Beautiful Oleksandria Landscape Garden

The Kiev Oblast in Ukraine is a region filled with picturesque small towns and wonderful attractions for visitors to enjoy. Many of the destinations can be described as a little off-the-beaten-track, and it is here where tourists are able to enjoy the original and traditional atmosphere of the country without the bustling tourism industry. One of these unique destinations is the town of Bila Tserkva, and even though the town may not be a well known tourist destination, one of its noteworthy sites is a major attraction to all who visit this region, namely the Oleksandria Park.

As one of the largest cities in the Kiev Region, Bila Tserkva was established on the banks of the Ros River in 1032, which is a mere eighty kilometers outside the capital city of Kiev. The town was given to Xavier Branicka as a gift from the King of Poland at the end of the eighteenth century, and Branicka was married to Alexandra Enhelhardt in 1781. It was the new Countess who requested the landscaping of this magnificent piece of land, as landscaped parks were extremely fashionable at the time. The landscape garden of Oleksandria was originally designed by Muffo, a French architect, but in later years, many famous gardeners and architects contributed to the beauty that can still be marveled at today.

Covering an area of just over two hundred and one hectares, the Oleksandria Park is one of the largest landscape gardens in Ukraine. The structures within the garden include guest outhouses, a palace, amphitheatre, pavilion and dancing hall, to name a few. Water is a dominant feature throughout the garden, with waterfalls, ponds, streams and fountains located in various areas. Chinese bridges and a host of sculptures decorate the landscape. In the Park Museum, visitors can view marble sculptures such as the “Boy with a Bow” and “Three Graces”.

In regard to the plant life of the garden, the Oleksandria Park boasts approximately two thousand five hundred species, such as figs, orchids, Chinese roses, spruce, chestnut avenues, an oak park and palms. The diversity of the garden is spectacular. The garden was declared a research centre for the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the year 1949. The Academy ensures the conservation of the garden and the breathtaking wonders it holds.