Liubech

The oldest religious building in Liubech is an underground temple, excavated in the 11th century by monk Antoniy Pecherskyi.

The founder and first abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Monastery was born in Liubech in 983. According to legend, from here he went to Palestine, received tonsure on Mount Athos, and, returning a few years later to Rus, began to found cave monasteries - in Bukovyna, Kyiv and Chernihiv region.

He went to Chernihiv after a conflict with the Kiev prince, and spent the last years of his life in his homeland - in Lyubech, where he founded his last cave monastery. Antoniy's Monastery existed until 1786, when it was closed by order of Empress Catherine II.

The Far Cave, located in the forest on the southern outskirts of the village, has been preserved in its original form.

Recently, the cave was discovered in the center of the village, next to the Polubotko tenement house (excavations are underway).

The ancient Rus hillfort of Liubech is located on a high hill above the Dnipro, from where a picturesque view of the river valley opens.

A three-story princely palace, a tower-donjon, a church and farm buildings were located here.

The earth ramparts surrounding the castle, on which rose oak walls with towers, have been preserved. A granite commemorative sign was installed in honor of the 1100th anniversary of the city, as well as a monument in honor of the congress of ancient Rus princes, which took place in Liubech in 1097, as a result of which the principalities united against the Polovtsy.

The Historical and Archaeological Museum Complex "Ancient Lyubech" was established in 2008 on the basis of seven architectural and archaeological monuments of the village from the days of Kyivan Rus to the XIX century.

Among them: Castle Hill with a monument in honor of the Lyubech Congress of Princes in 1097, the Near and Far Caves of the Reverend Anthoniy Pechersky, the tenement house of Hetman Pavlo Polubotko (XVIII century), the Transfiguration Cathedral (1811-1817) and others.

The administration and museum exposition of the complex are located in the former boarding school next to the Transfiguration Cathedral. Here is a model of Lyubech Castle, numerous exhibits on the history and culture of the city. In the interactive hall, visitors can take pictures with a musket or feel the relief of a Cossack cannon, and young visitors can learn more about archeology in the Archaeological Sandbox. The museum has a permanent exhibition "Lyubech the eyes of artists", some halls tell the story of crafts in the region - fishing, farming, trade.

In the park next to the museum there are sculptures of historical figures of Lyubech by the capital's master Єгора Зігури: Prince of the Drevlyans Malk of Lyubech, princesse Malusha Malkovna (Lyubechanka) with her young son Volodymyr, her brother Dobrynya, Rev. Anthoniy Pechersky.

The Kamyanytsya of Chernihiv colonel Pavlo Polubotko in Liubech is one of the few examples of stone civil architecture of the 18th century in Chernihiv region.

Previously, these lands belonged to Hetman Mazepa, but after his alliance with the Swedes, Peter handed over Ljubech to Colonel Polubotko for excellent service. Later, Polubotko became the commanding hetman of Ukraine, but as a result he was arrested and died in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The Polubotko Kamyanytsya was located on the territory of the old fortress at the post of Liubech (near the current cultural center). In 2012, the tenement house was completely restored, and a temporary exhibition of exhibits from the collection of the Chernihiv Historical Museum opened in the premises. It is planned to create a museum of the Cossack era and hetman Pavlo Polubotko.

Nearby, on the steep banks of the Dnipro River, the second of the two Liubech cave temples attributed to Antoniy Pechersky, the so-called Near Cave, was recently discovered. According to archaeologists, the temple was created in memory of Antoniy Pechersky in the 19th century on the territory of the park of Count Miloradovych's estate.

The Savior and Transfiguration Church was built in 1817 by Hryhoriy Myloradovych, who owned Liubech in the 19th century.

The classicist church is located on the market square. In Soviet times, it was used as a club, warehouses. It was completely revived only in 1992.

Today, this is the only active church in Liubech. The list of the icon of the Mother of God "Liubechska", lost during the years of atheistic persecution, is stored here.