Vilkovo. Old Believers in the Danube Delta
It is curious that 300 years ago, when Vilkovo (formerly Lipovanskoe) was founded by the Cossacks and Lipovans, the city stood near the sea. But over the past centuries, the sea has moved 18 kilometers away.
The Danube is the main local attraction. It is the largest river in Europe, almost 3,000 kilometers long. The river is the border of ten states, including Ukraine. Actually, on the opposite bank from Vilkovo there is already Romania. Despite the fact that the amount of fish in the Danube is decreasing, it is still there and fishing is an important source of income for local residents. There are sturgeon and beluga here.
What to do in Vilkovo:
- take a boat ride along the city canals or walk along them
- visit the “zero kilometer”, the place where the Danube flows into the sea
- get acquainted with Lipovan culture and cuisine
- see Old Believer churches
- go fishing
- try local wine
- visit the unique Ermakov Island, see birds and animals
There is a main canal in Vilkovo, just like in Venice. Actually, this is the only “working” channel that is constantly used.
There are also many small eriks.
The system of wooden and stone platforms is interesting; they are found almost everywhere and allow you to avoid dirt.
Hundreds of such platforms - personal berths - have been built along the Danube.
In spring there are a lot of daffodils in the city.
There are several monuments.
Lenin was demolished last year, only one pedestal remains.
The state provides very little support for the tourism industry in Vilkovo, so the tourism infrastructure that exists now was created by local residents. Actually, the state, apparently, generally supports Vilkovo only in words, this can be seen even by the terrible road that leads to the city.
We, as tourists with many years of experience, will list what what needs to be done here first of all to develop the tourism industry. In case those in power read us.
1. The most important thing is to pay attention to Vilkovo. Not only in terms of tourism. Believe me, this needs to be done for various reasons. And if you don’t understand these reasons, then you have no place among those in power.
2. Repair 80 kilometers of the road, this is some kind of shame, not the road.
3. Clear, improve and, most importantly, preserve the remaining small eriks (channels). Same business card Vilkovo, which many tourists now simply call a swamp.
4. Improve tourist water transport and the services they provide. At the moment, there appears to be no special oversight over those offering services.
5. Place more emphasis on Lipovan traditions and cuisine. Take an example from the promoted Hutsuls.
There are many other recommendations, these are just the main ones. Why should you pay attention to Vilkovo? Because this is a unique place. Believe us, wherever we have been, we still write that this place is unique, with good potential.
Moreover, Vilkovo is already popular among foreign tourists. Together with us there was a group of Germans, 15 people, embassy employees. Many European tourists come to Vilkovo during cruises on the Danube. This is the last point for them, here they transfer to small boats and go to the zero kilometer, that is, the place where the Danube flows into the Black Sea.
In addition to Vilkovo itself, the Danube Biosphere Reserve, which is located around the city, is of great interest. Wherever you go by boat, your path will go through the reserve. The ecosystem of the Danube Delta is the most interesting in Europe and one of the best in the world. During two days of excursions we saw a huge number of birds and animals.
We took two boat trips. First, up to the symbolic zero kilometer along the Ankudinovy arm. Along the way we looked at alluvial gardens and reed thickets.
At the final point of the route we took a photo with a symbolic sign. Here you can collect various beautiful shells and see rare birds. It’s a pity that our camera doesn’t allow us to photograph them in the distance, but believe me, they are there, even pelicans.
We also visited Ermakov Island. Along the way we passed along Vilkovo.
It is visited by only a few hundred people a year, so it has a unique ecosystem. There is no pier here, disembarkation is directly on the shore. We really wanted to fly here on a copter and show the island from above, but the border guards forbade it (we specifically called them to ask permission).
A long lens is a must here. We saw wild horses, wild cows, hyena, white-tailed eagle, bittern, cormorant, Dalmatian pelican, heron, pheasant, hoopoe. We really wanted to see forest cats and wild boars, but it didn’t work out.
The island is surrounded by a special dam that prevents the growth of tall trees and shrubs. It is very convenient to walk along the dam and, by the way, the path on it is trodden by animals, not people.
Not everyone survives the winter; we saw the bones of several large animals.
Crow Egg
And of course very beautiful landscapes.
Vilkovo is also interesting because Old Believers (Lipovans) live here. We have little interest in religion, so we didn’t even know who they were. In a nutshell: in the 1650s and 1660s, a reform of the church was carried out. Those who did not accept the reform began to be called Old Believers. They are also Orthodox believers, just with small, “cosmetic” differences. You can read in detail on Wikipedia, but for us the main difference was that Old Believers cross themselves with two fingers, not three, and there are separate entrances to the church for men and women.
There are three churches in Vilkovo: two for Old Believers and one modern. We specifically shot them from above for comparison. Purely visually there are no differences. True, you can’t take photographs inside the Old Believers; the local mayor’s office has officially banned it. The reason is conflicts between Old Believers and tourists.
You can read on the Internet that Lipovans are closed and unsociable. We must say that there is such an impression. Although, when we flew in the city with a copter, local residents came up with interest and asked what it was and how it worked. There were no problems in communication :)
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To the Black Sea. A wonderful, mysterious place where the beauty of nature and the creations of human hands merge together is Vilkovo. Ukrainian Venice - this is what residents and guests call this place. The old part of the city is located in the water, so you can only get here by boat, and instead of streets, we have canals. Let's find out how it happened that people founded this town on the river, and what kind of vacation in Vilkovo, judging by the reviews, can await us.
Nikon's church reform. Its consequences
Three centuries ago, Old Believers fled here from church reform. As a result of Russia's victory in the Russian-Turkish war, its position strengthened. They united and became a single center of Rus'. There was a need to create a centralized church, because the Orthodox faith was the single core of the state. It was decided to come to a single prayer, the same forms of worship and rituals. For this purpose, the Nikon reform was carried out, the basis of which was the church practice of Byzantium.
It turned out that in the years that have passed since the baptism of Rus', a lot has changed in the rituals. decided to eradicate this disunity, enlisting the support of the king. But in reality, everything turned out to be more complicated - not everyone accepted the changes with enthusiasm. There were many who disagreed: a significant part of the boyars, merchants, representatives of the clergy and peasants. Thus began the split. The confrontation intensified, there were many casualties, and the Old Believers realized that they had no chance to survive and win. Some considered the solution to the problem to go on the run, others staged self-immolations in protest, and still others went underground. It was these Lipovan Old Believers who fled and came to the swampy banks of the Danube.
The foundation of Vilkovo and the feat of Lipovan
The founders of Vilkovo in 1746 literally rebuilt and took out “the land from under the water,” namely, they extracted silt and laid it at the base of future houses and streets, fencing artificial islands with chopped reeds. The town was literally reclaimed from the river.
During the Russian-Turkish War, the Lipovans made their invaluable contribution to the victory. Their services were highly appreciated and noted in Kutuzov’s reports. Without the help of the Lipovans, it would have been impossible to achieve one of the most striking victories in history - the capture of the impregnable fortress of the Ottoman Empire, the city of Izmail. As Suvorov said, personally inspecting one of the most powerful fortifications in Europe before the assault, “this fortress has no weak points.” The Lipovans themselves did not participate in hostilities for religious reasons, but agreed to help Suvorov in organizing the transfer of troops along the Danube. They provided their boats with excellent performance, maneuverability and spaciousness. Still, over the years of living on the river, the settlers took into account all the nuances of navigation. Their long, narrow boats had bows on both sides, which saved time on turns.
The victorious commander, as a reward, gave the Lipovans the right to own the waters of the Danube, which was recorded on paper and sealed with the appropriate seal. In the 20th century, Romania tried to deprive them of this right, but the Hague International Court of Justice retained the right received from Russia for the rulers of the Danube. The act of lipovan is not only a military feat, but also a Christian step of good will. These people have shown that they do not remember old grievances, put the common cause above their own interests and know how to help without hoping for bribes.
Population
The majority of the population of Vilkovo is Russian. There are 70% of them in the town, and most of them still profess the ancient Old Believer faith. 25% are Ukrainians, as well as Romanians, Moldovans, Bulgarians and representatives of other nationalities. The population of the city of Vilkovo, according to the 2001 census, was 9.4 thousand people. Also, according to the same census, Russian is the native language for 84% of the population.
Religion
There are three churches in the city - one Orthodox and two Old Believers. There are also three Baptist churches located here.
Geographical features of the region
The Vilkovo map gives an idea of the location of the town.
The Danube flows into the sea through several divided channels, “sleeves” that resemble a fork, which explains the name of the city. The parts of this fork were connected manually by numerous canals - “eriks”, and now it is a town on 72 islands. Together with river channels, man-made canals created a single water system in Vilkovo. Photo settlement clearly demonstrate channels alternating with small islands. And if you look at a map of the city from the air during the Danube flood, we will see neat rectangular islands of land among the endless water.
Amazing nature of Vilkovo
Ukrainian Venice has every right to be called a piece of paradise. All nature lives here at the junction of sea and river. The region is characterized by rare species of plants, birds, and animals. There are also lakes nearby. As in Ancient Egypt, silt gives plants strength, being the best fertilizer. Standing in the water, residents take out the silt, lay it out to dry, and then transport it in wheelbarrows to the desired location. The land created with your own hands always turns into a wonderful, neat vegetable garden with beds of vegetables or a garden with fragrant flowers. The small reed houses of the inhabitants are surrounded by fragrant gardens and vineyards. Basically all vegetable gardens are located on the islands. Just imagine - to get to visit your neighbor, you will have to walk across a bridge or sail a boat! Indeed, Vilkovo is the Ukrainian Venice. A photo of an ordinary street, along which traffic is carried out by boat, makes it possible to imagine the ordinary everyday life of Vilkovo residents.
Local business
In addition to farming, local residents also engage in fishing. Moreover, this town is rightly called the capital of the Danube fishermen. Fish farming in the sea and river is the main occupation of the population here. Also recently, reeds have been in good demand for export. Vilkovites sell fish, local strawberries, grapes, homemade wine and other products to tourists.
Attractions
What can you see on vacation in Vilkovo? Ukrainian Venice is the only city in Europe that is located on the territory of the Danube Plavni Biosphere Reserve. This is a state-protected area where natural complexes unique to the area are located and is carried out in conjunction with scientific research. Nature here is full of life, many species of plants, animals, birds, waterfowl and even aquatic invertebrates are listed in the Red Book.
At the place where the Danube flows into the Black Sea there is a symbolic sign “0 km”. They say that visiting here and walking under it is considered a good omen - it will bring good luck and health. Just think - more than 2.5 thousand kilometers is the path of the Danube, which flows into the sea right here, in the small man-made town of Vilkovo.
Ukrainian Venice. Rest
There are several recreation centers, a hotel and mini-hotels. Judging by the reviews, this is an ideal place for a couple, a large group or a family with children. By the way, in many courtyards there are children's playgrounds with swings and slides. During the day you can take a boat ride along the picturesque river delta, go fishing, or visit the best fish market in the region. From national dishes It is worth trying, as experienced travelers say, real fish soup, the famous Danube herring, smoked bream, Salamur sauce, Lipovan herbal tea and, of course, a glass of local Novak wine. Vilkovo is the Ukrainian Venice, it’s definitely worth a visit!
In tourist brochures, the town of Vilkovo in the Kiliysky district of the Odessa region is called “Ukrainian Venice.” In fact, we will see a living illustration of the labor feat of thousands of fugitive Old Believers.
There are many amazing places in Ukraine, both from an architectural and natural point of view. And there is also one where the natural beauty of the Danube estuary miraculously combines with simple human labor in almost inhuman conditions.
In tourist brochures, the town of Vilkovo in the Kiliysky district of the Odessa region is called “Ukrainian Venice.”
In fact, we will see a living illustration of the labor feat of thousands of fugitive Old Believers who managed to settle in the Polesie swamps and Danube floodplains. We have long wanted to see these places with our own eyes, because getting to those places is not easy even with a good crossover. And that's why!
Vilkovo is located in the very corner of our country, in the southwest of the Odessa region near the border with Romania. The E-95 route is known, perhaps, to every motorist - the road to Odessa leads like an arrow from Kyiv. And if anyone goes to Vilkovo from other regions, they will still have to pass through Odessa. It is best to make a pit stop here at the 21st kilometer (+400 m) of the ring road near the village of Usatovskoye at the OKKO gas station. The fact is that we had a small child with us who needed to change diapers. . This was another reason for choosing this gas station, since there is a changing table in the restroom, which my wife found out about on , planning our route in advance.
For the rest of the crew (there were four of us), who were pretty hungry on the way, the main “bonus” was the presence here the already familiar cuisine of the restaurant of the A la minute chain, which we trust, because we have tested it more than once. By the way, a note to parents traveling with children - these restaurants even have dishes on the menu that are recommended for little guests (at the table next to us, the little one eagerly devoured children's pasta). The wife preferred the Caesar salad and Mille-feuille dessert, her sister preferred steamed buckwheat with goulash, and the male half each took borscht and a juicy pork steak. We didn’t have to wait long for our order, but while we were having lunch, we managed to get our car washed at a good discount using the points accumulated on our Fishka card - nice!
After a hearty lunch, I really wanted to take the short road along the sea that was offered google maps. But after Belgorod-Dnestrovsky it became clear that it was simply terrible, driving above 40 km/h without damaging the suspension and riders was difficult, so we turned onto the notorious M-15 road (Odessa-Reni), which partially coincides with the European E- 87.
By the way, if you have time, then along the way you can stop by the fortress in Belgorod-Dnestrovsky, this will take an hour and a half. The area there is quite large, there is where to climb and what to see.
While I was driving, my wife was reading the history of “Ukrainian Venice” from her phone. It turns out that Vilkovo was originally the village of Lipovanskoye, which was founded in 1746 (according to other sources in 1762) by the so-called Old Believers or Lipovans. They fled religious persecution after the Nikonian schism of the Russian Orthodox Church. These were the Don Cossacks who first settled in the Danube floodplains in the 40s of the 17th century. It was then that the settlement of Lipovanskoye appeared on Russian military maps.
Monument to the Old Believer pioneer - the founder of Vilkovo
At the same time, this territory was being populated by Zaporozhye Cossacks, who fled persecution after the destruction of the Zaporozhye Sich. To this day, Lipovans represent the majority of the city’s population. They have preserved many of their religious traditions.
There are three churches in the city: Orthodox and two Old Believer Lipovan churches. Since 1812, after the signing of the Peace of Bucharest, Vilkovo has been a district town in the Besarabia province.
The first residents of Vilkovo began to develop the floodplains, but in order to build a house and set up a garden, they first had to build an artificial island. Construction material was taken right there, digging a canal around the island. And today the population of the old city continues to live on these same islands, each of which is surrounded by a canal or “erik”.
Roads from house to house are laid along masonry and bridges. Each family has its own boat, and this is the main means of transport for Vilkovo residents. Actually, that’s why Vilkovo received the fame of “Ukrainian Venice”. Fortunately, in Vilkovo not only canals act as transport arteries, but there are also ordinary roads. Moreover, mainly in the form of concrete blocks, the asphalt is concentrated at the entrance.
Photo: shutterstock
The area of Vilkov is about 460 hectares. No authorities know how many islands there are, although in fact this city with a population of 10 thousand people is Ukrainian territory. But people here still speak the Russian language of pre-Petrine times and do not know what country they live in: some still think that they are “under Russia”, others – “under Romania”. But Vilkovo still remains quiet and hidden, hidden in the Danube floodplains - reed thickets. The town is small, it’s difficult to get lost here, and there are very friendly and welcoming people around.
Getting acquainted with this amazing region, we cannot help but talk about the history of its origin. In the mid-17th century, fugitive Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks, persecuted for religious and political reasons, settled in the lower Danube Delta. The location was chosen on the mainland on low sedimentary banks, which were flooded with water during strong winds and floods. There was a need to strengthen areas for housing, outbuildings and vegetable gardens. The soil was taken here, digging canals and eriks around the captured areas. They served as a boundary between the owners' land plots and good passages and shelter for boats.
Together with the natural channels of the delta, man-made canals formed a single water system of canals and eriks in the city of Vilkovo. It occupies up to 45% of the city’s territory and you can get to any part of it via canals by boat.
Vilkovo is an original and colorful region: Lipovan settlements, amazing dialects, a city of fishermen and winemakers. The city is located on water, so all the land here is alluvial. Most of the vegetable gardens are located on the islands, where people go by boat. Standing in the water, they take out the silt here, then lay it on the shore, and the dried silt is taken to the right place by wheelbarrows or stretchers. Fertilizers are almost never used. Il, as in ancient Egypt, gives strength to any plant. Perhaps that’s why there are strawberries here almost all year round, but in addition to strawberries, Novak grapes are grown here, which is completely unique - nowhere else is there a variety that grows on silt and water. The grapes are used to make wonderful red wine and sell it, as indicated by chalk signs next to the gates. Wine costs 5-6 hryvnia 1.5 liters. There is a joke here: a Vilkov resident who wet his throat with Novak wine can be easily recognized. It only wobbles back and forth and in no case left or right. In Vilkovo this is impossible, because you will immediately fall into the water - there are such narrow masonry walls along the houses. Also here you can drink wonderful herbal teas from a wood-burning samovar, which are comparable only to those from the Carpathians.
According to local legend, the people of Vilkovo can walk on the sea as if on land. In Vilkovo, almost every family has fishermen, so there is plenty of fresh fish here. Men go fishing on the Danube or on the islands. Fishing lovers will appreciate the quiet banks of the Danube and its channels, overgrown with willows and reeds bending towards the water. You will see many exotic birds that live in abundance in the floodplains: pink pelicans, geese, striped hawks, and the famous white-tailed eagles.
You can go on a tour of the Danube on a boat, where they will show you the “0” kilometer - the place where the Danube flows into the Black Sea, the nature of the Danube Biosphere Reserve, feed you fish soup and drink wine, and in the evening you will be brought back to the pier. You can spend the night in a city hotel or rent a room by making arrangements with the grandmothers at the bus station.
So, for those who have not yet saved up money for Italy, we offer you to admire our “Ukrainian Venice” for now. Believe me, if you visit the Ukrainian Danube region at least once, you will forever remain in love with this region. It is here that nature and people live very close together, and in the evening you can take a bottle of wine, sit on the banks of the Danube and just relax. Well, by God, the feeling is simply incomparable when, sitting near a house in a small green garden and drinking delicious homemade wine, you hear the noise of a passing motor boat behind the fence, and not a motorcycle or a car. And what seems absolutely funny for a city person is to see how cows are taken on boats to graze on protected land, and returned to the islands to spend the night. On little boats, which even a man would be afraid to sit in and where the rower, like a gondolier, stands in the Venetian style, pushing off with a four-meter oar, cows ride proudly, touching the reeds with their horns. In Vilkovo they are teased as “sea cows”. This is exotic!
You need to get to Vilkovo from Odessa. The bus station is located next to the station on Privoz. Departure to Vilkovo at 6.20 and around 10 am you will already be there.
Vilkovo is an illustration of a labor feat. Not for the sake of a medal or victory in a social competition, but for the sake of life. Not something invented by the Soviet regime (although, of course, not all exploits were invented then), but the real thing, one that can still be seen and touched. The titanic labor of thousands of fugitive Old Believers raised this city above the waters of the Danube floodplain. And even if this is not Venice (“Ukrainian Venice” is the name given to a town in travel companies), although there are no extraordinary architectural monuments here, but it doesn’t stink either, like on the streets of an Italian miracle during the period of sewage disposal...
Mykolayivska Old Believer Church at the Bilgorod Girl
0th km of the Danube at the Kiliyskiy girt
Erik
Ivan Lipovanin
Terrible and incomprehensible (in particular, to me personally) processes that Greater Russia not at all uncommon, they drove these people from their homes into the taiga, into the sparsely populated Polessk swamps, into the Danube floodplains. And how did they get here? How did you transport your goods? On their backs, or on horses, or on oxen? But where do oxen come from in Muscovy? It was in Ukraine that there were once so many of these working creatures that the Ukrainians themselves began to be compared with these madly strong and calmly phlegmatic children of cows... I remember my father-in-law’s stories about working with oxen, about their measured reblinking in the middle of a starry night.. But this is from a different story.
Christianity appeared in Rus' in the 10th century. It came from Byzantium and held firm until the 17th century. Although Constantinople fell under the onslaught of the Seljuk Turks, and Kyiv was captured by the Tatars, Lithuanians, and Poles. The Kiev Metropolis first moved to Vladimir on the Klyazma, then to Moscow, and then completely split into two and settled in Moscow and Vilna (the capital of Lithuania). Later, the “third Rome” appeared, and even later it was headed by Patriarch Nikon, who decided to carry out a reform... Instead of a two-pointed cross - a tripartite one, Jesus instead of Jesus, walking around the temple against the sun, instead of in the direction of the sun, and such little things that are funny to list. I remember a comedy with Eddie Murphy: “... they have McDonald’s, and we have McDowell’s, they have golden arches, and we have golden arches...” But to Nikon’s innovation, which he adopted from Catholic Europeans, opposition arose with the archpriest Habakkuk at the head. These people were unable or unwilling to accept reforms in unshakable religious traditions. And terrible repressions began... Exiles, torture, executions - all this, by order of Nikon and with the full support of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, had to be endured by people who preserved the old traditions and received names - Old Believers, Old Believers, “schismatics”. Some of these people emigrated outside the Russian Empire and settled on the Turkish territory of Bessarabia. The floodplains in the Danube Delta became their new homeland.
Tipova Suchasna vulitsa
"Typova Stara Street" - Bilgorod Canal
Prayer from Muslims
Typical channels
It is interesting that in the 18th century the Old Believers split into two parts. Since priests had to be appointed by bishops, and there were no such priests at the disposal of the Old Believers, some began to profess the non-priest direction, while others began to choose priests on their own or to agitate for priests from the majority, which they called “Nikonians.” The Orthodox majority is still called “Nikonians” (although Nikon’s reforms were not carried out on the territory of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian religious elite did not want to join the Russian church in 1654).
Most of the Old Believers adhered to the “priestly” branch - they had their own priests, and in 1846 they even received their own metropolitan. He became Metropolitan Ambrose of Bosno-Sarajevo, who joined the Old Believer Church and publicly confirmed his commitment to it. For this, official Orthodoxy discredited the Metropolitan.
In Bukovina and Bessarabia, the Old Believers of the priestly persuasion were called Lipovans. One version of the origin of the name is that the Old Believers loved to settle in linden groves. Although there is a version of the origin of the name from some Philip, whose followers were the Old Believers (probably from Metropolitan St. Philip (Kolychev) - the hero of the film "Tsar"), therefore another name for the ethnographic group is Filipons.
On the Danube
The development of the Lipovan branch is closely related to the Bukovinian one. It was here that the first and largest Lipovan monastery was created, which became the basis of the hierarchy of Old Believers. Later, a majestic temple was built in Belaya Krynitsa, which is now a symbol of the Old Believers in Ukraine.
In Vilkovo, on the banks of the Danube, there is a monument to Ivan Lipovanin - this is a memory of the first settlers who founded a settlement in the Danube delta in the mid-18th century.
Throughout the 19th century, Old Believers were persecuted in the Russian Empire. The weakening occurred only in 1905 - then representatives of the old faith received permission to processions and church bells. And in 1918, the Bolsheviks completely equalized the rights of the Old Believers with the powerless “Nikonians” (patriarchal Orthodox believers). But the patriarchal church did not recognize the rights of the Old Believers. It was only in 1971 that the Russian Patriarchal Church acknowledged the mistakes that led to the schism in the 17th century and pointed to the “equality of integrity” of the Old Believers Church. This is how the connection happened.
Until recent years, marriages with Nikonians were prohibited among the Lipovans (permission appeared after a significant deterioration in the demographic situation). Lipovan women do not have the right to enter the church through the main entrance. Men after 60 years of age do not shave (although 20 years ago a beard was the companion of Lipovan men throughout their lives). This is only part of the differences in Lipovan religious rituals - I don’t remember the rest. Now the Lipovan-Vilkovo residents are increasingly allowing civilization into their lives, but back in 1746, when Lipovansky Posad was founded on the site of modern Vilkovo, the life of the residents was close to the life of hunter-gatherers. Hunting and fishing were the main occupations of the Lipovans. They also rowed silt from the Danube and built themselves a solid earth. It’s hard to even imagine the complexity of such work, but it was precisely this that made it possible to turn a remote swamp into a town. True, instead of streets in this town there were canals, and movement was carried out by boats. Later, they began to pour silt outside the city - this is how vegetable gardens appeared, which are still in operation today. The main horticultural crops of Vilkovo residents are strawberries and grapes. Strawberries appear here first in Ukraine - they are immediately bought up by intermediaries. Grapes are the raw material for the production of local dry wine “Novak”. I tried it - it was delicious, I especially liked the strawberry flavor.
Now Vilkovo is a tourist center of the Ukrainian Danube region. But the road here is scary. The last 30 km is a horror flying on the wings of the night. Therefore, there are significantly fewer tourists than the city could receive.
One of the four main natural reserves of Ukraine. The territory of the reserve is included in all possible registers of the world's most valuable landscapes. Tourists can see the beauty of the Danube and its landscapes during a boat excursion (they are very popular in Vilkovo).
The main occupation of Vilkovo residents now (as two centuries ago) is fishing. The main commercial fish is the Danube herring, a Red List species, which is caught in tons in the reserve. In special zones of biosphere reserves, folk crafts and fishing are not prohibited by law, but within certain standards and with official permission from a special department of the reserve.
The Danube Biosphere Reserve is unofficially part of a larger biosphere reserve, most of which is located in Romania. But Danube herring is the unofficial main souvenir of the city - it is sold salted and smoked. This is a very fatty, delicious fish, which is officially called the Azov-Black Sea anadromous herring. It does not live in the Danube, but only spawns (rising upstream 600 km). In addition to the Danube, it comes to spawn in the Dniester, Dnieper and Southern Bug, but much less frequently.
The first Vilkovo-Lipovans lived for a long time in reed huts (kurens). Houses built from reeds and mud began to appear in the 19th century. Such buildings are still the majority in Vilkovo. Many erik canals were filled in during Soviet times - they were made into real streets, but in the old part of the city the eriks are still the main transport arteries. The largest among them is the Belgorod Canal.
Mykolaiv Orthodox Church (1899-1902)
At the end of the 18th century, Zaporozhye Cossacks came to the town from the Sich, destroyed by Muscovites. They became the basis of agriculture in the vicinity of the town and further - they voluntarily took on the burden of agricultural work (the Russian Old Believers categorically refused them). Now the descendants of the Cossacks - Ukrainians - make up about a quarter of the city's population (in total, about 9 thousand people live in Vilkovo). Lipovans call them crests. For more than two centuries, marriages between Lipovans and crests were prohibited.
Ukrainians in Vilkovo have their own temple - a church dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. It was built in 1899-1902. This is a majestic and luxurious temple, with five domes and a bell tower. It was built in a mixture of neo-baroque and modern. They say that Faberge was directly involved in the project of the temple iconostasis, but I personally don’t understand how.
Lipovan churches are inferior in external luxury to the Ukrainian church, but this makes them no less interesting architecturally. These are unique ship-temples (in plan they have the shape of a ship), which are symbols of an unshakable faith that was suppressed for centuries, but survived. These are ships that overcome the sea of life and time - the temples of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and the Nativity of the Virgin.
Mykolaiv Old Believers Orthodox Church (1906-1913)
The Old Believer Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is the youngest temple in the city. It is located on the island of Kalimbeika and was built over seven years - from 1906 to 1913. This temple is typical of Lipovan - it has a large dome and an attached bell tower. From a distance it looks somewhat like wooden churches of typical diocesan projects, but when you look up close the impression changes dramatically - a feeling of antiquity and authenticity appears.
The Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is the main temple of the Old Believers of the city, and, accordingly, the entire region. It was built in the 50s of the 19th century, and the 32-meter bell tower was added in 1873. The temple is very elegant, but for some reason I liked it less than the other two temples in the city.
Old Believers Orthodox Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary (1857, 1873)
There are more than three thousand boats (large and small) in Vilkovo - this is almost the largest percentage in Ukraine. The shuttle replaces both the car and the cart for the Vilkov resident. It is used to get to vegetable gardens, strawberries and grapes are transported on it, and herring and other fish are caught on it. The canoe is indispensable in housing construction, because it is used to transport reeds and silt for construction. They also carry fragments of mollusk shells, from which they construct a pile. After spring floods (and this is a common occurrence in Vilkovo), such rubble is cut off and the house dries out. Later they fill it up again.
Vilkovo - unique city, unlike other cities in Ukraine. Everyone should visit here before this monument to human titanic labor has not yet been completely filled up and paved over.
Text and photos by Roman Malenkov
Vilkovsky dachas on the Danube