{"id":582216,"date":"2026-04-12T19:15:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T16:15:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/2026\/04\/582216\/not-just-the-sea-and-beaches-the-best-photo-of-the-mykolaiv-region-was-an-ancient-island-seen-from-above\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T19:15:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T16:15:36","slug":"not-just-the-sea-and-beaches-the-best-photo-of-the-mykolaiv-region-was-an-ancient-island-seen-from-above","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/en\/2026\/04\/582216\/not-just-the-sea-and-beaches-the-best-photo-of-the-mykolaiv-region-was-an-ancient-island-seen-from-above\/","title":{"rendered":"Not just the sea and beaches: the best photo of the Mykolaiv region was an ancient island seen from above"},"content":{"rendered":"

The jury recognized an aerial photograph of the settlement site on the island of Mykolaiv Oblast<\/strong> as the best photo of the region in the results of the contest “Wiki Loves Monuments 2025<\/strong>”. The author of the winning work is Oleg Marchuk<\/strong>. This shot, taken on 19 July 2020<\/strong>, became the region\u2019s main visual entry in one of Ukraine\u2019s best-known contests dedicated to cultural heritage.<\/p>\n

The island Berezan<\/strong> is located on a coastal shoal that stretches from Cape Adzhiyask<\/strong> and the western shore of the Berezansky estuary<\/strong>. It is about 13 km<\/strong> from Ochakiv<\/strong>, and 4.1 km<\/strong> from the cape itself. Of the populated places, the village Rybakivka<\/strong> is the closest to the island. The island itself is part of the National Historical and Archaeological Reserve “Olvia”.<\/p>\n

What gives this place special value is that it was on Berezan<\/strong> that the oldest ancient Greek settlement in the Northern Black Sea region<\/strong>, Borysphenida<\/strong>, once existed. It is the settlement\u2019s fortified site that was captured in the winning photo. In other words, this is not simply a picturesque aerial view, but an image of a monument that has exceptional significance for the history of the entire region and for Ukraine as a whole.<\/p>\n

This site represents the Mykolaiv Oblast<\/strong> in the contest for the first time. Previously, the jury selected as the region\u2019s best photos an image of the Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory<\/strong>, a church in the village of Pelahiivka<\/strong>, a fragment of the exterior of the former private Monte<\/strong> theatre \u2014 now the Mykolaiv Academic Art Drama Theatre<\/strong>, the Church of St. Joseph<\/strong> in Mykolaiv<\/strong>, a water mill and the agricultural college in the village of Myhiya<\/strong>, the house of the Commander-in-Chief of the Black Sea Fleet<\/strong> in Mykolaiv<\/strong>, the foundations of the buildings of the ancient city of Olvia<\/strong>, a gazebo in Voznesensk<\/strong> and the Shukhov water tower<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

According to contest representatives, Mykolaiv region<\/strong> belongs to those regions whose monuments are still insufficiently represented on Wikipedia<\/strong> and on Wikimedia Commons<\/strong>. That is why the organizers emphasize: every new high-quality photo or video of cultural heritage matters, especially in wartime, when many monuments become even more vulnerable and documenting historical sites gains additional importance.<\/p>\n

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“Mykolaiv Oblast is among those regions whose monuments are the least illustrated on Wikipedia. It is important for us to have more participants, more photos and videos, but of course this also has to be as safe as possible for them \u2014 I will only add that we accept works for the contest that were made earlier, not only contemporary ones. The main thing is that they are original photographs and videos, even those taken on film. Residents and visitors of the region may also be interested in special nominations \u2014 Jewish, German and Polish,” \u2014 said the press secretary of the NGO “Wikimedia Ukraine” and a member of the organizing committee of the contest “Wiki Loves Monuments” Olha Milyanovych.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Contest statistics also show how much space remains for new works. As of 2025<\/strong>, the list of monuments of Mykolaiv Oblast<\/strong> includes 2,626<\/strong> cultural heritage objects. Of these, only 512<\/strong>, or about 19%<\/strong>, have photos on Wikimedia Commons<\/strong>. By the end of 2025<\/strong>, 17<\/strong> participants uploaded 132<\/strong> photos of 41<\/strong> monuments, one of which was illustrated for the first time. In total, images of the region\u2019s monuments have been submitted by 152<\/strong> contestants throughout the contest\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

So the victory of the photo from Berezan<\/strong> is not only a nice story about a successful shot. It is also a reminder that the Mykolaiv region<\/strong> has a vast layer of historical heritage that remains unknown and unseen by many. And while part of the region lives daily under the threat of war, each such photograph also serves as evidence: our land has a deep history that must be preserved, shown to the world, and not allowed to disappear into the shadows.<\/p>\n

Earlier we wrote:<\/p>\n