Uzhhorod

Uzhhorod is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Uzh River, at the foot of the Ukrainian Carpathians, near the state border with Slovakia and Hungary. It is the administrative center of the Zakarpattia Oblast, its population is about 115,263 people as of 2025, and the city's area is 65 km². The city was under the rule of various states, including Hungary, Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union, before becoming part of independent Ukraine in 1991. Uzhhorod is famous for its confectionery. It is one of the few cities in Ukraine that has its own cake – a real competitor to the "Kyiv Cake". The "Uzhhorod" cake is made without flour, with meringue and hazelnut and almond mousse. One of the main attractions of the city are the mini-sculptures installed in honor of famous people. One of the most original is the mini-Statue of Liberty, which is also the smallest active lighthouse in Ukraine. The statue was installed on the railings of the bridge over the Uzh River in 2011 in honor of the Uzhhorod Regatta. The 17 cm high figure holds a lamp with a blinking LED. On the eve of holidays, the statue is often dressed in carnival costumes. Locals have already dubbed it the main "fashionista" of the region.