Happy TravellerWelcome to Kaniv, a historical city located in Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine. This charming city is situated on the banks of the Dnieper River and is one of the main inland river ports on the Dnieper. Kaniv is known for its rich history, picturesque landscapes, and as the burial site of Taras Shevchenko, the great Ukrainian poet and artist.
Kaniv was founded in the 11th century by Kievan Prince Yaroslav the Wise and was once one of the largest cities of Kievan Rus. It was an outpost used for diplomatic meetings between Ruthenian princes and ambassadors of militant tribes. Later, in the 18th century, it became a popular destination for elderly Cossacks who wanted to live out their days on the banks of the great Dnieper River and on the Chernecha Mountain, where a monastery stood in the past. The mountain remains one of Kaniv’s most important places, attracting thousands of tourists to the city.
Today, Kaniv is most famous as the burial place of the celebrated Ukrainian poet and painter Taras Shevchenko, who is considered a founder of modern Ukrainian literature. His grave is located on Taras Hill overlooking the Dnieper. The Kaniv reserve is the oldest historical and cultural reserve in Ukraine. Spring is the best time to visit the Tarasova Hill. At this time, the territory is well-groomed and full of flowers.
Kaniv is also home to the Kaniv hydroelectric power plant located on the Kaniv Reservoir on the Dnieper, fruit and vegetable, condiments factory, large milk and cheese factory, and poultry processing.
The city’s date of establishment is unknown, but it was first mentioned in the Paterikon of Caves Monastery in Kyiv of the 11th century where it is mentioned about relocation of icon painters from Constantinople during the rule of Vsevolod of Kyiv. The first mentioning of Kaniv in chronicles is dated 9 June 1144 when the Grand Prince of Kyiv Vsevolod II founded here the Church of St.George (Dormition Cathedral). In chronicles, it is also mentioned that in 1149 the Grand Prince of Kyiv George the Long-Armed after conquering Kyiv appointed his son Gleb as a prince in Kaniv. The city was also mentioned later in chronicles often in relation to raids onto Cumans. Among the killed Ruthenian princes at the 1223 battle at Kalka River, there was mentioned Prince Svyatoslav of Kaniv.
Kaniv has been mentioned in the report of Giovanni da Pian del Carpine after his 1245 travel to the Mongol Empire. In the report, the city is mentioned as a Tatars post. Initially part of Kievan Rus, in 1362 it was annexed by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In the 14th century, Grand Prince of Lithuania Vitautas built a castle in Kaniv that existed until 1768. In 1431, it became part of the Lithuanian Kyiv Voivodeship. It was sacked by the Ottoman Turks in 1458. In 1569, Kaniv came under the rule of Poland, and it was also one of the centers of Cossack culture and military life. In 1600, it received the Magdeburg Rights, but the city’s prosperity was halted by successive plagues, fires, and Cossack unrest.
During The Deluge, the town was captured by the forces of Bohdan Khmelnytsky in 1648. In 1648-78 the city was the center of the Kaniv regiment, Cossack formation of which was established long before the Khmelnytsky Uprising as part of the Polish registered Cossacks formations. In 1662, the Right-Bank forces of Yuri Khmelnytsky, supported by Polish and Crimean Tatar troops, were defeated in the battle of Kaniv by the Russian forces of Grigory Romodanovsky and the Left-Bank Cossacks of Yakym Somko. In 1678 the Kaniv regiment was overran by Turks and its administration was transferred to Bohuslav. In 1768, it was captured by one of the leaders of the Koliyivschyna, Maksym Zalizniak. As an effect of a pogrom, most of the local szlachta and Jews were killed. In 1775 Kaniv became a personal property of the King of Poland Stanisław August Poniatowski who in 1777 gave it away to his nephew S.Poniatowski. In 1787, Kaniv was visited by Catherine II. She met there with Polish king Stanisław August Poniatowski. Following the Second Partition of Poland in 1793, the town with large parts of other territories came under the control of the Russian Empire.
During the later stages of the Great War, on May 11, 1918, the town was the seat of the Battle of Kaniów, in which the forces of the 2nd Polish Corps and the Polish Legions under Józef Haller de Hallenburg failed to break through the Austro-German lines to the Russian side. During the Second World War, Kaniv was a site of a tragically unsuccessful drop of Soviet paratroopers. In 1978, Oleksa Hirnyk burned himself to death on a hill near Shevchenko’s tomb in protest of Russification. In 2007, he was honored as a Hero of Ukraine.
Kaniv is the administrative center of the Kaniv Raion (district). However, the city is a city of oblast subordinance, thus being subject directly to the oblast authorities rather than to the raion administration housed within the city itself.
Kaniv is home to several landmarks and monuments, including Taras Hill, the burial site of Ukrainian poet and artist Taras Shevchenko, his grave and museum, the monument to Oleg Koshevoy, a hero of the Soviet Union, the museum of Arkady Gaidar, Kaniv Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPS), Second World War Memorial Park, Monument to St. Makariy of Kaniv, and Alley of Glory (Park Slavy).
Come and explore the rich history and breathtaking landscapes of Kaniv, Ukraine. This hidden gem is a must-visit destination for any traveler looking to experience the beauty and culture of central Ukraine.
