THE PRICHERNOMORIE LAND.

Presently the scientists and the historians consider the first settlers of the Northern Prichernomorie to come here almost 500 000 years ago. The numerous finds of the archaeologists confirm it. In V century BC the "father of the history" Gerodot visited this land. He left the description of the history, ways of life, customs of Kimmerians, Scythians and Sarmats people that had lived on this land. The recent researches show that it was Northern Prichernomorie that had become the lullaby of the Ukrainian, Russian and Belorussian culture, the native land of many nations moved to this land. Up to a version of Nikolaev researcher Anatoly Zolotukhin the famous Gomer was born and buried here, on the Berezan island. The citizens of Olvia even in 700 years after his death remembered him and worshipped his memory as of their compatriot. The ancient monuments of Nikolaev, the ancient Olvia attract the visitors from all over the world. SCYTHIANS

Nowadays thousands of books and articles of the historians, archaeologists, ethnographers, folklorists are dedicated to the Scythian mythology, religious philosophy of life. Even 2-3 thousand of years the history of the Scythian people can not leave anybody indifferent. The nation's appearance and further disappearing has always been the secret. The Scythians settled on Nikolaev land close to Olvia and they were known as the Hellinic Scythians. There was a lot of common things in the traditions of these two nations however each of them kept their own customs, belief and ways of life. A lot of finds confirm the prolong peaceful existence of two historical cultures - the local steppe people and the Greek migrants.

The Scythians left many monuments of their history. On Nikolaev land there are a lot of man made hills of different height - the burial mounds. There are about 80 of them known today of the height from 8 to 17 meters. Many of them are buried into the sand, ploughed up, leveled to the ground during the construction works. Due to these Scythian graves the unique examples of the highly developed culture and art made of gold, silver, copper survived till the present times. The Scythians pay great deal of the attention to the burials and tried to provide the dead persons with the everything they needed. It might seem to be cruel nowadays but when the tsar was burying the Scythians buried their wives killed during the special ceremony, their servants, concubines, and also horses and domestic animals. If only the Scythian burial mounds could speak! - they could have told us a lot of interesting, mysterious and possibly terrifying stories.

The archaeologists find a lot of unique subjects during the excavations that had survived through the millenniums. The ceramic subjects are the most well preserved ones among them. But far from many museums and private collections can praise with the preserved whole bowl or vessel. But almost everybody can hold the Scythian bowl with the copies of the elements from the museum exhibits having bought one of the works of the experienced painter.