Worth seeing in Chernivtsi

  • Administration of Bukovyna Savings Bank

    The imposing three-storey building of the former administration of Bukovyna savings bank was built during 1900-1901. The author of the project was Hubert Gessner, a talented pupil of Otto Wagner, the Vienna architect.
    Now Art Museum is located here.
    Its building is considered to be a classical example of Vienna Secession, one of the finest monuments of modernism. Among the decorations of the facade stands majolica panels at the top of avant-corps. Allegorical figures symbolizing the provinces of Austria-Hungary are depicted there.
    Recently, at the facade of the building a monument to a bouquet of roses appeared. They say, that in old times the streets of Chernivtsi were swept with roses.
    The Art Museum also impresses by its elegant beauty of the interiors where sculpture, painting, moulding, stained glass and metal art are combined. Mykola Ivasyuk, the well known Ukrainian artist took part in decorating the interior of the museum.
    Address: Chernivtsi, Tsentralna Sq.
  • Armenian church

    The Armenian church was built during 1869-1875. Joseph Glavka who guided the construction of the Residence of Bukovyna metropolitans at that time, was invited to make its project. In 1875 the church was sanctified in honour of St. Peter and St. Paul.
    In the church architectural composition the architect combined elements of Romanesque, Byzantine and Gothic styles, typical for medieval Bukovyna monasteries, together with traditions of Armenian sacral architecture.
    With its superior acoustics the church at once served also as a concert hall. Now in the former church the Organ Hall of Chernivtsi Philharmonic is situated.
    Address: Chernivtsi, Ukrayinska St. 30
  • Cathedral of St. Nickolas

    The Cathedral was built in 1939 as a typical Romanian church.
    The authors of the project are architects Walter Shtyubhen-Kyuhner, Joseph Letner and Virgil Ionescu. In 1937 the project was changed by architects Radyzhevsky, Ionescu and Alexander Ivanov.
    The main construction work was led by the local firm «Granit». In the competition of making the iconostasis won Paul Molda, the Bucharest artist, and Gregory Dumitrescu-Lovendal, the sculptor.
    Thirteen stained glass windows for the church were made by artist Kirovych from Bucharest, and a frame for them was built by William Swiderski from Chernivtsi.
    First of all the tourists pay the attention to the unusual form of distorted domes of the church. That is why it got the title of «drunken church».
    During the soviet period the church was not closed, thanks to it the original interior of the I half of the XX c. had been preserved.
    Address: Chernivtsi, Ruska St. 35
  • Cathedral of St. Paraskeva

    The Cathedral of St. Paraskeva is the first stone Orthodox church in Chernivtsi. It was built in 1862 on the place of the wooden one.
    The marble cross in front of the cathedral shows that its history dates back to the XV c.
    Address: Chernivtsi, M. Zankovetska St. 24
  • Cathedral of St. Spirit

    The Cathedral of St. Spirit is the main Orthodox church in Chernivtsi. The first stone of its foundation was laid in 1844, July. The construction was supervised by engineer A. Marin and A. Roll, the architect from Vienna. In 1860, according to the project of Joseph Hlavka, the facade was rebuilt. Internal finishing works continued until the end of the century.
    The Cathedral impresses with its majestic beauty. It was built in the style of the Italian Renaissance. The dominant of the architectural composition of the church is a monumental dome as high as 46 m.
    The monument to Eugine Hakmann, the first Metropolitan of Bukovyna Orthodox Metropolis, was established near the Cathedral in 2006.
    Address: Chernivtsi, Holovna St. 85
  • Church «Heart of Jesus»

    The monastery complex with the stylish church was built in 1894 thanks to the efforts of the Jesuit missionaries.
    Professor Joseph Lyaytsner, the manager of Chernivtsi school of crafts, was the author of the project. The best Gothic churches of the Central-Eastern Europe served as an example. The structure had slender neo-gothic forms, elegant interior, colorful stained glass windows. Thanks to its unusual look the church became one of the architectural highlights in the region.
    During the soviet period the church was given to the Orthodox community, later the State Archive of Chernivtsi was located here.
    Address: Chernivtsi, T. Shevchenko St. 2
  • Church of Exaltation of the Holy Cross

    The Roman-Catholic church of Exaltation of the Holy Cross was built on the order of the Austrian Emperor Joseph II. The construction began in 1787 and lasted for 27 years.
    The church was built in Barogue style. One of the churches in Rome served as a prototype for it. The painting, sculpture, works of applied art are made in Baroque style , too. Fresco paintings on the walls are filled with stylized floral motifs, symbolizing the tree of life. Seven neo-Gothyc altars and the ancient organ impress the visitors greatly.
    Address: Chernivtsi, L. Beethoven St. 2
  • Church of Assumption

    In 1820 Thaddeus Turkul, a wealthy citizen, provided for the future church his own land not far from the Market square. Besides, he donated heavily for the construction.
    The church was opened in 1821, June 10.
    But in a century the church was substantially rebuilt in baroque style. The author of the project was Vladimir Zalozetsky, the well-known scientist and politician. In 1937 the church was sanctified in honor of the Assumption of St. Virgin. Now it is a Greek-Catholic church.
    Address: Chernivtsi, Ruska St. 28
  • Church of St. Nickolas

    The church of St. Nickolas is one of the oldest wooden architectural monuments. It was built in 1607 on the city outskirts in the «road to Horechu».
    The style of the church of St. Nicholas can be referred to the so-called «home» type, typical for Bukovyna of the time. It is a one-tier wooden structure without any cupola, its roof is crowned with three forged crosses.
    In old times there was a wooden bell tower with three bells, but in 1868 the stone one was built on its place.
    The city legends call the church «Cossack» because of the fact that two great Ukrainian Hetmans — Petro Sahaydachny and Ivan Mazepa used to pray here.
    Address: Chernivtsi, P. Sahaydachny St. 87-a
  • City Hall

    The City Hall was built in the middle of the XIX c. Its construction was done under the guidance of engineer Adolf Marin and under supervision of architect Andreas Mykulych. Four years had passed, an elegant structure in late classicism with a high tower and an inner courtyard appeared in the city center. According to the old European tradition the structure combines two formats: the horizontal one of the building, and the vertical one of the tower (50 m) with the balcony and the clock.
    The balcony served as a place of the fire watch in old times. Now at the balcony at 12:00 a trumpeter dressed in Bucovina folk costume plays the melody of «Marichka» song every day.
    Address: Chernivtsi, Tsentralna Sq. 1
  • National University

    National University in Chernivtsi is the former residence of Bukovina Metropolitans. The architectural complex includes several buildings: the metropolitan house (1864-1876), the seminary building (1870), the church (1878) and the park with the park structures (1876-1878). The architectural complex is included to the UNESKO List.
    The former residence was built in 1864-1882. The author of the project was Joseph Glavka, the famous Czech scientist, architect, academician. He created an original project in the spirit of eclecticism dominated by elements of Byzantine and Romanesque styles. This project won prizes in several famous competitions of architects. It was particularly marked at the World Exhibition in Paris. The composition of the ensemble is quite complicated, but there is clarity of its planning.
    Now the central buildings of the national university are located here.
    Address: Chernivtsi, M. Kotsyubynsky St. 2
  • Synagogue «Temple»

    In 1877 the Jewish community in Chernivtsi got its main temple. The Temple was one of the most stylish structures in the city at that time. It was built under the guidance of Yulyan Zakharevych, the well known Lviv architect. The building combined elements of Renaissance and Gothic style with the exotic Moorish motifs.
    At the beginning of Second World war the German-Romanian troops burned the temple. It stood for a long time remaining partially destroyed.
    In 1959 the cinema was opened in the former synagogue.
    Today it houses the cinema «Chernivtsi».
    Address: Chernivtsi, Universytetska St. 10
  • Theatre of Music and Drama

    The Theatre of Music and Drama is one of the most famous monuments in Chernivtsi. It was built by Vienna Fellner & Helmer architecture studio, well-known in Europe by the construction of 43 theatres.
    The theatre was opened in 1905, October 3.
    It was built in the Vienna neo-Renaissance style. Its facade is decorated with the portal with columns and the sculptural composition «Apollo with lute». There are bas-reliefs of W. Shakespear and R. Wagner above the windows. There are also marble busts of prominent persons of the world culture above the windows at side walls of the theatre. The interior was done in baroque style with a combination of white and gold tones, that gives it a touch of elegance.
    The bronze monument to Olha Kobylyanska, the prominent Ukrainian writer, was established in front of the theatre.
    Address: Chernivtsi, Tsentralna Sq. 1