Zabolottia is an urban-type settlement in the very north of Volyn, and the centre of the Zabolottia hromada in Kovel Raion. More than four thousand people live here. It is six kilometres to the border with Belarus, and the Kyiv — Brest railway with a border checkpoint runs through the settlement. Zabolottia stands on sandy hills amidst forests and lakes, and impassable bogs once lay all around — hence the name.
The Legend of the Princess
Locals recount that once a princess, or according to another version, a queen, was travelling from Ratne through the forests via Zalyshy. The Great Bog between Zalyshy and present-day Zabolottia swallowed up the wagon trains. When the entourage finally made it onto the sandy hills, the princess rested for a long time and ordered a settlement to be built here, from which the village grew.
From Novi Zalyshy to Zabolottia
The first written record dates back to 1501, in the register of villages of the Ratne starostvo. At that time, the village was still called Novi Zalyshy, and it had ten homesteads. By the late 16th century, the name Zabolottia became established. In 1629, there were 55 hearths here. During the Khmelnytsky Uprising, the residents of Zabolottia supported the Cossacks, and a Polish detachment devastated the village. Later it was owned by Count Krasnytsky and General Shestakov, and from 1840 onwards, by the treasury.
Zabolottia grew most rapidly after 1870, when the railway from Kyiv via Kovel to Brest and Warsaw was laid here. In the late 19th century, the Budex lumber firm built a plant in the settlement: timber from the Polissia wilderness was brought in by narrow-gauge railway, and from here by broad-gauge railway to the west. By 1904, Zabolottia already had more than two thousand residents.
Holy Cross Church
The former centre of Zabolottia was near the church — between the wars, a school and the gmina building stood here. Later, the centre shifted to the railway. The wooden Holy Cross Church is the settlement's main historical landmark.
Lakes
Zabolottia is surrounded by lakes. To the northeast is the large Lake Tur, also called Turske or Velyke. To the north is Lake Dovhe, in the centre of the settlement is Chorne, and to the west and south are the small lakes Kovpyny and Korets. In summer, people swim and fish here, and all around are Polissia forests with bilberries and mushrooms.
Zabolottia on Video
When to Visit
Best of all in summer, when the water in the lakes is warm. Remember that the settlement is in the border zone: have your documents with you.
Nearby
Ratne — 22 kilometres to the south. More in the article Kovel Raion.
How to Get There
Zabolottia lies on the Kovel — Brest railway. Buses run from Ratne and Kovel.
