Parhomivka

The Parkhomovsky History and Art Museum, The Holy Virgin Church
POKROVSK CHURCH, 1808

Included in theensemble of the estate. Constructed by the project architect PA Yaroslavl inthe classical style: brick, stucco, cross in the plan, dome. The eastern andwestern branches are considerably longer than in the north and south. Thecentre section is overlapped by hemispherical cupola on the round drum with thelarge semicircular windows, branches - by semicircular arches on the arches. The special featureof the construction is two belfries, located along the longitudinal axis abovethe eastern and western branches - a unique interpretation of a three-domedtemple - echo of the Ukrainian architecture from the 17^th century.Triangular pediments complete the three-dimensional branches of cross. Thewestern pediment is torn. Shallow arched niches, where the windows and doorwaysare placed, dissect the walls. A cover plate frames the main western entrance and it is flankedwith the pylons, which were preserved from the lost church porches. There are preserved paintings on thesails and above the main entrance.

The Parkhomovsky "amateur"museum

In the village there is the Parkhomovsky"amateur" museum - known throughout the art world. Works by Picasso, Gauguin, Cezanne, Manet, Repin.And also - Mayakovsky sketches, drawings,Shevchenko sculpture "Konenkina" ... and other unique items.

The Historical and Art Museum in the village ofParhomivka opened over half century ago, at the initiative of a local historyteacher named Athanasius Lunyova. It all started in 1947 like this: thechildren gathered paintings, icons, old books, coins, medals, ceramics,embroidery, jewellery and household utensils from Parhomivka and theneighbouring villages. Something from home, something from the relatives -sometimes people could not have guessed what idle things lay in their attics.

So in the school museum there are now works ofart by Ivanov, Yaroshenko, Serova, Kalam, Repin, Vassilkovsky, Horace Vernet...

First, the museum was housed in the school - the formerone-story house of the Parkhomovsky landlord. Then the museum was given anancient 18^th century Count's mansion. It was built by the armylieutenant general Ivan Fyodorovich Podgorichani as a gift for the militarymerits by The Empress Catherine the Great. Without proper windows, frames,glass, nails, and tools - a museum can't exist - so every detail had to beobtained. These necessities were brought here from the local are and even fromKharkiv and Moscow.

Then there was the correspondence with some famousartists. The students asked donations from these museums: The National Museumof Fine Arts (named after Pushkin), The Kremlin Museum of Moscow, and TheHermitage in St.Petersburg. And for The Parkhomovsky collection these museumsparticipated willingly: this resulted to a collection of masterpieces of worldart, collected by the students of rural schools - a very special combinationeven worldwide!

For fifty years, all has been stored here fromthe school trips to cities in Russia and Europe. On earnings acar-lorry was bought - and with that they went on tour. They returned with afull load of gifts! From these trips the Parkhomovsky museum got hold of thecast of the head of Queen Nifertiti from the 14^th century BC - fromthe Museum of Dresden.

In thishistorical collection of the museum there is now about 6000 different items...
Shishkin, Levitan,Aivazovsky, Taras Shevchenko, Serov, Vereshchagin, Repin, Bryullov - a copy of"Last Day of Pompeii", Ivanov ...
European art: Rembrandt,Anthony van Dyck.
Italian art is represented mostly as copies of paintingsby: Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci andTitian.

Of the original works should be noted "Madonna" by an unknown artist, and an engraving from the16^th century by AD Pironezi- "View of Rome".
The pride of the museum is etchings by the great Dutchpainter Rembrandt: "Portrait ofJan Six" and "Portrait of a rabbi". Now,only here you can see the early graphic works of Kazimir Malevich, Borovikovsky, Tropinin, Roerich, Benoit, Kandinskyand more - pencil drawings of Taras Shevchenko's "Deserted Mill" and"Farm." And so much more...

In the museum's displays there are onlyfour copies. All the rest are originals according to the staff of this ruralmuseum. The staff of the museum also say that this is an essential place tovisit for a person who is interested in the history of art.

Krasnokutsk - a small district centre in theKharkiv region. On the whole the district inhabits slightly more than onepercent of its population. Its location is unusual, as if someone took it andthen measured 100 kilometres from Poltava, Sumy and Kharkiv and at theintersection of lines built a small provincial town. In Krasnokutsk you canexperience our way of life, habits and history. The official record states thatpersons with the Cossacks from Zadnepryanschina of the Korsunsky regimentsettled in the hills along the river Merlo after the battle of Berestechko in1651. This date and is considered today time of the basis of Krasnokutska.Originally the city was called Krasniy Kut - a picturesque corner. The natureof this region is really unique - beautiful landscaped lakes, springs, woods.Up to now the Krasnokutshchine Cossack traditions have remained here.

The arboretum ofKrasnokutsky -known as a pearl - is one of the oldest in Ukraine.

This Arboretum is located at the Krasnokutsk PetropaulovskiyMonastery and was built three years later by immigrants from Korsun. Themonastery was built after the founding of Krasnokutsk. It was active for 100years, but by order of Catherine II was closed. A little later, Catherine gaveland to Nazary Alexandrovich Karazin. In his time he was an extremely educatedman. He knew five languages. During the war against the Turks he became famousas an excellent scout. The founder of the park is believed to be his son IvanNazarovych.

Karazin was the first acclimatizator in Ukraine.From Japan, China, America, Canada, France, Germany and other countries, up to600 species of rare plants were brought here, 50 of which had previously notgrown in Ukraine, among them - maple, acacia, platanus and sophora. Firstsettled down in the Krasnokutskaya arboretum they then began their journeyacross the country.
... The fantastic beauty of nature surrounded by a lake -piece of land where there are trees, squirrels and benches - a lovers? islandinvented by Karazin. You can enter the island on an arched bridge.When the lovers passed, the bridge was raised.Then you could be there alone with nature.

In the arboretum area thereare several lakes. In the clear water fish can be seen swimming. And howbeautifully the lotus are blooming - red, pink, yellow, white! This is anacquisition of our times, a gift from Vladimir Kotlyar (Kharkiv). Four types oflotuses have already successfully survived - also the wintertime.