Attractions of Borova

The famous naval engineer, lieutenant general, designer of the famous cruiser "Aurora" Ksaveriy Ratnik was born in Mykolaiv. After the defeat of the Russian fleet in 1905 in the Battle of Tsushima, in which the "Aurora" participated, Ratnik was accused of corruption by the leadership of the Russian Empire's navy, retired and began to live permanently on the outskirts of the then Borova farm and Motovyliv dachas, on the hills of the right high bank of the Stuhna River, where he purchased a plot of land and in 1907 built a three-story manor house in the shape of a ship. The rooms were considered cabins, and the large balcony was called the captain's bridge.

After the death of the owner in 1924, the manor house was given over to a sanatorium, then the office of the Kyiv Vegetable and Potato Research Station was located in Ratnik's former house.

Currently, the house-ship is abandoned and is slowly collapsing. Through the efforts of enthusiasts and Ksaveriy Ratnik's great-grandson, Oleh Ratnik, a memorial plaque to Ksaveriy Ratnik was installed on it in the early 2010s, and the designer's grave was also discovered and arranged. The plans include the creation of a Cultural and Historical Center based on the house-museum.