Volyn region

Volyn region is located in north-western part of Ukraine in the area of Polesye, on the west it borders with Poland (135 km), on the north - with Belarus (195 km), on the border there are nine pass points.  

Volyn Region was founded on 4th of December 1939 after joining the Western Ukrainian lands to the Ukrainian SSR. The administrative center is the city of Lutsk.  

The area is 20.2 thousand square km or 3.3% of Ukrainian territory, the length from north to south is 187 km, from west to east - 163 km.  

The population is 1.06 million people or 2.2% of Ukrainian population from which the urban population – 50.4%, and rural – 49.6%. The national structure: Ukrainians – 94.3%, Russians - about 4.4%, Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Germans, Jews and others.  

According to the administrative-territorial division the region consists of 16 administrative districts, 11 cities, including 4 ones of regional subordination (Lutsk, Kovel, Novovolynsk, Vladimir-Volyn), 22 urban-type settlements and 1049 rural settlements.  

Attractions of Volyn region  

The total number of monuments of history, archeology, architecture and town planning, monumental art in the region is 857.  

The main attractions are Lutsk historical-cultural reserve, museum-farmstead of Lesia Ukrainka in the village Kolodyazhne, the monastery complex of the Jesuits in Lutsk, Assumption Cathedral (1160) and Vasilkovskaya church (XI-XIII) in the city of Vladimir-Volyn, remains of temples, residential buildings (X-XI) and the ramparts (XI-XIII) , St George's Church (1264) in town Lyubomil, castle and Lutsk arch (1630) in the village Olitsi, the remnants of the walls of the Lower Castle (XIV-XVII).  

One can learn a rich historical heritage of Volyn, by visiting the Museum-Reserve "Cossack graves", which perpetuates the sacrifice and heroism of the Cossacks in the Battle near Berestechko in 1651 under the leadership of Bogdan Khmelnitsky.  

In the city Ustilug, near the Ukrainian-Polish border, there is the museum "Old Manor", located in the former estate of famous composer Igor Stravinsky, where he wrote his world-famous works "Sacred Spring" and "The Firebird".  

The Open Air Museum in the village Rockini tells its visitors about the development of agriculture and wood architecture in Volyn.  

Shatsk National Park is located on the north-west of Volyn, in close proximity to the Ukrainian-Polish border. The park contains 22 unique lakes of karstic origin, on the shores of which are located resorts, sanatoriums, sports and children's camps.  

The largest lake is Svityaz, which became a kind of natural brand of Volyn. Svityaz is the deepest (54m) lake of the country, characterized by clean, clear water and fantastic picturesque, attracting to its shores many tourists. The lake has a lot of fish of different species, among them - common carp, perch, eel, bream, pike, perch.  

In the park grow 789 species of plants, in addition to pine forests there grow birch groves, alder, creating perfect conditions for the typical habitat of Polesye species - deer, elk, wild boar, wolves, foxes, hares, squirrels, and weasels.  

Due to the wonderful natural environment and well-developed transportation network, the park has long been a favorite vacation spot. Some years there is held an international song festival “On the Waves of Svityaz”.