Welcome to Kaniv

Kaniv is a small town which is situated in Cherkasy region and it is one of the oldest historical and cultural centers of Ukraine.  The magnificent landscape, picturesque banks of The Dnieper river and unique nature attracts tourists from our country and all over the world.

Tarasova (Chernucha) hill is a visiting card of Kaniv. This place is a heart of Ukraine as distinguished poet, artist, social activist, national pride of Ukrainians Taras Shevchenko is buried here.

You can enjoy the blue water of the Dnieper - Slavuta River, listening to the lapping of it's waves and old green forests which give incredible beauty to the banks of the Dnieper from the top of Chernecha Hill if you go 392 stairs up.

There is a State Museum of Taras Shevchenko on the territory of the memorial complex.    Here visitors can become acquainted with life and work of the great Bard, feel the unique energy of Ukrainian ancestors and touch to the era of Cossack's glory.

Not accidentally Taras Shevchenko was buried on Chernecha Gora (Taras hill). Being a young man he was charmed by the nature of this place where the monastery was built in the XVI century. Old and ill kozaks who became monks were living their last days there. Famous ukrainian hetmans such as Ivan Pidkova, Yakiv Shah, Samiylo Kishka, Yakiv Ostrannitsya found peace there. The first national Shevchenko's museum "Taras Chamber" is situated behind the main museum among picturesque green trees. Granite stairs of the memorial complex are equipped by grounds pavilions and fountain Liliya for visitors rest.

Ivan Pidkova memorial is placed in the park which is located on the bottom of Chernecha hill.

Many stone heroes from Shevchenko poetry are placed near the hotel and tourist complex "KARAT". These sculptures were made by leading ukrainian masters in 2009. 19 of them formed Shevchenko's alley which become a real decoration of the foot of Chernecha hill.

The oldest building of the town is Assumption Cathedral. More than 8,5 centuries it's golden domes proudly shine from the top of Kaniv's hill. During Kievan Rus times it was called St.George Cathedral, but later it was renamed. It was eyewitness of decline, destruction and of prosperity of the town.

On the right of the Cathedral you can also meet another showplace of architecture. It was Basilian School in the past (18 cent.) and now it is Kanev's National museum of Folk Decorative art, where you can see about 5000 exhibits. The pottery from the period of Trypillya, candle holders, bells and tubes from the period of Kievan Russ, cossack's tubes and glass ware from XVIII - XIX cent. are of the greatest interest. Visitors can admire works of outstanding ukrainian masters of household and applied arts ceramics of Trypillya culture, ceramic Cossack pipes, ceramic crockery, hot-glass, embroidery and weaving. Also you can see the examples of traditional ukrainian clothes, and things of every day life from the central ukrainian regions (Cherkassy, Kiev and Poltava).

Our region is known in the world as a place of Soviet soldiers heroic deeds, who gave their lives for keeping the defence of the town during the World War II. Architectural monuments include large Glory memorial of fallen soldiers, sailors monuments Dnieper Flotilla, crew armored train number 56, the victims of fascism in Berestovetskiy ravine, etc. On Kaniv's land a veteran of World War II, children's writer and the author of widely known story "Timur and his team" Alexandr Haidar is buried not far from Cathedral Square. In 1948 library museum named after Alexandr Haidar was built where there are some personal author's things.

Kanev's Museum of Nature also deserves attention. It is located in ancient building, where academician Biliashevskiy lived earlier, on the territory  of National Reserve. Visitors are affected by a large number of exhibits which are a real reflection of the natural and man's history from Paleolithic times to the present days. The fossilized teeth, mamonts tusks, giant deers antlers, shark lyamna's teeth, "devil's fingers", butterfly's collection, stuffed animals and many others are the most interesting. There is a memorial room of  academician Belyashevskiy and the first chancellor of Shevchenko's National University M. Maksimovych, where you can learn a lot of their creative work, historical and cultural heritage. Visitors and tourists can have guided tours across the reserve.

Historical museum keeps the age-old history of the town. Thus it has been running since 1991 it has a huge collection of pottery from the New Stone Age (VI - IV century BC) ending with the pottery of the twentieth century,  exhibits flint and bone weapons from the Paleolithic period, Tripoli culture, bronze age, iron and bronze objects from Scythian and ancient Russian state, bronze, copper, silver and glass jewelry from different eras. In the museum's funds visitors can also see Kaniv's residents households (XIX - mid XX cent.) and various documents of this period. Different thematic exhibitions are also held in this museum.

Finishing our story we'd like to add that Kaniv attracts its visitors not only by the historical past and cultural heritage of ukrainian people but also by strong, inexhaustible energy of local nature. The ancient Dnieper and it's banks, picturesque hills, vast expanses of the left bank and fairy forests won't leave anyone indifferent. That's why we advise you to visit our town in spring, summer or early autumn when you can take part in some walking tours to the forests or hills to gather berries, mushrooms and herbs. Besides boating and fishing trips are also common in our region.

So come and enjoy incredibly beautiful scenery and warm sunny rays on the sandy beaches on our Motherland.