Chernivtsi. I am discovering Bukovina. I wanted to understand what peoples lived here, who the people living in Chernivtsi came from. My personal affairs and classes on the discovery of Jupiter, who quickly handed me train tickets, brought me to this city. I gathered some positivity: it was cold outside, but not hot, and went to Chernivts.
As it turned out, this Tuesday was an open day at the museum.
Together with the guide we went to understand the depths of the past. Some historical periods became quite clear to me, and some were not yet. Initially, there was a fortress called Chern on the left bank of the Prut River. In 1259, the Mongolian voivode Burundai (similar to Barmaley-))) burned down the wooden fortress. Then people moved to live on the right high bank of the Prut River. People always look for safer places. But that was already in the 13th century. And what was there before that? There were Carpathian burial mounds here, the Prague culture – this is when there is a stone stove in the corner. These lands were part of the Galicia-Volyn Principality and the Kiev State. But let’s go back to the 13th century to the Mongols, from whom these lands were liberated by Ludwig I of Anjou. Then came the Moldavian Principality.
From the 14th to the 17th century, wars took place here between the Ottoman Empire,
Poland, the Russian Empire. These states fought among themselves for the land called Bukovina.
Petro Konashevich Sagaidachny fought here with his army, Bohdan Khmelnytsky fought here, and the Russian Tsar Peter the Great fought and was captured here.
Since 1849, the Duchy of Bukovina with its capital in Chernivtsi became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where it remained until 1918. After the First World War, Bukovina with Chernivtsi became one of the provinces of Romania. This mixture of peoples and cultures gave the city a special charm. Tolerance is a feature of Chernivtsi.
There were Polish, Jewish, German, Ukrainian and Romanian People’s Houses here.
They are still intact.
The central square of the city is Cathedral Square.
Decades of economic activity in Austria,
and then Romania brought a special style in architecture,
affected the image of the city.
Many houses look like German and Czech ones.
And the people here are kind and responsive, united by war, our native Ukrainians. April 8, 2025
We went in search of places of power of the Holosiivsky forest in Kyiv. How big it is! We walked for two days and saw only a small part of the interesting things of the forest. We were in two parts of the forest, in two monasteries – the Holosiivskaya desert and the Kitaevskaya desert. I was amazed by one of these places – Kitaevskaya mountain and the monastery near it. An incredible mixture of the energy of Kievan Rus and blessed holiness! But let me tell you about everything in order of our two-day route. On the first day we went in search of interesting places from the side of the Exhibition Center
We went along a forest road through the Sergius Hermitage to the Holy Protection Monastery or the Goloseevskaya Hermitage and the Detka font.
It was quite chilly on March 18, we were frozen and decided not to take a dip in the font. The road led through the Sergieva Pustyn, which is a space fenced with a palisade of branches on one of the hills.
The entrance is open. There are icons hanging at the entrance. There is no one inside. In the recess with the inscription “Grotto of the Virgin Mary”, dug in the ground, one can guess the place for prayer.
On the stands along the road there are children’s (or adult amateur) drawings with angels, Christmas bells, children. In this place people managed to create a special atmosphere of their faith, energetically pure. I would say that I felt good and calm here. On the other side of the hillock there were dwellings in the form of huts covered with carpets. Maybe there was someone inside. We didn’t see anyone. We only met one guy down by the stream.
The road and the navigator led us along the stream to the Didorevka pond with gazebos for rest. I think that in the summer there are many vacationers here. Having gone around the pond on the left, we came out onto the road leading to the monastery, along which cars drove every now and then. Well, let’s see why they go there.
The Holy Protection Monastery sparkled with golden domes crowning the temple buildings made of new red bricks. To the right, before reaching the entrance to the main monastery, there was a place of residence and a temple where Mother Alipiya was reburied. The Goloseevskaya Pustyn is a skete of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, located in the forest on the southern outskirts of Kyiv. Monks lived here in the 18th-19th centuries, and since the second half of the 19th century, the residence of the Kyiv metropolitans was located here. In the 1950s – 1960s, the churches were dismantled as having no artistic value. Now all the temples here are new. Everything looks beautiful, but this is not what I am looking for in my travels to places of power. I appreciate antiquity, history, natural energy flows, unusual places where you can get a new experience. We drank hot tea in the monastery cafe. We bought some monastery wine, called a taxi to the metro and departed quickly and safely. On March 20, on the day of the spring equinox, we set off for the Holy Trinity Kitaevsky Monastery and the historic mountain next to it. We arrived from the Demeevsky bus station by minibus. We passed by an ancient cemetery and the white temples of the Kitaevsky Monastery opened up before us. I was struck by the energy of this place – an island of ancient Kievan Rus and faith. The area was inhabited by people as early as the 3rd-2nd millennium BC. At the beginning of the 20th century, amateur archaeologist Ertel suggested that the settlement of “Kuyava” mentioned in Arab sources, which preceded Kyiv, was founded here. The monastery is surrounded by lakes and hills from the east and south. One of the hills is called Kitay-gora. There are caves there, there is an archaeological complex from the 9th-13th centuries – a burial mound and settlements on the bank of a stream. Historians identify this complex with the southern outpost of ancient Kyiv – Peresechino. Accordingly, the name “Kitaevo” most likely comes from the word “Kitai”, which means “fortress”.
In the 14th century, a cave monastery was founded in Kitaev, which was subordinated to the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery from the 17th century. The monastery was called the Kitaevskaya Hermitage.
Главный храм был закрыт.
It is opened on certain days and hours. Near it there is a gazebo with the relics of Dositheus – a woman who was considered a man in life. She lived in a cave inside the mountain. The holy canal is active.
We went into a small temple. I wanted to light candles and stay here. After the temple we went down to the lakes.
Grace – that is the word that I can use to describe the energy of this place most accurately. The causeway bridge, created by monks, takes us across calm mirror lakes to the world of Kievan Rus and cave ascetics – to Kitaevskaya Mountain. Sunbeams shine through the thick March clouds, measuring out midday and the beginning of the wheel of time moving towards spring. I am glad that Kyiv has a blessed place from which the countdown of the year begins. This is a good sign for the city.
On the mountain, completely dug up by ancient buildings, we see entrances to caves. They are closed. But there is also something to see from above. We walk along the top of the mountain and see embankment passages and depressions that are at least several centuries, or even millennia old.
How many people lived in the caves in Kyiv for a thousand years? Some went into the caves not because of a good life, and some had a spiritual need to retire. And if some of them achieved holiness, then the place will forever bear the imprint of the saint. And when there are many saints, then we can talk about holy land. This is the land we walk on! 18-20.03.2025 Kyiv
The oldest or not, but I read in Wikipedia that Belgorod-Dnistrovsky is the oldest city in Ukraine, one of the ten oldest cities in the world. The city is 2500 years old. A local taxi driver assured me that the city is much older than 2500 years. Of course, I definitely had to visit this place. When traveling, I am guided by the following principles: – It is better to go than to regret later. – It is better to go on a trip than not to go. – If there is a strong desire, a craving for a certain place, then you have to go. Violating these principles brings me grief. For example, I really wanted to go to Olbia and Berezan Island, but for various reasons I could not. Now the external conditions have changed and I do not know if I will ever get there. My sister and I are traveling from Odessa on the 560 minibus from the car market behind the railway station. We were traveling for over two hours. We were passing through Moldova in transit.
We crossed the Dniester. On the Moldovan side, the entire sky was covered with black smoke.
Large black pieces of ash were falling on all the cities and villages nearby. The passengers said that the reeds were burning. The straight line distance from Odessa to Belgorod-Dnistrovsky is a little more than 40 kilometers. Now the bridge is broken and everyone is going around. It turns out to be twice as long. We are approaching Belgorod-Dnistrovsky and almost all the passengers get off at a stop called Tira. This is the name of an ancient antique city founded on this site by the Greeks from Miletus!
On the site of the ancient city and, apparently, using its building materials, the Akkerman fortress was built. Excavations of the ancient city are visible in front of the fortress. A small part of the hill has been excavated. The hill stretches along the fortress and there is a part of the ancient antique city.
We take a taxi from the station to the fortress. Tickets cost 100 hryvnia. And here I am, finally, in Akkerman. The fortress impresses with its size, inaccessibility, and the most important impression is that it is integral. It has its own character, energy. It is good inside the fortress, a feeling of security, a separate light space, shifted into the past. We climbed the wall. A beautiful view of the estuary opened up from above. The thickness of the walls is approximately one meter. Four towers form the framework of the fortress.
One of the towers called Harem was open for excursions. It looks like a Turkish room inside. It is surprisingly well preserved or has been restored.
The Commandant’s Tower has a round platform inside and the sky is open. I did not go into the room with torture instruments.
I can’t, I feel sick afterwards. I did not expect to see such a large and well-preserved fortress. I was interested in another object in Belgorod-Dnestrovsky – this is an Armenian church and a grave, as Wikipedia writes, a grave of a Scythian, in other sources, a Sarmatian. We walked along the street parallel to the estuary.
Along the entire street on the wall is painted a fortress, ships, ladies and gentlemen. Very beautiful. The ancient city knows how to surprise. As soon as the wall with drawings ended, the fence of the Armenian church immediately appeared. But what is it? This is an ancient temple with columns and statues in front of it.
The entrance was closed. But through the fence I saw a dolmen or a Scythian burial. I saw very similar stone dolmens in Fethiye in Turkey, inherited from the Lycian kingdom. Having enjoyed the ancient buildings, we go back to the estuary. We learned that you can sail by boat through the estuary to Ovidiopol! I was surprised by the name of the village after the Roman poet. And then take a minibus to Odessa in one hour. That’s how it all turned out.
I didn’t have enough time for the fortress and I want to return again to the place where Greeks, Romans, Genoese, Armenians, Turks, Moldovans, Romans, Ukrainians lived layer by layer, century after century.
There are more questions and secrets here than answers. Hecate – the goddess of the moon, night, magic, spells has ambiguous characteristics. She is called the dark goddess. They are afraid of her. She roams the earth with a pack of hellish red-eyed dogs and a retinue of souls of the dead. Only dogs can see her. If the dogs howl, then Hecate is near. I imagine the full moon and the howling of dogs, it makes my heart stop and goosebumps run.
From historical data it is known that already 3000 years ago she was extremely popular in Asia Minor and Greece, as the goddess of the family, travelers, love, as a female goddess with all the functions inherent in a female goddess. In the “Theogony” of Hesiod, Hecate is the daughter of the titans Persus and Asteria, a good goddess endowed with many functions:
… her in front of everyone Zeus distinguished the Thunderer and bestowed a glorious lot on her: To rule the fate of the land and the barren desert sea. She was given an honorable destiny by stellar Uranus, The immortal gods worship her most of all. For even now, when one of the earthly people, Bringing his sacrifices according to the law, prays for mercy, Then he calls on Hecate: he receives a great honor It is very easy, since his prayer was received favorably. The goddess also sends wealth to him: her strength is great. Hecate has a share in every honorable destiny Those who were born from Gaia-Earth and from Heaven-Uranus, Kronides did not abuse her and did not take her back, What the goddess received from the Titans, from the former gods. Everything was preserved for her, that at the first partition to share It fell to her from gifts on earth, and in heaven, and in the sea. She receives no less honor, as a single daughter, – Even more: she is deeply honored by Kronid. The goddess brings great benefits to whom she wishes. If he wants, in the assembly of the people he will magnify anyone among all. If people are equipped for a destructive battle, Stands next to those Hecate, whom he wishes Give a favorable victory and adorn the name with glory. A goddess sits near worthy kings at the trial. She is very useful, and when people compete: The goddess stands next to them and gives them help. Whoever wins with power and strength receives a reward, Rejoicing in his heart, he brings glory to his parents. She also gives the horsemen help when she wishes, Also to those who, among the blue, destructive waves, trade, He will pray to Hecate and the noisy Ennosigeus. She gives a lot of prey on the hunt very easily, Very easily, if he wants to, he will show it and take it away. Together with Hermes, she multiplies cattle in the barnyards; A herd of grazing goats or steep-horned cows, A flock of lush-fleece sheep, desiring a soul, she can Make the smallest great, the great – small. So, – although the mother’s only daughter – still Among the immortal gods she is honored with every honor. Zeus entrusted her with the care of children who will see After the goddess Hecate, the rising of the many-seeing Eos. From time immemorial she has kept her youth. These are all the destinies of the goddess.
In these verses Hecate is praised. There is not even a hint of her dark side, of her frightening qualities. Hecate was a goddess in all periods of the existence of Ancient Greece, was a goddess among the Romans and Byzantium. Hecate has a lot in common with the goddesses Ishtar and Cybele. In Lagin there are images of Hecate with lions. Ishtar and Cybele also have lions as invariable attributes. With the arrival of a new generation of Olympian gods, she was left with night, magic, spells. As, almost always happens, with the change of the highest gods and beliefs, negative qualities are given to the previous generation of gods. From the myth of the “Journey of the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece” it is known that Hecate helped Medea in love to brew a love potion. In one of the myths, she turns into a bear, kills her son, then revives him. Very similar to the main legend of the constellation Ursa Major: Callisto, turned into a bear, was almost killed by her son Arcturus. Zeus lifted mother and son to heaven, preventing murder. And now two of the brightest and most important constellations are shining in our sky – Ursa Major and Bootes. In my opinion, for the main constellations of the sky that define our upper world, it is a rather terrible and somewhat incomplete legend. The goddess Artemis is also associated with a bear.
So, we are going according to the plan to the city of Lagina – the sanctuary of Hecate. Found its location near the Turkish city of Yatagan.
We are going from Marmaris. I feel like a flying rocket, a train moving towards my intended target. I am overwhelmed with the energy of movement. I am stretched from the present to the past in time and space. And then, the first surprise. Our taxi is being slowed down by the traffic police.
Moreover, the rest of the cars go as if nothing had happened. I go back to the present moment and do not understand what is going on. We’re flying! A few minutes later the car is released and we move on.
After another ten minutes at the next road post, our taxi is stopped again. The driver was fined for putting on a seat belt somehow wrong. And I get information that he was punished because he was greedy with us, went without preparing for the route, which I translated into Turkish in advance and showed him. After that, we just flew to Lagina. When approaching Lagin, the mountains changed. The peaks of mountains of light yellow, whitish color appeared. They look very unusual. This is not snow, but the rock of which the mountains are composed. Color determines the frequency of the area. I immediately realized that we were approaching the goal – the cities of Laginé and Stratonikey.
I did not expect such a large area of the city. From Stratonikea to Lagina, the temple complex of Hecate, there was a sacred road. The distance between Lagina and Stratonikea is 8.5 kilometers. Scientists estimate that the road is at least 3000 years old. The inhabitants of Stratonikeia, during the ceremonial processions, left and moved along the sacred path to Lagina. A girl with a key took part in the cult processions along with the priests. Musicians and singers walked in front and behind the priests. The key was considered an attribute of Hecate. The goddess Hecate was portrayed with a key, torch and sword. The key may have symbolized the passage to the higher worlds, to the transcendental paradise, to the world of the dead. One of the names of Hecate “Clydophora” – the keeper of the gates, another “Propylaea” – the gatekeeper with the keys. In the Orphic hymn, Hecate is called “Keeper of the Universe”. Small sanctuaries of Hecate were built for protection. They were called “hecateion”. The road went through the gate to the temple of Hecate. There were household and commercial buildings around the temple. The lagina is surrounded by a stone wall, the remains of which are still visible here and there. The semicircular entrance to Propylon was on the west side. To the east of the entrance was a section with a triangular pediment.
There were many temples, religious buildings, buildings.
At the entrance there is a house with a guard. The entrance is free. There are no visitors and it seems they rarely come here.
A small group of archaeologists in the center of the settlement are excavating, drinking tea under a canopy from the sun.
Temperature 35 degrees.
Under the scorching sun, we walk through the ancient city.
Here I finally understood and felt what I have been looking for in my travels for many years.
In Lagin was what I felt in three more ancient cities. It is inexpressible in words, it is a special higher energy.
We go into round temples with columns
we go past the ruins
and a huge amount of marble, slabs with inscriptions, with bas-reliefs. In Lagin, sarcophagi were found, which are carefully preserved.
I feel the same feminine energy here as in the temples of Aphrodite and Artemis. The understanding of Hecate comes as the female goddess of fertility, love, matter, well-being. Special rituals were performed in this city. There is an altar. The city was not built just like that, but according to a previously thought out scheme. On the poster, I see an image of Hecate, consisting of three faces, looking in three directions.
Hecate is called the three-faced goddess of the crossroads. In India, gods and goddesses are depicted with many heads, arms and legs. The three faces of Hecate are her divinity, truth, self-discipline in the upper world. The absence of visitors and the “unpatched” nature of the city make our trip rich in impressions. Nobody bothers us. Once a security guard came on a moped and looked at what we were doing. There are many marked sites for excavation. All of this remains to be discovered. Nothing goes unnoticed. 11/09/2020
I walk down the street and feel the pain and steadfastness of the residents of the village of Bilogorodka.
The village is 22 km from Kyiv. It was loud here in March 2022, but they didn’t get here.
The natural border was the river Irpin, the defenders and the power of the ancestors and the spirit of this city. Now the village is overcrowded. Life goes on, but everyone remembers that there is a war. The road leads me to Lytopisnaya Krynytsia.
The inscription takes me back in time to the events of 997. The ancient struggle with the Pechenegs is reflected in the legend of “Belgorod jelly”. This legend is imprinted on a red stone. A large cross stands on top of the mountain. It tells how the Pechenegs, taking advantage of Volodymyr Svyatoslavich’s absence, besieged Bilhorod. Famine began in the city. On the advice of a resourceful townsman, the residents dug two wells, lowered a tub of jelly into one of them, and honey into the other, and treated the invited Pecheneg ambassadors with them. Believing that the land itself feeds the people of Belgorod, the Pechenegs lifted the siege.
A spring flows next to the well.
The well is under the mountain. Today it is a mountain overgrown with grass and shrubs, several meters high.
And 1000 years ago, these were the walls of a fortified settlement. Belgorod was one of the points in the system of defense against attacks by nomads. He is mentioned for the first time in the annals under the year 980; at that time, the city and the surrounding lands were in the personal possession of the Grand Duke of Kyiv Volodymyr Svyatoslavych, the princely palace was located here. In 991, a fortress was built in Belgorod, and the city became one of the strongest outposts in the defense of Kyivan Rus against nomads. Belgorod was the place of residence of the bishop and the temporary residence of the Kiev princes. The remains of ancient Belgorod are well preserved. Prince Volodymyr is remembered by a monument in the center of Belogorodka.
The monument is installed on one of the ancient ramparts. The modern track cuts through the shaft. But the shaft is visible from both sides. Until now, one can see its powerful fortifications on the bank of Irpen – a deep moat and a rampart 10-12 meters high, which had a rather complex construction of wooden log cabins filled with raw bricks. A moat and rampart surrounded the city, which covered an area of more than 120 hectares.
Bilhorod was one of the largest cities of Kievan Rus and in terms of its size exceeded such ancient Russian cities as Chernihiv, Pereyaslav, Ryazan, and was not inferior to many medieval Western European capitals.
And now it is a big village.
The village is pleasant, with good roads, shops and everything you need for life. If it weren’t for the war, it could be said that happy people live here.
And now you won’t see many smiles on the faces of residents.
Battles that decided the fate of the Kyiv state took place more than once under the walls of Belgorod. The second unsuccessful campaign of the Pechenegs, who were defeated here by the wives of heroes Alyosha Popovych and Yan Usmoshvets, is told in the chronicle under the year 1004. In 1136, a battle with the Polovtsy took place under the city walls, during which the latter were defeated.
I was told by the residents of the village that the Russian troops did not reach several kilometers to Belogorodka. In February and March there were continuous cannonades, the roar of artillery. Drones flew in. But the military spirit of Kievan Rus and the strength of the place itself helped the people to persevere and not let the enemy go.
30.10.22
Materials used are from the site of the Belohorod Territorial Community
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Mount Moses. Sinai. At 2 am, the ascent to Mount Moses begins. We will climb 4 km up, and then another 750 steps. I felt trained. – Just think, 4 km and 750 steps. At first it was. The road to the top is wide.
A cortege of three large buses and a dozen minibuses brought an impressive number of people who wanted to get to Mount Moses.
They say that whoever climbs to the top of the mountain will atone for all his sins or fulfill his desire.
While climbing, I met a woman who came here for the fifth time. For the first time on the mountain, she had an event on the verge of a miracle that changed her life. For her, this ascent is part of her spiritual world.
People of different religions and beliefs went upstairs. For some it was just tourism. For me, it was my spiritual pilgrimage and exploration of the planet’s place of power.
I have been planning to visit Mount Moses for two years now. Finally I did it and here I am. You need to climb to a height of 2,285 meters. At the foot of the mountain is the monastery of St. Catherine. This is one of the oldest Christian monasteries. The monastery is closed at 2 am. It is opened in the morning and not every day for a very short time. All people were given flashlights and the procession begins in total darkness.
In the first hour until about 3 am, everything was calm. Then it started to rain a little. thunder rumbled and lightning illuminated the procession of people with lanterns. Thunder and lightning are signs of activation of the channel of Moses. Then came the hail. A few minutes later it began to snow and everything around became white. My jacket was covered with snow, but the snow immediately melted.
The jacket was soaked through. On the road to the top there are several small sheds where you can sit and drink tea. Together with people, dozens of cameleers go upstairs. When someone gets tired, for $20 they can be given a ride on a tall gray-white or yellowish camel. With our group all the time there was a driver with a camel. He asked every 5 minutes: do you want a camel? – I definitely don’t want a camel -))
Somewhere in the middle of the way in one of the halts, our instructor or guide doubted whether we would be able to reach the top. It was snowing and raining like a solid wall and the coveted 750 steps were frozen over. After 20 minutes, he gave the go-ahead and we continued to move. Halt. Camels don’t go any further. There are 750 steps left. The higher I climb the mountain, the lower the temperature drops and the wind increases. 5 o’clock in the morning. Nothing is visible, except for the icy steps and the people walking in front.
The last and most difficult part of the journey remains. Steep and slippery stairs. In front of this section of the trail there are several wooden sheds. They are hung inside with woven wool rugs. My jacket is damp and cold. Here in the house you can take a wool blanket for $ 3 and keep warm. And then go upstairs in a blanket. At first I did not take a blanket.
Then when I wanted to start climbing, I realized that I would freeze. A strong icy wind and wet through clothes created the effect of no clothes. I ran and bought a blanket and started getting up. By the way, on this section of the path, many left it. in our group of eighteen people, only 6 people climbed to the very top. The last leg of the route became insurmountable for many people. So in life, the refusal to fight, as a rule, occurs 5 minutes before victory.
When I climbed, I compared my ascent with the path of life. At first, I was well prepared and tuned in. Around there are many people also striving to go up.
This gives confidence to move on. They can and I can. Wet through. I tell myself: don’t be afraid, you won’t get sick. It’s just fear. Trust the path.
At a height on the steps, I, unexpectedly for myself, began to remember all the dead relatives. They appeared before me like bright images. Then I realized that I was praying and asking to protect my homeland Ukraine. The answer came to me: I will have to fight and defend freedom and choice. On the very last leg of the journey, on slippery stone steps, I was in a blanket in the present moment. Stone. Leg. Step. Place your foot on this part of the step. Get stability. I said to the people who overtook me: You go quieter – you will continue. I felt an inner response for myself – right. Finally, I’m at the top of the mountain. Fingers froze in gloves and in a blanket. The top of the mountain is a large area enclosed by a stone fence and a chapel with a cave. Someone who has reached the top lights candles, someone finds a cave for himself and sits there. And I stand and look into the fog over the abyss. I close my eyes and see a bright green unusual light. Energy is formed into balls and creates a harmonious pattern. I was not tired, despite the four-hour night climb. It was for this breath of energy that I came here. Here people get through the ascent to the top a personal path, like a pilgrimage in a given segment of life and interaction with the upper light. The harder it is to achieve a goal, the more valuable it is.
After descending from Mount Moses, we go to the monastery of St. Catherine.
To the left of the entrance is the place of the Burning Bush, where God spoke to Moses through a burning bush.
To the right is a source of holy water and a well.
Directly is the entrance to the church with ancient icons. This is the space of faith. The church contains the relics of St. Catherine. Grace is immediately felt in the monastery, which is vigilantly guarded by the priests.
For tourist visitors, the monastery is open for a very short time, a few minutes per group. After returning home, I felt a surge of strength. I didn’t sleep for days and couldn’t sleep. Played tennis for a few hours. This is a strong mountain! 19.02.2022
Many legends have been written about a small island opposite the city of Dnipro.
Approximately, from these places the Dnieper rapids began, which reached the island of Khortytsya. Before the flooding of the rapids, rocky parts protruded between the island of Kodachok and the river bank and the water here rang, the air was saturated with ozone and a rainbow often shone. According to one of the legends, because of the rainbow, the island was associated with the sun god Ra. Another legend connects the island of Kodachok with the chieftain Sirko and the kharaternik Cossacks. On the island, the Cossacks received strength and communication with the land, trained their skills, and the chieftain Sirko buried a gold treasure. Apparently, having completely believed in this legend, lovers of treasures dig in multi-ton granite stones and lift them in search of gold. We saw two such large tunnels.
We decided to check another legend of the island about the Scythian kings and queens who were engaged in conceiving children on a stone bed. Naturally, check at the energy level. The stone bed was quickly found.
But, fans of legends split off and dragged away a large piece from him. Barbaric love for nature and history. I lay down on the royal bed, which, despite the fact that it was made of stone, turned out to be comfortable and warm. It seemed to me that the ray of the sun curled up into a narrow bright bundle, similar to a tornado, and entered my abdomen. It got hot. I imagined how the souls of the heroes came to incarnation in this sunbeam to become invincible and strong kings.
We were unable to see one of the most famous stones. This multi-ton block was taken away from the island a year or two ago. Stolen with impunity in this world. We managed to sit on the stone of the chieftain Sirk.
We visited the caponiers with the remains of buildings for storing explosives.
Buildings from different times. One is built of brick, the other is made of stone.
In the 19th century, warehouses for storing gunpowder were built on the island.
There were mass shootings on the island. The grove where they took place and other interesting places were shown to us by the captain of the yacht.
The famous historian D. Yavornitsky described two sites of the Bronze and Stone Ages on the island. Here, shards of crockery and silicon blanks for tools were found. From the first minutes on Kodachka one can feel history, Cossacks and soldiers, Scythians and Slavs.
In the northern part of the island you can sit on the rocks.
One rock is called a bed and looks like it.
There are swampy and steppe zones in the southern part of the island.
Feather grass and rare herbs grow.
The island is kind. There are no ticks on it.
Having read the legends about the snakes guarding the treasures, about the snake totem present on the island, I rode it with caution. But it turned out that poisonous snakes are not found here. On a small granite island, many different eras converge, creating an amazing, unique world.
As a child, I spent the whole summer in Khortitsa. I did not understand then and did not attach importance to this. I felt good and happy. Our whole big family was together – parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles. There was a swing and ice cream on the way to the island. We swam to the island by boat and relaxed on the beach. Sometimes, my father would take my hand and say: “Let’s go to a magical place.” We went to look at the white water lilies in the floodplain. The Khortitsa Plavni has its own unusual atmosphere, indeed, reminiscent of a fairy-tale little world with mermaids and goblin. It was our secret and the best thing that I remember from my childhood island.
I came to the conclusion that I want to make a map of the places of power of the island of Khortytsya. Khortytsya everyone who visits it has their own. Regarding the places of power on Khortytsya, I reserve the right to talk about not all places. I see a tendency in tourism to come quickly, see, take, lick off the top visible layer. The planet is alive and the places of power are the exit points of the planet’s consciousness. There is energy in such places. An exchange of energies is desirable. Don’t just take power, but send gratitude and love in return. To do this, you need to tune in and enter a special state in which the place of power comes to life. In this case, plants and animals can be used to talk to stones, receive signs and hints, and interact at different levels.
I walk along the soft sandy path through the forest and my nervous tension releases. I relax and trust the island. There is no strong gravity on Khortytsya; there is a high, at the level of the heart, the feeling of life and death as its opposite. I catch a green wave across the island. This is not just greenery and vitality, but a wave in which there is a lot of information on the history of something else beyond reality. The most important thing in the green wave coming from the island is love.
I begin my exploration of places of power from the northeastern part of the island, the most studied and most convenient. At the entrance to Khortitsa from the left bank of the Dnieper and turning right, after the crossroads, a Cossack with a musical instrument meets me.
Turning in front of him onto a path that runs along the forest plantation, I pass a post with the inscription – YARILO.
I go further and come to my favorite places on Khortytsya – stone circles or cromlechs, sanctuaries of the Bronze Age.
2 circles nearby and after a few meters another circle.
The circles are wonderful, according to my feelings. I have been to them at different times of the year. This place is always strong.
I go further. I walk past the Zvezdnoye Kolo circle and approach the entrance to the Zaporozka Sich museum, recreated as the Zaporozhye Sich.
I go around the museum on the left and see a few more Eneolithic cromlechs.
There are several interesting mounds nearby.
Then I get to the site of the Museum of the History of the Zaporozhye Cossacks. The museum is now closed for reconstruction. I could not find anywhere the timing of the completion of the repair. And the museum was very good. There are many worthy unique exhibits. Well-designed exhibitions. In the courtyard of the museum there is a large black stone and several small ones. The stones are ancient, wrinkled.
A mast with a flag is erected on a high mountain next to the museum.
If you go down to the Dnieper, you can see a stylized monument to Taras Shevchenko and then follow the Tarasovaya stitch to the left to the northern end of the island to the Serpent’s cave.
Chernigov began for me like in a fairy tale: If you go to the right, you will find Kievan Rus and its history. If you go to the left, you will find Saints, monasteries and temples. If you go straight, you will find a modern city and its goodies.
The directions are conditional and each branches into many roads. First of all, we went “to the left” to Boldina Gora and to Antoniev Pechery. The car was left inside the Trinity-Ilyinsky Monastery,
consisting of a stunningly beautiful bell tower, Trinity Cathedral of the 17th century,
Vvedenskaya church, cells and other buildings. This nunnery also includes the 11th century Elias Church, which is located in front of the entrance to the Anthony Pechery. In the Trinity Cathedral there are the relics of Saints Lawrence of Chernigov and Theodosius of Uglich. To the right of the large cathedral is an interesting building related to the historical heritage – the Vvedenskaya Church of 1677.
I liked her very much for her appearance and for what exuded from her – antiquity and originality. The cells are located behind the Trinity Cathedral.
They also belong to the architectural monument of the 17th century. We tuned in to the saints inside the cathedral and, apparently, with their blessing, went to the Anthony Pechery. Why am I talking about the highest blessing, because from the very beginning of the trip, many happy accidents happened to our small group. We came to where we needed on time, met people who knew the city and received full help and support. As if they were waiting for us here for a long time on all plans. Starting with our friends living in Chernihiv and ending with a chance meeting with the city’s most knowledgeable guide. We go through the Boldina Gora park to the Antoniev’s stoves.
The park looks strange: green lawns and trees, paths between them, but the lawns seem to be dug and consist of small hills overgrown with grass. Below there are caves, catacombs, underground churches and passages. Only some of them have been restored and opened, judging by the large territory of the park and the relatively small size of the cave complex. There is no doubt that this mountain is a place of power. Here the power of the planet mixed with the energy of the holy channels. In 1069, the father of Russian monasticism, Anthony Pechersky, lived here. According to legend, he dug a cave here and settled in it. He did not live in Chernigov for long, until it became safe in Kiev. Anthony of Pechersky returned to Kiev, where he went to a cave for 40 years and became the founder of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and the Antoniev Pecher. We are waiting for the entrance for about 30 minutes, since they are allowed into the dungeons in small groups. In front of the entrance to the Anthony Pechery is the Ilyinsky Church.
We enter the first hall, then we go down the narrow underground passages to the second hall with niches.
There are rooms with altars, niches with bones. If you go even deeper, you find yourself in the ossuary. Only the energy of death is present in this place, and from here we quickly left. A woman was waiting for the entrance with us and entered the caves. She visited here and showed us interesting places that we explored. Each niche in the large hall carries its own energy.
In one of the niches, I saw behind me a figure in black monastic clothes with a high black headdress. Is this the same black figure that archaeologists working here and visitors wrote about? Later we learned that it was in this niche, where I saw the figure in black, that they tune in to their past lives. The strongest place that I found in the dungeon was closed by a grate and a large cross stood on it. As it turned out later, bones lay here and visitors dragged the bones home for souvenirs. When the bones were removed, the visitors began to break off pieces of the cross. We also learned that in this place they treated the possessed, cast out demons. Even through the lattice, a powerful stream of high-frequency energy comes from there. In the cold dungeon, I felt hot, as if I were standing on a light source. Explored the place where wishes are made. I didn’t like it. I looked at the place where the spine is being treated. There really is a leveling force there.
Then we went up to the Boldina Gora park. At the end of the park there are two large mounds – Bezymyanny and Gulbische.
They offer a magnificent view of the city. But everyone had been pulled out of the mounds long ago. The next item on our program, after relaxing in a cozy coffee shop
in the center of the city, became Detinets.
This is the path to the right to Kievan Rus.
In Chernigov, all together the secular life and the princes in Kievan Rus and its spiritual part, designated by the temples. Detinets is over a thousand years old. It was a part of the city, surrounded by a defensive rampart with the prince’s house, a cathedral and other buildings. In the 10th century, the buildings were wooden and they had the opportunity to burn to the ground many times – during the invasion of the Mongol horde, the invasion of the Crimean Tatars, the internecine wars of the princes, as well as the Polish, Lithuanian and Russian conquests. There was no chance of surviving. Remains of the stone Transfiguration Cathedral, founded by Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich at the beginning of the 11th century and the Borisoglebsk Cathedral of the 12th century. Next to the Borisoglebsky Cathedral is the 17th century Collegium building. Despite the late construction, the building has a memorable fabulous look. If you walk along the path past trees with large roots,
then you get to the Historical Museum. We were in front of the museum’s closing and took a quick look at it.
We were interested in the history of Kievan Rus. There were not many exhibits on this topic.
But the next day in the morning we were in the Transfiguration Cathedral
and they were looking for the sarcophagus of Prince Igor, the hero of The Lay of Igor’s Host. I asked church officials – Where is Prince Igor’s sarcophagus? – Under the bus. In the right corner of the entrance, scientists were looking for. Not found. The service is going on and we try not to disturb the believers and quietly scan the floor. The distance between the current floor and the 11th century floor is one and a half meters, as our guide Oles told us later. We agreed that in the central part of the cathedral, closer to the altar, in a deep underground there are princely burials. And in confirmation of our scan, a couple of hours later the guide told us the legend that it was as if long ago, during the rebuilding of the temple, princely burials in stone sarcophagi were opened in the underground. There were also princely diadems. Now no one will allow to break open the floor in the central part of the current shrine cathedral, for the sake of excavation. And we decided that there was something behind the cathedral. Indeed, something was buried behind the temple. We walked around the cathedral and saw an excursion group. They immediately decided to join it, having agreed with its organizer. What not only did they not regret, but were completely delighted with the information received, knowledge and artistry of the best guide of Chernigov – Olesya. And again he confirmed our scans, saying that behind the Transfiguration Cathedral, where we stood, princely burials were found. The Transfiguration Cathedral is considered to be the burial vault of the Olgovichi princes. In the neighboring Borisoglebsk cathedral there were burials of the princes of the Davidovich clan. After this trip, the epic princes of the times of Kievan Rus were overgrown with characteristics, became living people. Mstislav Vladimirovich, the founder of Chernigov – possessed physical strength and courage, wisdom. What all the local princes have in common is that they were great warriors. In the Transfiguration Cathedral, I felt that the princes and their ideas still inspire fear, that the history of Kievan Rus is still full of dark spots and not just spots, but whole dark eras. Another story connected with the great warrior opened up to us on the Cherny mound.
According to legend, Prince Cherny, the founder of Chernigov, was buried here. Everything that was found in the mound is kept in the Moscow museum. And we can only sit on the mound, enjoy life and guess about that. what happened here a thousand years ago. Walking around the Chernihiv Detinets you will definitely get to 12 guns.
The cannons are on the paved red carpet. The red carpet was laid where the walls of Detinets were. Further on is the house of Lizogub, which later passed to Mazepa.
Both are outstanding personalities in the history of Ukraine. Opposite the cannons, there is a view of the Catherine Cathedral. In the evening, we visited another spiritual place in Chernigov – the Yeletsky convent. Since its founding in the 12th century, it has been male, since the 90s of the 20th century, it has become female. This fact surprised me and became one of the reasons for visiting the monastery. The monastery is a park, temple, bell tower, cells, and some other buildings located on a low mountain. The monastery has survived in the troubled history of the city. The rich monastery life is felt here. I was also surprised that you can’t laugh here. We sat on a bench, talking and laughing. They made a remark to us. I am not familiar with the monastery charter, but, apparently, the rules are necessary for a certain attunement to life in the monastery, so that there is no emotional swing. The place is ancient, you can feel history under your feet.
Wikipedia says that “the mountain on which the Eletsky Dormition Monastery stands is dug and permeated with many underground passages, caves and catacombs. Thus, an underground gallery 70 meters long connects the Assumption Cathedral and the Peter and Paul Church. ” I was in Chernigov for two days, and I got the impressions as if I had lived here for two weeks. October 9-10, 2020
The city of Stratonikeia is many thousands of years old. The city lived and flourished in Caria.
From him there was a sacred road to Lagina to the temple of Hecate. Its first names are Idrias and Krisaoris. Around the 3rd century BC. the Syrian king Seleucus I gave his wife Stratonikos to his son Antiochus. Later, Antiochus I named the city after his wife Stratonica. This is one of the most unusual and beautiful love stories. The love of Antiochus and Stratonica and the paternal love of Seleucus has inspired artists to paintings and books for many centuries.
The heyday of Stratonikea came during the reign of the Seleucids and the Roman Empire. The city minted their own coins. The city lived during the Ottoman Empire. Seljuk baths remind of this.
and the Shaban Agha mosque.
Before her, there was a Water Mosque in this place.
Time swallowed up the city under the layer of earth. On its stones and foundations stands the Turkish village of Eskihisar. Now the residents have been relocated to another place. There are only a few residents left. People lived and died here during the times of Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, in the Ottoman period. How many destinies, passions, lives sounded on this earth!
The history of the opening of the city is amazing – the earthquake of 1957 opened the ancient ruins. Later in 2008, archaeologists joined the excavations of the city. What is left for us? The scale of the restoration of the city is striking. Parking lots, trade booths, toilets, good roads have been built. Everything is designed for a large tourist flow from resort towns. There are sarcophagi to the right of the road leading to the city.
Maybe these are echoes of cults when the dead guarded the living.
We follow the road paved in the Ottoman period, which leads us to the baths
There is a small house with a cafe behind the mosque.
Hospitable owners treat them to flatbreads with herbs, cheese, potatoes
and ayran.
When I inquired about the jam for sale,
then they immediately brought us saucers with various delicious jams. A huge Gymnasium opens behind the cafe-house – a place where people studied art and played sports.
The gymnasium has a rectangular shape, marble parts and impressive dimensions, which in no way match with local buildings.
Returning to the cafe-house, we go further. We find ourselves in front of what remains of the early Christian church.
We pass by the Roman baths.
Going around the church on the right and turning left along the street, it turns out to be in front of the imposing walls of Buleuteria – the house of the city council.
If you go straight from the church, the road leads to the theater.
Its steps are badly damaged in places.
I didn’t want to go up. We go to the theater past fig trees with ripe figs lying on the road. Groups of workers are visible everywhere, rebuilding the city. It is very good that there is an opportunity to see the history of mankind, to see ancient cities. 11/09/2020
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