Vinnytsia.
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Overview

Vinnytsia (Ukrainian: Вінниця, also transliterated Vinnitsa from Russian: Винница) is a city in Central Ukraine, the administrative center of the Vinnytsia region. 267 km southwest of Kyiv, it has been known since the Middle Ages, and is home to a former Soviet Cold War airbase. Vinnytsia is now an industrial center (particularly, dominated by the Roshen corporation), a growing international IT-outsource center and the main base of the Ukrainian Air Force.

Understand

In 2021, Vinnytsia was home to 370,000 people. In 2017, 67% of the city's population spoke Ukrainian at home, 13% spoke Russian, and 20% spoke Ukrainian and Russian equally.

Climate A long lasting warm summer with a sufficient quantity of moisture and a comparatively short winter is characteristic of Vinnytsia. The average temperature in January is −5.8 °C (21.6 °F) and 18.3 °C (64.9 °F) in July. The average annual precipitation is 638 mm (25 in). Throughout the year, 6–9 days per year include snowstorms, 37–60 days of the year include mists during the cold period, and 3–5 days include thunder storms with hail.

Vinnytsia has been an important trade and political center since the fourteenth century, when Fedir Koriatowicz, the nephew of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Algirdas, built a fortress (1363) against Tatar raiders on the banks of the Southern Bug. From that time on, the town became a part of Lithuania, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Ottoman Empire, Cossack Hetmanat and eventually the Russian Empire, which annexed the city and region following the Second Partition of Poland in 1793. Russia moved to expunge the Roman Catholic religion; Catholic churches in the city (including what is now the Transfiguration Cathedral) were converted to Russian Orthodox churches. In the beginning of 20th century, the city became a temporary capital of the independent Ukrainian People's Republic. Victims' graves from the Vinnytsia massacre during the Stalinist repression of 1937–1938 were exhumed by the invading Germans in 1943. Adolf Hitler sited his easternmost headquarters 'Führerhauptquartier Wehrwolf' near the town and spent a number of weeks there in 1942 and early 1943. Nazi atrocities were committed in and near Vinnytsia by Einsatzgruppe C. Estimates of the number of victims run as high as 28,000. This included the virtual annihilation of the town's large Jewish population.

Tourist information There is useful website for tourists visiting Vinnytsia: vinnytsia.city.

Get in

By plane Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine's airspace is closed to civil aviation. In March 2022, the Vinnytsia International Airport airfield was destroyed by Russian missiles.

Vinnytsia train station. Besides number of regional and Ukrainian trains, there are two international routes - to Przemyśl (Poland) and Chișinău (Moldova). The accurate timetable in English could be checked on Ukrzaliznytsia Official Webpage

Eastern or No.3 bus station. Buses to and from Haisyn 5 per day, Uman daily.

Central or No.1 bus station. Buses to/from: Cherkasy, Dnipro, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Berdychiv daily, Chernivtsi (but see below) daily 3 times, Kyiv 6-8 per day, Odesa 4 per day, Zhytomyr 10 per day, Uman 5 per day, Tulchyn 12 per day, Bershad 8 times, Mohyliv-Podilskyi 6 per day etc.The bus from Vinnytsia to Chernivtsi takes you to a one-horse-town called Chernivtsi in the Vinnytsia Oblast and not to the bustling university city of Chernivtsi in the Chernivtsi Oblast. Beware, as this is an easy mistake to make.

Western or No.2 bus station. Buses from: Bar (Ukraine) between 06:55-17:45, 10 per day, Mohyliv-Podilskyi between 06:55-17:45, 15 per day, Khmilnyk between 07:15-20:00, 25 per day, Lviv twice a day via Yaremche, Khmelnytskyi between 07:00-15:00 6-8 per day. Mostly for Vinnytsia oblast destinations.

"Grosh" or No.4 bus station. Buses only for suburbs. Operating without precise timetable

Get around

By public transport Vinnytsia has a convenient public transport system:

You can pay for the ride using bank card (contactless payments are accepted) or paper ticket, which may be bought in EasyPay terminal (map, in Ukrainian). More information is available on the official website (in Ukrainian).

You can also buy transport card (where to buy, in Ukrainian) with the option to buy 130-rides pass for 510 грн or unlimited pass for 750 грн. Pass will work for 30 days. Its main advantage is 1 free transfer during half an hour after first validation.

Schedules are available at each station, on the official website (in Ukrainian) on the map (in Ukrainian), and on rozklad.in.ua (in Ukrainian).

You can also check information about public transport on EasyWay and Google Maps.

By taxi Taxi is the easiest way of getting around the city. Some popular taxi companies include:

By scooter Kick scooter is a funny way to shorten your time while getting around the city.

By bike There are more than 90 km of infrastructure for bicycles in Vinnytsia. While you can use your own bike, you can also rent one using one of the following companies:

See

Baptist Church 'House of the Gospel'. One of the largest Evangelical church buildings in Eastern Europe.

Christ's Resurrection Church. Built in 1910 by famous city architect Hryhorii Artynov with iconostasis made by Kyiv artist Oleksandr Murashko. It was built on the place of old cemetery.

Holy Transfiguration Cathedral, former Dominicans monastery. One of the oldest buildings in Vinnytsia. Beautiful example of Baroque architecture. The Dominican monastery was founded in 1630. In 1758, a stone church for the Dominicans was founded by Polish aristocrat Michał Grocholski, who asked the Italian architect Paolo Fontana to finish the project. In 1832 Russians closed Dominican monastery and handed it over to the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1833, the community church was re-ordained as the Transfiguration Cathedral. On December 16, 2018, the local parish was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, but the name of the Cathedral remains the same.

St. Nicholas church and bell tower. Saint Nicholas church was founded by ktetor Anton Postelnik in 1746 and constructed in the place of a more ancient one. Its bell tower was moved aside to the stone gray wall and could be used as a fortress.

Former Jesuits monastery. Built in 17-18th century. Nowadays in the buildings of former Jesuits monastery located Vinnytsia Regional State Archive, Arts Museum and Vinnytsia Regional Museum

Saint Mary of the Angels church. Nowadays it is the Roman Catholic Church. This is part of the former Capuchins monastery, built in 1748 - 1761 with its own catacombs, where, according to legend, the spirit of the monk Szymon lives.

Nativity of the Saint Virgin Cathedral. Built in 1913-1914.

Church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God. Built in 1993-1996. There is a monument to Cardinal Lyubomyr Guzar on the square near the Church.

Museum of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. An open-air museum that can be visited only by arranged in an advance appointment, but the experience is worth it.

Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky Estate Museum. The farm-house where the Ukrainian modernist writer was born and lived until 33 years. Nowadays, its territory is home to a literary and memorial museum with a wonderful garden in the middle of the city. As of March 2023, it is under reconstruction.

Vinnytsia Regional Museum of Local Lore. Museum has nearly 90,000 items. The most interesting are impressive collection of ornaments from the Sarmatian era and the skeleton of the mammoth Winnie, along the artifacts from a Bronze Age burial mound (1500–1000 BC) from the village of Hordiivka (Vinnytsia oblast). The other exhibition showing artefacts and weapons from the Cossack period of 1648–1676.

Vinnytsia Regional Art Museum. The museum's collection span for more than 400 years. Besides the paintings, museum is also famous for its unique collection of Italian majolica of the 17th century, products of European porcelain factories and an exhibition of national arts and crafts.

Museum of Vinnytsia Tram. The museum can be visited it only by prior arrangement. The Museum introduces the history of the most popular urban transport and cars that traveled through Vinnytsia at different times. Also, there is a special excursion tram, that can be booked for a trip around the city.

Pirogov’s Necropolis Church. An integral part of the National Pirogov`s Estate Museum is his mausoleum, the Pirogov Church-Necropolis, where the embalmed body of the scientist rests.

National Pirogov`s Estate Museum. The museum and estate complex, dedicated to the life and work of the prominent surgeon. Pirogov bought the estate "Vyshnia", and built here the house and pharmacy in 1866. The surgeon lived and worked here for 20 years (1861-1881).

Pan Zawarkin and Son Cafe-Museum. A unique place - the museum as much as the cafe - takes visitors back to the cozy atmosphere of the living room of the early 20th century. You can eat delicious desserts, drink the author’s coffee or tea, while listening to the chiming of ancient clocks, among which there are most original ones (like the Rolling Ball, patented in 1808).

Groсholski Palace. Former estate of Polish aristocrate family Grocholski, 18-19th century

Długołęcki House. Late 19th - early 20th c.

The complex of defensive structures Mures ("The Walls"). A complex of defensive and monastic buildings of the 17th century

Hotel Savoy. A landmark of the city. Built in Neo-Baroque Modern style in early 1910s.

The building of regional administration.

Building of Vinnytsia Institute of Trade and Economics (former Building of real school). Built in 1889-1897 as real school. From 1968 trade institute located here. Also tourists can visit Museum of Money right in the building.

House of Commander Chetkov. It was built in 1910 by Hryhoryi Artynov in the Art Nouveau style. Balconies to which there is no exit, weaving, and a slide to get down from the second floor to the first.

Nikolai Pirogov's Crypt at St Nicolas Church. There is a complex of St. Nicolas Church-mausoleum with Pirogov's crypt where his embalmed body lies. Built in 1885.

Former Lvovych Mansion, Museum of Vinnytsia. Built in 19th century. From 2021 Museum of Vinnytsia located here.

House of Сount Heiden. Built in 1912.

Multimedia Fountain Roshen. Opened in 2011, architect Ralph Douw.In 2023 does not work because of wartime restrictions.

Vaksman family’s real estate. Built by architect Moisey Aaronovitch Vaksman in 1915 in Art Nouveau style. Architectural landmark. In 2023 is under construction.

Vinnytsia TV Tower. This is a 354-m-high guyed steel tube used for FM- and TV-transmission. A special feature of its structure are three crossbars arranged in 120-degree angles in two levels, running from its structure to the guys. Vinnytsia TV Tower one of the tallest guyed tubular steel mast in the world. It was built in 1961.

Werwolf (Wehrmacht headquarters). One of Adolf Hitler's Eastern Front military headquarters located in about 12 kilometres (7+1⁄2 miles) north of Vinnytsia. It was used between 1942 and 1943. Was completely destroyed in March, 1944, so nowadays there is a museum with photos located here.

Selyshche. Cherlenkivskyi castle, 16-18th century. Monastery ruins, end of 17th century.

Voronovytsia. Wooden Church of St. Nikolas, Groсholskyi palace and park (1770), Archangel Michael Church (1793), Virgin Mary Church (1777).

Do

Central Leontovych City Park. Founded in 1936. The area is 40 ha. There are lots of attractions: the Alley of Famous Citizens, a summer theater, a stadium, an ice rink, a planetarium, and the Mini-Vinnytsia exhibition. The Ark of Marchel (1964) placed on the main entrance

Vyshenskyi Park. Former Park of the People's Friendship. Park located on the Vyshenske lake. There is a Pirogov mansion on the other bank.

Podillia Zoo. Zoo in the form of a spacious park with many domestic animals that can be fed.

Regional Puppet Theatre "Golden Key".

Regional Philharmonic Hall. Concert Hall located on the Vasyl Stus square near the administrative building, so-called "Knyzhka" ("The Book")

Sadovskyi Ukrainian Theatre of Music and Drama. Built in 1910. Capacity 700 seats

Eat

Mr. & Ms. Meat Restaurant. Meat restaurant, finalist of Ukrainian award "Salt" 2021

Vinnytska Rebernia Pub. Craft beer and ribs.Wi-Fi.

Drink

Royal Pub est 2021. Live music and craft beer.

Polunochnyky (Nighthawks) Cocktail Bar. First classic cocktail bar in Vinnytsia

Sleep

Hotel Ideal. Bar, kitchen with room-service, laundry, 24/7, car park, taxi order, Wi-Fi

Rhytm Hotel. 6 rooms, 12 beds. Room Service. Possibility to order breakfast in the room. Laundry and ironing clothes. Taxi. Restaurant. Finnish sauna. Wi-Fi

Churchill Inn. 4 rooms, 8 beds. Restaurant, bar, free parking, air conditioning

Denina Hotel & SPA. Deninna SPA complex offers the pool, saunas and a salt room.