Bila Tserkva can be explored through two distinct themes: the expansive landscape of the “Oleksandriia” arboretum and the town’s cultural and urban history. The arboretum covers 400 hectares and lies on the outskirts of the city, near the Ros River. Natural forest-steppe landscapes shape the park, with oak woodland, clearings, meadows and bodies of water. Around 2,500 plant species, varieties and forms are represented there—a rough figure that conveys the botanical diversity alongside the size of the grounds.
Parkland and Garden Art
The arboretum’s landscape compositions have been preserved; as a monument to garden and landscape art, they date from the late 18th to the early 19th century. The arboretum itself was founded in 1788 on the banks of the Ros. Those interested in the history of designed landscapes will find not only woodland, meadows and bodies of water here, but also structures and features deliberately incorporated into the park’s design.
One striking example is the “Ruiny” (“Ruins”) feature, which has been preserved since the 18th century. From the outset, it was designed as a ruined castle and intended to evoke the transience of time. A waterfall emerges from its lower level. The “Luna” colonnade, in the Classical style, offers a different kind of experience: the 18th-century monument is more than 38 metres long, and people at either end can even hear each other whisper. The arboretum’s architecture also includes a colonnade in the form of a Greek amphitheatre, the Chinese Bridge and the Turkish Cottage.
Buildings and Historical Layers
The Branicki Winter Palace in Bila Tserkva was built in 1796 as the Branickis’ winter residence and is a listed monument. In summer, the counts lived in the summer palace in “Oleksandriia” Park, which no longer exists.
Zamkova Hora offers a longer historical perspective. Its present-day name refers to the settlement of the chronicle town of Yuriev, founded in 1032 by Yaroslav the Wise, Prince of Kyiv. Remains of Cossack fortifications from the early 18th century have also been preserved on Palieva Hill in the arboretum. These two sites invite visitors to distinguish between different periods in the history of the city and region: the medieval settlement and the later fortifications.
Museum, Organ Hall and Theatre History
The Bila Tserkva Local History Museum presents two distinct historical perspectives. One exhibition covers the daily life of Ukraine’s early inhabitants, from the earliest times through the Middle Ages. Another focuses on the region’s history from the 14th to the 18th century, a period of Lithuanian-Polish rule. Visitors seeking to put the city’s history into context can distinguish these long time spans from the settlement history of Zamkova Hora while also exploring the region’s development.
The former Catholic Church of St John the Baptist in the historic centre on Zamkova Hora is now used as an organ hall. The church’s first organ was installed in the winter of 1990. Check the organ hall’s current programme before visiting. The “Palas” Theatre is also associated with a notable historical event: in July 1920, William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth” was performed there for the first time in Ukrainian. The leading roles were played by L. Kurbas and L. Hakkebush.
A Culinary Stop in the Arboretum
There is a tasting room in the Mur Garden, in the northern part of the arboretum. Visitors can sample and buy fruit and berries grown in the arboretum. If you plan to stop there, check in advance whether the tasting room is open.
Discover more destinations: Sukholuchchya, Krasne Pershe, Yahotyn, Olyva, Khokhitva, Trypillja, Dymer, Hora.
For the broader travel guide: Kyiv Oblast.
