Old estates

Close to the village of Sharivka in Bohodukhiv District there is a terraced park with lakes, unique trees and amazingly beautiful palace which received a poetical name of the White Swan in the early 20th century. The park and the palace were established under the landlords Olkhovskys. In the late 19th century, a rich sugar-mill owner Leopold Koenig became the owner of the estate. He made Sharivka his main residence and spent much money on its accomplishment.

After the 1917 Revolution the Koenigs left Russia, whilst Sharivka became a health resort. As the years passed by, the stylistic unity of the unique architectural ensemble was damaged. But even today, walking along the alleys of the old park, one can enjoy the magnitude of the old estate.

Situated in the village of Vladymyrivka in Krasnokutsk District, Natalyivka Estate is another monument of park and garden architecture of the 19th century.

The estate belonged to a famous sugar magnate and patron of arts Ivan Kharitonenko who named it after his youngest granddaughter Natalya. Preserved are the gates, housekeeper’s house, man?ges, various facilities, including a water tower with a scaled roof featuring tin-cut outlandish dragons. It is believed that these constructions were designed by A. Shchusev, famous for his architectural designs of Lenin’s Mausoleum and Kazansky Railway Station in Moscow.

The Vernicle Chuch is another construction designed by this architect, which can also be observed in the Natalyivka Park.

At present the mess is served in the church again and the interior painting by A. Savinov is being restored.

Until 1917, the garden of exotic fruit trees was part of the park. It was situated near a village of Horodne on the left bank of the Merchik River, 8km from Natalyivka Estate. The garden is designed in the form of five brick terraces located as an amphitheatre, which allowed for the warmth to be accumulated, thus creating the very special climate for growing rare species. The unique form of the construction creates wonderful acoustics: a quiet talk at the one end of the terrace can be well heard at its opposite side, at a distance of about 40–60m. It is this effect that gave the terraces the name of the ‘Singing Terraces’.