Kyiv – Chernihiv Tour
After a pleasant 1.5h drive we are greeted by the XVIII century baroque styled five-domed St. Catherine’s Church positioned on the outskirts of Chernihiv on top of a hill. We drive by and get to down where we start our walking part of the tour with exploring the most ancient area of Chernihiv Dytynets park, located on a hill above the Desna River. Walking along the alleys of the park, you can feel the spirit of ancient times, marvel at the panorama of the Boldyna Hora, see the numerous churches and cathedrals, and observe the whole city. Together we explore the Chernihiv Val (Earthwork) – the remnants of ancient defensive fortifications and 12 cast-iron bastion cannons standing atop the pedestal bases in a row. According to the local legend, they were installed as early as the XIII century!
We walk into one of the main landmarks of Chernihiv – the oldest Orthodox Church in Ukraine – Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral (The Saviour-Transfiguration Cathedral) and learn about a long history of one of the oldest temples of Ukraine. Founded at the beginning of the X century, this well-preserved Cathedral is renowned for its amazing wooden iconostasis of baroque style, which was created in the XVIII century instead of the original one destroyed in a fire.
Our next stop is the fascinating Troitsko-Illinsky (St. Trinity-St. Elijah) Monastery. Together we explore the XII century Illinska (St. Elijah) Church, the Ukrainian baroque style XVII century Troitsky (St. Trinity) Cathedral and if you have enough energy we climb the stairs of the 58m Bell Tower to enjoy exciting views of Chernihiv and the Cathedral.
And don’t forget about the world famous Anthony’s Caves located right below the Monastery. Fascinating XI century four-level complex of underground premises, corridors and galleries with several ancient temples and churches. Some walls still covered in ancient and medieval graffiti!
Chernihiv has many other interesting attractions such as, the Dytynets – the former mighty fortress, the XII century St. Boris and St. Gleb Cathedral, the XVII century Yeletsky Women’s Monastery, to mention but a few. So there is always a reason to come back to this ancient town, but for now we have to end our tour and return back to Kyiv.
Highlights:
1. Trinity-Elias Monastery
Chernihiv’s Trinity-Elias Monastery of X-XVIII centuries is often compared to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra primarily, because it was also founded by Anthony of Kiev around 1069. Moreover, it also has upper and lower sections, boasts three temples (Saint Elijah Church, Trinity Cathedral and Vvedensky convent), has a splendid bell tower and caves. The caves that...
