Uman Park "Sofievka" in Ukraine

Ukrainian state dendrology park “Sofievka” of the National Academy of sciences of Ukraine is a masterpiece of world landscape gardening art of the end XVIII - the beginnings of XIX centuries. The park is stretched on the area of 154,7 hectares on suburb of the ancient city of Uman of the Ukrainian Cherkassk area. It is a sample of a landscape park composition of water, the ground, architectural constructions and sculptures.

The park was founded in 1796 by rich Polish magnate Stanislav Pototsky in honor of the wife of a beautiful Greek woman Sofia, and has been presented as a gift for her in May, 1802. The idea of creation of park in romantic style with use of the Roman and Greek mythology belonged to Sofia.

The first architect of “Sofievka” was talented Polish military engineer Ludwig Mettsel. Actual workers of park were F.Pototsky’s serfs. Nearby 800 people worked in park daily. In short term this masterpiece has been created. Almost 200 years it amazes visitors with its firm and outstanding beauty. Surprising landscapes, exotic plants, antique sculptures, reservoirs, cascades, fountains, stone grottoes - it all can be seen but every guest, who has visited Uman park Sofievka.

Now here is the center of growing and acclimatization of plants of forest-steppe of Ukraine. It has more than 2 thousand kinds of plants.

Four scientific departments work in the park, a unique in Ukraine scientific research institute of problems of preservation of historical landscapes of Ukraine is under construction. “Sofievka” has become famous not only all over the world. Sofievka’s miracle is known also in the Universe: in 1984 planet 2259, opened by the Soviet astronomer Burnashevoj on June, 19th, 1971, has received the name “Sofievka” in honor of Dendrology Park.

In 1995 “Sofievka” took part in the International competition “Europe Nostra” and has received all awards of competition: a medal, the diploma and a board - for work on restoration and also for preservation of monuments of history and culture.

“Sofievka” ilooks amazing at any time of the year: in spring it is flowering, in blossoms in summer heat, sparkling in the gold of autumn, and it rests in winter silence. In this park the main thing not the plan, not a composition of green plantings, not disclosing of greater and small prospects. Here a task in view of creation of the certain mood, an occasion for a various sort of associations, philosophical meditations. Heaps of boulders, the water falling from heights or easy proceeding in stone gallery, cool twilight grottoes, stone and trailing bridges, cascades, a marble sculpture - here that arsenal of means, which builders of park use to make impression of a “miracle “. Park is the product of landscape gardening art outstanding on beauty, skill and technical perfection of flora and fauna areas all over Ukraine