Happy TravellerWelcome to Bohuslav, a historic city located on the Ros River in Obukhiv Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. With a population of 15,789 (2022 est.), Bohuslav is a hidden gem that is often overlooked by tourists. However, this charming city has a rich history, stunning landmarks, and a vibrant culture that is waiting to be explored.
Bohuslav’s year of establishment and source of name is uncertain, but it is mentioned in the Hypatian Codex as early as 1032. In 1195, Bohuslav was handed over by the Grand Prince of Kyiv Rurik II to the Grand Prince of Vladimir-Suzdal Vsevolod III. The city was destroyed by the Mongol invasion in 1240 and liberated by forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Ruthenia, and Samogitia in 1362.
In 1569, Bohuslav was passed to the Polish Crown and in 1620 it received its Magdeburg rights and its city banner. Since 1591, Bohuslav belonged to Janusz Ostrogski, the voivode of Volhynia. From 1648 to 1667, it was part of the Cossack Hetmanate and after the Treaty of Andrusovo was once again returned to Poland. In 1685, it was occupied by Samiylo Samus whom Ivan Mazepa appointed the appointed Hetman of Right-bank Ukraine when Poland allowed to restore cossacks liberties. Since that time and until 1704, Bohuslav became a residence of the appointed Hetman. In 1704, Samus surrendered his authority to Mazepa. After withdrawal of the Russian armed forces in 1708 from Poland, Samus continued to self-govern unlawfully in the region. In 1711, he joined forces with Pylyp Orlyk, however after a number of unsuccessful storms of Bila Tserkva, Orlyk withdrew to Moldova. Samus was left to defend Bohuslav on his own now against the united armies of Russia and Poland (bound by the Treaty of Narva). In 1712, Samus was arrested and exiled to Siberia. Bohuslav regiment was liquidated and the city was returned once again under the Polish administration.
After the first partition of Poland, the city was passed to the Russian Empire and until 1837 it was a center of Bohuslav county. The county was restored once again after the establishment of the Soviet regime in 1919 and 1923 it was transformed into the Bohuslav Raion. It had a large Jewish community. According to the 1897 census, on a total of 11,372 inhabitants, 7445 people were Jews whose community was destroyed in the Holocaust.
One of the oldest buildings in the city is the former heder, locally known as kamianytsia, built in 1726. During the Soviet times, it was transformed into a club for deaf and mute at first and after World War II into the museum of Komsomol Glory. Today it is a museum of decorative art.
Bohuslav is also home to several prominent personalities, including Marusia Bohuslavka, a legendary Ukrainian freedom fighter, Neonila Lahodiuk, a Ukrainian jazz composer, pianist and music teacher, Merited Artist of Ukraine Ivan Soshenko, a Ukrainian painter, contemporary and close friend of Taras Shevchenko, Hélène Sparrow, a Polish medical doctor and bacteriologist, and Mikhail Sukernik, a Soviet, Russian-Ukrainian chemist who contributed to the publication of the first Russian-Yiddish Dictionary that was published in Moscow, USSR after his death in 1984.
Bohuslav may be a small city, but it has a lot to offer. From its rich history to its stunning landmarks and vibrant culture, there is something for everyone in this hidden gem. Come and discover the many treasures of Bohuslav for yourself!
