"Zalissia" National Nature Park lies on the left bank of the Desna, about 20 km northeast of Kyiv. Most of the park is in the Brovary district of Kyiv Region, with a small portion in Chernihiv Region. Its area is 14,836 hectares, of which about 13.5 thousand are in Kyiv Region. It is a continuous forest tract that was closed to ordinary people for decades and is only now gradually becoming a protected area.
From government hunts to a national park
The history of Zalissia began on August 9, 1957, when a forestry enterprise was established here to host high-ranking officials, foreign heads of state, and delegations. In 1965, it was converted into a reserve hunting estate: game was protected and bred to be hunted by official guests. On January 9, 1995, Leonid Kuchma created the Zalissia state residence here, and from 2000 it was managed by the State Management of Affairs.
Viktor Yushchenko signed the decree on the national nature park on December 11, 2009, but for many years the park existed only on paper: no funds were allocated for it in the state budgets of 2010–2017. Its legal status was finally finalized on December 29, 2021 — two months before the full-scale war.
Pine forest and marshes
The park spreads across the first and second terraces of the Desna; the river flows along its western boundary. From west to east, the forest extends for about 10 km, and from north to south, for 20 km. Almost the entire forest is pine (85%), with the rest occupied by oak, alder, and other species. About 1,700 hectares of pine plantations are over one hundred years old. In the lowlands lie marshes: even before the park was established, the "Zalisske Boloto" reserve (1979) and the "Velekivske Boloto" hydrological reserve (1994) were declared here.
Deer and bison
During the residence era, Zalissia was famous for its game: deer, elk, wild boars, and roe deer lived here. The crown jewel of the park was a herd of European bison — numbering 24 until 2022.
In March 2022, Russian troops occupied the park and neighboring villages for about a month. The territory was shelled by artillery and mined, and many animals perished. Only 11 females and not a single male remained of the bison herd. To save the herd, a bull named Muskat was brought from the Kyiv Zoo, and in 2025, three bison calves were born in Zalissia. Muskat grew up around people and is not afraid of them: in one year he broke over 150 feeding stations, so he is released into the wild only during the rutting season, living in an enclosure for the rest of the year.
The former residence was first opened to the public in February 2014, after Viktor Yanukovych fled — Radio Liberty filmed a report about it at the time.
Can you visit?
"Zalissia" is still not a regular tourist park with free admission. Guided tours, horseback riding, and birdwatching here were organized only by prior arrangement. On March 20, 2022, the regional and district military administrations banned visiting the forests of Brovarshchyna, including "Zalissia", because mines remained there. Therefore, before your trip, be sure to check with the park administration or the local community which areas are open, and do not leave the roads and marked trails.
What is nearby
Near the village of Litochky, the ramparts of an ancient hillfort have been preserved. On the Desna and in the surrounding villages — Litky, Semypolky, Rozhny — there are spots for recreation by the water. Not far from Semypolky lies another large forest reserve — "Kalytyanska Dacha". Read more about the region in the article about Kyiv Polissia.
