Novhorod-Siverskyi is a town on the high bank of the Desna, the centre of a hromada and district in the north of Chernihiv region, and one of the northernmost towns in Ukraine. About 12,000 people live here. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the town was the capital of the Siversk Principalty, and its most famous prince was Ihor Sviatoslavych, the hero of „The Tale of Igor's Campaign”.
Capital of Sivershchyna
The name comes from the fortification Novyi Horodok, which arose on the old hillfort of the Siverians. The first written mention is in the „Instruction” of Volodymyr Monomakh from 1078–1079. In 1097, by the decision of the Liubech Congress, Novhorod-Siverskyi became the princely seat of Oleh Sviatoslavych's principality and reached its flourishing: iron-working, blacksmithing, pottery, and jewelry art developed here. The detinetz occupied a promontory of the native bank of the Desna with an area of 40 hectares.
From here in 1185, Prince Ihor set out on a campaign against the Polovtsians, which was glorified in „The Tale of Igor's Campaign”. In 1239, the Mongols almost wiped the town off the face of the earth.
From Lithuania to the Hetmanate
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the town belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and later passed to Muscovy. In 1620, Novhorod-Siverskyi was the first among the towns of Chernihiv region to receive Magdeburg rights. During the Hetmanate, it was a sotnia town; the Spaso-Preobrazhenskyi Monastery housed a Slavic-Latin school and the first printing house on the Left Bank. Between 1781 and 1796, the town was the centre of the Novhorod-Siverskyi Viceroyalty, which even included Baturyn and Hlukhiv.
What to see
The main decoration is the Spaso-Preobrazhenskyi Monastery above the Desna, where the state Museum-Reserve „The Tale of Igor's Campaign” was opened in 1989. It is also worth seeing the majestic Uspenskyi Cathedral, the Triumphal Arch built for the arrival of Empress Catherine II, and the wooden Church of St Nicholas, an original example of Ukrainian wooden architecture. Among the natural landmarks are Shevchenko Park, the „Kamiana Hryda” ichthyological reserve on the Desna, and a spring — a hydrological natural monument.
Tip: mind your safety
In February – April 2022, the town was under Russian occupation, and due to its proximity to the border with Russia, Novhorod-Siverskyi still regularly suffers from drone attacks. Before your trip, be sure to check the security situation with the hromada and the regional military administration, monitor air raid alerts, and know where the nearest shelter is.
Coat of arms and flag
The green coat of arms of Novhorod-Siverskyi depicts part of the town wall with a tower, a six-pointed star above it, and a golden spear and saber on either side. The flag features white, green, and white stripes with the same symbols.
How to get there
From Chernihiv to Novhorod-Siverskyi is about 200 km. A ready-made route through the city is «A walk through Novhorod-Siverskyi: from the Triumphal Arch to Castle Hill».
