Dnipro, once closed city, today's welcoming hub

Nedobudovanyy Hotelʹ "Parus"I visited Dnipro in 2024, when I delivered first-aid supplies to Ukraine, and I had a great time in this city that was closed during the Soviet era to protect its missile manufacturing facilities. Foreigners were prohibited from visiting the city, and even Soviet citizens needed permission to enter the city.

The legacy of the Soviet era is everywhere.

Dnipro probably no longer makes rockets, but it has a Rocket Park.


The iconic Unfinished Hotel Sail (Nedobudovanyy Hotelʹ "Parus"). Its construction started in the 70s and was stopped near the end of the USSR.


Monument to fallen soldiers in Afghanistan. The Soviet War in Afghanistan was a disaster. I can understand that these youngsters were brainwashed to believe they were fighting a noble war for the people of Afghanistan and for their motherland.  


Brutalis buildings:


One universal scene in Ukraine is that Churches stand out as often the most beautiful buildings in their areas. 

Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Saviour:






St. John the Baptist Church, Dnipro by Dnieper River:

Church of St. Nicholas of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) on Monastery Island:



Shevchenko Square:

Yavornytsʹkoho Street that leads to the Shevchenko Square:


Shevchenko is so loved in Ukraine that his name is everywhere. 
Taras Shevchenko Monument:


Dnipro's main post office is very pretty too, though not as grand as that of Odesa.
 



I always get lots of stickers and magnets like these to give to friends in the US whenever I am in Ukraine:


I love the bakery GULIT&SULIT operated by a Georgian family who fled Georgia when the Rashists took their hometown in Abkhazia. I had a very pleasant chat with the owner, who also operates a used car sale business that imports used cars from countries such as the US. He treated me to Georgian wine and pastry. He does not speak English, but his son speaks fluent English.




I love Ukrainian bakeries. I can always get a delicious meal from them.





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