Protolche and Khortytsia floodplains (Khortytsia Nature Reserve)

At the southernmost tip of Khortytsia Island, which stretches across the Dnieper River in the city of Zaporizhzhia, there are remnants of floodplains. Nearby is the territory of former settlements called Protolche. This is a protected area where you cannot drive a car or ride a bicycle, sail a boat or kayak. And you cannot walk everywhere here either.

Today, I will tell you about this wonderful place, as well as how we visited it for the first time.

In 1976, archaeologists exploring the area found evidence that a settlement had existed there between the 4th and 16th centuries. It had existed for a very long time in these delightful lands, close to the floodplain forests.

It is worth noting that the settlement was located in a very advantageous place, which allowed it to exist for a long time and be quite prosperous. The fact is that the famous route “From the Varangians to the Greeks” passed nearby. An important part of the route, the Protolchy Ford crossing, was located nearby. It was part of the floodplain where travelers crossed from one bank to the island and then to the other.

Thus, the settlement became a “transit point,” covering an area of up to 16 hectares in its heyday. There were various Slavic-style dwellings here—dugouts and semi-dugouts, as well as a metallurgical workshop dating from the late 12th to early 13th centuries.

Today, it is home to the Protolche Memorial and Tourist Complex. Historical artifacts from various periods have been collected on its grounds, recreating the atmosphere of an 18th-century Cossack winter camp.

Near the entrance to the complex, you can see two observation towers offering wonderful views of the southern part of the island and, most interestingly, the nearby deer feeding stations.

Here you will also find a security post and the entrance to the so-called Khortytsia floodplains, the remains of the Great Meadow (which I wrote about in my report from Popov’s Castle and my experience kayaking through the floodplains).

UPD As a result of the breach of the Kakhovka Dam, the Great Meadow came to the surface. See how we cleaned up the new shores of Khortytsia.

The floodplains area here is a strictly protected zone. Access is restricted. However, an artificial embankment has been created, allowing visitors to walk 500–800 meters into the protected area along a path and enjoy the silence, beauty, and tranquility.

After visiting these beautiful places, I was once again convinced that the floodplains are wonderful. And I really wanted to go kayaking… You can’t do that here, but you can on the Domaha River. The beauty is exactly the same!

The island itself is not small. I had been here countless times, passing by, but had never visited this area until 2017. And so we set off here on bicycles. The road is long, uncomfortable, and very tiring in the heat. Considering that I still had to pedal a considerable distance to get to the island, it became clear that it would be better to use the electric train to “jump” there, since the “Zaporozhian Sich” station is located right in the center of the island.

To be honest, the complex didn’t really interest me. Especially after the «Skifsky Stan» (Scythian Camp), which we had visited half an hour earlier.

But on the way, we stumbled upon a windmill. It is not an ancient structure; it is part of the set for the 2009 film Taras Bulba, which was filmed on this island. There is only one real windmill left in the entire Zaporizhzhia region—in the village of Kamianske, and even that one was almost completely destroyed last year.

We stopped for a break in the gazebo located here. It was very convenient; we ate sandwiches in the shade and, having regained our strength, left our bikes with the security guard and set off along the trail.

Once, during the Nazi occupation of Zaporizhzhia, a temporary railway was laid from the right to the left bank of the Dnieper River. This is a topic for a separate article, but I mention it for a reason. The embankment on the island has been preserved, and it is on this embankment, which cuts through the floodplain, that a tourist trail has been created.

People rarely come here. And that’s wonderful. On weekdays, we are alone here. It’s beautiful, surrounded by swamps and lakes, bays and islands. It’s like being in a fairy tale!

The tree branches hang low. We have to regularly brush various creatures off ourselves. And yet, despite our fatigue, we really enjoyed it here. This is one of the most picturesque parts of the island and well worth a visit.