Zviahel is a city on the Sluch River in the west of Zhytomyr region, the center of Zviahel district. About 54,000 people live here. From 1795 to 2022, the city was named Novohrad-Volynskyi, and in 2022 its historical name was restored. Zviahel is the birthplace of Lesia Ukrainka, and it is her museum that brings most tourists here.
Vozviahel, the Ostrozhskys, and a provincial failure
The city was first mentioned in 1256 as the Ruthenian city of Vozviahel. In the 16th century, when it was owned by the Ostrozhsky princes, Zviahel became a prominent town with a castle above the Sluch. After the second partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it passed to the Russian Empire, and in 1795, by decree of Catherine II, it was renamed Novohrad-Volynskyi and designated the center of Volhynia Governorate. But the city was too small and lacked buildings for institutions, so the governorate was moved to Zhytomyr, and Novohrad-Volynskyi became a district center in 1804.
Lesia Ukrainka
On February 25, 1871, Larysa Kosach—the future Lesia Ukrainka—was born in Zviahel. Her father worked here in district institutions. The house where the Kosach family lived is now the Lesia Ukrainka Memorial Literary Museum: the family's rooms, belongings, photographs, and manuscripts. There is a monument to the poetess on Lesia Ukrainka Square.
What else to see
The ruins of the Zviahel Castle above the Sluch, the old post station, the Mezentsev estate, the railway station building, and the local history museum. There are 75 historical monuments in the city in total. A prominent structure in the center is the Church of Christ the King of the Universe.
A favorite walking spot is the banks of the Sluch with its park and rocks. Near the city, pillboxes of the 1930s fortified district, part of the so-called "Stalin Line," have been preserved.
Zviahel in one day
Start with the Lesia Ukrainka Museum and the monument to the poetess, then walk to the castle ruins above the Sluch and head down to the river. Next is the post station, the Mezentsev estate, and the local history museum. If you have a car, you can take a trip to the fortified district pillboxes on the outskirts of the city in the afternoon.
Zviahel is convenient to visit on the way between Zhytomyr and Rivne: the city is located right on the Kyiv — Chop highway, and it is just a few minutes from the center to the highway.
Zviahel on video
Nearby
From Zviahel, it is convenient to travel to Baranivka and Horodnytsia, known for their porcelain, and into the forests north of the city. More can be found in the article about Zviahel district. The regional center is Zhytomyr.
How to get there
Zviahel is located on the Kyiv — Chop highway between Zhytomyr and Rivne and has a railway station. It is about an hour's drive from Zhytomyr.
