The culmination of my trip to Zaporozhye as a historical region was a visit to Zaporozhye as a city. Even before my arrival, I heard that the beauties of Zaporozhye are very much underestimated, but I did not expect that so much.

It took me a day and a half to explore the city, and at the same time I didn’t manage to do everything. The story about Zaporozhye will consist of three parts: the island of Khortytsya, Sotsgorod and the Old Town. And we will start, of course, from the island of Khortytsya - one of the most beautiful places in Eastern Ukraine.

Khortitsa is the largest island on the Dnieper. Its length is 12 kilometers, width is 2-4 kilometers. The shores of the island are high and rocky, and from above the approaches to it were blocked by a threshold - the last of the nine great Dnieper rapids, the "cascade" of which began at the present Dnepropetrovsk (hence the name Zaporozhye). To the left and below from Khortitsa there were impassable floodplains, and the narrow and fast Old Dnieper on the right was well shot through. Thus, Khortitsa was a natural fortress, and as such was used by many peoples.

Now on the threshold stands DneproGES - a legend of Soviet industrialization. They say that the inhabitants of the villages on the rapids are not happy about its construction, not only because of the flooding, but also because for centuries the most profitable profession here was pilotage.

But the rocks of Khortitsa are still impregnable. This island went down in history primarily thanks to the Zaporizhzhya Sich - the "capital" of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks. The first fortifications here were laid by the Cherkasy and Kanev prince Vyshnevetsky (Buyda) in 1553. Initially, the fortifications were located on the small island of Malaya Khortitsa, but then they were moved to the "main" island.
The "golden age" of the Ukrainian Cossacks was associated with Khortytsya, which ended in 1775 with the defeat of the Zaporozhian Sich.

Modern Khortytsya is a very beautiful place. Unusual nature, which seems virgin (and in the protected floodplains it is), amazing views of Zaporozhye with its factories, a wild combination of industry and nature, and numerous extremely spectacular "reconstructions" add up here to a unique picture.

We entered the island via the northern bridge and headed south along the coast. Almost everything interesting in Khortitsa is located off the banks of the Dnieper, the hinterland is occupied by forests of amazing fantasy appearance. And from the coast, besides, very interesting views open up.

DneproGES is one of the brightest elements of the Khortitsa landscape. Once in its place there was a threshold in the entire width of the Dnieper, reliably protecting the island from the north. In 1932, the threshold was blocked by a hydroelectric power station - it was the first hydroelectric power station of this scale in the USSR, and in some way all three great Soviet cascades - the Dnieper, Volga-Kama and Angara-Yenisei - are its "descendants".

The length of the DneproHES is more than 700 meters, the height is more than 60 meters, and the water drop is approximately the same. Its smooth bend is very beautiful... During the war, the DneproGES was blown up during the retreat, and after the war it was recreated.

In front of the dam there are characteristic rocks, which probably crashed a lot of ships over 1500 years ...
The highest part of Khortitsa, the so-called Black Rock, faces the DneproHES. According to legend, it was at this place that Prince Svyatoslav Igorevich died in 972 in a fight with the Pechenegs - the father of Vladimir the Red Sun and one of the greatest Russian rulers of the pagan period, whom the Byzantines and Bulgarians were afraid of.

According to a legend (perhaps modern), this menhir stands in the same place:

To the water from here - 50-70 meters, which means - a great view. The Dnieper HPP and the center of Zaporozhye, hidden by greenery, behind which rise the giant pipes of the industrial zone, are in full view.

The industrial zone is a real attraction of Zaporozhye. I came across the statement that this is the largest industrial zone of the former USSR in terms of the area it occupies - approximately 5x5 kilometers. But I will tell about the industrial zone another time, in the part devoted to Sotsgorod, which is visible at its foot.

The last shots were taken not even from the Black Rock itself, but from this hill or barrow.

The title frame was also taken from it - the recreated Zaporizhzhya Sich is perfectly visible. At the foot of the mound is the grave of Peter Kalnishevsky. At least this is written on the memorial stone:

However, again, I doubt the reliability. Peter Kalnishevsky is the last ataman of the Cossacks. He was born in 1691, became a chieftain only in 1765, successfully fought against the Turks, and after the defeat of the Zaporizhzhya Sich was exiled to Solovki, where he spent 15 years in prison, going out into the air only 3 times a year. Kalnishevsky was released by order of Alexander the First, but he could no longer leave Solovki and died there at the age of 112. In general, it is hard to believe in this: to be born before the accession of Peter the Great, and to die in the era of Napoleon ... And it is all the more incomprehensible how the grave of the last ataman could be here when he died near the Arctic Circle.

In general, Khortytsya is a special place. There are a lot of reconstructions here, but the reconstructions are so convincing that one wants to believe in legends, but it’s not very good to check the information and state the facts boringly ... Khortytsya is an island of legends, not history.

And here is another view of the DneproHES from the very bank of the Dnieper:

At night, the DneproGES is very beautifully illuminated - but I didn’t have enough strength to wait for darkness. However, Zaporozhye at night is a separate topic, and it is worth returning here for some spectacles that are impossible during the day. But about this - separately

A couple more views across the Dnieper. For example, the Soviet Palace of Pioneers:

Or a residential complex, nicknamed the Drunk House for its shape.

And we go to the Zaporizhzhya Sich, more precisely, its reconstruction.

Here it is necessary to say a little about the Zaporizhian Cossacks. The ancestors of the Cossacks were "free people" who for centuries fled from state oppression to the Wild Field: fugitive peasants, rebels, criminals ... In Russian chronicles, the first mention of the Cossacks dates back to 1444, in Polish chronicles - to 1493, when the governor Bogdan Glinsky nicknamed Mamai captured the Turkish fortress Ochakov. For those times when the Ottoman Empire was at its peak, this was an unheard-of feat. Cossack Mamai is considered the "reference point" of the Cossacks.

In the 16th century, almost simultaneously, the first Cossack "troops" were formed on the Dnieper, Don and Yaik. In fact, these "troops" were military states. The possessions of the Cossacks (they are Ponyzovtsy) were called "kosh" (that is, "nomad"), and the cities were called "sich", that is, the most correct translation, "prison". The Zaporozhian Sich was one of several Sichs in the Cossack kosh.
In general, the historical structure of the Zaporizhzhya Army is a very interesting topic, and it cannot be crammed into one post. It would be easier to link to Wikipedia.

In 1775, the Zaporozhian Sich was destroyed by Potemkin. There were many reasons for this: both the fact that, once in the rear after the fall of Crimea, the Cossacks began to quickly turn into robbers, and the personal ambitions of Potemkin, who strove for undivided power over Novorossia ... One way or another, in 1775, the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks were expelled across the Danube , where they founded the Transdanubian Sich, and in 1792 the Cossacks returned to Russia, and are still known as the Kuban Cossacks.

The current Sich is a reconstruction built several years ago. I don't know how reliable - but extremely convincing! As already mentioned, Khortitsa is an island of legends, and I don’t want to think that all this is not a ladle.

Extremely atmospheric!

Even the Pokrovsky Cathedral was recreated - the first church of the Zaporizhzhya Sich, built in 1576 and standing for 200 years. The Cossacks were distinguished by exceptional religiosity, they did not allow any non-believers into the Sich. And although in 1775 their cathedral was burned down, and in 1792, when Golovaty founded the first village of the Kuban, a new church was also built there - also Pokrovskaya.

To me, the reconstruction of the Zaporozhian Sich seems to be the most successful example of the reconstruction of a wooden fortress that I have seen. Someone thought of avoiding even the most common mistake - calibrated logs! And it was necessary to recreate something similar.

Three masts are power transmission towers, thrown across the Dnieper. Their size is outrageous - compare with the trees at the foot!
Often we went down into the forest, which here is very beautiful, quite a fantasy look:

Somewhere in this forest there is a reconstruction of the temple, but we stumbled almost by accident on a recreated Bronze Age sanctuary in a secret clearing - it reminded Karelian "Babylons":

Then we went down to the banks of the Dnieper, and there I rested and soaked my feet in the water: after all, before arriving in Zaporozhye, I managed to bypass Dneprodzerzhinsk and Petrikovka. Nature here, with all the pollution, is very rich in life - we constantly saw some kind of toads, snakes, birds in the water and on coastal rocks.

From here it is not far to the Preobrazhensky Bridge:

Two bridges across the arms of the Dnieper were built by the engineer Preobrazhensky in the 1950s, and are distinguished by their unique design and architecture. These bridges are considered the highest in Ukraine - 53 meters above the water, and also two-tiered. On them, auto and railroads cross Khortitsa from west to east.

On this bridge, already at dusk, we went to the city.

The second time I went to Khortitsa in the evening of the second day, taking a taxi. Indeed, in addition to the northern, rocky part, there is also the southern, more even, with fields and floodplains. It also has several reconstructions - the Scythian camp, the Horse Theater (arena for folklore performances), the museum of Cossack ships ... The latter were very far away, we did not have time to go there, and it’s not close to the Scythian camp - 4 kilometers, and not everyone knows the way taxi driver (although it is easy to find the signs).

This is not a monument to the Ivano-Frankivsk "egg throwers" at all, but to the Ukrainian pysanka, that is, the Easter egg. A little further checkpoint and paid entry.

The Scythian camp is only a partial reconstruction: there used to be a large Scythian settlement on Khortitsa, and some of the mounds and megaliths here are genuine. The other part is reconstructions, and it is not so easy to distinguish one from the other.

On the edge of the Scythian camp was located Lapidarium, that is, a museum of megaliths:

In addition to Scythian women, old millstones and troughs, Cossack crosses of the 16th-17th centuries are also interesting here, for which the director of Khortytsia at one time almost got on trial, as he took them out of the cemeteries of the Zaporozhye region without permission. And behind the lapidarium, a secluded path leads to Polovchanka - a very charming "stone woman" of an unusual appearance.

A strange design and a charming smile distinguish this Polovtsy woman from other "stone women". Polovchanka seemed to me nothing more than the soul of Zaporozhye.

In the far part of the Scythian camp there was a vezha - that is, a Cossack watch tower.

Climbing it is only along a vertical ladder, and this is quite scary, since there are no security measures at all. However, as they told me, in the end it helps - drunk people are afraid to climb this ladder, and sober ones climb there only if they know how.

The Scythian camp is clearly visible from the vezha:

Khortytsya is truly an island of legends. Its landscape is too surreal, its reconstructions are too spectacular. The words "reliability", "authenticity", "and historical value" sound strange here. But Khortitsa cannot be called a "Disneyland". Something like nothing else, a place of immersion not even in History, but in Legend.

Behind the Dnieper is Zaporozhye itself, an industrial giant with a population of 800 thousand people, but at the same time a very beautiful and unusual city.

Directly about Zaporozhye, I will have two parts dedicated to its two historical centers.

There are historical places that for thousands of years aroused surprise, fear, delight in a person. Their natural beauty and originality made people excited when they met them. Unfortunately, a significant part of the area disappeared forever in the gray waters of the Dnieper.

And we will never again see the formidable rapids, rocks and islands, the green expanses of the Great Meadow. But, fortunately, there is a human memory. It will forever preserve the most interesting and bright pages of our history.

Khortytsya is an unusually beautiful, picturesque island. It is entwined on both sides by the wide and mighty Dnieper, surrounded by high cliffs, sandy shores, covered with green forest and decorated with bright flowers.

The amazing view and the glorious past attract the attention of the inhabitants of the city of Zaporozhye, travelers from different parts of Ukraine and all over the world to Khortitsa. The island is glorified by poets, artists, historians and local historians.

The history of the island of Khortytsya is covered with legends of the distant past, generously sung by the people. This area has been known to man for centuries. The first inhabitants appeared on the island already in the Paleolithic and Mesolithic eras, as evidenced by individual locations of flint artifacts from this period.

For a millennium, agricultural tribes of the Bronze Age (III-II millennium BC) lived in the tracts of Khortitsa, leaving numerous settlements, settlements, burials and places of worship. In the 7th century BC. Scythians appear in these parts.

Their stay on Khortitsa is marked by archaeological finds on the rock of Sovutina (hillfort), settlements and burial complexes.

The brightest pages in the history of Khortitsa are associated with the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks. The first fortification of the Cossacks was built on about. Malaya Khortitsa by Dmitry Vishnevetsky in 1556. He carried out campaigns on Turkish fortresses and guarded the borders of the Polish-Lithuanian state, the territory of which included our region.

The stay of the Cossacks beyond the Dnieper rapids contributed to the settlement of fertile lands and the revival of economic activity here. In the history of the Cossacks, beams, ravines and gullies had a certain meaning “as points of gradual colonization of a large, wild and desert steppe plain: the Zaporizhzhya army owned these lands and had their own crafts ...”.

On the “Plan taken on the river. Dnieper to the Khortitsky Island with an indication of various forests, meadows, wintering grounds and other situations on it” (1788) marked the places where the Cossack wintering quarters of Ivan Shevets, Stepan Vergerin, Semyon Kravets, Vasily Knyshenok, Ivan Ptakhi, Fyodor Shlepka, Ivan Taran were. Cossacks Dovgali, Kuchugura, Gromukha, Golovko and others also lived on Khortitsa.

The Great Meadow, which began from the southern edge of Khortitsa, gave the Cossacks an opportunity to engage in hunting, fishing, cattle breeding and other crafts. Today, only the floodplains of Khortitsa remind of the former wealth of the Zaporozhye region, the rest of the floodplains of Veliky Lug disappeared under the waters of the Kakhovka artificial sea in 1955-1957.

Considering the historical and natural value of the island, since September 18, 1965, Khortytsya was declared a State Historical and Cultural Reserve, and since April 5, 1993, it received the status of a National Reserve.

All the names of the island have their own history, their own characteristics. Some of them originated in ancient times and came to us without translation, perhaps in a modified form. Others have preserved the memory of the historical past of Khortytsia and the people who inhabited the island.

Therefore, anyone who is not indifferent to the history of their native land will be interested to get acquainted with the legendary pages of the life of the island and its numerous geographical names that have a centuries-old tradition of use.

The length of the island of Khortytsya is 12.5 km, the width is 2.5 km, the total area is 2650 ha. The northern part is high rocky, gradually decreasing to the south and turning into floodplains. Khortitsa divides the river into two
large currents New and Old Dnieper (Rechishche).

The first reports about the island and its ancient name are contained

in the treatise of the Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus "On the management of the empire" (952). Khortitsa is surrounded by numerous large and small islands and rocks, which are part of the protected area. Three Pillars rise on the northern edge, which consist of three rocks: the Sofa or Armchair of Catherine (Catherine the Baptist), the Middle Pillar and Pohily. The passages between them are called Gates. A folk legend connects Catherine's sofa with the name of the Russian Empress Catherine II, who allegedly stayed here during her trip to Kherson in 1787. On the left side of the Pillars there are stones - Two Haystacks, which look a bit like stacks of straw. Now more often you can hear other names - Two Brothers or Twins. On the north side of Khortitsa, in front of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station, lies Oak Island, which is often called Middle,

Poplar or Turtle for its shape.

The island of Khortytsya impresses with its huge rocks, which majestically protrude into the Dnieper. The three highest rocks on the island are called Heads: in the northern part of the Higher, on the eastern shore - the Middle and in the floodplains - the Lower.

The island has been a kind of spiritual center for peoples of different eras since ancient times. Various natural objects also acted as ancient places of religious rites and ceremonies. This can be considered the "Black Stone" in the northern part of Khortitsa. This large block of black color weighing 500-600 kg came to Khortitsa with the last glacier, although it is possible that it was transported here by ancient people from a place located

500 km to the north. The whole stone is covered with lines that are undoubtedly the work of man. However, the lines do not add up to any single scheme, in any case, no one has yet been able to decipher his images and date this phenomenon.

The Kostina gully (Kronelekht among the Mennonite Germans) is named after the Cossacks Shevts and Kostya, who had their winter quarters here. The beam is very long and today you can hear its other name - Teschin Language. Further behind Kostina you can see the Lipovaya beam, which was once covered with century-old lindens. Opposite the Kostina beam is the island of Razstebin, named after the Cossack fisherman Razsteba. The island, overgrown with willow and blackberry bushes (the second name is Verbka), used to be of considerable size. From it one could also see another island - Big Oak, which in 1871 was washed away by a big flood.

On the western side of Khortitsa, the lakes Bolshaya and Malaya Domakha overflowed. Now one lake is called Stone (among the Mennonites - Shteingvoda). The floating part of the island is crossed by a dam. The embankment stretches along the lakes Podkruchnoe, Osokorovoe, Golovkivskoe.

There used to be a railway line from the left bank to the right bank. Folklore and ethnographic equestrian theater "Zaporizhzhya Cossacks" is located in the flooded part of the island of Khortytsya, whose activities are aimed at preserving and developing Cossack traditions.

Opposite the Gromushina rock, you can see Baidu Island in the bed of the Old Dnieper. Over the past four centuries, this island has repeatedly changed its name.

Here, in 1736, the Zaporizhzhya shipyard was founded, as well as a fortress, in which 2 officers', 8 soldiers' dugouts and 31 Cossack huts were built.

On the plan, it is called Verkhnekhortitsky, “on which a retrenchment to the Admiralty for the construction of ships, called the Zaporizhzhya shipyard, is laid.

On the island of Malaya Khortytsya, sights of different eras were found - from the Bronze Age to the period of the Cossacks. Remains of a 16th-century fortification, guns, sabers, axes, arrowheads and spears, coins, etc.

Now the restoration of the Zaporizhzhya Sich is taking place in Khortitsa.

Khortytsia Island on the map

Complex "Zaporizhzhya Sich" on Khortitsa

Complex "Zaporizhzhya Sich" on Khortitsa Bridge named after Preobrazhensky across Khortitsa Idols of Khortytsia Island

Khortytsya, island

Khortitsa is the largest island on the Dnieper, located near the city of Zaporozhye below the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Plant, a unique natural and historical complex. Elongated from the northwest to the southeast, the length is 12.5 km, the average width is 2.5 km. In 2007 he was named one of the "Seven Wonders of Ukraine". Khortytsya is a historical and cultural reserve, part of the geological reserve "Dnieper thresholds".

There is an opinion that the name Khortitsa came from the name of the ancient deity of the Eastern Slavs Khors, who personified the sun. Some researchers deduce the name of the island from the Turkic-Polovtsian word "orta", which means middle (in this case, located between two channels of the Dnieper). People associate the name Khortytsia with the Ukrainian word "hort" (borzoi dog): in the outlines of the island you can see the silhouette of a greyhound. Local historians also say "Bolshaya Khortitsa", meaning that next to this island is Malaya Khortitsa (in other words, Bayda Island).

The island cuts the waters of the Dnieper into two branches - the New and Old Dnieper. The Dnieper valley near Khortitsa is the only surviving section of the rapids part of the river. Khortitsa and the islands adjacent to it have been declared the Dnieper Rapids geological reserve.

Khortytsia has not always been an island. Often, especially in the hot summer season, spits approached the island from the eastern side of the island. Through them, it was possible to get to the island by land. On a relatively small area of ​​the island fit samples of almost all types of landscape, typical for the south of Ukraine.

There are various natural zones on the island: forb-feather grass steppes, oak and coniferous forests, floodplain meadows. In total, about 960 species of plants grow on Khortitsa. The remnants of the forest (bairaki) grow in the beams, where the Tatar maple, oak, elm, black and silver poplar, and pear prevail. Most of the island is covered with a young artificial forest of pine and maple. In total, the reserve has about 10 centuries-old trees and several dozen oaks of a hundred and a little more years (the oldest of them are 300 years old), there is also a hundred-year-old wild pear. The famous Zaporozhye oak (located outside the island of Khortytsya), according to historians and biologists, is a little over five hundred years old.

Bayraks in the south of the island are home to over 30 species of animals, 120 species of birds, ten species of reptiles, five species of amphibians. The most numerous among birds are waterfowl (kryzhny, teal, flats). And one of the floating islands can rightly be called Owl. Muskrats, foxes, hares, martens have found shelter on the island, sometimes moose swim.

Khortitsa is surrounded by numerous large and small islands and rocks that are part of the protected area, and the island itself is dotted with gullies and lakes.

Story

According to archaeological research, this island has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. In particular, there are also early Slavic monuments here: the remains of settlements, burial grounds of the tribes of the Chernyakhov culture and the Ants. The island was visited by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. On the island, Herodotus recorded the legend of the ancestor of the Scythians, the son of Hercules and Tabiti, the snake goddess.

In 1223, Khortitsa was a gathering place for Russian princes before the battle with the Tatar-Mongols on the Kalka River. And at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries, this island - a reliable shelter for those who fled from feudal and national oppression - became one of the centers for the formation of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, and then a springboard for the Sich in protecting the southern borders from Turkish-Tatar aggression. In 1648, the Cossack army marched from here to the liberation war of the Ukrainian people.

After the defeat of the Sich by the tsarist troops on June 5, 1775, Khortytsya, as a gift from Catherine II, went to Prince Potemkin. In 1789, Potemkin handed over the island to the treasury, and a year later, new owners came into the possession of Khortitsa - the Mennonite Germans.

By colonizing the Sich places, the queen hoped to eradicate the freedom-loving spirit of Zaporozhye. Her calculations were justified: the colonists barbarously destroyed centuries-old oak forests, linden groves, thickets of wild pears. The timber trade was one of the most profitable items of income. In December 1916, the Germans, who lived on Khortitsa, sold the island to the Alexander city government for 772 thousand 350 rubles.

Khortytsya was often visited by prominent people. On its slopes there is a path of the great Kobzar, who visited here in August 1843. In 1878, the composer N.V. Lysenko, in 1880 - I.E. Repin with young Valentin Serov. In 1891, Maxim Gorky visited Khortitsa, and Ivan Bunin a little later...

But the ancient Khortytsia never knew such a pilgrimage as it began in 1927. People from all over the country came here to become witnesses and participants of a great historical event: right opposite the northern cliffs of the island, the construction of the Dneproges began ... A new history of Khortitsa began ... All these and subsequent events will be reflected in the expositions of the museum complex under construction on Khortitsa .

Khortytsya is closely connected with the history of the Zaporozhye Cossacks. This is the largest river island not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe. Man settled here from time immemorial: the first traces of his stay date back to the 3rd millennium BC.

Today, every Ukrainian schoolchild knows where Khortytsia is located. The Dnieper is the largest and most significant water artery in Ukraine. This is the main shipping channel, it has a cascade of six hydroelectric power plants. But still, the main local attraction is the stronghold of the Ukrainian Cossacks. To this day, traditions and architectural monuments have been preserved in Khortitsa that can take us back several hundred years and demonstrate how the registrars lived.

Northern Khortytsya

The oldest of the six hydroelectric power stations, the Zaporizhzhya DneproHES, was built in 1932 and launched at full capacity in 1939. From the northern slopes of the island of Khortytsya, a stunning view of the dam opens up. Here the landscape is mostly steep: granite rocks in places rise 40-50 meters above the water.

In this part of the island there are many grottoes, caves, large and small boulders through which one can hardly go down to the water. In the northern part - the Museum of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, the exposition "Zaporizhzhya Sich", which opened in 2009, Sanctuaries, "Tarasova Stitch" and the tourist trail "Above the thresholds".

South Khortytsya

In the south, the area is swampy, smooth, created by the thousand-year labor of the Dnieper. Here the coast is indented with numerous coves and backwaters. The fertile soils inflicted by the river have become a real paradise for a variety of flora and fauna. Previously, thickets of shrubs, trees, reeds and grass stretched from the island of Khortytsya to Kherson and were called the Great Zaporozhye Meadow.

In these places there was the famous Protolchy ford, along which it was possible to cross from coast to coast on horseback without getting your feet wet, or waist-deep in water. All this magnificence turned out to be buried at the bottom of the Kakhovka reservoir during the construction of another joint effort that produces only 8% of the electricity in the country and is a source of constant environmental threat.

Reserve

Today, the southern edge of the island of Khortytsya is of great importance in preserving the wildlife of the Dnieper. Five ancient lakes and one and a half to two dozen small ponds and bays serve as a safe haven for many types of plants: lilies, water lilies, water chestnuts, irises, reeds, etc. The smallest fern in the world is found here - floating salvinia.

More than 50 species of fish spawn in the hospitable waters of southern Khortitsa, more than 120 species of birds nest (despite the fact that there are just over 300 of them in all of Ukraine), about 30 species of small mammals thrive.

The island of Khortytsya received the status of a state reserve in 1965. Prior to that, it was considered a monument of local (since 1958) and republican (since 1963) significance. After gaining independence, the Ukrainian government granted the island the status of a national park (1993).

From the point of view of the nature protection function, the reserve is of great importance: more than 560 species of wild plants grow here. For the limited space of the island, this number is huge.

Zaporozhye Cossacks

Of great interest is the history of the island of Khortytsya, associated mainly with the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks. Prince Vishnevetsky, sung in folklore under the name Baida, in the 16th century united disparate Cossack detachments and built a fortress on an island nearby (Malaya Khortitsa), designed to protect the borders of the Polish-Lithuanian state. It is considered to be the prototype of the Zaporizhzhya Sich, which appeared only in 1593. In 1557, the fortress fell - Khan Devlet Giray, who approached its walls in January, failed: a 24-day siege did not bring victory. Then he came in the autumn already with reinforcements and completely destroyed the fortress.

Prior to the liquidation of the Zaporozhian Sich, the island of Khortytsya belonged to its possessions. Taras Sharko, Ivan Sirko, Sulima, Bogdan Khmelnitsky started their campaigns from here.

Dnieper flotilla

The military formation on the outskirts of the empire did not like the central authorities too much. When part of the foreman supported Hetman Mazepa in his anti-Russian speech on the side of the Swedes, in 1709 the entire Zaporizhzhya Sich was declared a nest of traitors and destroyed, which did not prevent the Cossacks from acting on the side of the Russian crown in the war with the Turks.

In 1737, a decision was made to build a new shipyard: the war was in full swing, and Russian ships could not cross the Dnieper rapids. By 1739, the Russian military fleet, numbering about four hundred ships, was already stationed near the island of Khortytsya.

In 1998, a body of a Cossack gull was found near the shore, which was removed from the Dnieper a year later. In 2007, a brigantine found there was raised to the surface. Two ancient ships became the basis for organizing an informal museum of the Dnieper Flotilla, located in the southern part of the island.

Museum of the History of Zaporozhye Cossacks

The history of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks is mainly devoted to the museum opened in 1983 on the island of Khortytsya. The room, which occupies about 1600 square meters, is decorated rather gloomily. The walls lined with granite create the effect of being in an underground cave. Various relics of ancient times are hung along them. The general lighting is not bright, only tables with exhibits are illuminated, most of which were found on the island itself and in the immediate vicinity.

Here are collected the remains of ancient stone tools, pottery, fragments of ancient ships, icons, household and interior items. The museum demonstrates the trunk that has lain at the bottom of the Dnieper for several thousand years. Of interest are the dioramas that reveal the main milestones in the history of the Zaporozhye region: “The Last Battle of Svyatoslav” (according to some sources, the Kiev prince was killed on the island), “The Military Council in the Sich”, “Night assault by the Soviet army on the city of Zaporozhye (10/14/1943) .)”, “Construction of the DneproGES”.

Note to travelers

In summer the museum is open from 09:00 to 19:00, in winter - from 09:00 to 16:00. On Mondays, it does not work, this should be borne in mind when planning a trip to the island of Khortytsya. The excursions offered by the national reserve are interesting and varied. To date, there are about a dozen walking thematic tours around the island, dedicated to different pages of its history.

If there is no desire to follow the guide on foot for 45-90 minutes, it is possible to order a bus tour lasting 2.5 hours to the southern part of the island. The reserve promises a pleasant and informative pastime in the company of highly qualified specialists. The island is also popular with children, for whom special matinees have been developed. During them, the kids not only have fun, but also get acquainted with the history of their native land.

"Zaporizhzhya Sich"

A prominent place among the sights of the island is occupied by the historical and cultural complex "Zaporizhzhya Sich", which began to be built in 2004. Some of the buildings were used during the filming of the feature film "Taras Bulba". In 2009, the complex opened for tourist visits.

The center of the exposition is a small wooden church of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God, which is crowned with three domes. In total, there are twenty-three buildings in the complex, acquainting visitors with the interiors of Cossack housing, official and educational institutions, a traditional tavern, and an armory. The entire exposition is divided into an inner kosh and a suburb, which, unfortunately, turned out to be plundered by modern vandals. The village is surrounded by a palisade with three watchtowers, a moat and an earthen rampart.

Sacredly preserves Cossack customs and the local Equestrian Theater (located in the southern part of the island of Khortytsya). A smithy works here, souvenirs are sold, interesting theatrical performances regularly take place: dances, stylized sword fights, talented riders demonstrate their art. The theater gives regular performances in the ICC "Zaporizhzhya Sich".

Not by the Cossacks alone

It should be noted separately that the Cossacks do not exhaust the historical richness of these places - the island of Khortytsya, whose sights are very numerous, was inhabited by people in earlier times.

In 1976-1980, archaeological excavations were carried out on the island, during which a military settlement of the 10th-14th centuries was discovered in the southern part. Separate finds - weapons, ceramics - allow us to think that the settlement is even more ancient. Today, the memorial and tourist complex "Protovche Settlement" has been opened at the excavation site.

Scythian burial mounds

The Scythians also left their mark on the island. At the beginning of the 20th century there were 129 mounds here. The oldest of them belongs to (III millennium BC). The mounds are located along the so-called Scythian way, which once ran along the elevated part of the island of Khortytsya. Today, eleven burial mounds have been reconstructed, decorated with stone statues and bronze steles. One of them is located right next to the Museum of the History of the Cossacks.

The memorial and tourist complex "Zorova Mogila" ("Scythian camp"), dedicated to the Scythian page of history, occupies about five hectares of area and includes another interesting exposition that attracts the island of Khortytsya - the Museum of Stone Statues. Here you can see the creations of human hands, which are more than a thousand years old. So to speak, to touch the hubbub of centuries embodied in stone.

Taras Shevchenko

In the summer of 1843, 29-year-old Taras Shevchenko visited Khortytsia. With the help of local historians, the route of his walk was determined and marked with seven granite boulders, on which lines from the works of the Great Kobzar were carved, in which the island of Khortytsya and the Great Zaporozhye Meadow are mentioned. Those who wish can follow in the footsteps of the poet and admire the surroundings from the ecological trail "Above the thresholds".

Today Khortytsya is an island, where holidays are popular not only among local residents. It is very beautiful, quiet, even peaceful. From the northeastern shores, you can see the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Station, and nearby is the Zaporizhzhya Sich exposition, which imitates a typical Cossack fortress of the 16th-18th centuries. There is an almost mystical feeling that you are on the border between the past and the future.

Legends and myths of the island of Khortytsya

Almost every rock or cave of the island has its own legend. It would take a lot of time to talk about each of them. The story of the Serpent's Cave, which Herodotus describes, is interesting. Say, in the magical country of Gelea (historians tend to believe that this is the Great Zaporozhye Meadow), Hercules met the beautiful Snake-Girl. They fell in love in the same cave, the narrow entrance to which can be seen in the photo of the island of Khortytsya, taken by extreme lovers. It is very difficult to get to her.

Only one of the three children of the Greek hero from a local beauty managed to bend the heroic bow of his father, and his name was Scythian. Interestingly, the images of the Snake Maiden are indeed found on the stone boulders of the island, and their origin is rather vague.

Later, the people settled in the famous cave of the Serpent Gorynych - he, throwing stones at the heroes who did not want to leave him alone, and created many Dnieper islets and even the famous rapids.

Magic mysteries of the island

There is also an object on Khortitsa that is of interest to supporters of esotericism - a huge stone weighing five or six centners, either brought by a glacier, or brought from somewhere by people. In any case, this breed is not typical for this area: the nearest region where it is found is the Donetsk region. The boulder is dotted with carved lines, clearly drawn by a human hand. What these letters mean and whether they make sense, no one knows for sure. It is generally accepted that a stone with a pattern depicts a fish (carp) and served the ancient people as a cult object. Human rumor has already endowed the stone with magical power, capable of "pulling out" illnesses from a person.

Thus, the island of Khortytsya is very interesting, rich in sights and legends. To date, its popularity is far from deserved. I want to believe that time will fix it. If you get a chance, be sure to visit this place. Good luck!

Address: Ukraine, Zaporozhye, r. Dnieper
Coordinates: 47°49"12.6"N 35°05"45.8"E

Khortitsa is an extraordinarily beautiful picturesque island, which is surrounded on both sides by the wide and mighty Dnieper River. Its amazing view and rich history attracts the attention of travelers from different parts of the world.

View of the island Khortytsya

The island has been repeatedly glorified by local historians, poets, historians and artists who have visited it. Among them are the composer Lysenko, Repin, Maxim Gorky, Ivan Bunin and others.

History of the island

The history of the island is very rich and, according to archaeological evidence, it begins from the Paleolithic era. There are also early Slavic monuments here: the remains of settlements of various tribes. In the period between the 15th and 16th centuries, the island became the center of the formation of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, and then the base of the Sich, who defended the southern borders from the Turkish-Tatar aggression. During the Russian-Turkish war, N.A. Senyavin, a well-known naval commander, arrived on the island, under whose leadership the shipyard was built. In June 1789, after the defeat of the Sich, the island was presented to Prince Potemkin by Catherine II, after which it passed into the possession of the Mennonite Germans. The island in 1916 was sold to the Aleksandrovskaya city government for more than 700 thousand rubles.

Historical and cultural complex "Zaporizhzhya Sich" on the island of Khortytsya

Since 1927, after the construction of the Dneproges began, thousands of people began to come to the island to become participants and witnesses of this significant historical event. In 1965, the State Historical and Cultural Reserve was created on the island, which is currently a large museum complex.

Nature and attractions of the island

Khortytsya is a large island located on the Dnieper. The island has an amazing landscape diversity. Here there is a steppe, and steep coastal cliffs, and floodplain meadows, and gullies, and lakes, and oak and coniferous forests. That is why the flora and fauna of the island is very rich. The flora of the island's higher plants currently numbers more than 1,000 species, of which about fifteen percent are endemic plants.

View of the Dnieper HPP from the island of Khortitsa

In the period from the 18th to the 19th centuries, the forests on the island were gradually destroyed. Cities, fortresses, fortifications were built, as a result of which the forest was cut down. Even before 1884, the once glorious forest of the island of Khortytsya was almost completely cut down. The Museum of the History of the Zaporozhye Cossacks is the main attraction of the island. Here you can explore the permanent exhibition and visit various exhibitions.

The museum presents various archaeological finds from the Eneolithic and Bronze Ages. These are both tools of labor and dishes of people living on Khortitsa in ancient times. You can also see various weapons and women's jewelry found in burial mounds of nomadic Scythian tribes. Of course, the main theme of museum exhibits concerns the history of the emergence and formation of the Ukrainian Cossacks. The expositions tell about the military campaigns of the Cossacks, about the culture of the Zaporizhzhya Sich and its economic activities.

One of the beaches on the island

In 2004, on the coast of the island, the construction of the historical architectural complex "Zaporizhzhya Sich" began, which will look like a fortified Cossack settlement with a church, a house of a kosh ataman, a Sich school, and an office. The buildings will be erected in accordance with historical documents and with the participation of historians. On the territory of the island there is an equestrian theater called "Cossack Camp". Here are expositions on the theme of the features of Cossack life. This is a whole folklore and ethnographic complex.

The performances of the theater tell about the customs of the Cossacks, the features of their military, household and economic activities. Spectators can enjoy spectacular Cossack games and dances with elements of trick riding and acrobatics on horseback. Around the island there are rocks and small islands, which are part of the reserve. In the north of the territory of the reserve, "Three Pillars" rise: the Divan rock, the Oblique rock and the Middle Pillar.

The place of death of the Kyiv prince Svyatoslav Igorevich on the island of Khortytsya

Divan Rock is considered to be the Armchair of Catherine, since according to legend, the Russian Empress Catherine II rested here on this rock, sailing along the Dnieper in 1787. There are several beams on the territory of the island, among them the most famous are Lipovaya beam and Kostina beam. Near the island of Khortytsya there is a small island Rozstebin, whose name is associated with the Cossack Rozsteba, and another name for the island is Verbka, since its territory is completely covered with sedge and willow. On the territory of the reserve, there is another Baida island, where the old shipyard was located, namely in the riverbed of the Dnieper. A large number of interesting finds have been discovered on this island, many of them date back to the Bronze Age, as well as to the period of the Ukrainian Cossacks. Here were found coins made of gold, copper, silver, Cossack axes, guns and sabers, as well as arrowheads. Thus, the Khortytsya reserve is the most unique place in Ukraine, which is becoming increasingly popular.

One of the sanctuaries on the island of Khortytsya

In 2007 he was declared one of the