Winter in Polissia can be different: sometimes a week of frost and snow, sometimes a thaw with rain. Therefore, the most reliable way to skate is on equipped rinks — indoor or seasonal ones that are flooded and maintained even when the ice on rivers is still thin. We have gathered the rinks of the regional centers of Polissia and several nearby cities that operated last winter.
Seasonal rinks open with the frosts, mostly in December — check the opening date in local media. Below is what is known from the last season: when they opened, how much it cost, and whether there is skate rental. Prices and schedules change every year, so check the rink’s page or city news before your trip.
Zhytomyr and Zviahel
In Zhytomyr, there is an indoor ice rink “Global ICE” on the first floor of the Global UA shopping mall at 77 Kyivska Street. This is closed ice, so thaw and snow do not affect it. Check the schedule and prices on the rink’s page — they differ according to various directories.
In Zviahel, a new seasonal rink is expected this winter. According to local media, an open rink measuring 27 by 30 meters is being installed in the Culture and Recreation Park at 22 Shevchenka Street, and nearby there will be a pavilion with a changing room, skate rental, and a café. The first skating sessions were promised by the end of 2026. The structures will be dismantled in summer.
More about the city and walks along the Teteriv River can be found in our guide Zhytomyr — what to see in the city and nearby.
Lutsk
Last year, Lutsk’s main rink operated outdoors in the Lesya Ukrainka Central Culture and Recreation Park. It opened on December 7, 2025: a rink 30 by 19 meters, over 500 square meters of ice, with more than 40 people skating simultaneously.
- Last season’s hours: weekdays from 11:00 to 21:00, weekends from 10:00 to 22:00.
- All-day admission last year cost 350 hryvnias for adults and 200 hryvnias for children under 12; military families had a 50% discount.
- There was skate rental, smallest size 26. There were no instructors on the ice; parents were responsible for their children.
- The park installed a generator, so the rink did not stop during power outages.
The park lies above the Styr River, not far from the old town, so skating can easily be combined with a walk to the castle. What else to see — in the article Lutsk — what to see in the city and nearby.
Rivne and Varash
In Rivne, in the 2024/2025 season, the open rink Ice Land Happy operated near the HAPPY.MALL shopping center at 5 Serhii Bachynskyi Street: it opened on St. Nicholas Day, December 6, had skate rental and helpers in the form of figurines for beginners. Whether it operated last winter or will open this winter we have not found confirmation — follow the shopping center’s announcements. About the city — in the article Rivne — what to see in the city and nearby.
In the north of the region, in Varash, an outdoor rink is flooded in winter near the “Isotope” sports complex of the Rivne NPP. In the winter of 2025 it operated daily from 6:00 to 22:00, with skating costing 45–50 hryvnias per hour. There was no rental, so bring your own skates.
Chernihiv
Chernihiv was without a rink for three winters in a row, but on December 20, 2025, it opened near the Hollywood shopping mall. Unlimited skating last year cost 300 hryvnias on weekdays and 400 hryvnias on weekends and holidays; there was a ticket office and skate rental on site, and beginners could take a helper figurine.
Between skating sessions, it’s worth walking along the Val to the Catherine Church or Boldyni Mountains — routes are available in our article Chernihiv — the Ukrainian Ravenna on the Desna. Remember that Chernihiv and the northern part of the region are regularly attacked: check the community news before your trip, and at the skating rink, know where the nearest shelter is.
Sumy
Last winter, two ice rinks operated in Sumy. The Avanhard Ice Arena on Khvorostianka Street, 5, opened on January 4, 2026: on weekdays from 11:00 to 20:00, on weekends from 12:00 to 20:00, ice access cost 200 hryvnias, skate rental — 50 hryvnias. From January 22, the rink in Kozhedub Park near the “Green Theatre” started operating: daily from 12:00 to 20:00, with your own skates — 100 hryvnias per day, rental for adults — 150 hryvnias per hour, for children — 100 hryvnias.
Sumy is a frontline city that is shelled almost daily. This information is primarily for local families; we do not recommend traveling here specifically for ice skating.
Kyiv Region
In Motyzhyn of Bucha district, near the Kyiv–Zhytomyr highway, about 30 km from the capital, last year’s winter season opened at Dobropark: illumination, a Christmas tree, and an open-air ice rink. The season started on December 6, 2025, and the park operated daily from 10:00 to 21:00. Ticket prices and dates for this winter can be found on the park’s website.
Seasonal ice rinks in other cities of Kyiv region do not appear every year. If there are no reliable announcements, it is better to plan a trip to Zhytomyr or Chernihiv, where the ice has been tested in previous seasons.
Natural Ice: When It Is Safe to Go Out
Ponds, quarries, and lakes of Polissia attract skaters during frosty weeks. But natural ice is the most dangerous place for winter entertainment. Rescuers, whose advice is published by communities, provide the following minimum ice thickness during frost:
- for one person — at least 7 cm;
- for a group of people — at least 15 cm;
- for mass skating — at least 25 cm.
Ice strength is checked with a thick pole, tapping several times in one spot, but never with your feet. Avoid dark, murky, and white ice, bushes and reeds frozen into the ice, places near springs and outflows. Do not go on the ice at night, and never let children go without adults. During thaw, when it is above freezing during the day but below freezing at night, rescuers advise not to go on the ice.
If you fall through: spread your arms on the edges of the hole, lie chest down on the ice and pull your legs out one at a time, then roll and crawl back to where you came from. When rescuing someone else, crawl lying down and offer a stick, scarf, or rope from a distance of 3–4 meters. Rescuers’ phone number — 101.
Some Tips
- Bringing your own skates is almost always cheaper, and for little kids it’s convenient to take a helmet and gloves.
- During an air raid alert, go to the shelter — find out in advance where it is near the skating rink.
- In case of power outages, have a charged phone and power bank: not all venues have a generator.
- Check the New Year’s Eve and curfew schedule with the regional military administration.
