Dykanka

Gogol set his first two collections on a farm near Dikanka, which fixed the village in the Russian and Ukrainian imagination permanently, though he never lived here. What is actually in Dykanka is the estate of the Kochubei family: a triumphal arch of 1820 built for a visit by Alexander I, the Trinity and St Nicholas churches, and a group of oaks in the park said to be six hundred years old, under which by tradition Kochubei met his allies.

What to look for

• The triumphal arch - an 1820 arch built on the estate for an imperial visit.
• The Kochubei oaks - a group of very old trees in the estate park.
• The Trinity church - the estate church with a carved interior.
• The Gogol association - the village that named his first two story collections.

When to go

April to October is the comfortable season. The village is quiet year round. Winter has its own appeal for anyone who knows Christmas Eve.

What to expect

There is no Gogol museum and no farm from the stories; the connection is literary rather than physical. The estate house itself is gone. The village is small and quiet.

Nearby

Poltava is southeast, and Velyki Sorochyntsi is northwest.

Key facts