Chudniv is a small town on the Teteriv River, 50 km west of Zhytomyr, and the center of the Chudniv hromada. It was granted town status only in 2012, but its history goes back much further: featuring a castle, fairs, and one of the famous battles of the 17th century.
Castle and Fairs
The first written mention of Chudniv dates back to 1416, when the residents of Chudniv provided three buckets of honey to the Kyiv St. Sophia Cathedral. Even then, the town had a castle and an annual fair on the feast of Saint Peter. A 1471 lustration describes the castle with three cannons and two handguns, provisions stores, and a garrison. Many free people and townspeople lived in the city.
In 1660, a major battle took place near Chudniv, in which a Polish-Tatar army surrounded and forced the Muscovite army to surrender. This event changed the course of the Ruin on the Right-Bank.
What to See
The 18th-century churches—the Resurrection Church of 1780 and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul of 1769, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as the banks of the Teteriv with a mini-hydroelectric power plant and a small dam offering beautiful views of the river.
The Battle of Chudniv in 1660
In the autumn of 1660, the Muscovite army led by Voivode Vasyl Sheremetiev and the Polish-Lithuanian army with Crimean Tatars clashed near Chudniv. Sheremetiev was waiting for assistance from the Cossack army of Hetman Yurii Khmelnytsky, but the latter concluded the Treaty of Slobodyshche with the Poles. Left without support, the Muscovite army surrendered. This battle became one of the prominent events of the Ruin, a period when Right-Bank Ukraine changed hands repeatedly.
The Teteriv and Surroundings
The Teteriv River in Chudniv is wide and calm, with high banks. A pond has formed near the mini-hydroelectric power plant where people fish and swim. It is pleasant to walk along the river, and the outskirts feature forests and fields typical of the border between Polissia and the forest-steppe. Nearby, in the Liubar hromada, lies Stara Chortoriya with its interesting architecture.
Practical Tips
Chudniv is small, and two to three hours are enough to explore it. It is convenient to combine it with a visit to Liubar and Myropil on the Sluch River, or with a trip to Berdychiv. Cafes and shops are located in the center, and it is best to stay overnight in Zhytomyr.
Chudniv on Video
How to Get There
The Chudniv-Volynskyi railway station is located 4.5 km from the town, on the Koziatyn — Shepetivka line. Buses run from Zhytomyr, and driving takes less than an hour. Nearby are Zhytomyr and Liubar, which are covered in the article about Zhytomyr Raion.
