Seven Wonders of Ukraine facts for kids
The Seven Wonders of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Сім чудес України) are seven amazing historical and cultural places in Ukraine. These special sites were chosen in a contest held in July 2007. This was the first contest of its kind. Later, there were similar contests for the Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine and the Seven Wonderful Castles of Ukraine. All the places nominated in these contests are public areas. They are protected and open for people to visit and enjoy.
The winners for all these contests were chosen in two ways. First, experts in Ukraine voted for their top seven favorite sites. Second, people using the internet also voted for their seven favorite places on the official website.
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Discovering Ukraine's Wonders
This exciting idea was started by Mykola Tomenko, who was a politician in Ukraine's parliament. His motto was "Piznai Ukrainu!" which means "Discover Ukraine!" This project continued many fun events that had already happened across Ukraine. These events helped people learn about different regions. For example, there were "Kupala's games" in the Poltava region and "Starry autumn" in the Chernihiv region.
After the first contest, the next step was to find the Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine in 2008.
Who Organized the Contest?
Many people helped organize the "Seven Wonders of Ukraine" contest. They included politicians, tourism leaders, and people from media and education. For example, Mykola Tomenko was a key leader. Other important people included Andriy Pakhlya from the State Service of Tourism and Oleksandr Bohutsky, who was the general director of the ICTV television channel.
Partners Who Helped
Several groups and companies helped make the contest a success. These partners included:
- Tut i tam – a website for travelers.
- For Kyiv – an internet portal.
- Mandry – a magazine.
- The National Radio company of Ukraine.
- UNIAN – an information agency.
- ICTV – a television channel.
How the Wonders Were Chosen
First, local and regional governments made a huge list of 1,000 possible places. Then, a group of 100 experts, including historians and tourism specialists, narrowed the list down to 21 candidates. After that, people all over the internet could vote for their favorites.
Online voting for the 21 candidates began on July 7, 2007. About 77,000 internet users voted in total. The voting ended on August 21, 2007. The winners were announced on the same day. The whole project started in May 2007, thanks to Mykola Tomenko.
Each place that won was given a special statue. These statues were made from green marble, shiny steel, and gold-colored acrylic paint.
The Seven Wonders of Ukraine
The final results were announced on August 21, 2007, just before Ukraine's Independence Day. Here are the seven places chosen as the "Seven Wonders of Ukraine":
| # | Name | Location | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 / 2 | Sofiyivsky Park | Uman, Cherkasy Oblast |
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| Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves) | Kyiv |
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| 3 / 4 | Kamianets National Historic-Architectural Reserve | Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast |
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| Khortytsia | Zaporizhzhia, Zaporizhzhia Oblast |
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| 5 | Chersonesos Taurica (Khersones Tavriysky) | Sevastopol |
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| 6 | Saint Sophia Cathedral | Kyiv |
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| 7 | Khotyn Fortress | Khotyn, Chernivtsi Oblast |
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Special Recognitions
Three other important places from the list received special awards:
- The Livadia Palace, recognized as a monument of modern history.
- The Ostroh Castle, honored as a spiritual monument.
- The Pysanka Museum in Kolomyia, celebrated as a monument of modern Ukraine.
Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine
The Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Сім природніх чудес України) are the most popular and unique natural places in Ukraine. This contest was the second part of the "Seven Wonders of Ukraine" program. All seven of these natural sites are protected areas. They are open for people to visit and enjoy their beauty.
| # | Name | Location | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falz-Fein Biosphere Preserve "Askania-Nova" | Askania-Nova, Kherson Oblast |
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| 2 | Landscape park "Granite-steppe lands of Buh" | Mykolaiv Oblast | |
| 3 | Landscape park "Dnister Canyon" | Dnister |
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| 4 | Simferopol Speleology Museum (Marble Cave) | Chatyr-Dag |
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| 5 | National Nature Park "Podillian Tovtry" | Khmelnytskyi Oblast |
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| 6 | Shatsky National Nature Park | Shatsk, Volyn Oblast |
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| 7 | National Nature Park "Synevir" | Mizhhiria Raion, Carpathian Mountains |
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Special Natural Nominations
Three other natural sites received special recognition:
- Balaklava Bay in Balaklava.
- Oleshky Sands, which is the biggest desert in Europe.
- Optimistic Caves, the largest cave on the continent.
How Natural Wonders Were Chosen
The "Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine" were chosen on August 26, 2008. Just like the first contest, experts and internet users voted. Local and regional governments first made a list of 1,000 possible natural sites. Then, 100 experts chose 21 candidates. Online voting for these 21 places started on July 7, 2008. About 77,000 people voted. The results were announced on August 26, 2008. This campaign was also started by Mykola Tomenko in May 2007.
Winners received a statue made of green marble, steel, and gold-mirror acrylic paint.
Seven Wonderful Castles and Palaces
The Seven Wondrous Castles and Palaces of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Сім чудесних замків та палаців України) was the third part of the "Seven Wonders of Ukraine" program. It happened after a three-year break. These seven amazing castles and palaces were chosen on December 1, 2011. Like the other contests, experts and internet users voted for their favorites.
Local and regional governments suggested 138 possible castles and palaces. A group of 100 experts then picked 21 candidates. These included 7 fortresses, 7 palaces, and 7 castles. Internet voting for these 21 places started on August 22, 2011. Around 77,000 people voted. The voting closed on December 1, 2011, and the winners were announced that same day. This campaign was also started by Mykola Tomenko.
Each winning site received a statue made of green marble, steel, and gold-mirror acrylic paint.
| # | Name | Location | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lutsk Upper Castle | Lutsk, Volyn Oblast |
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| 2 | Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle | Kamianets-Podilsky, Khmelnytskyi Oblast |
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| 3 | Akkerman Fortress | Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky, Odesa Oblast |
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| 4 | Metropolitan Palace | Chernivtsi, Chernivtsi Oblast |
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| 5 | Khotyn Fortress | Khotyn, Chernivtsi Oblast |
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| 6 | Kachanivka Palace | Kachanivka, Pryluky Raion, Chernihiv Oblast |
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| 7 | Vorontsov Palace | Alupka, Crimea |
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Special Castle and Palace Nominations
Four other castles and palaces received special recognition:
- Olesko Castle in Olesko, Lviv Oblast.
- Chyhyryn Fortress in Chyhyryn, Cherkasy Oblast.
- Bakhchisaray Palace in Bakhchisaray, Crimea.
- Kyrylo Rozumovsky Palace in Baturyn, Chernihiv Oblast.
Images for kids
See Also
- Seven Wonders of the World
- List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ukraine
- Protected areas of Ukraine
