Ivankiv district

Eighty kilometers from Kyiv a picturesque village of Ivankiv, a district center, sprawls over high banks of the Teteriv river, which is a tributary of the Slavutych-Dnipro.

Some documents mention that in the ancient times Ivankiv was called the Land of Trudynivs’kyi. The Prince of Kyiv, Oleksandr, son of Volodymyr (ruled in 1440—1455) bestowed the Land of Tru-dynivs’kyi upon the Kyiv boyar Oleksa Yukhnovych. Trudynove changed hands for decades and in 1524 by the order of the Polish King Sigismund was granted to Kyiv townsman Tyshko Proskura. In 1589 he passed those lands to his son, Ivan. The Land of Trudynivs’kyi was named the Place of Ivan. Later they began to call the place of Ivan in a simple way, Ivankiv. The traces of the ancient Rus’ settlements of the tenth-twelvth centuries indicate the first settlements at the territory of Ivankiv district. These settlements remain in the south-eastern end of the village where the town park is now located. The settlement bordered the lands of the grand Slavic tribes: Poliane that settled south of Teteriv up to the Prypiat; Drehovychy that lived north of the Prypiat and Volyniane that lived west from the lands of Drevliane. Already in the seventh-ninth centuries those and the neighboring eastern Slavic tribes were living as a united family. The first principalities originate from their lands as well. The district of Ivankiv is rich in history and famous for its heroes.

26 April 1986 is one of the most tragic dates in the human history — that of the accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Ivankiv found itself to be on the dividing line between the relatively «clean» and radiation contaminated areas. The town was turned into a nerve center for dealing with the aftermath of the nuclear disaster, and filled with people in protective garments. The local population anxiously waited for the town to be evacuated, but that had not happened owning to the self-sacrifice of their fire fighters.

A fire brigade and a duty team led by Lieutenant Viktor Kybenok attacked the fire from the first tragic minutes on. The people, who worked on containing the fire, had been lethally exposed. On 27 April 19 of them were sent to a Moscow climes but notwithstanding their efforts, the doctors did not manage to rescue six of them. Viktor Kybenok was among them. Grateful inhabitants of Ivankiv erected a monument in his honor, its bright color of which still evokes the flames that took his life.

A prominent folk painter, Distinguished Artist of Ukraine, Master of Folk Arts, the Shevchenko National Prize winner, Maria Pryimachenko was born and lived in the village of Bolotnia of Ivankiv district. She made the district known to the world. The master spent all her life in the native village, where she is now buried not far from her house. A fairy-tale bird, made of smalt by the grateful admirers of the Polissia master, came down on her tomb forever.

The art of Maria Prymachenko continues to exist in the pictures by her son, Fedir Prymachenko, Distinguished Artist of Ukraine and the winner of Kateryna Bilokur Prize, whose contribution to the development of national art won him the Order of Merit, III degree, in 2001.

The Ivankiv land has given birth to many people of talent and good deads. One of them is Hanna Veres, a famous weaver, the Folk Artist of Ukraine, the Distinguished Folk Arts Master, and Shevchenko National Prize winner. It was her who decorated the Ukrainian pavilion in Zagreb (1966) and the Ukraine hotel (1978). Twelve-meter long embroidered towels by the master became legendary. Hanna Veres has created an incredible number of embroidered towels, panels and decorative fabrics that have won her international recognition. There is a weaving art museum in her native village of Obukhovychi ten kilometers from Ivankiv district center. Pieces by Hanna Veres and other masters are on display. The Polissia area is very suitable for flax growing that is why linen is a staple fabric for any creative activity. One would think that the scope of products would be limited, however, not only pieces of everyday use are exhibited, but also exquisite shirts made of thin fabric, almost weightless and transparent headscarves, macrame pieces…

The museum is open daily, and the admission fee is 1 hryvnia.