Dnipro

State

Dnipropetrovsk

Country

Ukraine

Continent

Europe

Size

410 KM²

Population

952,000

Spending Budget

$190 - $1,330

Famous For

Dmytro Yavornytsky Avenue
Menorah Center
National History Museum
Lazar Global Park
House of Organ and Chamber Music

Best Time to Visit

January
April
May
June
July
August
September
October

History

Dnipro, formerly (1783–96, 1802–1926) Ekaterinoslav, or Ekaterinoslav, (1796–1802) Novorossiysk, and (1926–2016) Dnipropetrovsk, city, south-central Ukraine. It lies along the Dnieper River, near its confluence with the Samara. The river was considerably widened by the construction of a dam about 50 miles (80 km) downstream. Founded in 1783 as Ekaterinoslav on the river’s north bank, the settlement was moved to its present site on the south bank in 1786. The community was known as Novorossiysk from 1796 to 1802 when its old name was restored and it became a provincial centre. Despite the bridging of the Dnieper in 1796 and the growth of trade in the early 19th century, Ekaterinoslav remained small until industrialization began in the 1880s when railways were built to Odessa, the Donets Basin, and Moscow. In 1926 the Soviets renamed it Dnipropetrovsk. Dnipropetrovsk became one of the largest industrial cities of Ukraine. With iron ore from Kryvyi Rih, manganese from Nikopol, coal from the Donets Basin, and electric power from the cascade of hydroelectric plants on the Dnieper, a huge iron and steel industry grew up in the city; castings, plates, sheets, rails, tubes, and wire are among the goods that have been produced. Large engineering industries have made electric locomotives, agricultural machinery, mining and metallurgical equipment, presses, and other heavy machinery, as well as light-industrial machinery and radio equipment. Coke-based chemicals, tires, plastics, paint, clothing, footwear, foodstuffs, and other materials also have been produced.

Present Day

Since the independence of Ukraine in 1991 and the economic development that followed, a number of large commercial and business centres have been built in the city's outskirts. Dnipro became one of the most important manufacturing cities in the Soviet Union, producing many goods from small articles like screws and vacuum cleaners to aircraft engine pieces and ballistic missiles. As a result of all this industrialisation the city's inner suburbs became increasingly polluted and were gradually given over to large, unsightly industrial enterprises. At the same time the estensive development of the city's left bank and western suburbs as new residential areas began. The low-rise tenant houses of the Khrushchev era (Khrushchyovkas) gave way to the construction of high-rise prefabricated apartment blocks (similar to German Plattenbaus). The city is built mainly upon the both banks of the Dnieper, at its confluence with the Samara River. The area the city is built on is mainly devoid of hills and other geographical features. Being mainly flat, the land is easy to use, which explains why the city has been able to grow to such a great extent over the past 200 years. Whilst most residential, commercial, and industrial districts of the city are along the less marshy south bank of the river, some residential, commercial, and industrial areas have developed on the previously less-hospitable northern bank. Dnipro (to which the city’s name was shortened in 2016) has a university and teaching institutes of mining, agriculture, chemical technology, metallurgy, medicine, and railway and constructional engineering. Cultural amenities include several theatres and a philharmonic hall.

Future

One of the future plan includes development include Ukraine’s most strategically important infrastructure initiatives - the complete reconstruction of Dnipro International Airport. The project is being undertaken in public-private partnership (PPP) format between the Ukrainian state and businessman Oleksandr Yaroslavsky’s DCH Group. It aims to transform Dnipro’s existing air travel capacity and create a state-of-the-art international gateway to serve the entire region. The new-look airport is expected to become fully operational within two years and should dramatically improve Dnipropetrovsk region’s international connectivity. The central Ukrainian city of Dnipro plans to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings thanks to a €25 million loan by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to the municipal energy management company Dniprovska Municipalna Energoservisna Kompanya. The loan is expected to be complemented by an investment grant of up to €5.5 million from the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership (E5P) fund, where the European Union is the largest contributor. Dnipro furthermore, plans to refurbish about 100 buildings, including kindergartens, schools and outpatient clinics, which all provide scope for considerable energy efficiency. The works will be conducted by private contractors selected through a competitive process in line with the EBRD’s procurement policies and rules.

Must Visit Places ------------

Dmytro Yavornytsky Avenue

For 84 years up to 2016 Dnipro’s record-breaking avenue was named after Karl Marx. But under the law to prohibit “Nazi and Communist propaganda” the honour was handed to the esteemed historian and lexicographer Dmytro Yavornytsky .This broad, six-lane artery is flanked by rows of horse-chestnuts and is five kilometres in length, beginning in the east at the Monument of Eternal Glory and finally ending at Dnipro Central Station. If you’re up for walking the entire length you’ll be compensated with a neat summary of Dnipro. The avenue has all the city’s main historical monuments, parks, shopping areas, cultural amenities and colleges, as well as scores of cafes if you need to make a pit stop.

Menorah Center

The largest Jewish cultural centre in Europe opened in Dnipro in 2012 and it’s a dazzling complex, made up of hotels, banquet halls, an art gallery, kosher shops and restaurants, a synagogue and a museum. The project was jointly led by the presidents of the Dnipro United Jewish Community and Jewish Community of Ukraine, while the Sephardic Grand Rabbi and the Israel Minister for Information and Diaspora were in attendance when it opened. On an everyday visit, the main destination will be the Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine Museum. The largest museum of its kind in the former Soviet Union, it retraces the events of the 1930s and 40s and studies their repercussions using cutting-edge multimedia displays.

Monastyrsky Island

The city’s own river island has been occupied for at least 2,000 years and was a staging post for early Christians and medieval merchants. You can get to it on foot via an elegant metal arch footbridge, or on a panoramic cableway. If you do walk, keep your eyes peeled for the soviet stars on the bridge’s panels as you cross. Stepping onto the island you’ll be in the Taras Shevchenko Park, which we’ll talk about next. On the far side of the island, their’s a beach stretching for more than a kilometre down to the southern tip and packed with sunbathers in summer. You’ll come across a couple of bars here, while on the near side is a freshwater aquarium and a centre renting out rowboats and kayaks.

Taras Shevchenko Park

The park at the upper end of Monastyrsky Island merits another entry because of how much is squeezed into such a small space. One of the first things you’ll see is a Ferris wheel and a kitsch Soviet-style amusement park aimed at the smallest members of the family. Turn left after the bridge and you’ll be at a statue of Taras Shevchenko. This 19th-century poet is considered a Ukrainian Shakespeare for his lasting impact on the Ukrainian language. And lastly, on the city side of the park is a dramatic man-made waterfall, built under the cross. According to legend St Andrew stopped at this very place during his voyage along the Dnieper in the 1st century.

National History Museum

In a dignified Neoclassical mansion, Dnipro’s National History Museum follows the story of the city and region back to the Stone Age. As well as prehistoric tools there are some riveting artefacts recovered from local Scythian burial mounds, which are up to 3,000 years old. Where the museum really shines is in its galleries for Dnipro’s Industrial and 20th-century history.

Transfiguration Cathedral

The foundation stone for Dnipro’s cathedral was laid by Empress Catherine the Great at the city’s inauguration in 1787. But that proved to be a bit of a false start, as construction didn’t begin until 1830. The church ended up having more modest proportions than the spiritual centre intended by Count Grigory Potemkin, but it’s beautiful all the same and is a Ukrainian national monument. In a tale echoed by many churches in the country the Transfiguration Cathedral’s decoration was destroyed by Soviet troops, although the building did survive the Second World War unharmed. A full restoration has returned the iconostasis and frescoes to their former glory, and you can spot Catherine the Great’s foundation stone on the right side of the nave.

Battle of the Dnieper Diorama

A modern concrete hall on Dmytro-Jaworskyj Avenue holds the largest diorama in Ukraine. It depicts the crucial Battle of the Dnieper, which was fought between Nazi Germany and the Soviets in the autumn of 1943. Some 4,000,000 troops were engaged in the fighting on opposite banks of the Dnieper River, in the largest battle of the Second World War. This colossal battle is depicted in a diorama that offers a 230° view of the battlefield and is enriched with genuine military artefacts like weapons, equipment for crossing the river and pieces of fortifications. Out front, their’s also a display of military hardware from the battle, like howitzers, tanks and anti-aircraft guns

Lazar Global Park

The oldest park in the city is next to Dmytro Jaworskyj Avenue and is a place of relaxation and fun for Dnipro’s residents. Complementing the lawns and long, leafy walkways, their ’s another small amusement park here. The showpiece is the Ferris wheel, granting a complete view of the city and the Dnieper. When it’s warm you can hire a pedalo for the park’s pond and the striking concrete “Summer Theatre” lays on entertainment for kids. Also see if you can find the Little Prince Fountain, inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s character and installed in 2002.

Monument of Eternal Glory

At the eastern limit of Dmytro, Jawornyzkyj Avenue is a powerful Soviet-era monument erected to commemorate the sacrifice of soldiers during the Great Patriotic War (Second World War). At the top of the pillar is a stainless steel sculpture representing the motherland, seven metres high and weighing five tons. And at the foot, their ’s an eternal flame. The monument was completed in 1967 and is still emotionally charged, especially after the events of the last few years. As recently as May 2017 there were scuffles and arrests here during the WWII Victory Day celebrations.

House of Organ and Chamber Music

This attraction requires a trip to the western outskirts of Dnipro, attracts any avid fan of classical and sacred music you won’t regret coming to see a performance. There’s a lively programme of recitals by choirs, chamber ensembles and soloists at a deconsecrated church. The former St Nicholas’ Church was built in an Eclectic style in 1915 and is distinguished by its unusual rotunda. It suffered throughout the Soviet era but was preserved as a national monument. A Sauer organ was installed in the 80s and the church became a music venue for its superlative acoustics.