Mykolayiv is defined by the rivers that flow around it. The rivers are the reason for the city, and they provide its strength.

To the north, the Mykolayiv peninsula is washed by the Yuzhnyy Bug and Ingul rivers. And to the south, toward the Black Sea, by the Bugs'kyy estuary.

The Yuzhnyy Bug begins in Podillya and passes through the regions of Vinnitsya, Khmel'nyts'kyy, and Kirivograd as it flows 853 kilometers to Mikolayiv. The ancient Greek name for the Yuznyy Bug was Gipanis or Ipanis. It is possible that the name Bug originated from the word for "God".

The Ingul River begins in the Kirovograd region. It is 354 kilometers long. The name comes from the Tatar word "Enigyol," which means "new lake". That name was probably applied because the Ingul, at one point, is so wide that it appears to be a lake.

Bugskiy Liman- is a Black Sea Gulf in the Uzhnyy Bug estuary that was created through the erosion of the River Banks.

Commercial quantities of more than 50 species of fish live in the rivers around Mikolayiv.

Today, Mykolayiv's rivers are crossed by three bridges, two for automotive traffic and one for pedestrians.

The city's pedestrian bridge in the Admiralty district near the 61 Communards shipyard, is the original Ingul's'kyy Bridge, composed of two spans - Ingul's'kyy, from the side of Radyans'ka Street and Admiral's'kyy from the city side.

The current Ingul's'kyy Bridge was built in the 1970s. It extends Pushkins'ka Street, cuts Peremoga Park in two, and connects to the Solyani district.

Varvarivs'kyy Bridge (also known as Spas'kyy or Bugs'kyy) continues Velyka Mors'ka Street toward Odessa through Varvarivka. The original Bugs'kyy Bridge no longer exists. Built in 1855 to support troop movements during the Crimean War, it lasted for one hundred years.




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