"Poor, forgotten Melitopol" a Melitopol' Travel Page by Marywhotravels

Very few people have heard of the city of Melitopol, and there are even many Ukrainians who aren't sure where it is. Ah, poor Melitopol. It isn't an old city. Settled a couple hundred years ago by German missionaries and poor Russian and Ukrainian farmers, the city has survived collectivization, famine, massive destruction in WWII, and now severe post-Soviet economic decline. Many of the large Soviet factories have been closed, and every year the city's population gets a little smaller. But there is still an endearing, if a little sad, charm to Melitopol. People are friendly and helpful and eager to share their lives with visitors. There are some great restaurants, a wonderful park where it seems the whole town congregates on weekends, and even the archaeological treasure "Kamena Mohyla." So if you *really* want to get off the beaten path (honestly, I've never met or heard of a single tourist coming here ever), come stop by!