The city of Chernivtsi - the center of the smallest region in Ukraine, which consists of two historical regions - North Bukovyna and Bessarabia, is spread over picturesque hills that descend in terraces to the valley of the Prut River.

The veil of mystery and romance touches many buildings in Chernivtsi, but most of all it concerns the majestic building located at the junction of two current Sholom-Aleichem 1 and Holovnaya 25 streets. This is a residential building that entered the history of the city of Chernivtsi under the name -ship. This is the highlight of all the architectural monuments of Chernivtsi. It is still called in the old fashion - "ship", which means "ship" in German. The name of the house is not accidental. After all, it really resembles a ship in its appearance. The appearance of this "crabble" gives us an interesting legend...

There lived two brothers in Austria-Hungary who were sincerely in love with the sea. One became a famous captain and led ships around the world, and the other - a successful financier. When the brothers retired, they decided to settle together in an incredible house worthy of them - a house-ship. The brothers traveled for a long time in search of the right unique place - and finally found it in Chernivtsi.

It is believed that the name "Chernivtsi" comes from the fortress city, which for a long time served as the defender of the Galician state and was called Chernivtsi. The defensive walls of the fortification were made of oak and covered with chernozem, so they looked very dark. When the Mongol invasion destroyed the building, the remnants of the inhabitants moved to the Prut River, where they founded a new city, leaving part of the old name.

There is also a folk legend: the name Chernivtsi comes from the phrase "black sheep". That is, the city was named so because it was in this area that black sheep were bred and grazed from time immemorial. A legend remains a legend. Already the first researchers of the history of Chernivtsi wrote that there is no reason to associate the name of the city with black sheep. Indeed, it is hard to imagine that once black sheep were bred only in this place, and all around - of a different color.

The Metropolitan Palace was built on the site of the bishop's residence in 1882. Now its buildings house the main national university of the city named after the Ukrainian writer and harbinger of the national revival in Bukovyna Yury Fedkovich. The unique architectural ensemble of the palace was created on the initiative of Bishop Hakman, who dreamed of building a grand residence, a building that would beautify the capital of Bukovyna. He personally laid the first stone in the foundation of the architectural masterpiece.

Chernivtsi National University named after Yury Fedkovich is one of the oldest classical universities of Ukraine. It is located in a magnificent building of modern Chernivtsi - a complex built in 1864-1882 as the residence of Bukovyna metropolitans according to the project of a famous Czech architect. At the beginning of the 20th century, somewhere between 1909 and 1911, an unusual duel took place in Chernivtsi. On one side of the barrier stood a university librarian, on the other - a professor of political economy. The subject of the dispute was the right of students to access library books.

The professor's bullet hit the opponent, the librarian lost and was forced to surrender. The name of the winner is known to every modern student of economics - it is Joseph Schumpeter, the author of the well-known scientific work "Theory of Economic Development". At the age of 26, he became the youngest professor in Austria-Hungary - this was possible only at Chernivtsi University.

Older residents of Chernivtsi can hear stories about how in their childhood they ran through the dungeons near the university's main buildings. It is quite possible that those secret passages of the former Chernivtsi children did not completely fall asleep and still exist. The version that there is an underground passage leading from the grotto in the university park to the railway station remains widespread (during the construction of the palaces, evacuation routes were always provided).

Outside the city, on the river Prut, near the bridge on both sides, there are two towers overgrown with willows and wild grapes, half-ruined and, at first glance, not attractive at all. No documents certifying their appearance have survived. At the end of the 19th century, the part of the forest where the bunkers and the bridge across the Prut River were located was occupied by the Austrian military for a long time. They built a bridge and paved the road to it through the village of Garyachy Urban. Opposite the bridge over the Prut, a high hill was overgrown with beech and oak forest.

One evening, musicians who were returning from a wedding approached the bridge, hoping to have time to cross the river by boat. There was no boat! Then one of them mentioned crossing the towers. They opened the door and went down the metal steps by candlelight. The tunnel was semi-oval. With their trumpets they quickly reached the opposite bank, but the drummer was not so lucky. The drum did not pass through the door and he had to stay. Only at night a boat came to him and took him across the river.

The bridge was always under guard. After 1941, it was destroyed, and with the reconstruction - the towers were separated from it. When the bridge is blown upor its fall damaged the structure and created a hole through which water penetrated and filled the tunnel. Perhaps the times will come when both residents of Chernivtsi and guests of the city will stand in line to walk through the tunnel under the Prut.

Classics of Ukrainian literature Yurii Fedkovych and Olga Kobylyanska, German-language poet Roza Auslender, Austrian and Romanian historian Daniel Verenko, German-language poet, novelist, playwright, translator, journalist, actor Georg Drozdovskyi, Ukrainian writer Ivan Franko, German-language poet Paul Celan, Romanian pianist Karol Mikuli , German-speaking writer and journalist Gregor von Rezzori, Jewish writer Eliezer Steinbarg worked in Chernivtsi. Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu, writer and publicist Carl Emil Franzoz also worked here.

Such prominent pop singers as: Nazariy Yaremchuk, Sofia Rotaru, Volodymyr Ivasyuk, Ivo Bobul, Maria Yaremchuk (represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014) and others hail from Bukovyna Land. That is why Chernivtsi is also considered the song capital of Ukraine.

In addition, an interesting legend explains the constant kindness and good mood of the people of Chernivtsi. It has to do with coffee. Once upon a time, a drink that came from the mysterious East was strictly prohibited in our region, because it was believed that coffee distracts monks from prayer, and inclines virtuous citizens to unnecessary and dangerous discussions about politics.

But the residents of Chernivtsi, who had already tasted the delicious drink, were very bored without coffee. And then the citizens rose up against the coffee ban. The "coffee riot", the only one in history, led to large-scale confrontations on the Maidan, where a crowd of outraged citizens chanted: "Ka-vy! Ka-vy!". And the ban was finally lifted. What turned out to be a wise and far-sighted move - today the residents of Chernivtsi, who drink coffee in the city's many coffee shops, are more distant than ever from any politics.

Because coffee nowadays is the key to a good mood. Modern Chernivtsi are associated with legends and myths created over a cup of strong black coffee...