Berestechko is a town on the Styr River in southern Volhynia, within Lutsk Raion. It is one of the smallest towns in Ukraine by population, but its name is known to anyone who has studied history: near Berestechko in 1651, one of the largest battles of the Khmelnytsky Uprising took place. Today, the town is a quiet stop on the way to the "Cossack Graves" memorial.
From Berestky Village to a Town
Berestechko emerged as a suburb of neighboring Peremyl and later became an independent settlement. It is first mentioned as the village of Berestky in the Peremyl volost in a charter issued by Grand Duke of Lithuania Casimir Jagiellon on June 1, 1445. In the 15th and the first half of the 16th centuries, it was owned by the Ruthenian boyars Bohovityn.
In 1544, Bohush-Mykhailo Bohovitynovych handed over the village as a dowry for his daughter Fedora to her husband, Prince Semyon-Fridryk Pronsky, the Voivode of Kyiv. The 1545 economic lustration records that the residents of Berestechko were involved in the construction of the Peremyl tower and the castle gorodnya in Lutsk.
The Battle of Berestechko
In the summer of 1651, the army of Bohdan Khmelnytsky with his Tatar allies and the army of Polish King John II Casimir met near Berestechko. In terms of the number of participants—over 300,000—this was one of the largest battles in 17th-century Europe. The battle ended in a defeat for the Cossacks: the Tatars left the field, and part of the army perished during the retreat through the marshes of the Pliashivka River.
What to See
The main architectural landmark of the town is the Trinity Church built in 1711, a massive Baroque building that dominates the center. There is also the Holy Trinity Cathedral and the old synagogue building, a reminder of the Jewish community that made up a significant portion of the residents before World War II.
The town is small, you can walk around it in an hour, and then head to the memorial.
Berestechko on Video
Nearby
- Cossack Graves in Pliasheva — a memorial and monastery at the site of the battle, 10 km from the town.
- Horokhiv with its parks — 30 km to the north.
- More — in the article Lutsk Raion.
Day Itinerary
In the morning — Horokhiv and its old parks, then — Berestechko with its church and synagogue. At noon — the "Cossack Graves" memorial in Pliasheva: allow two hours for the monastery, museum, and island. In the afternoon, you can go to Dubno with the Ostrogski Castle — this is already Rivne Oblast, about 40 km away.
The largest crowds in Pliasheva gather in early summer when the annual commemorations of the fallen Cossacks take place. On other days, the place is quiet and focused.
How to Get There
From Lutsk — by bus via Horokhiv, about two hours. By car, Berestechko is conveniently combined with Pliasheva and Dubno.
