Bila Tserkva: Nature and History

Bila Tserkva brings together nature and garden art with a multifaceted urban history. On the outskirts of the city, near the Ros River, lies the Oleksandriya Arboretum; the local history museum, the former Catholic Church of St John the Baptist and other historic sites are also part of the picture. For planning your trip, the themes are easy to distinguish: the arboretum focuses on landscape and designed park architecture, while the city’s history spans from medieval Yuriev to the theatrical event of 1920.

Oleksandriya Arboretum: Landscape and Garden Art

The arboretum was founded in 1788 on the banks of the Ros River. Its natural forest-steppe landscape encompasses oak woodland, clearings, meadows and bodies of water. Around 2,500 plant species, varieties and forms are part of this environment. At the same time, the arboretum has preserved its distinctive landscape compositions and is a monument to garden and landscape art from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Natural landscape and designed garden art are two closely connected themes here.

Park Features and Architectural Monuments

The feature known as “Ruiny” (Ruins) has been preserved since the 18th century. From the outset, it was designed as a ruined castle to evoke the transience of time. A waterfall emerges from its lower level. Another architectural highlight is the neoclassical colonnade “Luna,” an 18th-century architectural monument. It is over 38 metres long; at its two ends, people can even hear each other whisper.

The arboretum also brings together architecture from different cultures and continents. This includes a colonnade shaped like a Greek amphitheatre, the Chinese Bridge and the Turkish House. Remains of Cossack fortifications from the early 18th century have been preserved on Palieva Hill. In this way, designed park features, architectural forms and the remains of historic fortifications stand alongside one another as distinct facets of the arboretum.

Residences, Museum and City History

The Branicki Winter Palace in Bila Tserkva is an architectural monument. It was built in 1796 as the Branickis’ winter residence. In summer, the counts lived in the summer palace in Oleksandriya Park, which no longer survives today. The two residences thus served different seasonal functions: winter quarters in the city and a summer home in the park.

The local history museum features an exhibition on the everyday life of Ukraine’s early inhabitants, from the oldest times through the Middle Ages. Another exhibition explores the region’s history from the 14th to the 18th century, a period of Lithuanian-Polish rule. The two topics cover different periods: early ways of life on the one hand, and later regional history on the other.

Zamkova Hora is the name now used for the settlement site of the chronicle city of Yuriev, founded by the Kyivan Prince Yaroslav the Wise in 1032. On the hill in the historic centre stands the former Catholic Church of St John the Baptist, now used as an organ hall. The first organ was installed in the church in the winter of 1990. If you plan to visit the organ hall, check the current programme in advance.

Theatre History and Tasting Room

A particular theatrical event also forms part of Bila Tserkva’s history: in July 1920, William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth was performed in Ukrainian for the first time at the Palas Theatre. The lead roles were played by L. Kurbas and L. Hakkebush.

In the northern part of the arboretum is the Mur Garden, with a tasting room for fruit and berries grown there. Tasting and purchases are possible when the room is open; check before your visit whether it is currently operating.

Discover more destinations: Vita-Poshtova, Hatne, Bilohorodka, Khodosivka, Vyshhorod, Boryspil, Rokytne, Hlevakha.

See the regional travel overview: Kyiv Oblast.