Dubrovytsia is a town on the Horyn River in the north of Rivne Oblast, within Sarny Raion, 127 km from Rivne. Over 9,000 people live here. Dubrovytsia is the oldest town in the oblast: its history has been known since 1005. Once it was one of the centers of the Turov-Pinsk Principality, then the capital of the appanage Principality of Dubrovytsia and the patrimony of the Holszański princes.
Princely Dubrovytsia
The town lay on an important river route along the Horyn to the Prypiat and further to the Dnipro, so in ancient times it possessed importance and wealth. Later, Dubrovytsia became the center of its own principality, and subsequently passed to the Holszański princes, one of the most powerful dynasties of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
From 1793, after the second partition of Poland, Dubrovytsia found itself within the Russian Empire. In 1795, it was classified as a townlet, and in 1796 it was granted town rights, a coat of arms, and a banner, although it soon lost this status. In 1778–1784, a road was built from Pinsk to Dubrovytsia, popularly called "Lytovka". During the war of 1812, Russian hussars and uhlans marched along it.
Between the World Wars
From 1920 to 1939, Dubrovytsia was part of Poland, in Sarny County. In 1933, the town was expanded by incorporating the village of Dubrovytsia. A cloth factory, sawmill, brickyard, oil mill, flour mill, and tannery operated here, and in 1921 two Ukrainian amateur drama groups were established.
What to See
The best thing to do is a walk to the Horyn and the old river pier, from where you can see the wide floodplain. Near the town is the protected tract "Polissia Oak Forest": 26 hectares of old oak woodland in the Dubrovytsia Forestry. Pre-war buildings have been preserved in the center.
Dubrovytsia on Video
Nearby
Sarny is half an hour to the south. To the north are the Rivne Nature Reserve and Polissia villages with dressed crosses. The route is in the article Rivne Polissia, and everything about the raion is in Sarny Raion: A Complete Guide.
When to Go
The best time is late spring and summer, when the Horyn is calm and the meadows around the town are green. In autumn, the forests of the Dubrovytsia region are full of mushrooms and cranberries. Dubrovytsia is conveniently combined with Sarny and a trip north to the nature reserve.
Practical Tips
The town is small, and two to three hours is enough to explore it. Cafes and shops are available in the center, and it is more convenient to stay overnight in Sarny. People swim and fish on the Horyn, but the current is strong in places — choose familiar spots.
How to Get There
Dubrovytsia railway station is 3 km from the town, on the Sarny — Luninets line. Buses run from Rivne, Sarny, and Zarichne.
