Bakota

Bakota is an incredibly beautiful area, located in the south of Khmelnytskyi Oblast. The name has two versions of its origin: from the Romanian “bokata” — meaning “a piece of bread,” and also “a desirable, wonderful place.” The landscape truly captivates with the beauty of its scenery, distracts from heavy thoughts, inspires, and fills the body with incredible energy. You can get to Bakota from Kamianets-Podilskyi in 2 hours or 3 km from the village of Horaivka.

Photo from prolviv.com

Modern Bakota is not just the name of a place, it is the name of the capital of Dnistrianske Ponizzia, which existed here since 1024. The area contained numerous settlements of pagans, later replaced by a cave monastery located within the mass of Bila Gora. The small settlement gradually turned into an important city that began to play a major role in the political life of the Halych-Volhynian Principality. 

After the Mongol-Tatar attack in 1255, the city began to decline. The transfer of rule to Lithuanian and Polish feudal lords did not save the situation. Constant attacks, Bakota’s transfer under the rule of different states, and famine negatively affected the city’s development. The dissatisfied population rose up, but the Polish nobility not only suppressed the uprising, but also destroyed Bakota, depriving it of the status of an influential administrative center. But the settlement’s misfortunes did not end there.

In 1973, the authorities warned Bakota residents about the construction of the Novodnistrovska HPP, due to which gradual flooding of the area and nearby settlements began in 1981. Today, water has flooded several dozen villages, their residents have moved away, and a popular tourist location has appeared at the tragic site. Since then, Bakota has received the second name Atlantis, which reminds contemporaries that somewhere at the bottom It became part of the Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park.

What deserves attention is not only the beauty of the area, but also the Bakota cave rock monastery, founded in the 11th century on Bila Gora. It was repeatedly damaged, but its remains were excavated in 1884 by a group of archaeologists led by V. B. Antonovych. Today tourists can see about 760 sq. m. of the landmark, which includes a cave on the first level and two caves on the second level. There are 19 tombs in the floor of the monastery. Everyone who visits here notes that the monastery has a certain spiritual force that is felt by everyone who enters inside. A few minutes spent in the cave seems to give people strength and energy.

Bakota is a place of strength and emotions; here you will feel unity with nature, and water from underground springs will help overcome long-standing ailments.