Izium. Mount Kremenets. A Monument of Nature and History
Mount Kremenets in the town of Izium is one of the main tourist attractions of Kharkiv region. The hill, 220 metres above sea level, has the status of a geological natural monument and is the site of historical events dating back to the times of Kyivan Rus.
Izium. Kharkiv region. Mount Kremenets (Kremianets)
From the summit a panorama opens up in every direction for over 20 kilometres; the streets and outskirts of Izium, the forest tracts, the blue ribbon of the Siverskyi Donets and the domes of the Sviatohirsk Lavra are all clearly visible.
Archaeological research has shown that in the 4th century Tatar fortifications called "Kermen" stood on the heights. Later the positions were taken by Russian sentry posts, and over time the name transformed into "kreml", "kremin" and the modern form of the toponym "Kremenets", with the local name being "Kremianets".
The mound served as a landmark for the movement of military hosts on campaigns against enemy raids. In 1111, in these parts, Prince Volodymyr Monomakh won a victory over the Cumans.
Prince Ihor did not pass the mountain by either, as the lines in the ancient manuscript "The Tale of Ihor's Campaign" testify. As a tribute to the events of hoary antiquity, a detachment of 12th-century Cuman warriors has been lined up on the western slope at the highest point of Kharkiv region.
In olden times stone idols symbolised ancestors and were set up in the steppe on the highest spot.
The mountain is made up of chalk deposits and layers, of sandstone and sand. After firing, the lime was used to build houses.
Over its history Kremenets had industrial and economic importance. Trade routes passed near the mountain.
During the Civil War the White Guards shot prisoners from the Izium jail on the summit.
During the Nazi occupation the height was held by the Germans. In the course of the battles to liberate Izium and its surroundings, 800,000 Red Army soldiers perished.
In their honour, a memorial complex and the "Attack" sculptural group were unveiled on the summit.
Three concrete stelae, the tallest of them 26.5 metres high, symbolise the three battles on the Kharkiv front during the Civil War and the Second World War.
Examples of the military equipment that took part in the bloody battles are exhibited in the open air: KV and T-34 tanks, "Katyusha" rocket launchers, artillery pieces. Unfortunately, there are no information plaques, and the exhibits have been partly spoiled by those fond of leaving aerosol autographs.
On both sides of the avenue leading to the memorial, lamps in the shape of shells have been installed.
The eternal flame is probably lit on the day of Izium's liberation from the fascist invaders and on 9 May.
On the approaches to the height, memorial markers have been erected in honour of the defenders of Kremenets.
In the post-war years, to build the road long known as the Izium Route, the mountain had to be cut in two.
Using the labour of Nazi prisoners of war, the M-03 highway was laid through the artificial gorge that had been created, linking Kyiv and Kharkiv with Donetsk and Luhansk.
The rumble of cars disturbs the silence so needed in a memorial place.
On the western hill, by the sculpture of the Mother of God, mourning gatherings are held on the day of remembrance for the victims of the Holodomor of 1932-1933, in memory of the victims of one of the most terrible crimes against humanity.
Above the steppes, the hills, the river and the forests flies the state flag of Ukraine.
With the arrival of television, a metal television tower rose on the mountain; the transmitter now stands 190 metres high.
The triangulation point fixed on the summit is used in geodesy.
The feat of the Izium residents who served as Chornobyl liquidators has not been forgotten. At the foot of the memorial complex stands a stela in the shape of a cross with three storks. On black marble slabs the names of these local men, liquidators of the accident at the Chornobyl NPP, are immortalised.
Despite a certain neglect of the memorial complex, the grounds are cleared of the litter left behind by careless visitors.
Surplus blocks of stone monoliths have been dumped in the undergrowth.
Someone decided that the memorial mountain was a burial place for household pets.
In recent years, the climb up Kremenets has been added to the routes of hikers and road travellers, of cycling and quad-bike enthusiasts. The height and the lifting force of the wind are used by glider pilots, and the features of the terrain by paintball players.
For a comfortable rest, the "Seven Winds" hotel and a cafe have opened at the foot of Kremenets.
The interior of the restaurant is done in the style of a Sloboda Ukraine village of past centuries.
This combined natural and historical monument is a must-see for everyone travelling along the M-03 (E-40) highway in the southern part of Izium.
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