A walk through the hetman capital Baturyn

Route map

Map © OpenStreetMap.

About the route

Baturyn in the Chernihiv region is the former capital of the hetmans, which was burned down by Menshikov's troops in 1708 by order of Peter I. Today, its landmarks are united by the "Hetman Capital" National Historical and Cultural Preserve: it was founded in 1993, received national status in 2007, and protects 39 monuments. There is no separate marked trail, but it is convenient to walk between the preserve's sites on foot. It is about 3.7 km from Kochubey House through the citadel to Rozumovsky Palace; allow 2.5–4 hours including the museums.

Kochubey House and Kochubey Park

The start is near the house of General Judge Vasyl Kochubey, built in the late 17th century. This is one of the few structures that survived the events of 1708. The preserve began with it in 1993, and it was the first to be restored, opening on November 18, 2005. Nearby lies Kochubey Park, covering an area of about 10 hectares, created on the basis of a natural oak grove.

House of General Judge Vasyl Kochubey in Baturyn — House of General Judge Vasyl Kochubey. Photo: Olga Loboda 0806, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Citadel of the Baturyn Fortress

The most famous part of the route is the reconstructed citadel. It was erected in 2008 and solemnly opened on August 22, 2009. Here you will find a moat and a bridge, an entrance tower and keep towers, a defensive wall with a palisade, the hetman's house, a treasury, a well, and cannons on gun carriages—copies of Cossack artillery. It was rebuilt by the entire country: residents of Sumy built the hetman's house, Donbas miners built the underground passage, and Lviv residents built the wooden church. Nearby is a monument to the victims of the Baturyn tragedy of 1708.

Moat and wooden walls of the citadel in autumn — Moat and wooden walls of the citadel. Photo: Larmarphoto, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The wooden Church of the Resurrection of Christ is active and was consecrated on November 14, 2008. Its crypt holds the remains of the defenders and residents of Baturyn who died in 1708.

Ikonostasis of the wooden church in the Baturyn citadel — Ikonostasis of the Church of the Resurrection in the citadel. Photo: Valentyne Kovalov, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Museum of Archaeology and Resurrection Church

Not far from the citadel, in the building of the former Resurrection parish school, the Baturyn Museum of Archaeology opened in 2009. Nearby stands the Resurrection Church-Mausoleum, where Hetman Kyrylo Rozumovsky, who died in Baturyn on January 9, 1803, is buried.

Palace of Kyrylo Rozumovsky

The finish is the Palace of Kyrylo Rozumovsky, built between 1799 and 1803 according to the design of architect Charles Cameron. This is the only surviving hetman's palace in Ukraine; it was restored in 2003–2009.

Tips

The longest stretch of the route is between the citadel and the palace, so pace yourself if you are walking with children. There is a shelter on the territory of the preserve.

How to Get There

There is no bus station in Baturyn, but there are intercity and suburban bus connections. The nearest railway stations are Bakhmach-Pasazhyrskyi and Konotop. Schedules can be found on the bus pages of Bakhmach and Konotop.

Before you go

Polissia is flat: there are hardly any climbs, but there are swamps, sandy roads and long stretches of forest with no mobile signal and no water. Plan on 4 km per hour, 3 km on sand and rough ground.

Water. There are few springs, and water from rivers and swamps is not safe to drink. Take at least 1.5 litres per person per day; you can refill in villages — at a shop or ask at a well.
Swamps and floodplains. Do not leave the trail in wet places: peat bogs and floating mats can be deep. In spring after floods and in autumn after rain some roads may be under water.
Ticks and mosquitoes. From April to October wear covered clothing, use tick repellent and check yourself after the walk. In June–July there are many mosquitoes and horseflies near swamps.
Fire danger. In summer forests are often closed to visitors because of fire danger — check announcements of the forestry or community. Do not make fires outside designated places.
Explosive objects. Since 2022 mines and munitions may be found in the forests of northern Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Zhytomyr regions. Stay on well-used paths and roads and do not pick anything up. If you see a suspicious object, keep away, mark the place and call 101 or 102.
Signal and navigation. Mobile signal in the forests is weak. Download the GPX track and an offline map before you go, take a power bank and tell your family where you are going and when you will be back.
Chornobyl zone. The exclusion zone is closed to free visits — do not enter it without an official permit.

Emergency: 112 — free from any phone.