On the eastern outskirts of the village of Pirnove in Vyshhorod Raion, right on the bank of the Desna River, grows the Desna Oak, a botanical natural monument of local significance. This common oak is about three hundred years old. It rises 35 meters, and the trunk girth at human chest height is 5 meters. Amidst the floodplain meadows and willows along the river, it is visible from afar, and it has become the symbol of the village: the oak is featured on the coat of arms of Pirnove.
A natural monument since 2016
The oak was granted protected status by the Kyiv Oblast Council by a decision dated December 23, 2016, along with other newly discovered objects of the region's nature reserve fund. The protected area is 0.02 hectares, and it is cared for by the Pirnove hromada. For an oak that has grown on the open bank of a large river, three hundred years is a venerable age: it has survived floods, winds, and several shifts of the Desna's channel.
Pirnove along the branches of the Desna
Pirnove is the center of the Pirnove hromada, 40 km from Kyiv. Near the village, the "old channel" branches off from the Desna — an arm that bypasses recreation centers and then flows back into the river, separating a large island. There is no development on the island: it features meadows, a forest, and a lake. Along the branches are several beaches, so in summer Kyiv residents come here to relax by the water.
Near the village, there is also the Pirnivskyi Ornithological Sanctuary: waterfowl and marsh birds nest and stop during migration in the Desna floodplain. In Pirnove itself, a craft brewery has been operating since 2012 on the site of a former dairy plant.
How to get there
Marshrutkas run to Pirnove from Kyiv starting from the Heroiv Dnipra metro station. By car, take the highway toward Vyshhorod and then further via Novi Petrivtsi or Liutizh toward the Desna. The oak grows on the eastern outskirts of the village, right by the Desna.
Tip
Do not climb the tree or make a campfire nearby: the roots of the old oak are sensitive to trampling and heat. The trip can easily be combined with the Kyiv Reservoir and the museum in Novi Petrivtsi. Read more about the region in the article about Kyiv Polissia.
