Information About

Pereyaslav





HISTORY

Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi played a significant role in the history of Ukraine. It was mentioned for the first time in the text of the Rus' treaty with the Byzantine Empire (911) as Pereyaslav-Russki, to distinguish it from Pereyaslavets in Bulgaria . Vladimir I, Prince Of Kiev built here in 992 the large fortress to protect the southern limits of Kievan Rus' from raids of nomads from Steppe s of currently Southern Ukraine. It was a capital of the Principality Of Pereyaslav from the middle of the 11th Century until its demolition by Tatars in 1239 , during the Mongol Invasion Of Kievan Rus' .

In the second half of the 16th Century it became a center of the Ukrainian Cossacks . Bohdan Khmelnytsky called here the "Council of Pereyaslav", where the Ukrainian Cossacks had voted for a military alliance with Muscovy and accepted the Treaty Of Pereyaslav . This event led finally to the unification of the Left-Bank Ukraine with Russia. The town known as ''Pereiaslav'' as that time, and later as ''Pereiaslav-Poltavskyi'' was renamed to ''Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi'' in 1943 to honour this event.


TOURIST ATTRACTIONS


The whole town was proclaimed a historical sanctuary. The largest tourist attractions are:
  • The museum of folk architecture, presenting the architecture and traditions of Ukrainians from ancient times up to the 19th Century , including a notable collection of wind mills from the 17–19th centuries.

  • Excavated ruins of buildings from the 10–11th centuries.

  • St. Michael's church (1646-66) and Ascension monastery (with cathedral built in 1695-1700).



FAMOUS RESIDENTS

Pereiaslav was the birthplace of Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem .