Chernigov sightseeing

Then Chernigov ’s domes become visible above the fields and you are seeing the place as pilgrims to the Kyivan Rus power center – once one of the greatest towns in Europe – must have 850 years ago: as a city of God , so to speak, rising out of the mystical Slavic soil.

Most of what you want to see in Chernigov is in the city’s oldest section, the Val, a shady series of park-like spaces perched above the Desna River .

The Val is littered with churches, most dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries, when Chernigov was the wealthy capital of a huge principality, a place that, were it not for an inconvenient pillaging by the Tatars in 1239 A .D., could have developed into another Kyiv or Moscow.

You’ll want to see Spassky Cathedral, with its golden towers that resemble up-ended ice-cream cones. Prince Mstislav, Chernigov ’s golden-age ruler, ordered it built around 1030. Back then it was a major social center; these days, and especially on a sleepy summer afternoon, it’s (inside) a dim, cool, gorgeous place.

You’ll also want to see the Cathedral of Sts. Boris and Hleb. Built in 1123, it’s a great example of the famous Chernigov architecture of the period, and now a museum.

The Collegium, meanwhile, built around 1700, was one of the first secular learning establishments in the region. It resembles a vertically elongated wedding-cake.  The beautiful 18th-century St. Catherine’s Church is also in the Val area, as are some elegant examples of secular architecture such as the Archbishop’s House and the Governor’s House.

But individual buildings aside, the attraction of the Val is more general. Walking there is like wandering around a peaceful rustic college campus, with the classroom buildings replaced by precious churches and the sophomores by pious babushkas and monks. Bring a book and sit under a tree for a while, surrounded by the breeze and the ancient silences. Then stroll over to check out the actually kind of interesting Shevchenko monument and gaze at the Desna . Then wander back and sit under another tree. Chernigov , indeed, is a good place to visit.

Red Square and Beyond

Chernigov’s main street is wide, elegant and dramatic; moreover, tucked away in a park over there behind the theaters, you’ll find the wee Church of St. Parascene, a 12th-13th century jewel built according to both Slavic and Byzantine traditions.

One more crucial part of Chernigov to visit before you get on the bus back to Kyiv is the Boldiny Mountains , which are lousy with lovely religious sites. Check out the grave barrows of the old necropolis: morbid, maybe a little, but peaceful.

One of Chernigov’s best sights is the St. Anthony monastic cave complex. There’s even a whole underground church down there. And Trinity Monastery is a great example of Ukrainian Baroque architecture, and one of the most picturesque religious spots in the ancient city. It’s all green domes, stretching the church’s pure white walls heavenward.