Attractions of Okhtyrka district

The People's Literary Memorial Museum of Ostap Vyshnya was opened in 1982 by his compatriots in the writer's homeland - in the village of Hrun in Sumy region.

The main exposition is dedicated to the life and work of the Ukrainian humorist, classic of satirical prose Ostap Vyshnya.

Several stands cover the history and ethnography of the village of Hrun.

Every autumn, the Vyshnya Smiles festival is held here, which is attended by humorous writers from Sumy and Ukraine, guests from near abroad.

A monument to the composer Petro Chaykovsky is installed in the central park of Trostianets.

The composer spent three summer months in Trostianets in 1864 at the invitation of his friend and classmate Oleksiy Holitsyn. Here Chaykovsky wrote his first symphonic work - the overture to the drama "The Thunderstorm".

The monument of sculptor Mykola Sukhodolov is considered the only monument to Chaykovsky in Ukraine, where the composer is depicted in full height.

Unique in terms of architecture, the manor house "Round Yard" was built in 1749 by Yosyp Nadarzhynskyi with brothers - sons of the royal clergyman Timofiy Nadarzhynskyi.

The building is made in the form of an oval fortress or castle. Initially, it was planned as a defense to protect against the Tatars. The "Round Yard" is surrounded by a hollow brick wall reinforced with buttresses, with one-story rooms inside the yard and four round three-tiered towers.

In the middle of the 19th century, the estate passed into the possession of Prince Oleksiy Holitsyn, who adapted the fortress for a summer theater or circus. In the open area of the courtyard, three-tiered boxes for spectators were built, similar to ancient Roman amphitheatres. Artists lived in the towers. In the center was an arena where circus performances and performances by the troupe of the Holitsyn Fortress Theater took place.

During the years of Ukraine's independence, the "Round Yard" was restored, various cultural events are held. Adjacent to it is a park with the Holitsyn Palace (XIX century), an arboretum, lakes and wooden sculptures.

During the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, during the battles for Trostyanets, the buildings of the "Round Yard" suffered significant damage.

The majestic church of Saint George the Victorious in Okhtyrka is also known as Yuriyivska Church.

Its history begins in 1660, when the first Saint George's Church was built in Okhtyrka. Subsequently, it was repeatedly reconstructed by the efforts of the hussar regiment of Denis Davydov, but in 1860 it was decided to build a new one instead of the old church. Construction lasted 45 years. The temple was consecrated only in 1905, and it was active for a short time. In 1920, it was closed and partially looted by the Bolsheviks, for a long time the premises were used as a warehouse.

In 1993, the church was handed over to the community of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

In May 2022, during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Saint George's Church was severely damaged by a Russian missile attack. Damaged upper, over-door and arched windows, as well as wall structures.

The beautiful Transfiguration Church is located in the center of Okhtyrka.

A small temple in the Byzantine style was built according to the project of the architect Volodymyr Nemkin instead of the wooden Transfiguration Church, founded in the 18th century. The project of the new stone church was approved and adopted in 1904, and a year later the church was consecrated. The construction was carried out on the donation of the burgher Hryhoriy Chykalo.

Previously, a now lost belfry towered above the temple, on the second tier of which there was a bell weighing 5 tons. During the Soviet struggle against religion, the bell tower was dismantled, the church was closed. Until 1994, the premises were used as a gym. Currently, the Savior-Transfiguration Church belongs to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Its dome is gilded, restoration work has been carried out inside, and an iconostasis has been installed.

On March 2, 2022, as a result of Russian shelling during the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Church of the Transfiguration suffered significant damage.

The Museum of the History of the Village of Boromlia was established in the 1980s. The museum's exposition includes over 1,000 exhibits, telling the story of the founding and development of the village.

Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the village of Boromlia was under occupation for over a month. The museum staff managed to save all the most valuable exhibits. The museum premises were damaged by a blast wave, but at the time of the deoccupation of the settlement, it remained the only surviving administrative building in Boromlia and the museum began to function as a humanitarian headquarters.

Currently, the museum in Boromlia collects exhibits about the modern Russian-Ukrainian war. Bread from the occupation, documents of Russian soldiers and fragments from shells are all new exhibits of the museum. The museum also has official documents left behind by Russian soldiers - "travel letters with seals".