Sharivka Palace — nearby Kharkiv, Ukraine
Firstly, I have to thank Irina Anatoly to translate the story about this place from the Russian language, which made me possible to share this post!
One of the greatest architectural treasures of Kharkiv is the Sharivka Palace, hidden in the middle of a forest 60 km from Kharkiv city.
The first foundation of the building was laid in 1700 by a landowner named Ol’hovski. The unusual white castle was rebuilt by three different owners in distinct architectural styles. Its last owner was a German baron named Leopold Koenig.
Although the palace hasn’t been restored, the construction is still impressive by its elegance and majestic decoration.
One interesting aspect of Sharivka is the old park combining groups of different kinds of trees, from green in spring to a multicolored during summer and fall. At the same time, the park has a perfect combination with a wild forest around. A fantastic work of the gardeners!
The palace interior still conserves the splendor with high ceilings decorated with paintings, as well as the wallpapers that used to be reference a model of taste and style during the 1880s.
Moreover to its remaining decoration from a long past time, Sharivka has a unique story connected to the baron Leopold Koenig’s life. He was a very rich man, but with no luck in love. For a long time, he was courting a young lady who agreed to become his wife.
Their wedding was celebrated with circus performers and ballet dancers from Saint Petersburg. After married, his wife (whose name I didn’t find) started to help with Leopold’s work and took care of Sharovskiy children school.
Diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, Leopold’s wife had a milestone in her life. Meanwhile, the baron ordered to build a healing microclimate with an arboreal park and started to attend all her whims. Stories say that during summer the baron ordered tons of sugar to build a sugar slide for his wife ride on sleds.
Although the baron knew about a betrayal by his wife, he realized on her a feeling of the brevity of life that took her to live every day as her last day in the life. He forgave her and did everything to brighten up the rest of her days.
At the beginning of the Soviet Revolution in 1917, the couple was forced to move to Germany. Away from the castle and from the favorable climatic conditions provided by the baron, the young wife died after the move.
During the Soviet period, the castle was appropriated by the State. Ignoring the significance of its architecture, authorities organized at Sharivka a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients.
Curiously, it is known that Regional Health Inspectorate visited Sharivka and didn’t find tuberculosis bacillus on the grounds of the castle, due to the arboreal park built by the baron Leopold. Sharivka is also known by a mysticism felt positively by its visitors on their romantic life and peace of mind.
What did you think about this place? If you appreciate history and architecture, it is surely a must to visit the place!
PS: You can check the pictures I take on my Instagram account andref.anjos and through the hashtag #feelukraine.
