Yuzhne, now Pivdenne, was called Yuzhne until it was renamed in 2024. The city’s squares draw on different cultural influences: Georgian national symbols, a Chinese garden, Turkish forms and wrought-iron art. The city museum and art gallery add to these impressions, while Primorsky Park and its promenade offer a different focus near the beach. Anyone weighing up Yuzhne as a travel destination will find several clearly distinct themes, rather than just one defining feature.
Squares with international influences
“Malenka Hruziia” opened in 2017 and was dedicated to the sister city of Kobuleti. Wine amphorae, grapevines and a depiction of a mountain landscape draw on Georgian national symbols. The square thus combines a specific dedication with a design whose individual motifs are easy to distinguish: amphorae and vines stand alongside the mountain landscape. This gives the place a different character from squares whose designs refer to Chinese or Turkish influences.
Opened in 2018, “Kytaiskyi sad” commemorates cooperation with the sister city of Panchzhou. The square features a wooden bridge and a ginkgo tree sculpture donated by Panchzhou in 2021. Its opening and the later gift are two separate milestones in its history. The Turkish Square also opened in 2018, in the presence of a delegation from the Turkish sister city of Kemer. Stone design elements, structures shaped like Turkish amphorae and sculptures modeled on the rocks of Cappadocia define its appearance. The two squares thus differ both in their forms and in their sister-city connections.
Wrought-iron art, museum and gallery
Another square, featuring wrought-iron sculptures, was created in 2010 during the Ukrainian folk art festival “Ukraina, Yoi!” Its artworks include the arch “Veselka vid moria do stepu,” the art umbrella “Mystetstvo,” a tryzub and the sundial “Mapa Ukrainy.” The different forms—an arch, an umbrella, a symbol and a sundial—offer a distinctive way to experience this collection. The “Koval-fest” festival was held annually from 2010 to 2017. This period describes the festival series at the time; it does not imply that it continues today.
The city museum in Pivdenne has three exhibition rooms. Two are named “Ukrainska svitlytsia” and “Istoriia Yuzhnoho z pershoho kilochka ta suchasnist.” The municipal art gallery is considered one of the city’s first art spaces and attracts many people interested in the visual arts. Together with the landscaped squares, the museum and gallery give Yuzhne its own arts and culture focus. If you plan to visit the museum or gallery, check current visitor information in advance.
Promenade near the beach
Primorsky Park and the promenade opened in 2015 and are located near the beach. The park has a fountain, flowers, pavilions and benches. These features offer a different focus from the themed squares: here, the park landscaping and promenade shape the impression, while individual cultural motifs take center stage in the squares. This makes it possible to understand Yuzhne through its varied features, from Georgian, Chinese and Turkish design elements to the park near the beach. When planning your trip, consider whether you’d like to include the landscaped squares, the art venues or the promenade in your stay.
Discover more destinations: Karolino-Buhas, Dal'nyk, Sanzhiika, Svitlohirs'ke, Odessa, Izmail, Nova Dofinivka, Novopetrivka.
For the broader travel overview: Odesa Oblast.
