Guida di Kharkiv: città ucraina dall’imponente piazza

The journey to discover Kharkiv begins right in Republic Square, which enchants visitors with an area of no less than eleven hectares, making it one of the ten largest squares in the world. Republic Square includes in its tree-lined ellipse the university and the government buildings, such as the Derzhprom, the first Soviet skyscraper currently housing the Ministry of Industry. Especially during summer evenings, the square becomes a charming meeting point for both tourists and locals.
Thanks to its very efficient three metro lines (open from 6 am to midnight), Kharkiv allows tourists easy movement. Leaving Republic Square, head further south toward Shevchenko Park, where you can admire statues of the revolutionary Lenin and the poet Taras Shevchenko. Inside the park, you can enjoy the largest and most famous Ukrainian zoo, the dolphinarium, and the arcade games available. In the part closest to Republic Square, charming open-air clubs and restaurants open their doors in summer where you can taste the typical Borsch soup and traditional syrniki (cheese pancakes).
Continuing the itinerary southward, you can admire the Pokrovskyi Monastery, while crossing to the other bank of the Lopan River, you can visit the Blahovishchenskyi Cathedral with its Turkish style. If you want to dedicate time to shopping, head north to the Tsentralny Rynok market where you can find everything and more, from mechanical components to typical local products such as shapki (fur hats).
Kharkiv finally offers a series of very interesting museums: from the more traditional History Museum (at 5 Universitetska Street) to the more original World Cultures of Sexuality Museum (at 81a Mironositska Street).
It should be remembered that in 2012 Kharkiv hosted some meetings related to the European Football Championship.