City Cultural heritage

For centuries, under the influence of historic events, Chernivtsi existed as a multinational and multicultural city. And now, as it has always been, one of its principal features is tolerance. Various nationalities, religions, and political views have never prevented the citizens of Chernivtsi from living in harmony and mutual understanding. The city has quite naturally become a cradle for artists who embody and represent various national cultures. Famous names are shining on Star Alley on Theater Place in Chernivtsi: Joseph Schmidt, Orest Rusnak, Sidi Tal, Dmytro Hnatiuk, Volodymyr Ivasiuk, Nazariy Yaremchuk, Sofia Rotaru, Ivo Bobul, Andriy Shkurhan, Yan Tabachnyk. Famous writers include Olga Kobylianska, Aspaziya Munte, Mikhay Eminesku, Rosa Auslander, Elizar Steinberg and Itzyk Manger. The name of poet Paul Celan has become part of world literary heritage. They wrote in different languages, each had his or her unique outlook and style, but all of them were citizens of Chernivtsi. Most of them were born, educated and blossomed here as creative personalities.

Chernivtsi has a unique coloring of traditions in art and culture. Its attraction for tourists is first of all based on a number of memorials commemorating different historic eras and ethnic cultures -- a rich palette of cultural customs and traditions.

Besides the music-drama theater, there is the regional Philharmonic Society concert hall that was built in 1877 as the House of Music Society. During those years there were heard the charming voices of Solomiya Krushelnytska, Modest Mentsynskyy, wonderful plays of the talented musician Anton Rubinstein and violinist-virtuoso Jacque Tibo. First steps into the great art were made here by the young singer Sofia Rotaru, Nazariy Yaremchuk, Vasyl Zenkevych, as well as other talented Bukovynians. And still today music can be heard there. You will hear the original melodies of the Carpathians, see folk Hutsul dances performed by the honored Bukovynian ensemble, which blends over 80 types of stage art.

In Chernivtis there also are the organ hall of the Philharmonic Society, a Regional Puppet Theater, 8 museums, 4 music and 1 art school, 5 movie houses, the House of Aesthetics and Leisure, the Culture and Art Center, a Ballroom Dance Studio, 10 clubs, and 31 libraries. There are over 100 religious organizations and diocese administrations, and 4 ecclesiastical institutions.

Ten public cultural organizations are active in Chernivtsi, including the Polish Culture Society named after A. Mitskevych, the Romanian Culture Society named after M.Eminesku, Austrian-German culture, and the Chernivtsi regional department of the Ukrainian Culture Fund. Since 1997, the international art project "Days of European Cultural Heritage" has taken place in Chernivtsi, under a program of the European Council. Each year the folk festival "Bukovynski Zustrichi" (Meeting in Bukovyna) with the participation of artistic groups from Poland, Hungary, Romania and Germany is held on the Day of the City.
The Ukrainian National Festival "Chervona Ruta" was launched in Chernivtsi. An International Song Contest named after V. Ivasiuk, and the Regional Artistic Contest "Vizerunky Bukovyny" have been held regularly.

The Central Park of Culture and Recreation named after T.Shevchenko is a favorite place for recreation and children's entertainment, in which the Summer Theater, one of the best in Ukraine, has been revived.

The international Sports Center "SuperCross" is in Chernivtsi, on the basis of which European and World Motorcycle Cross-Country Races have been held every year.