Bila Tserkva

The town was founded in 1032 as Yuriev by Yaroslav the Wise, whose Christian name was Yuri. The present name of the city, literally translated, is "White Church" and may refer to the (not longer extant) white-painted cathedral of medieval Yuriev.

Monument to Yaroslav the Wise on Zamkova Gora (Castle Hill)

Since 1363 it belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and since 1569 to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Was granted Magdeburg Rights in 1620 by Sigismund III Vasa. A peace treaty between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Ukrainian Cossack rebels under Bohdan Khmelnytsky was signed here in 1651.

After the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, Bila Tserkva became part of Imperial Russia. It was a significant market place in the 19th century. During the Soviet times it became a large industrial centre (machine building, construction industry).

Notable buildings include the covered market (1809-1814) and the complex of postal buildings (1825-31). There are also Palladian wooden buildings of the Branickis' "Winter Palace" and the district nobility assembly. The church of St. Nicholas was started in 1706 but was not completed until 1852. The Orthodox cathedral of the Saviour's Transfiguration was constructed in 1833-1839, while the Catholic church dates to 1812.

View of the so-called Ruins and the Laznevogo lake of the historical landscape park "Alexandria"

A historical landscape park "Alexandria" of 2 km is situated in Bila Tserkva. It was founded in 1793 by the wife of the Polish king Franciszek Ksawery Branicki.

It is 80 km far from Kiev, so the best way to get to Bila Tserkva is by marshrutka, which goes from the railway-station.