Sedniv is an urban-type settlement on the high bank of the Snov River, a tributary of the Desna, located 25 km from Chernihiv. This small town has preserved one of the most beautiful estates of the Left-Bank region — the ancestral nest of the Lyzohub Cossack colonels — and a wooden church where the movie "Viy" was filmed.
Chronicle Snovsk
In chronicles, Sedniv is mentioned as the ancient Rus fortress town of Snovsk, named after the Snov River. In the 10th and 11th centuries, it was the center of the Snov thousand. In 1068, near Snovsk, Prince Svyatoslav with three thousand warriors defeated a twelve-thousand-strong army of Polovtsians. In 1239, the town was destroyed by the Mongols. Burial mounds are still visible around Sedniv: in the 19th century, there were about 370 of them, and excavations by archaeologist Dmytro Samokvasov yielded gold, silver, and bronze jewelry.
According to legend, the new name was given by the Tatars: they could not capture the fortress and nicknamed its defenders "sidni" (stay-at-homes). Between 1654 and 1781, Sedniv was a sotnia town of the Chernihiv Regiment, and in the late 17th century, it became the property of the Lyzohub family.
Lyzohub Estate
The estate was founded by Chernihiv Colonel and Acting Hetman Yakiv Lyzohub, and it was developed from the late 17th to the early 20th century. Here, the Lyzohub stone house from 1690 (rebuilt in the 19th century), the manor house, and a large park above the Snov have been preserved. Shevchenko's linden tree, which is over 600 years old, grows in the park, and Leonid Hlibov's gazebo from the first half of the 19th century stands there.
The Resurrection Church of 1690 is the ancestral crypt of the Lyzohub family. Taras Shevchenko visited Sedniv in the spring of 1846 when he was drawing landmarks of the Chernihiv region for the Archaeological Commission, and in March 1847 — when he wrote his poem "The Witch" here.
The Church from the Movie "Viy"
The wooden St. George's Church was built no later than 1747, and according to legend, even earlier in the 17th century. It was here in 1967 that the movie "Viy" based on Gogol's story was filmed, so the church is recognized even by those who have never been to Sedniv.
What Else to See
In the settlement, there are monuments to Taras Shevchenko, Leonid Hlibov, Arkadiy Kazka, and artist Tetiana Yablonska, as well as to Fedir Lyzohub (2012). The cliffs over the Snov and the old park are the best place for a walk.
How to Get There
Sedniv is about 25 km from Chernihiv, and buses run there. A ready-made route is available — "A Walk Through Sedniv: The Lyzohub Estate and Cliffs Above the Snov".
