On the eve of the Teachers of Ukraine Day, with the assistance of the trade union of Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, an excursion of the staff representatives to Okhtyrka and Trostianets towns, located in Sumy region, took place. We left the Constitution Square quite early on a comfortable bus of the "Navigator Ukraine" company accompanied by a wonderful guide Mrs Larysa, who did not let travelers get bored during the whole trip, which lasted more than 10 hours. On the way to Okhtyrka town we passed several settlements of Kharkiv region (Solonytsivka, Vilshany, Bohodukhiv) and in each of which we saw interesting architectural structures steeped in romantic stories. It is good that the weather turned out to be glorious. The day was sunny and warm, as if the nature itself helped us to create a good mood and inspire tourist exploration.

The small but quite ancient and glorious with its historical past Okhtyrka town, which almost became the capital of our province at one time, welcomed the guests. Kharkiv residents were shown a museum of local lore, which houses antiques, photographs, books, theatrical costumes, etc. The children watched with interest the stuffed birds and animals found in the Sumy region, the adults bowed their heads near the showcases with the Second World War exhibits, watched paintings and mannequins dressed in Ukrainian national costumes. Then we visited the magnificent Intercession Cathedral – the main church of Okhtyrka town, which was built in the XVIII century. The church houses a list of miraculous images of the Okhtyrka Mother of God. The heart is always filled with light and peace, and the soul longs for something incomprehensible, pure and high in such places.

Half an hour later we found ourselves in the also small but picturesque town of Trostianets. Its pearl is the landowner's estate of the Nadarzhynskykh-Holitsynykh-Kenihiv, whose ensemble includes a palace, a "Kruhlyi Dvir" ("Round Yard") fortresslike building and a park in the "Neskuchne" tract. Kharkiv residents wandered around the arena of the "Round Yard", where the daredevils tried the weight of prison pads on their necks, and the girls made a wish for a quick marriage at the massive door with an iron rattle ring. The palace was interested with a memorial room dedicated to P.I. Chaikovskyi, who was there in the summer of 1864 and wrote an overture to Ostrovskyi's drama "Thunderstorm"; wonderful paintings donated by the artists who worked in the estate in the open air. Both young and old visitors of the estate, without any exaggeration, liked the Chocolate Museum located in the left wing of the building, where tourists were photographed near a huge chocolate crown, a chocolate bust of the Aztec ruler, Montezuma and a cheerful purple cow Milka.

Passing by the colossal buildings of the chocolate factory "Mondeliz" the group stopped for a while and photographed next to the bronze Leopold Kenih, who did so much for the whole Slobozhanshchyna, and reached Trostianets arboretum. Here we met twilight over the transparent lakes of the "Neskuchne" tract, having previously inspected the unique 400-year-old trees, exotic plants and the mysterious ruins of the Nimf Grotto, which was built in 1809. Tired, but with cheerful songs and gratitude to the university trade union, which gave the educators such a beautiful trip on the eve of their professional holiday, we returned home, hoping that this excursion would not be the last.

Head of the Department of Ukrainian Studies of the Faculty № 2,

Doctor of Philology, Professor

Ihor CHORNYI