Sofiyivka Park was founded in 1796 and built by order of magnate Schenski Potocki by Belgian engineer Metzel and landscape gardener Zaremba and Ferre. The park is spread over an area of 150 hectares in the northern part of Uman. The basis for the park are the picturesque slopes of the river Kamenka.

In the summer of 1800 the grand opening of the park which was named "Sofiyivka" in honor of wife - Sophia Potocki. By this time it was created by Great Falls with an iron bridge, the Amsterdam gate, carved into the rock Lion (Thunder) grotto, built grotto of Venus with a waterfall, pool Fish, the source of Hippocrene, created the Upper and Lower ponds, the river Styx and other buildings.

Of the buildings of that time is remarkable Amsterdam gateway. It is located behind the dam near the shore of the Upper Pond. By the construction of a wooden channel travel by boat can be accessed from the Dead Lake in the river Styx which is a long underground gallery 224 meters. Gallery is built in such a way that floating in the boat are in the dark until they reach the end of the tunnel.

Surprisingly Big Falls of Park is built - right under the waterfall is located the grotto which the visitor can go through if not afraid of water droplets that fall from the ceiling of the grotto.

In 1850 - 1852 years to plan and architect Makutin and Shtakenshnejder on the island in the middle of the Upper Pond was built Pavilion of Love (The Temple of Venus). Above the pavilion is perfectly straightened branches of an old Crimean pine. There is a belief that if two lovers at once set foot on the Island of Love are equally their right or equally with their left foot then their love will last forever. If at the same time step can not be done - do not worry - just walk hand in hand around Pavilion of Love three times in a clockwise direction.

In the middle of the Lower Lake of the widely open mouth a snake wriggling on the stone hits the water column - a fountain "Snake". Water comes into the fountain by underground water pip lined with granite stone cut.

On the contrary Thunder Grotto (Grotto of Calypso) is an offshoot of sump and water main to supply water to the interior of the grotto. Thus purified water on a cast-iron pipesis fed into the fountain.

The diameter of the fountain head "Snake" in comparison with the pipe water supply decreased by a factor of 10. Accurately calculated water supply and a simple engineering solution of the eruption of a fountain provides a slight difference in height betweent the Upper Lake and the fountain is only 1,5 - 2,5 meters and thus the fountain height is 12-16 meters. Initially the water fountain struck just a height of holes in the stone and the fountain called "Samson" as well as famous fountain in Peterhof. Later during a military settlement on the rock was a statue of a snake. The snake was poured in bronze by an unknown master. If its site to stretch in length it will be the size of around 11 meters.

You could visit Uman Sights - Park Sofiyivka (Sofiyivsky Park) with Ukraine Tour West Ring

Pavel Korsun
Tour Guide
Ukraine tours and Kiev tours

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