Rivne

Rivne is the center of the Rivne region and the district center of Rivne County, located on the Ustia River. It is a beautiful, attractive city with great architecture. As Rivne suffered greatly during the Second World War, not many historical and architectural monuments have remained here. Nevertheless, some monuments in the city are worth visiting. Here are some of the places worth seeing.

The wooden Church of the Assumption is the oldest building in Rivne. The church in the Tjutkowskij suburb was built in 1756 with donations from community members. The church has a single-domed roof, and the iconostasis dates back to 1784. Legend says that the leader of the Haidamak movement, Ivan Honta, prayed here before the battle with the Polish princes. The bell tower and the "chain of moral principles" to which wicked parishioners were chained for public atonement in the 18th century have been preserved.

The Taras Shevchenko Park of Culture and Recreation in Rivne is a monument of landscape art of national significance. It was established in the late 18th century. Some city residents believe the park is named after one of the liberators of Rivne with the Shevchenko last name. Others believe that it was named after the poet Taras Shevchenko. There are 160 species of trees and shrubs here, many of them exotic - North American (Engelmann spruce, Bignonio catalpa, ash maple, red oak), Far Eastern (Amur velvet), Southern European (European forsythia, sweet chestnut, evergreen boxwood), species from China and Japan, Central Asia (Oriental biota, Sulanja magnolia, large ailanthus). Today, some of the park's trees are 150-200 years old.

Rivne Zoo is charming with its provinciality. It occupies a 4.7-hectare relief park territory at the entrance from Kyiv to Rivne. There are almost 200 animal species and 700 specimens. There are lions, other big cats, bears, monkeys, even-toed ungulates, and birds. The Far Eastern black leopard Bagheera is a favorite among visitors. There is an exotarium. Visitors can feed and hold animals in the Grandma's Yard animal enclosure. There is a riding school.

Amber Museum in Rivne

The museum's exhibits include pieces of amber up to 40 million years old found in the Rivne region and jewelry made of them. In particular, on display is the most ancient amber piece in Ukraine - about 2,500 years old disk amulet. The insects crystallized within amber stones are among the museum's jewels. A piece of wild amber weighing around 2 kg is also on display.

The Tunnel of Love in Rivne is one of the most romantic places in the world. Nature has created this marvel, outdoing even the most successful landscape designers. This place is located in the village of Klevan, 24 km from the city of Rivne. Over the years, the tunnel has heard many marriage proposals, happy laughter of brides and grooms, and rejoiced of people after many years of family life. Many tourists come here to organize photo sessions and express cherished wishes. There is a belief that if the feelings are genuine, the happy dreams will surely come true.