Kostopil is a town in the north of Rivne Raion, 40 km from Rivne. About 31,000 people live here. Until 2020, Kostopil was a raion center. The town stands on the border of forested Polissia, and it is right here that you will find the basalt quarries and Polissia forests closest to Rivne.
Ostaltsi and the King's Privilege
The historical name of the place is Ostaltsi. Velyki and Maly Ostaltsi are mentioned as the property of the Zaslavsky princes in the registers of 1648–1658. On November 14, 1783, Great Crown Cookmaster Leonard Worcell received a privilege from King Stanisław August to establish a town named Kostopil in Ostaltsi. At the end of the 18th century, there were only 30 homesteads and 248 residents here.
In 1793, Kostopil passed to the Russian Empire. Between the world wars, the town belonged to Poland, and it was then, in 1923, that it received town status. The development of Kostopil is connected with the forest and woodworking industry, which still sustains the town today.
What to See
In the center is the wooden Church of Alexander Nevsky on Hrushevsky Street, a fine example of Polissia wooden architecture. Nearby is a mass grave of soldiers of the Ukrainian People's Republic army. The center is small, with a park and old architecture.
However, the main impressions are outside the town. Nearby, in Berestovets, are the basalt columns: hexagonal pillars of solidified lava in an old quarry, a rare geological monument for Ukraine. Around them are the Bazaltivska Dacha nature reserves with centuries-old oaks and pines.
Basalt Columns
The most famous place near Kostopil is the former quarry in Berestovets with basalt columns. Lava once poured out here, and as it solidified, it cracked into regular hexagonal pillars. Some of the columns stand vertically, some are tilted, and at the bottom of the quarry is a lake with clear green water. This is a geological monument, of which there are very few in Ukraine.
It is dangerous to approach the edge of the quarry, and swimming in the lake is prohibited. The best photos are in the morning or evening when the light falls sideways on the facets of the stone.
One-Day Itinerary
In the morning — the center of Kostopil and the wooden church, then — the basalt columns in Berestovets and the forest reserves of Bazaltivska Dacha. You can return via Rivne or head north to Sarny.
Kostopil on Video
Nearby
From Kostopil, it is convenient to travel further north — to Sarny, the Rivne Nature Reserve, and White Lake. The itinerary can be found in the article Rivne Polissia: Where to Go and What to See. The regional center is Rivne.
How to Get There
Kostopil lies on the Rivne — Sarny railway and the N25 highway. From Rivne, it is about 40 minutes by bus or train.
