Yalivshchyna is a forest park in the northeastern part of Chernihiv, on the hills of the left bank of the Stryzhen River. Since 2014, it has been a regional landscape park covering 168.7 hectares — one of the most beloved recreational spots for Chernihiv residents in any season. Pines, oaks, and birches grow here, and among the grasses, rare orchids listed in the Red Book can be found.
Origin of the Name
The area is named after the councilor V. F. Yalovytskyi, who owned a mill on the Stryzhen. The right to it was confirmed by a universal of Hetman Demian Mnohohrishnyi in 1672. In 1880, when a water supply system was being built in Chernihiv, a pumping station was constructed in Yalivshchyna to supply water from artesian wells.
How the Park Developed
In the 1890s, heather, pine, spruce, dogwood, bird cherry, and other trees and shrubs were planted here. A member of the city council, V. V. Neroda, contributed especially much to the greening efforts. After World War II, the Desnianskyi state farm added fruit trees, lindens, birches, poplars, and black locust. Since 1972, Yalivshchyna Park has been a monument of garden and park art, and in 2014 it received the status of a regional landscape park.
What to See Here
The park’s herbaceous cover includes rare plants from the Red Book of Ukraine — the two-leaved liparis and the helleborine orchid. Within the park are the Yalivshchyna forest reserve and the botanical natural monument “Vasyl Yalotskyi’s Pine.” An ecological trail has been laid out, used for practical training by students and schoolchildren, as well as for tourism and orienteering competitions.
Yalivshchyna is also interesting for archaeologists: settlements from the Bronze Age, early Iron Age, Kyiv culture of the 3rd–5th centuries, Volynian and Old Rus’ settlements of the 9th–13th centuries were found here.
After the siege of Chernihiv in 2022, the park was closed for some time, then reopened to visitors.
How to Get There
The park is located in the Desnianskyi district of Chernihiv, between Myru Avenue, 1 Travnia Street, Kil’tseva Street, and 77th Guards Division Street. It is easy to reach here by city transport from the center. It’s worth setting aside at least a few hours for a walk.
