Noryn is an 84 km long river in Zhytomyr Polissia, a left tributary of the Uzh. It originates near the village of Lystvyn on the Slovechansk-Ovruch Ridge, flows through the Ovruch and Narodychi regions, and flows into the Uzh. The main town on its banks is ancient Ovruch, the chronicled Vruchiy.
What kind of river it is
The basin area of the Noryn is 832 km², its gradient is 1.5 m per kilometre, so the current here is livelier than on many Polissian rivers. The valley is trapezoidal, up to 2.5 km wide, the floodplain is swamped in places, and the channel is moderately meandering, straightened in some spots. The name is most likely of Baltic origin, but its meaning is unknown.
Ovruch on the Noryn
Ovruch has stood on the banks of the Noryn since Kievan Rus' times. According to the chronicle, the Drevlian prince Oleh died here in 977, and the town is home to St. Basil's Church, one of the oldest monuments of Old Ruthenian architecture in Ukraine. Nearby is the St. Basil's Women's Monastery. Near the town, the Noryn reservoir with a dam has been created on the river.
The Ovruch Ridge, from which the Noryn flows, was famous for its pink slate: it was used to decorate Saint Sophia Cathedral and the Golden Gates in Kyiv.
Tributaries
From the left, the Bilka, Illinka, Khaichanka, and Bovdunka flow into the Noryn; from the right, the Prybytky, Liznytsia, Moshanytsia, and Olshanka. The scenery along the banks is especially beautiful near the villages of Dovhynychi and Zarichchia.
Tip
The Noryn is a good river for walking and fishing near Ovruch. It is better to swim upstream from the town: downstream from the sewage treatment plant discharge, the water quality is worse.
How to get there
Trains and buses run to Ovruch from Korosten, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv. The river can be seen right in the town. More details can be found in the articles about Ovruch, the Slovechansk-Ovruch Ridge, and the Korosten Raion.
