Day trip to Chernigiv

Departure to a fascinating day trip to Chernigiv. The distance from Kyiv to Chernigiv is 140 km.

On the half way you will make a stop at a small town Kozelets. The name comes from wildflowers “Kozelets”. Here you will visit a splendid Nativity of the Virgin Cathedral built in the 18th century. Inside the church you can see the iconostas made by the famous Russian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli (Italisn in origin).

After that, you will arrive to the final destination – the city Chernigiv. It is one of the oldest cities of the Ukraine and this fascinating destination makes for an enjoyable day trip from Kyiv. Chernihiv is a pleasant and welcoming city that offers visitors an extensive history, interesting monuments and grand churches, all of which are set admits the parks and wide boulevards of the historic center.

The first sight all visitors see while traveling into Chernihiv is the tall five-domed baroque-style St. Catherine’s Church, which is positioned on the outskirts of the city on top of a hill. This baroque styled church dates from the 18th century, and has a white washed exterior and large golden domes.

During the tour you will see:

• Dytynets Val (Rampart) of Chernigiv - the most ancient part of the city, the territory of the former Prince’s palace and fortress. It is the historic and cultural heart of Chernihiv. It includes several monuments: Spaso-Preobrazhens’kyi Cathedral, Borys and Hlib Cathedral, Chernihiv Collegium, History Museum, the monument of Taras Shevchenko. There are also twelve cast-iron cannons of the XVII-XVII centuries in the museum territory.
• Holy Trinity – Elias Cathedral. The complex includes the Antonyi Caves, the Church of Elias (refectory) and the Holy Trinity (Troits’kyi) Cathedral, built in XVII century. A magnificent view of the city opens from the 58 meters tall bell-tower.
• Antonyi Caves. A unique piece of underground religious architecture, one of the few subterranean monasteries in Europe. The complex was established in 1069 by Antonyi Pechers’kyi, the founder of the famous Kyiv-Pechers’ka Lavra. In the XII century the church of St. Elias (Illins’ka) was built over the caves’ entrance. Now is the only building of the kind that has remained intact.
• Red Square along with the public gardens and boulevards near by it is one of the most beautiful districts of Chernigiv, its cultural and administrative centre.
• Spaso-Preobrazhenskyi Cathedral. The cathedral was built in 1036. It is one year older than St.Sofia Cathedral in Kyiv. The building is maintained in a good condition. Now it belongs to Ortodox Church.
• St.Paraskeva (Pyatnytska) Church. The church, built in XII-XII centuries, is a single-domed, cross-vaulted temple with four pillars. It is a real masterpiece of Ukrainian architecture.
• Yeletsky Assumption Nunnery. The monastery was founded by Chernigiv Prince Svyatoslav in XI century. It contains the caves from the ancient Russian period also. The architecture complex was built in Ukrainian baroque style and includes Uspens’kyi Cathedral, Bell Tower (36m), St.Peter and Paul Church with refectory and the cells.