Humanitarians travel the routes of their native land: the legends and beauty of ancient Chernihiv

On October 19, on the initiative of the Dean Vasyl Shynkaruk and the chairman of the trade union organization of the staff of the Faculty for Humanities and Pedagogics Inna Savytska, with the support of the Rectorate and the trade union organization of the staff of NULES of Ukraine, an excursion trip of the scientific and pedagogical staff to Chernihiv and Sedniv took place.

For already the second year at the faculty there is a tradition of conducting a weekend tour "Routes of the Native Land", which provides an excellent opportunity for employees not only to relax from their academic routine and communicate in an informal atmosphere, but also to get closer to the history and culture of the Motherland, to admire the beauty and grandeur, gain inspiration and strength for their future work.

One of the curiosities of historians, philosophers, philologists and educators of NULES of Ukraine has become one of the oldest cities in Ukraine - Chernihiv. Warm and sunny autumn day (our trade union took care of the weather) we went to this glorious city of legends.

Even in the bus, a small quiz was held among the instructors about what they knew about Chernihiv and its place in the country's history. It turned out that in fact, quite a lot is known, but the right answers to the questions posed new questions and needed information from competent sources to resolve them.

Such an opportunity was completely satisfied thanks to the professional work of the tour guide Ivan Kotsyura, the meeting which began with the heart of the ancient Chernihiv - the ancient Dytynets. NULES staff received comprehensive information and visited the sights of ancient Russ construction - the Transfiguration and Borysohlibskyi cathedrals, the construction of which dates back to XI-XII centuries. and is related to the activities of one of the sons of Volodymyr the Great - Mstyslav, who ruled Kievan Russ together with his brother - Yaroslav the Wise and his descendants. These spiritual centers were no less important than St. Sophia Cathedral or the Church of St. Elias in Kyiv, arguing with them for the right to be a cathedral, being the center of Orthodoxy on the Left Bank throughout the Middle Ages.

In ancient times, Chernihiv was the second largest city of the state, full-fledged with the Kyiv center for state and cultural construction. It is worth noting that under the rule of Chernihiv princes there was a much larger territory than is now the Chernihiv region. In fact, power from Chernihiv extended to the territory of present-day Belarus and Russia, up to the currents of the Western Dvina in the west and the middle Volha in the east. Chernihiv remained an important center of statehood even during the hetman times: the colonels of Chernihiv often became hetmans, one of them - Yakiv Lyzohub built his own palace next to the ancient cathedrals, that after his death was acquired by hetman Ivan Mazepa, who allegedly made it the place of his last love - Motrya Kochubei, with whom the romantic and tragic history of both the hetman and the girl and her family are related.

Chernihiv's strategic importance is emphasized by its location on the banks of the Stryzhen River, which offers a picturesque view of a city wall that used to serve as a fortress and is now transformed into a city park of culture and recreation. Twelve guns, which now stand around the perimeter of the shaft and are of great tourist interest, are reminiscent of the heroic past.

The most mysterious travel page of the staff of the Faculty for Humanities and Pedagogics was visiting the Boldyni Mountains, next to which the complex of Anthony's Caves and the Church of Elijah are located. The mysterious and seductive atmosphere of the caves opened the unfamiliar world of medieval monasticism, deliberately choosing the path of renouncing worldly life and voluntarily going to the caves for communion with God and the redemption of human sins. The system of underground churches and cells is striking in its thoughtfulness and strength, and the very idea of an underground temple testifies to the desire to preach Christian humility everywhere - even underground.

The last point of the cognitive journey was the town of Sedniv near Chernihiv, where NULES travellers examined the estate of the Cossack family of the Lyzohubs, St. Heorhiy’s Church, built without a single nail, and took pictures of the Soviet movie "Viy," picturesque scenery on the Snov river..

So, this trip was really impressive, because it lasted not only on the ground, but underground - in St. Anthony's caves, on the water - on the quiet waves of the ancient Snov River and in the air - on the bell tower of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, from which the incredible panoramic view opens. view of the majestic city. 

“We will definitely continue our travels in Ukraine,” said Inna Savytska, head of the trade union organization of the faculty, head of the NULES of Philosophy Department of Ukraine. - It is of great importance for the formation of national consciousness, bringing us all closer to the origins and cultural codes of our people. It is worth noting that the number of participants in our tours is growing - this time the delegation has already numbered fifty colleagues, and we are not going to stop. Our team sends sincere thanks to Rector of NULES of Ukraine Stanislav Nikolaenko, chairman of the trade union organization Rostyslav Tarasenko and our dean Vasyl Shynkaruk for organizing the trip. But now we are waiting for new offers on new adventures and travels!”

Oleksandr Sevastyanov,
Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations and Social Sciences