The land of Pereiaslav is a constituent part of the Kyiv region. Since the ancient times it has been an administrative center of some district, but its area and boundaries have been constantly changing. Under the Kievan Rus’ that was Pereiaslav Principality, which included the whole of the left-bank part of the Middle Dnipro Region and the lands to the north-east; in the seventeenth-eighteenth centuries — the Pereiaslav regiment. Upon abolition of Ukrainian autonomy in the late eighteenth century, Pereiaslav became the district center of Poltava province. In 1921 Pereiaslav district became part of the Kyiv province, and later in 1932 — of the Kyiv region.
The city of Pereiaslav -Khmel’ nyts ‘kyi is an autonomous territorial entity that belongs to the Kyiv region. It is located in the left-bank Ukraine, at the source of the rivers Trubezh and Al’ta not far from Kaniv water storage pond.
Since the ancient times, owning to the branchy river network in this picturesque land, these places have been chosen by people as those that met the requirements of a civilized way of living at most. The modern territory of Pereiaslav district preserves the sites of Try-pillia, Zarybinets and Cherniakhiv cultures, many of them have been found on both banks of the Dnipro as well as along the rivers of Trubezh and Supoi.
Pereiaslav district has a prominent historical past, and 64 historical and cultural monuments, protected by the government, prove this. In terms of diversity and quantity of archeological sites (123 sites), Pereiaslav land is not second to the right-bank areas of the Kyiv region, which are famous for their remarkable artifacts. All of these facts prove that people have been living at these places since the old times. That is why, when you travel about Pereiaslav district, keep in mind that the eyes of our predecessors have seen these flat hills, carefully ploughed fields, cattle on pastures, circling and hovering of red-footed falcons over the fields, because it is these landscapes that stayed unchanged during many centuries.
The earthenware remains, found here by the archeologists, had been decorated with paint. They have not only been used directly, but also decorated the houses. A capability to see ornamental patterns in the surroundings has been always inherent to Ukrainians. The women have been remarkable for their special sensitivity. Such kind of status quo remains unchanged now as well. Sensitive feminine souls are best suited for reflecting ideal images in the material world. Kateryna Bilokur, Maria Prymachenko, and Maria Buriak — these modern Ukrainian women inherited the skills of artistic craft from their predecessors, and have made Ukraine famous to the entire planet!
ne of these famous people, Maria Buriak was born on 16 August 1935, and has lived ever since that time in the village of Kovalyn. The sickness has tied her up to the wheelchair since her childhood, but that did not prohibit the painter from creating a great number of paintings, embroidering an endless number of decorative towels and tablecloths! Her works have been presented at exhibitions in Bruxelles, Italy, Canada, Moscow, and in all of these places they draw much interest to her creations, her personality, and finally — to Ukraine! The painter lives in a little house on the outskirts of the village of Kovalyn, which is situated 20 kilometers from Pereiaslav-Khmelnyts’kyi. A dog and a cat — these are the only members of her household.
Her house leaned to the pine-tree forest that borders an endless Dnipro flood plain. The window at which Maria works, goes to that side of the house, from which one can well see the blue furrows. The beginnings of her artistic inspiration are rooted here, and the master does not conceal it. This is a picturesque and a fairy-tale like place, and you have an opportunity to prove it for yourself just by visiting this countryside!
One can see quite an unusual memorial in the village of Kharkivtsi, 18 kilometers to the west from the district center. Here there is a monument to the fallen Secret service members, lost during the Great Patriotic War. Every year in May the former and current members of law enforcement organizations gather at this obelisk to pay homage to the memory of the lost.
The cultural facilities in the villages of Dem’anka and Ul’ianivka have museum rooms, which exhibit household and museum items that are important for this locality.
An unexpected version as to the site, where Prince Borys was killed in 1015, makes one consider one of the outskirts of Pereiaslav-Khmel’nyts’kyi, named «Borysivka», with more attention. Currently there circulate the hypotheses that claim that Prince Borys, a favorite son of Prince Volodymyr, son of Sviatoslav, was killed by Sviatopolk not far from Vyshhorod or Boryspil. But researchers of the lore of Pereiaslav district demonstrate that the true location of the old tragedy is located exactly near Borysivka. One has a possibility to learn everything about their point of view on what had happened while visiting the history Museum of Pereiaslav-Khmel’nyts’kyi, and asking the employees there about it. But in order to have a good look at the hypothetical crime site it is necessary to visit Borysivka, five kilometers from the center of Pereiaslav- Khmel’nyts’kyi.
The park of Prince Horchakov is located in the same district in the village of Tashan’. It is a sample of garden architecture with the total area of 144 hectares, which is protected by the National Forest Service.
Pereiaslav-Khmel’nyts’kyi is a special site on the map of Ukraine. It is the cradle of the Kievan Rus’, the birthplace of Ukrainian statehood, the place, where the Ukrainian nation was shaped. The first annalistic record of Pereiaslav dates back to the year 907. In 1585 the town became the first one in the Left-bank Ukraine to receive Magdeburg right.
350 years ago there happened an event here, the opinions over which are split even now: from the glorious to the shameful one. It goes about the subjection (transfer) of Ukraine to the tsarist’s patronage of Russia. Current political situation muffled the pathos of ceremonial statements about irrevocability of then union between Moscow and Ukraine. Now it became clearer that both sides of that alliance had their own goals and ambitions, but history depicted the consequences of that deal with tragic colors. The development of Ukraine as an independent state was hampered by those events. If it were not for the depth of the historical past of Ukraine, it would have been finally assimilated with numerous nations of the Russian empire. The exhibits at the Pereiaslav-Khmel’nyts’kyi museums, prove this kind of historical depth and thus, they support the necessity for detailed research of this achievement, provide the successors with inspiration to develop the Ukrainian state. Pereiaslav is the town of museums, and the history of Ukraine still walks its streets… One can see a monument in honor of the first annalistic record of the word «Ukraine» on one of its squares. In 1187 during a battle against the invaders Pereiaslav Prince Volodymyr, son of Hlib, was lethally wounded. The chronicler left this record: «…and all of the Pereiaslav people mourned him… and Ukraine cried for him a lot». The written record of our Motherland begins exactly with this annalistic record.
The ancient town of Pereiaslav is referred to as « Pereiaslav -Rus’kyi» in the Agreement between Prince Oleh and Byzantium in 907 as one of the four largest towns of Kievan Rus’. We will begin to get acquanted with it by looking at a unique building, which is situated at the intersection of the Moskovs’ka and Shevchenka streets. This is a pavilion that was built over the foundations of the ancient Rus’ church and a burial vault of the eleventh century. Currently there is an archeology department of the History Museum of Pereiaslav-Khmel’nyts’kyi, which allows getting familiar with the past of this land. For example, listening to an ancient legend, one can learn about the fight between two epic heroes — a Pechenih and a Russian one. The young man by name of Kozhumiaka defeated the one of Pechenihs and acquired his «slava» (glory). That is where the name of the town «Pereiaslavl’» comes from. In general, the Left-bank Ukraine, especially the Pereiaslav land, is rich in archeological sites, which belong to different ages: Stone, Copper, Bronze, and Iron Age. Here they found numerous townships, settlements, and burial grounds of the ancient Slavs. Here is the most ancient site — Do-branichivka Site, which existed ten-twelve millenia ago for the hunters on mammoths. It was found on a high bank of the Stupoi river, twenty kilometers to the east from Pereiaslav-Khmel’nyts’kyi in the village of Dobranichivka, which belongs to Yaho-tyn district. One can see reconstructed storing pits and houses, built from the mammoth bones, as well as silicic tools in the collections of archeology department of the History Museum and in the open-air museum.
The collection presents unique finds of excavations at a Bronze Age settlement, which is situated close to the lake of Vyr and the village of Kozyntsi.
The Picture Gallery, Archeology Museum, Museum of The battle of Dnipro in the area of Pereiaslav-Khmel’nyts’kyi in autumn of 1943 Diorama, Memorial Museum of H. Skovoroda, Museum of Kobza-Players, Museum of Ukrainian Folk Costume of the Middle Dnipro Region area, Sculpture and Portrait Gallery,
Museum of Pereiaslav Architecture in the Kievan Rus’ times, Memorial Museum of the architect V. H. Zabolotnyi, Museum of Philosophy — the list of museums and historical treasures of ancient Pereiaslav is far from being complete.
Pay attention to the historical museum of Pereiaslav-Khmel’nyt-s’kyi, located in the building considered being the architectural monument of 1820. The halls, which are dedicated to Shevchenko, hold a special place in the museum. During his visits to Pereiaslav in 1845 and 1859, the poet stayed here as well as he wrote The Testament in it. The museum funds consist of over 12 thousand exhibits, which trace the history of Pereiaslav land from the sixteenth century to our days: the struggle of Ukrainian people against the Polish nobility prior to the National Liberation war; the war itself during 1648 — 1657 led by Bohdan Khmel’nyts’kyi, and the life of Ukraine ever since. Such historical events as the insurrection of Pereiaslav regiment, the Haidamaks’ movement, and the war against Napoleon in 1812 are also represented in it. As well as the events of the twentieth century, no less glorious and at the same time tragic: the establishment of the Ukrainian National Republic, Civil War, collectivization and famine of 1933, Great Patriotic War, declaration of an independent Ukraine…
The former Ascension Cloister of the eighteenth century is considered to be an architectural memorial of ancient Pereiaslav. The establishment of the cloister cathedral is closely tied up with Het’man Ivan Mazepa, who in 1695 provided funds to have it built. Now the cathedral is the sample of the Ukrainian national monumental architecture. There is also a building of the former collegium, built in 1753 in Ukrainian Barocco style.
Pereiaslav, the National History and Ethnography Reserve in Pereiaslav-Khmel’nyts’kyi, can be considered a great achievement of Ukrainian history and culture. The local residents call it the Museum on the Hill.
The Cossacks’ church, the priest manor, and the church lodge, the houses of the poor man, the sorceress, and well-to-do villager, the yard of the rich landowner, a tavern and an inn, a check-point of the forestry security guard, the little house of a widow-a wide diversity of village architecture is represented on those hills!
The Reserve consists of twelve thematic museums. Among them are Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of the Middle Dnipro Region area, Museum of Ukrainian Orthodox Church History, Museum of Beekeeping, Museum of Ukrainian Embroidered Towels, Museum of Ukrainian Customs and Traditions, Museum of Arts and Crafts, Museum of Peaceful Development of Space, Memorial museum of the classical Jewish writer Sholom Aleichem, Museum of M. M. Bernardos, Museum of Bread, Museum of Ground Transportation, Museum of a Post Office, Museum of Herbs… One cannot list all of them.
It is possible to book a tour with Pereiaslav Tourist Agency. It is also possible to contact the museum directly-daily from 10.00 till 17.00, at (8-267) 5-41-03, 5-42-03.
The admission fee for any museum in Pereiaslav is 50 kopecks for children, and one hryvnia for adults. If you wish, the management will arrange for a lunch for you at cozy town cafes at a good price, book a room at a hotel or at a resort facility on the bank of Kaniv Storage Pool, or at a private hotel. Come to meet the history of Ukraine in Pereiaslav!