Chyhyryn

Chyhyryn was the seat of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and the capital of the Cossack Hetmanate through the middle of the seventeenth century, built round a fortified hill above the Tiasmyn. The fortress was destroyed and the reserve has rebuilt parts of it, with a residence, church and ramparts on the hill. Nearby at Subotiv stands the Illinska church of 1653, built by Khmelnytsky and shown on the Ukrainian five-hryvnia note, along with the ruins of his estate.

Background

Chyhyryn, Czehryń in Polish, stands on the Tiasmyn close to where the river meets the Dnieper. In 1589 King Sigismund III allowed Aleksander Wiśniowiecki to found a town and build a castle on an empty site called Czehryn. A second royal grant in 1592 gave it Magdeburg rights and a coat of arms with three arrows. In 1658 the Ruthenian Orthodox metropolitan see moved here from Kyiv, and Dionysius Balaban and Joseph Tukalskyi-Nelyubovych were among the metropolitans who served from the town. After the 17th century its importance faded and it became a semi-rural place. A 2022 estimate counted 8,539 inhabitants on 14 square kilometres.

Source: Wikipedia, "Chyhyryn"

What to look for

• The citadel hill - reconstructed ramparts, residence and church above the town.
• The Illinska church - Khmelnytsky's 1653 church at Subotiv, on the banknote.
• The Subotiv estate - the ruins of the hetman's own residence.
• The Tiasmyn valley - the river and hills the capital was built around.

When to go

April to October is the comfortable season. The reserve sites keep set hours and close on Mondays. Summer brings historical festivals.

Good to know

Most of what stands on the citadel is modern reconstruction, not surviving fabric. The sites are spread across several villages and need a vehicle. Labelling is in Ukrainian.

Nearby

Subotiv is a few kilometres away, and Cherkasy is northwest.

Key facts