Sosnytsia is an urban-type settlement on the Ubid River, a tributary of the Desna, in Koriukivka Raion, 90 km east of Chernihiv, not far from the confluence of the Desna and the Seim. This is the birthplace of the film director and writer Oleksandr Dovzhenko, and it was his childhood in Sosnytsia that he described in his autobiographical novella The Enchanted Desna. Today, the Dovzhenko Memorial Museum operates in Sosnytsia, where the yard and house have been recreated precisely according to this book.
Origin of the Name
The name is usually derived from the surrounding pine forests. But there is another version: in Polissia, a "sosnytsia" referred to a tree with a *bort* — a beehive hollowed out in a log. On the outskirts of the settlement, archaeologists have discovered settlements from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Scythian times.
From Chronicles to a Regimental Town
Sosnytsia is first mentioned in the Hypatian Codex under the year 1234 in an account of the war between Danylo of Halych and Mykhailo of Chernihiv. In 1635–1648, it was the center of a volost, and in 1648–1649 and 1663–1668, it was even the center of the Cossack Sosnytsia Regiment. After 1782, Sosnytsia received its own coat of arms and became a district town. In 1844–1855, Anna Kern lived here in the Poltoratsky estate.
Dovzhenko Memorial Museum
Oleksandr Dovzhenko (1894–1956) is one of the most prominent directors in world cinema, the author of the films Zvenyhorodka, Arsenal, and Earth, and the cinematic novella The Enchanted Desna. The literary and memorial museum was opened on January 23, 1960, and since 1992 it has been an independent regional museum.
The museum grounds include the memorial estate where Dovzhenko's childhood was spent and a literary exhibition. In the estate, everything — the yard, the parental home, the wattled fence, the gates, the well — has been restored just as it is described in The Enchanted Desna. The exhibition building features a screening room where visitors can watch Dovzhenko's films.
What Else to See
The Yurii Vynohradskyi Local Lore Museum was opened back on July 1, 1920; it now has six halls. It was founded by the lawyer and historian Yurii Vynohradskyi. The settlement has also preserved the wooden Intercession Church, rebuilt in 1847 on the site of a 1724 church.
Coat of Arms
The historical coat of arms of Sosnytsia dates back to 1782. The seal of the Sosnytsia Sotnia Chancery from 1747 featured a "speaking" emblem — a pine tree with a beehive suspended from it.
How to Get There
From Chernihiv to Sosnytsia is about 90 km east. The trip can be combined with a visit to the Mezyn National Nature Park and Novhorod-Siverskyi on the Desna.
