Category: Porogy and Zaporizhzhia

Geography and Location

Dnipro is located at the confluence of the Samara, Oril, and Mokra Sura rivers with the Dnipro River. The city serves as the administrative center of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and the Dnipro urban community. It is the fourth-largest city in Ukraine by population. Dnipro is a major scientific and innovation hub, known as the “space capital” of Ukraine, and is also home to the longest embankment in Europe.

Захід над Дніпром

Thanks to its advantageous location, it has always been an important transportation hub.

History: From Ancient Times to the Present

Earliest Settlements

People have lived in the area of modern-day Dnipro for over 100,000 years. Archaeological findings include Paleolithic sites, Trypillia culture settlements, Scythian burial mounds, and traces of the Chernyakhiv culture. One of the most significant archaeological landmarks is Hostra Mohyla, a burial mound believed to be the remains of an ancient Scythian settlement. It has become a symbol of the region’s centuries-old history.

Paleolithic and Neolithic

Numerous archaeological sites in Dnipro indicate human presence as far back as the Middle Paleolithic period (100,000–40,000 years ago). Primitive hunter-gatherer camps have been discovered in several locations, including:

• Romankove (western part of Kamianske)
• Vasylivka village (Synelnykove Raion)
• Skubova Balka (near modern Dnipro)

During the Neolithic period (5500–4000 BCE), the first agricultural and pastoral settlements emerged. Excavations on the Igren Peninsula have revealed remnants of a settlement with pottery, stone tools, and semi-subterranean dwellings.

Eneolithic and Bronze Age: Yamnaya Culture

At the turn of the 4th–3rd millennium BCE, the region was inhabited by the Yamnaya culture, known for its burial mounds. Significant findings from this culture have been uncovered at Storozhova Mohyla, Mykhailivske settlement, and Skeli Kamenolomni.

Trypillia Culture

Settlements of the Trypillia culture (4th–3rd millennium BCE) have been discovered in the region, indicating early agricultural communities. Their pottery, adorned with intricate geometric patterns, has been found in various parts of the oblast.

Scythian Period

Between the 7th and 3rd centuries BCE, the territory of modern Dnipro was part of the Scythian lands. Archaeologists have uncovered around 9,500 burial mounds, including the famous Tovsta Mohyla and Hostra Mohyla, which contained the graves of Scythian nobility, complete with gold ornaments and weapons.

Cossack Era and the Founding of the City

From the 15th to the 18th century, this land was part of the Zaporizhzhian Host’s Free Lands. Cossack settlements existed in what is now Dnipro, including Polovytsia Sloboda and the town of Novi Kodaky.

In 1776, following the destruction of the Zaporizhzhian Sich, the city of Katerynoslav was founded. Initially planned for the right bank of the Dnipro, it was relocated to its present site in 1787 due to unfavorable conditions. In the 19th century, with the discovery of iron ore deposits in Kryvyi Rih, Katerynoslav rapidly developed into a major industrial center.

20th Century: Industrial Hub and Space Industry

In the 20th century, Dnipropetrovsk became one of the Soviet Union’s key centers for metallurgy, defense, and space industries. The Pivdenmash (Yuzhmash) plant played a crucial role in missile and rocket production, making the city a strategic hub for aerospace engineering. Due to its military significance, Dnipropetrovsk remained a closed city until the 1990s.

Revolution of Dignity and the Russo-Ukrainian War

During the Revolution of Dignity (2013–2014), Dnipro became one of the centers of protest. In 2014, with the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine, the city welcomed thousands of displaced persons and became a key hub for volunteer efforts and military rehabilitation. During the full-scale invasion in 2022, Dnipro suffered missile attacks but remained a crucial logistics and support center for Ukraine’s defense.

Bridges of Dnipro

• Amur Bridge – One of the oldest, built in 1944 after World War II.
• Kaydatskyi Bridge – Connects the central part of the city with the left bank.
• Merefa-Kherson Bridge – A unique railway bridge with an arched design.
• Central Bridge – The main transportation link between both riverbanks.
• Southern Bridge – The most modern, opened in the 2000s.

Dnipro Embankment

Dnipro boasts the longest embankment in Europe, stretching over 23 km along the right bank of the river. It consists of several sections:

• Old Embankment (Stara Naberezhna) – The historic section featuring architectural landmarks.

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• New Embankment – A modern area with parks, bike lanes, and a skate park.
• Dnipro’s Bike Lane – One of the longest in the country, designed for comfortable walks and training.
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Dnipro is a city with a centuries-old history, combining ancient archaeological sites, Cossack heritage, industrial development, and modern urbanism. It remains a key center for science, industry, and volunteer movements in Ukraine.

Dmytro Yavornytsky

One of the most prominent figures associated with the city of Dnipro is Dmytro Ivanovych Yavornytsky (1855–1940), a historian, archaeologist, ethnographer, writer, and researcher of Ukrainian Cossack history. His life and work were deeply intertwined with this region, particularly in researching the Zaporizhian Sich and its legacy.

Research and Expeditions

For many years, Yavornytsky organized archaeological excavations and ethnographic expeditions across lands connected to the Zaporizhian Cossacks. He extensively studied the remnants of ancient settlements, fortresses, burial mounds, and also recorded folk tales and songs preserved in the collective memory. His expeditions along the Dnipro River were particularly significant, as he studied the legendary Dnipro Rapids, which played a crucial role in the Cossack route to Zaporizhzhia.

Yavornytsky didn’t just study history in the field, but also aimed to preserve its memory. He actively photographed landscapes, Cossack graves, historical landmarks, and the Dnipro Rapids, which were soon to be submerged by the DniproHES. Thanks to his photographs and sketches, we have a record of these natural formations before their flooding.

Books and Scientific Legacy

Yavornytsky authored several fundamental works, including the three-volume “History of the Zaporozhian Cossacks” (1892–1897), which became a classic on the Cossack era. He also wrote numerous monographs, articles, and reference books, such as “Zaporizhzhia in the Remains of Antiquity and Folk Traditions” (1888), “Following the Footsteps of the Zaporozhians” (1898), and “The Freedoms of the Zaporozhian Cossacks” (1890). His works contain invaluable information about the daily life, customs, traditions, and military arts of the Cossacks.

A notable work is his book “Dnipro Rapids”, published in 1928, in which he meticulously described all nine major rapids of the Dnipro, their history, legends, folk tales, and geographical features. This book remains a unique source of information about a part of the Dnipro that vanished after the construction of the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Station.

Yavornytsky Museum

In 1902, Dmytro Yavornytsky became the head of the Katerynoslav Historical Museum (now the Dmytro Yavornytsky National Historical Museum of Dnipro), where he worked for nearly 30 years. Thanks to his leadership, the museum became one of the leading historical institutions in Ukraine, with its collection enriched by unique exhibits, including Cossack insignia, weapons, ancient maps, and documents.

Dmytro Yavornytsky Street

In honor of the renowned historian, the main street of Dnipro is named Dmytro Yavornytsky Avenue (formerly Karl Marx Avenue). It runs through the center of the city and is one of its most important thoroughfares. In this way, the name of the researcher is forever etched in the history of Dnipro, and his legacy continues to live on in the city’s culture and collective memory.

The Tokivski Waterfalls are a cascade of natural waterfalls on the Kamianka River, a tributary of the Bazavluk River, which in turn flows into the Dnipro. They are located near the village of Tokivske, where the river erodes the Ukrainian Crystalline Shield—an ancient geological structure that formed over 2 billion years ago.

Токівські водоспади

The total length of the waterfall cascade is 6 meters, making it a popular spot for swimming.

Geography and Geology

Khortytsia is the largest island on the Dnipro River, located within the city of Zaporizhzhia. It stretches approximately 12 km in length and up to 2.5 km in width. The island is composed of granite formations of the Ukrainian Crystalline Shield, which emerge on the surface as cliffs. These rock formations create the characteristic escarpments and rapids of the area. The elevation difference on the island reaches up to 50 meters, and its landscape combines steppe areas, oak groves, ravines, and floodplains.

Ancient Landmarks

Khortytsia has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Archaeological findings reveal remnants of settlements belonging to the Scythians, Sarmatians, Cimmerians, and other ancient peoples. The island is home to burial mounds, megalithic structures, and stone statues known as kamianyi baby, which indicate the presence of ancient ritual practices. One of the most fascinating discoveries is the remains of a Scythian sanctuary, which was aligned with solar cycles.

Zaporizhian Sich

In the 16th–18th centuries, Khortytsia was the center of Cossack life. It was here that Dmytro Vyshnevetsky (Baidai) established a fortification, which is considered the prototype of the Zaporizhian Sich. The island served as a natural fortress, protected on all sides by water and rocks. The Cossacks used it as a base for military campaigns, as well as a place for living, craftsmanship, and assemblies.

Modern Times

Today, Khortytsia is a national reserve and a popular tourist destination. It hosts the historical and cultural complex “Zaporizhian Sich” – a reconstruction of a Cossack settlement with defensive towers, a church, and huts. The island also attracts travelers with its scenic trails, kayaking routes, and the opportunity to see rare species of animals and plants.

For active recreation enthusiasts, there are horseback riding tours, biking routes, and rock climbing on the cliffs above the Dnieper. Those who wish to touch history can visit museums, archaeological sites, and enjoy theatrical Cossack performances.

Khortytsia is a place where nature and the past come alive, inviting visitors to explore Ukraine’s history in its brightest forms.

The Dnipro-Oril Nature Reserve was created to preserve the unique landscape of the middle Dnipro and the Oril River.

The vegetation cover of the reserve is predominantly forested, with oak forests prevailing. About 89% of the area consists of long-term floodplain forests. Additionally, smaller areas are occupied by forests of white willow, white poplar, black poplar, and alder. In the central part of the reserve, there are patches of sandy steppe, shrubs, and artificial plantations of pine and white acacia.

In the steppe areas, rare species such as Dubrava tulip, blackening pasqueflower, Bushe’s corydalis, netted crocus, Dnipro feather grass, several species of orchids, water caltrop, and floating salvinia can be found. Three plant species are listed in the European Red List: Dnipro ragwort, Ukrainian goatsbeard, and Don hornwort.

The floodplains stretching from Kamianske to Dnipro have preserved unique representatives of the flora and fauna of the Dnipro region. Here, beautiful white water lilies (nymphaeas) can be seen.

Additionally, 38 species of mammals have been recorded in the reserve, six of which are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine: greater and lesser noctule bats, badger, stoat, Eurasian otter, and steppe mouse. Other inhabitants include wolves, foxes, hares, white-bellied hedgehogs, Eurasian beavers, wild boars, roe deer, European elk, squirrels, muskrats, raccoon dogs, and sika deer.

The reserve’s waters are home to 41 species of fish, with the most common being pike, silver crucian carp, bleak, roach, rudd, European minnow, tench, bream, bitterling, loach, zander, perch, and round goby. Some species are listed in the Red List of the Dnipropetrovsk region, including dace, riffle minnow, blue bream, sabrefish, burbot, and three-spined stickleback. The reserve is also home to the sterlet, which is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

The fauna of the Dnipro-Oril Nature Reserve is equally fascinating. More than 2,000 animal species have been recorded here, with insects showing the greatest diversity—around 1,500 species. Among them, 18 are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, including the splendid brocade moth, oak hawk-moth, great tiger moth, emperor dragonfly, Hungarian ground beetle, stag beetle, festive burnet, scarce swallowtail, steppe scolia, and others.

Kodak Fortress: A Bastion on the Dnipro

In 1635, by order of the Polish King Władysław IV, the Kodak Fortress was built on the right bank of the Dnipro River, near the Dnipro rapids. The construction was overseen by the French engineer Guillaume Le Vasseur de Beauplan, who was renowned for his fortifications throughout the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The fortress held strategic importance as it blocked the route from Zaporizhzhia to Kyiv and Volhynia, restricting the movement of the Zaporizhian Cossacks. It was well-fortified, featuring earthen ramparts, bastions, a moat, and a garrison of Polish troops.

However, on the night of August 5, 1635, a detachment of Zaporizhian Cossacks led by Ivan Sulyma launched a swift night assault, annihilated the garrison, and destroyed the fortress. This event became one of the first armed uprisings of the Cossacks against Polish rule.

In 1645, the Poles rebuilt Kodak and significantly reinforced its fortifications. The fortress played a crucial role during Bohdan Khmelnytsky’s National Liberation War (1648–1657). However, after Left-Bank Ukraine was annexed by the Muscovite Tsardom, Kodak gradually lost its importance and fell into decline.

Legends of Kodak

Sulyma’s Treasure

According to local lore, during the 1635 assault, Ivan Sulyma ordered his Cossacks to hide part of their loot in the fortress’s underground passages. Some believe that these treasures remain buried somewhere beneath the ground.

The Ghost of the Fortress

Residents tell of a ghostly Cossack warrior wandering the ruins at night, guarding the ancient secrets of Kodak. Some claim to have seen the shadow of a hetman-like figure, which vanishes at dawn.

The Cossack Grave

Legend has it that near the ruins of Kodak lies a mass grave of Cossacks who perished defending the fortress. Some historians suggest that this site may still contain undiscovered 17th-century burials.

Kodačka Balka

Kodačka Balka is an integral part of the historical and geographical landscape of Staryi Kodak. This natural ravine, formed by erosion, acted as a natural barrier, protecting the fortress from enemy attacks. Due to its shape, the balka provided an additional defensive line, where Cossacks could position themselves during battles.

According to local legends, the depths of Kodačka Balka held the secrets of the Cossacks—ranging from unknown hiding places to potential treasures that may still await discovery. Today, this place attracts archaeologists, historians, and tourists eager to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Cossack era and experience the grandeur of nature, which has witnessed countless historical events.

Staryi Kodak Today

Today, Staryi Kodak is a historical landmark where the remnants of the fortress walls have been preserved. The site attracts archaeologists, historians, and tourists who come to witness the ruins and experience the spirit of the Cossack era. Every year, historical reenactments and festivals dedicated to the glorious past of the Zaporizhian Sich are held here.

Flight Over Kodačka Balka:

Острів Таволжанський і Перун

Ось що про ці острови писав Дмитро Яворницький:

“простягся посеред Дніпра великий і значний острів
Таволжаний. На різних планах Дніпра й у різних мемуаристів та дослідувачів його звуть порізному: Таволжаний, Вільшаний, Таволшанський, Таваджанський, Тавольжанской,
Таволжанка, у місцевих селян – Тівільжан. А що на цьому острові переважає лісова рослина
таволга, правильніше буде назва Таволжаний.”

З правого боку в річці, супроти південного кінця острова Орлового, стоїть камінь
Крячиний, або Крячок. Влітку на ньому завжди сідають крячки, од яких і вийшла назва
каменя. Весною камінь ховається у воді, і тоді місцеві люди звуть його Крячиною заборою.
Нижче Орлового острова підходять до Дніпра з лівого боку одна за одною балки: Велика
Бицулина, Мала Бицулина і Таволжанка, і тут же впадає в очі невеликий, але дуже високий,
скелястий, славний своєю назвою острів Перун, за місцевою вимовою Перун, навіть Перен.
Коли, через що й хто саме дав таку назву цьому острову – невідомо, але те, що говорять
про цей острів місцеві столітні діди-оповідачі, нагадує те, що говорить 988 року руський
літописець про Перуна, поганського бога наших далеких предків.

– Подивіться ви на цей острів Перун та й скажіть, на кого він схожий.
– Та на кого ж?
– На змія: оце, де найвища його частина, це голова; оце по середині, де перепояска, це його
стан; а оце, де його кінець, це його хвіст.
І справді, як подивишся на острів Перун трохи оддаля, то побачиш перед собою немов би
якесь величезне чудище, що простяглось вздовж лівого берега Дніпра головою на північ, а
хвостом на південь з перехватом на середині.
– Це був колись такий поганський бог у наших предків, і стояв він десь у Києві, так
київський князь Святославський, як прийняв святий закон Христа, звалив того бога на землю,
одтяг його до Дніпра та й шпурнув у воду. То він як поплив, як поплив та опинився аж між
порогами та оце тут і перекинувся в острів.
– Ото так і було?
– Ото так мені казав мій дід, а він прожив на віку дев’яносто п’ять годів, так йому за його
довгий вік довелось багато чого чути.

Через Змієву печеру на деяких планах порожистої частини Дніпра та в деяких
дослідувачів острів Перун неправильно називають ´Змеиною скалоюª. У лоцманів і місцевих
селян це острів Перун.
Цей острів добре й гаразд знають старі лоцмани, які доводять, що колись на ньому був
чудовий, розкішний, великий, густий ліс: росли вікові дуби, татарські кленки, гнучкі високі
Про те, чому печера й самий острів Перун прозвали Змієвими, є декілька народних легенд.
´В тій печері колись-то жив змій-цар з трьома головами; у нього була дочка красуня.
Змій беріг свою дочку, щоб вона не покохала якогось руського царевича, та все-таки не вберіг:
красуня відпливла з якимся лицарем по Дніпру аж у Чорне море. З того часу змій зробився ще
лютішим, ніж він був до того, і щодня вилітав куди-небудь в округу за новою жертвоюª.
´Колись, кажуть, змій був на небі і літав по всьому світу; його всі боялись, а інші то й
кланялись йому. Як узнав про те бог, що йому поклоняються, взяв й пооднімав у нього крильця,
він упав з неба в Дніпро та й поплив. Идолопоклонці бігли берегом та й кричали: ´Перуне,
Перуне, припливи до берегаª. Він приплив до острова, і показалась йому глибока нора; він туди
й пропав. Від того часу й прозвано острів Перуновимª.
´Кажуть, що Перунового острівка тут не було, а приплив на| ньому змій відкілясь з гори.
Як плив він, тоді, кажуть, одним боком бігли идолопоклонці й викликали на берег, а другим
вийшли назустріч православні й почали молебствувати та заклинати. Де стояли наші з
корогвами, туди він підплив і став. Змієва нора збоку Дніпра була, кажуть, дуже глибока, а
після того, як змій згинув, скеля зійшлась щільно, і нори нема. Бить-то так було, а чи правда
цьому – не знаюª.
Про цей острів Перун ось що чув я від старих людей. Якось, кажуть, бог Перун плів
Дніпром, і його хвилею викинуло на острів; тут його заховано, а потім одкопано. На ньому,
кажуть, золота було три пуди, а сам зроблений з дерева. Від того й острів став Перун. На
Перуні, від Дніпра, є нора: ´Колись, кажуть, там жив змій, і йому носили людей. Нору звали
Змієвоюª.
´Скільки в пам’ятку, острів зветься Перуном. На ньому висока скеля, а в ній, від
Дніпрового ходу, скоти . До Христового рождення, кажуть, там жив змій; він гарбав під себе
жінок і дівок, а мужів пожирав. Як Христос народився, змія прокляв, а потім його звоював
якийся багатир. У змія, кажуть, було три голови й крила. Він, як летить, освіщає ввесь світ, а
вогонь так і палаєª.
Супроти середини Перуна, на 16 саж. од правого берега острова, лежить у воді камінь Ревун

The islands “Makhartet” – Great and Small, formed after the construction of the DniproHES dam, as a result of the rise in water level and flooding of parts of the mouth of the Vorona River and the spill of the Dnipro River.

The Dzvonetsky Threshold, or Zvin, is completely underwater, with only rocks along the shore indicating its location.

River mouth of Vorona

Vorona river

hhis area on map