The Trostianets Arboretum in the village of Trostianets, Pryluky district, is one of the most famous landscape parks in Chernihiv region. It was founded in 1834 by Ivan Skoropadsky, and today it is managed by the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The park covers over 200 hectares, so there is no separate eco-trail here: guests walk along the alleys on their own or with a guide. We suggest a loop from the entrance through the main glades, the gorge, and the bridges over the ponds — about 5 km and two to three hours of a leisurely pace.

Trail between trees leading to the pond
Trail to the pond. Photo: Vasyl Humeniuk, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

What to See

  • The entrance with the bust of Ivan Skoropadsky and the alley leading to the Lobby Glade.
  • Glades of cedars, yews, and giant thujas.
  • The central bridge across the pond, and further on — the Swan Pond.
  • The Swiss Gorge — the best place to see the man-made "mountain" relief.
  • Grandfather's Hill with a male Polovtsian stone statue.
  • The Column of Sorrow.
  • The "Three Sisters" glade, the larch alley, and the Summit Bridge.
  • The "Eight Brothers" glade on the way back to the entrance.
Blue spruces in the park glade
Blue spruces in the park glade. Photo: Colia Budalovskiy, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Mountains on the Plain

Skoropadsky was inspired by the Rothschilds' French landscape park. The park plan was drawn up by the Yevstynhieiev brothers, gardeners from Peterhof. In 1858, the flat area began to be transformed into a relief landscape: for almost thirty years, under the leadership of head gardener K. D. Schlinglof, "mountain" landscapes with embankments up to 35 m high were created on 30 ha. The park has four ponds — Bezymiannyi, Lebedynyi, Kutsykha, and Velykyi, totaling about 10 ha of water.

Wooden bridge across the pond in spring
Bridge across the pond in spring. Photo: Valentyne Kovalov, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Trees and History

About 500 species of trees and shrubs grow here, including exotics up to 180 years old, as well as over 250 species of flowers. The park's collections have been declared a national heritage. In 1951, the park was transferred to the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. Skoropadsky requested to be buried in the park. Polovtsian stone statues have also been preserved — two of them were stolen in the 2000s.

The Great Pond of the arboretum in September
The Great Pond in September. Photo: Kiyanka, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Tips

The park operates as a regular arboretum. An adult ticket costs 20 UAH, a children's ticket costs 10 UAH, and a guided tour costs 300 UAH; prices are subject to change, so it is worth calling before your trip: (046) 332-51-75 or (068) 838-96-55. The park does not have its own website. Nearby, in the same Parafiivka hromada, lies the Kachanivka estate — they are convenient to combine into a single trip.

How to Get There

The park's address is 1 I. M. Skoropadskyi Avenue, Trostianets village. The nearest major city is Pryluky, from where you can take a bus; the schedule is available on the Pryluky buses page. The track on the map is approximate: it is laid along the alleys through the main objects of the park, and on site you can easily shorten or lengthen your walk.