There are a lot of nature reserves in Ukraine, as well as a countless number of historic objects. But there are also places where an ancient culture, the amazing beauty of nature and a reminiscence of the heroic past have intertwined inextricably. One of these places is the island of Khortitsa. For millennia it has kept its secrets, hiding sanctuary marshes away from human eyes, concealing the ancient Scythian ruins in the rocks, scenting the air with the fragrant aroma of herbs, flowing with lakes and turning the pages of the valiant Cossack history before the eyes of its guests. Here the mighty Dnepr river mesmerizes with its power, ancient mounds tower above the plain and stone idols watch the island life diligently.
Khortitsa – the largest river island in the world – and a kind of Ukraine in miniature: here the wonderful world of natural scenery represents almost all climatic zones of the country, from the steppes and forests to mountains and deserts. Granite cliffs drop steeply to the water, stone steppe spreads and ancient ferns grow in the north. In the south marshy forest, numerous lakes, creeks and hanging swamps reign, and the central plateau is scored by unique cloughs that go right down to the Dnepr river.
People have lived continuously on this land for the last 5,000 years – Khortitsa was the spiritual center of many tribes and peoples that lived in this region since ancient times – the very first settlers appeared here back in the Paleolithic era. The Scythian tribes left their marks on the Khortitsa banks, in the Middle Ages the island was a key point of the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks – in this context it was firstly mentioned in writing by the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. And of course Khortitsa is the home territory of the glorious Ukrainian knights, the heart of Zaporozhye Cossacks – the first Ukrainian troops, which for centuries were participating in many wars and became famous for their feats, courage and cast-iron will. It is the land, where everything is imbued with the heroic spirit of the freedom-loving fearless sons of Ukraine.
Here one should definitely take a boat and sail the Old and New courses of the Dnepr river, enjoy the amazing nature of the island from the water and see the local standard of hydraulic engineering – Zaporozhye water power plant with the world’s unique sluice with an amazing 36 meters water range! And of course an unpardonable omission will be not to visit the equestrian theater of the Zaporozhye Cossacks in the south-east of the island, where you can not only experience the Cossack way of life, see unique performances with Cossacks games, dances and horse acrobatics, but also ride friendly horses, taste Ukrainian national cuisine with a snifter of vodka with pepper and purchase Ukrainian souvenirs from the local blacksmiths and potters.
Discover the wonderful nature reserve and true cultural treasury – come to Khortitsa! Take a walk on secret paths, touch the history, feel the mystical power of the glorious island of Zaporozhye!
If you liked my post, feel free to subscribe to my rss feeds
Try our new interactive