“Werwolf” Headquarters, Stryzhavka
Ruins of Hitler's headquarters in the forest near Stryzhavka, built in 1941–1942 and blown up in 1944; now a historical and memorial complex in memory of the victims of Nazism.
Construction of the “Werwolf” headquarters in the forest near the village of Kolo-Mykhailivka, north of Vinnytsia, was begun at the end of 1941 by the German military construction organisation “Todt”. According to a German report of 10 April 1942, much of the work was almost complete; at that time 4,086 people were working on the site, among them about 1,100 prisoners of war. The central zone contained Hitler's house with a bunker, a generals' bunker, a communications centre, guard buildings, a hotel and a swimming pool. The headquarters was used in 1942–1943; by various estimates, Hitler spent more than a hundred days here in total. In the spring of 1944 the retreating German troops blew up the bunkers. On 15 July 2011, by decision No. 163 of the Vinnytsia Regional Council, the Historical and Memorial Complex in Memory of the Victims of Nazism was created as a branch of the regional museum of local history; it covers the territory of the headquarters and a mass grave of prisoners of war and civilians on the other side of the highway. The fire-fighting pool has survived almost intact.
Address: Kempinh tract, urban-type settlement of Stryzhavka, Vinnytsia district (museum website; discover.ua). From Vinnytsia — by minibus to the “Kempinh” stop in Stryzhavka, then ~20 min on foot; by car — along the M21 highway towards Zhytomyr, there are signposts (Telegraf, 30.04.2025). Hours: daily 10:00–18:00, ticket office until 17:00 (museum website, undated; likewise travels.in.ua, updated 27.02.2025). Tickets according to the museum website (undated): adults 100 UAH, children and students 70 UAH, guided tour 300 UAH; Telegraf (30.04.2025) and travels.in.ua gave 50/30 UAH — check at the ticket office. Tel. (097) 757-3857. The ruins are in the forest and the structures were shattered by explosions — be careful.