merchants engaged in “komertsiia” (commerce)). Since 1921 the street has been naming after Rosa Luxemburg, an activist of the international communist movement. In 1991 it was renamed in honor of M. Hrushevskyi – a historian, public and political figure.
House №90 (mansion of Countess Binetska)
At the beginning of the 20th century house was built on the estate territory, which belonged to Countess Binetska. After the First World War, the owner of the house organized a hospital for wounded soldiers. The Countess and her servants cared for those in need. They used special clothes – dresses worn by the sisters of the Red Cross.
House №84 (mansion of Shylman)
Next to the mansion of Countess Binetska is the merchant house of Shylman. One-story mansion belongs to the examples of urban manor buildings of the late XIX – the early XX century, has survived almost unchanged and has architectural value due to the combination of brick style with modernist elements.
The house belonged to one of the richest industrialists in the city, merchant Mykhailo Shylman, who founded most of the local businesses. M. Shylman owned a malt factory, a carpentry factory (now a furniture factory on Starokostiantynivske Highway), Poriadok Printing House and an creamery.
Khmelnytskyi Regional Literary Museum
After overcoming the intersection between Heroiv Maidanu and Hrushevskoho streets, be sure to stop in front of Khmelnytskyi Regional Literary Museum, the door to which is guarded by the head of a mighty lion in the gong knocker form.
The museum preserves the best literary works of Podillia poets and writers, their personal belongings, antiques. Many of the exhibits are really unique, as well as the stories connected with them. For example, during the tour you can get acquainted with the history of the Peresopnytsia Gospels, the book with the help of which the presidents swear allegiance to the Ukrainian people. As it turned out, the Gospels began to be written in Iziaslav district of Khmelnytskyi region. However, later the manuscript “moved” to Peresopnytsia town in Rivne region.
The museum has separate exhibitions of Polish and Jewish literature. Creative evenings, meetings, presentations take place here constantly.
The end of the route
