Khortytsia National Reserve

Khortytsia is one of the most popular and best-known places in Ukraine. It is the largest island on the Dnipro, with an area of 23,5 sq. km. This is a historic site where various remains of stone settlements are still found today, from people who lived here more than 3,5 thousand years ago. In the 7th-3rd centuries BC, tribes of Scythians and Sarmatians lived here. Swords found and references in the Old Rus chronicles show that princely squads gathered here before strategic wars. The names of the well-known Cossack warriors Ya. Shakhov, P. Sahaidachnyi, B. Khmelnytskyi and I. Sulyma are closely associated with Khortytsia. Since 1965, this place has been recognized as a State Historical and Cultural Reserve. Today, the best-known tourist sites are located here: Zaporizka Sich, the Shipbuilding Museum, the Scythian camp, and sanctuaries.

Photo from twitter.com

Its surrounding nature is striking in its beauty, so it is worth walking through the western part of the island, where the Khortytskyi Labyrinth and the dendrological park are located.

Interesting facts:

• The island’s area takes up almost 10% of Zaporizhzhia’s area.
• Amazing Cossack performances are held on the island, impressing with the skill of the participants and incredible spectacular productions.
• In the southern part of the island is the protected area of Protovche, where the settlement of Protovche used to be. There are still many rare plants here and a variety of plant and animal species.