Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky: an open-air museum. Museum of Folk Architecture and Life

The highlight of the city of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky is a museum in the open air. But this is not all that the ancient settlement can boast of. There were important events in the history of Ukraine, here lived and created brilliant poets, artists, writers, philosophers, military leaders. Many people and cultures left their traces in this city. So, today we are going to an amazing place on our Mother Earth.

A bit of history

Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky on the map appeared long ago: this is one of the first grades of Ancient Rus, an important center of it. If you believe in archaeologists (and there is no point in questioning their investigation, there are no doubts about the doubts), then the first buildings were erected at the end of the tenth century. These were simple designs - the so-called detinets, built of raw bricks (the traditional building material of the time). Although some historians suggest that Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky on the map of the ancient Russian state appeared earlier. Their opinion is based on the fact that the city of Pereyaslavl or Pereyaslavl Rus is mentioned in the contract of Prophetic Oleg with the Byzantine emperor from 907. But most scientists believe that the mention is a later inset in the annals, and the settlement itself arose much later.

Traditions of antiquity

Long before the Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky museum was purchased in the open air, the city was a visited place. As its name came to pass, a beautiful legend tells. The Old Russian state has always waged wars with restless nomadic neighbors. In 992 on the territory of the modern city the prince's squad met with the Pechenegs. In order not to pour blood in vain, they decided to arrange a duel between the two strongest soldiers. From the nomads came the famous hero-giant, and from the Russians - a leather jumper named Jan Usmosvets. In this fight, the ancient Russian hero defeated, therefore he "overcame the glory", that is, he took it from the Pecheneg. At the battle site, Prince Vladimir Krasnoe Solnyshko ordered the construction of a fortress designed to protect the southern borders of Russia from attacks.

Development of the city

Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky (Kiev region), and then still simply Pereyaslavl, could be the residence of Russian metropolitans. At least until the St. Sophia Cathedral was built in Kiev. Later the city became the capital of the eponymous principality and played a significant role in the defense of the state from the Pechenegs and Polovtsians. An ancient settlement was destroyed by Mongol troops under the command of Khan Batu.

Like a Phoenix bird , the city reborn. Again in history it is mentioned in 1654: then Bohdan Khmelnytsky convened the Pereyaslav Radu - a large council of Cossacks, at which it was decided to seek help from the Moscow kingdom and swear allegiance to him. In memory of this event, a prefix was added to the name of the city, and the settlement began to be called Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky (1943).

City-Museum

Not so long ago, the city of Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky was declared a city-museum. This is because there are 27 such institutions on its territory. Moreover, most of them are unique in their kind and have invaluable exposures. For example, there are memorial museums of Grigory Skovoroda, Sholom-Aleikhem, Taras Shevchenko, VI Zabolotny, MM Benardos in the city. And also - bread, beekeeping, traditional clothing of the region, arts and crafts, kobzar art, Ukrainian Orthodox Church, embroidered towel, folk rites and traditions, Cossack glory, mail, space exploration, princely architecture, archeology, medicinal plants, land transport ... All and not enumerate. The most famous institution that Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky is rightfully proud of is a museum under the open sky (the official name is the folk architecture and life of the Middle Naddnipryanshchyna). We will describe it in the next section.

What else can Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky boast of? Its sights are the remains of defensive structures of the 10th and 11th centuries, the Ascension Monastery and the unique church of St. Michael (all the 16th century). The buildings are in great shape.

Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky: open-air museum

The ethnographic museum of folk architecture and life, as you know, is located outside buildings, that is, in the open air under the celestial dome. For his visit, it is optimal to allocate a whole day, preferably a day off. You can find it on the outskirts of the city in a territory of thirty hectares. An impression of time travel may be created . The museum complex resembles a typical Ukrainian village of this region, but in different epochs. Here you can see how people lived in the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries, in the times of Kievan Rus, as well as in the Paleolithic period and in the period before the emergence of the ancient Russian state and its Christianization.

The museum collection impresses with its scope: over thirty thousand exhibits, more than a hundred monuments of folk architecture, ancient stone sculptures, anthropomorphic steles, "stone women" of nomadic tribes, idols. Up to the smallest details, people's dwellings, sanctuaries, handicraft workshops, outbuildings, temples, mills, taverns, Cossack outposts were recreated.

It is interesting that there are thirteen thematic institutions on the territory of this museum, which are an organic continuation of the first one.

How to get there?

Pereyaslav-Khmelnytsky, whose sights we described in this article, - the city is very hospitable. Local people are always happy to tell you how to get to the most interesting place here - the museum. And for those who like to travel, all knowing in advance, we will describe the route.

So, every fifteen minutes from the metro station "Chernigovskaya" in Kiev is sent a minibus that will take tourists to the destination in an hour and a half. The fare is quite affordable even for thrifty travelers. Please note that the bus does not enter the territory of the museum, you need to leave at the bus station. Then you can take a taxi, walk or leave the shuttle bus near the monument to Lenin and walk a bit.

Enjoy your time!