Vinnitsa as a small settlement was founded on the picturesque banks of the Southern Bug river in 1363 by Lithuanian Prince Olgert.

Numerous archeological excavations have proved that Slavic tribes lived in this area as far back as deep antiquity. The history of this land is closely connected with the names of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Ivan Bogun, Maxim Krivonos, Yustim Karmalyuk and many other heroes of Ukrainian people. Since the Middle Ages and XVII-XLX centuries, pieces of a tall brick town wall, several churches and cathedrals, as well as many private residences have remained, which now are used for different purposes.

If you are interested in history, it would be worthwhile to visit the museum of Local Lore which is situated in the center of Vinnitsa near the bridge across the Southern Bug. There are expositions devoted to various periods of the development of Vinnitsa - from the times of antique coins, vases and cutlery of the Slavs to the modern examples of products which Vinnitsa enterprises produce.

There is a place in the town which is known all over the world – Hitler's Headquarters. It is situated between Vinnitsa and the village of Strizhavka.

During the Great Patriotic War, many soldiers and officers were captured and imprisoned in special camps. There were engineers, builders and good workers among them. They were picked out and taken to Vinnitsa to build a huge underground structure for Hitler and his staff. Many thousands of people were shot after the headquarters was built. All the entrances were concreted, mined and hidden. At the end of World War 2 this place was heavily bombarded, and still nobody really knows what is inside.

Many talented people lived and visited Vinnitsa region. For example, in the village of Tymanivka (Tulchin region) Suvorov's regiments practiced their military art. The house where the general lived is still kept as a museum. You can see the uniform, weapon and ammunition of the Russian army of that time.

Alexander Mozhaisky lived in the village of Voronovitsa, Vinnitsa region. He designed the first Russian aircraft and spent his own money for this invention. Now the village has an aviation museum in the house where the scientist lived. In Kukavka, Mogilev-Podilsky region, you can attend a church. It was painted by young Vasiliy Tropinin, famous Russian artist whose canvases are exhibited in the best art galleries of the world. The museum of Local Lore also has the honor of keeping some of his paintings.

Now Vinnitsa is one of the 25 regions of Ukraine. It is situated in the central part of Ukraine. The total area of Vinnitsa region is about 16 thousand sq. miles, the population of the city is about half a million people. As an administrative center of Ukraine, Vinnitsa is the seat of the local legislative, executive and judicial branches of the power in the region.

Vinnitsa is the main industrial, transport, agricultural, cultural, and educational center of the region. The enterprises of Vinnitsa and industrial centers such as Kalynivka, Zhmerinka, Gaisin, Bershad can produce chemicals, motors and instruments, radio and TV lamps, building details, furniture, and food products.

The main rivers are the Southern Bug and the Dniester. There are also 50 small rivers and 2300 lakes. The natural resources are the following: deposits of granite, lime stone, clay, sand and mineral spring water in several places. The rivers and lakes are full of fish: carps, pikes, perches, catfishes.

Vinnitsa is the cultural center not only for its historical places,museums and monuments but also because of two theaters, several dancing ensembles and choirs. Drama Theater named after well-known Ukrainian actor Sadovsky is located in the center of Vinnitsa. Theater visitors can enjoy dramas, comedies, musicals performed by local troupe.