Tripping Through Ukraine

By Volodymyr Kish

This was a banner year for many of my friends to visit Ukraine.  Much of this was due of course to the special events that took place including the Eurocup of soccer as well as the 100^th anniversary celebrations of the PLAST Ukrainian scouting organization.  For many it was their first trip to the ancestral homeland, while others were returning to see whether the much touted government Eurocup investments in improving the country’s tourist infrastructure and transportation systems had indeed made a difference.

After my rich experiences garnered from living and travelling in Ukraine, I am always curious about what other people’s impressions are upon returning from a visit there.  Regrettably, what I have come to realize is that most of such visits are rather predictable and limited.  People will generally fly into and out of Kyiv, they will spend some time in Lviv, and will typically visit the ancestral village to spend time with their extended Ukrainian family. Few take the time and effort to explore the rich treasure trove of Ukrainian history and geography that is available but seldom sought out by the visiting diaspora Ukrainian.

Interestingly enough, one usually does not have to go too far to discover some interesting landmark or historical site.  I would hazard a guess that within an hour’s drive of any town or selo (village) there is an interesting castle, ancient church, monastery or set of archaeological ruins.  There are literally hundreds if not thousands of such sites scattered around Ukraine.

Near my father’s village of Sokoliwka, not far from Brody, there stands Olesko Castle, an impressive and well preserved Polish lord’s manor, now home to a historical museum and art gallery.  About an hour northwest of Lviv, is the nicely restored fortified town of Zhovkva.  Kamianets Podilsky and Khotyn in south-western Ukraine are home to two of the finest castles in Eastern Europe.  From my favoured town of Pidkamin, it is but a stone’s throw to the historically famous monastery of Pochayiv.  I am sure that in virtually every rayon (region) of every oblast (province) in Ukraine, you will find the remnants of some fascinating piece of Ukrainian history.

Probably one of the most historically interesting and scenic areas of Ukraine that is seldom visited by Ukrainian Canadians is Crimea.  Along the rugged coastline of this peninsula are to be found the remains of numerous fortified Venetian and Genoese trading posts, set up some six to seven centuries ago as the termini of the great Silk Route bringing oriental goods to Europe.  They also became centres of an infamous slave trade, wherein the Tatars would bring in Ukrainian slaves captured in their frequent raids into Ukrainian and Polish territories, and ship them from these ports to the Arab markets of the Ottoman Empire.

Just outside of Sevastopol in Crimea there are impressive recently excavated ruins of a large Greek colony called Khersones.  At its peak, this trading centre grew to encompass some twenty thousand Greeks, who engaged in a lively trade that saw grain and other agricultural products flowing west to Greece in exchange for wine, olive oil, ceramics, and other Greek products.  The ruins are extensive and include classical Greek temples, an open air theatre and well laid out streets and commercial districts.

Along the Dnipro River on both the left and right banks are numerous battle sites where Kozaks engaged in their frequent struggles against Polish and Russian armies as they sought to establish a free Kozak state. Although most of these have been sorely neglected and remain largely undeveloped from a tourist standpoint by both the former Communist as well as the recent Ukrainian governments, they are worth exploring by anyone who has an interest in Ukrainian history.  The island of Khortytsia in the Dnipro River near Zaporizhzhia, home of the headquarters of the Kozak armies during the height of the Kozak era, is one of the few such sites where some effort has been made to properly commemorate a key historic site.

From a scenic standpoint, nothing in Ukraine beats the Carpathian Mountains.  Aside from its natural splendour, this is home to Hutsul culture, undoubtedly the best preserved of the indigenous ethnic cultures within Ukraine.  Their arts, crafts, music, songs and folk culture are still strong and well preserved, and a trip here is refreshing and stimulating, not only for the body but the soul as well.

For all those planning to travel to Ukraine in the future, I would strongly urge you to set aside some time to explore the country outside of Kyiv, Lviv and your family villages.  There is a vast legacy of interesting places that will both enthral you and give you a better appreciation of the richness and diversity that this country has to offer.  Go beyond the usual and indulge in a little adventure.