Berdychiv Raion is the south of Zhytomyr region, a forest-steppe with fields, ponds, and old manors. Its area is over 3 thousand square kilometres, with a population of about 160 thousand. The raion was formed in 2020 from the former Berdychiv, Andrushivka, Ruzhyn, and part of Chudniv raions. The centre is the city of Berdychiv. People come here for pilgrimage sites, palaces, and the history of the great French writer.
Berdychiv
Berdychiv, once called the "Volhynian Jerusalem", is a city with a centuries-old Jewish history. The main landmark is the Monastery of the Discalced Carmelites, a fortress with walls and towers, which is now the main Roman Catholic indulgence site in Ukraine. In 1850, in the Church of Saint Barbara, Honore de Balzac married Evelina Hanska.
Verkhivnia
In the village of Verkhivnia is the Hanska estate: an Empire-style palace from 1800 and a late 18th-century park. Balzac lived here when visiting Evelina Hanska — his museum operates in the palace.
Chervone, Andrushivka, Ruzhyn
In the urban-type settlement of Chervone stands the Grocholski-Tereshchenko palace, one of the most beautiful manors in the region. Andrushivka is known for its palace and park, and Ruzhyn for its history as a crossroads of cultures and its Jewish heritage.
Also worth seeing
- Krasnopil — a neo-Gothic church.
- Semenivka — the zemstvo history of a village near Berdychiv.
- Rayhorodok — a village by a pond with an ancient history.
Jewish Berdychiv
In the 19th century, Berdychiv was one of the largest Jewish cities in the Russian Empire, hence the nickname "Volhynian Jerusalem". Dozens of synagogues and schools operated here, famous Hasidic rabbis lived here, and the city's fairs were among the largest in the region. The Holocaust destroyed the community, but today the city still has an old Jewish cemetery with the grave of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, where pilgrims from all over the world come.
Nature
The Berdychiv region is a land of ponds and small rivers: the Hnylopiat, the Huyva, and the Rostavytsia. There are many places for fishing and relaxing by the water, and the old estate parks in Verkhivnia, Chervone, and Andrushivka are well suited for walks.
Communities of the District
The district includes 10 communities: the urban communities of Andrushivka and Berdychiv; the settlement communities of Hryshkivtsi, Ruzhyn, and Chervone; and the rural communities of Vchoraishenske, Krasnopillia, Rayhorodok, Semenivka, and Shvaikivka.
One-Day Itinerary
Morning: Berdychiv, the Carmelite Monastery and the Church of Saint Barbara. Noon: Verkhivnia and the Balzac Museum. Afternoon: the palace in Chervone or Andrushivka. The regional center is Zhytomyr, 45 km away.
