VOLYNS'KA OBLAST
Luts'k. For the first time Luts'k is mentioned in the Ipatiivs'kyi
Chronicle in 1085. At that time it was in the
possession of Volodymyr Monomachus, the Grand Prince of Kyiv to be.
In the 12th c. Luts'k became the centre of the Luts'k apanage principality which
was part of Kyivan Rus state. After
its disintegration, in 1132 the town entered the Volyn Principality, and since
1199 it was a part of the Halych-Volyn
Principality.
The town reached its heyday at the latter half of the 12th c., when it was under
the rule of Prince Mstyslav. During
his reign the construction of the Intercession Church began. It is considered
that it was namely for this church that
the Prince commissioned to paint the icon of the Virgin of Volyn (Luts'k), a
masterpiece of Ukrainian painting of
the 13th -15th c., the embodiment of human ideals of that time.
In the 13th - 14th cc. a castle was built here, which became the residence of
the Grand Prince of Lithuania.
According to the Liublin Union of 1569, the city fell under Poland's rule for
more than two centuries and became
the centre of the Volyn Province. Roman Catholic churches and monasteries remind
of that period of history.
The name of a tender romantic woman, talented poet Lesia Ukrainka (Larysa Kosach)
is a special pride of Luts'k.
To commemorate this great daughter of the Ukrainian people the city residents
erected a monument.
On August 26, 1993 a notable event took place in the cultural life not only of
Luts'k but entire Ukraine - the
Museum of Volyn' Icons was opened in the city.
Horokhiv. One of the oldest Volynian settlements. The remains of the Kyivan Rus site were found in its territory. The town's park is a monument of landscape gardening of the 19th c. Its collection numbers more than 60 species of valuable exotic trees and shrubs. The park belonged to the family of the big landowners Tarnovskyi, and later to the land-owing lady Svistunova-Weinmern.
Kamin'-Kashyrs'kyi. In 1196 Prince Roman Mstyslavych built a
fortress to protect the northern borders of
Volynian lands. With time a fortified site appeared on its place, which got the
name of Kosher.
At the beginning of the 15th c. the town became the property of Lithuanian
princes and after the Liublin Union of
1569 it fell under the Polish rule, like the entire Volyn. At that time the
Roman Catholic Church and the Dominican
Monastery were built in the town. In 1795 Kamin'-Kashyrs'ky entered the Russian
Empire.
Among interesting architectural monuments mention should be made of St. Elijah's
Church (1700) and the
wooden Church of the Nativity (1732).
Kovel'. The name of the famous painter Andronyk Lazarchuk (1870-1934) is associated with the town. The artist studied and worked here and his museum acquaints the visitor with his biography and creative work. Of great interest is the visit to the Polissia park-museum of architecture and folk life, whose exhibition elucidates the history and culture of entire Volyn'.
Liubeshiv. The long-term rule of Poland left a mark on the appearance of the settlement. To this day, the gates to the palace of a Polish magnate and cells of the Piarist Monastery have been preserved. Interesting is the local park, a monument of landscape gardening of the 18th с. New exotic kinds of plants grow along with old oaks and lime-trees.
Liuboml'. Two Old Rus sites and remains of the settlement around them have been preserved here. St. George's Church (1264) is the oldest structure in the town. Its appearance and decor demonstrate the high level of the development of architecture and art in Volyn' at those remote times. In 1768, a magnificent palace was built for the Polish magnate Count Branicki.
Olyka. The settlement is first mentioned in the chronicle circa 1149. The most interesting monument in it is a castle (1564). The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul (1450-1612) and the Collegiate Church (1640) have also been preserved. The Luts'k gate of the town fortifications (17th c.) also deserves tourists' attention.
Shats'kyi national park. The picturesque landscapes of Shats'k are known far outside Volyn'. These inimitable landscapes, their rich diversity became the foundation for the creation of the Shats'k National Park (1983) which covers an area of 32,500 ha. This picturesque corner of nature is a fairyland of forest landscapes and scenic lakes called for their pure water "the blue eyes of Volyn'." Shats'k lakes attract numerous tourists and holiday-makers.
Tsuman'. Here is situated the finest Volynian dendrological park with more than 300 species of valuable shrubs and trees, as well as numerous exotics.
Volodymyr-Volyns'kyi. One of the oldest towns in Volyn', first
mentioned in the chronicle under the year of 988, it was named after its founder,
the Kyivan Prince Volodymyr Sviatoslavych. The olden city of Volodymyr was a
pentagon fortified by ramparts and moats whose remains have survived to the
present time.
The Dormition Cathedral, built in 1160 during the reign of Prince Mstyslav
Iziaslavych, is an outstanding architectural monument of the city. Another
monument of architecture is St. Basil's Church-rotunda (late 13th - early 14th
cc.) which has no analogues in world architecture. The Jesuit Church built in
1755 reminds of the Polish rule.
Oblast farmsteads