Khortytsya is closely connected with the history of the Zaporizhzhya 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 III millennium BC.
Today, every Ukrainian student knows on which river the island of Khortytsya 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 Khortytsya that can take us back several hundred years and demonstrate how the registrars lived.
Northern Khortytsya
The oldest of the six hydroelectric power plants, the Zaporizhzhya DneproHPP, 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 precipitous: in some places granite rocks 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 hiking 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 hydroelectric power station. Hydroelectric power plants together produce only 8% of the electricity in the country and are 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 plant species: lilies, water lilies, water chestnuts, irises, reeds, etc. The smallest fern in the world, the floating salvinia, is found here.
In the hospitable waters of southern Khortitsa, more than 50 species of fish spawn,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.
Khortitsa Island received the status of a state reserve back 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.
Zaporizhzhya Cossacks
The history of the island of Khortytsya, associated mainly with the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, is of great interest. 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.
Before the liquidation of the Zaporizhzhya Sich, the island of Khortytsya belonged to its possessions. Taras Sharko, Ivan Sirko, Sulima, Bohdan Khmelnitsky started their campaigns from here.
Dnipro flotilla
The central authorities did not like the military formation on the outskirts of the empire. 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 against 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 taken 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 dedicated to the museum opened in 1983 on the island of Khortytsya. The room, which occupies about 1600 square meters, is decorated rather gloomy. 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 highlighted, most of which were found on the island itself and in the immediate vicinity.
Remains of ancient stone tools, pottery, fragments of ancient ships, icons, household items andinterior. The museum demonstrates the trunk of a bog oak, which 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 Kyiv prince was killed on the island), “The Military Council in the Sich”, “Night assault by the Soviet army on the city of Zaporozhye (1943-14-10).)”, “Construction of the DneproGES”.
Note to travelers
In summer, the museum is open from 9-00 to 19-00, in winter - from 9-00 to 16-00. On Mondays it does not work, this should be kept 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.
Zaporozhian 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 exhibition is a small wooden church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin, 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 the inner kosh and the suburbs, 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.
Holy preserves the 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 at the ICC "Zaporizhzhya Sich".
Not a single Cossacks
It should be separately noted 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" was opened at the excavation site.
Scythianmounds
The Scythians left their mark on the island. At the beginning of the 20th century there were 129 mounds here. The oldest of them belongs to the Bronze Age (3rd 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.
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 Sculptures. 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 were mentioned. Those who wish can follow in the footsteps of the poet and admire the surroundings from the ecological trail "Above the rapids".
Today Khortitsa is an island, the rest on which is popular not only among the locals. It is very beautiful, quiet, even peaceful. From the northeastern shores, the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Station is visible, and nearby is the Zaporizhzhya Sich exposition, which imitates a typical Cossack fortress of the 16th-18th centuries. Appears almost mystic althe 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 on 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 land 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. Getting to it is very difficult.
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 the Serpent Gorynych in the famous cave - he, throwing stones at the heroes who did not want to leave him alone, and created many Dnieper islets and even the famous rapids.
Magical 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 do these letters mean and do they make sense, no onedoesn't know 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. Rumor has already endowed the stone with magical powers that can "pull out" diseases 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!
