Kamianka. The "Floodplain of the Byk River" Reserve. Monuments of History and Nature

The village of Kamianka in the Dobropillia district lies in the west of the Donetsk region, where the administrative border with the Dnipropetrovsk region runs.

Tourists and anglers come here to rest and fish on the banks of the Byk River, which wraps around the village in a winding ribbon.

Kamianka, Dobropillia district, Donetsk region. The "Floodplain of the Byk River" reserve

The river's source — in the village of Hannivka, north of Dobropillia. For a little over 100 kilometres this small river of the Dnipro basin winds and twists like a snake and flows into the Samara near Petropavlivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Shallow and narrow, with gentle banks, a stony bed and green valleys, this water artery of Donbas is rich in fish.

Spreading their arms wide, the anglers tell of the pike, tench, crucian carp, silver carp, carp and grass carp they have caught.

On the floodplain meadows, in the thick grass, little cows take their exercise and boost their yield, but the hydronym is not connected with cloven-hoofed animals. Byk is an altered word meaning "big" and "strong", and it testifies to the river's fullness of water in ancient times.

The Byk was probably deeper and navigable, which is why a legend about a sunken Turkish vessel gives treasure-hunters no peace. Overloaded with goods on its way back to the Ottoman Empire, the vessel got stuck in the shallowed river, struck the rocks and listed. The Byk did not want to let the enemy carry off the plunder. The turban-wearers managed to save part of the gold, but a great deal of the cargo went under water and was drawn into the silt. Where the wealth is buried, no one knows; the secret of the cache rests on the bottom of the Byk.

The river's respectable age is attested by numerous oxbow lakes, around which picturesque terraces have formed with representatives of the plant and animal world.

An important event for the preservation of the flora and fauna in the river's course took place in 2017. On the initiative of ecologists, local historians and caring citizens, an area of 288 hectares along the river's course received the status of a reserve of local significance, the "Floodplain of the Byk River".

In the marshes of this natural complex, favourable conditions have developed for a unique biosphere.

The bird migration route passes through here, and birds nest here.

On the river's banks the Chervonoarmiisk forestry has created green man-made oases, planting oaks, pines, maples and poplars.

A large part of the protected zone adjoins Kamianka, one of the oldest villages in the Dobropillia district.

At the entrance to the village on the northern side the traveller is greeted by an unusual guardian — a Cuman warrior from the times of the Neolithic. In the past there were 7 Scythian statues in the district. The place by the field where the sentinel stood was called "By the Baba". In Soviet times, on the instructions of the party bosses, the ancient monument was set up in a park in Dobropillia. Nowadays, on the initiative of local historians, the baba has been returned to its home spot, moved a little closer to the road so that those passing by can see the stone old-timer. It is believed that you should stroke the stone statue and make a wish. By the monument are stacked millstones, rollers and household implements made of sandstone.

Kamianka. A sculpture of a Cuman warrior and the "By the Baba" rest area.

Still closer to the village, by the road, an artificial mound has been raised in memory of the ancient burial grounds destroyed during the construction of the road.

Kamianka. A memorial sign to the destroyed burial mounds

On the side of the Dnipropetrovsk road several signs have been set up — of the Dobropillia district, of the Shevchenko agricultural enterprise, and a welcoming stele from the supporters of Ukraine's champions FC "Shakhtar".

Kamianka. Dobropillia district. Signs at the entrance to the village

Worthy of attention is a stand with a reminder for businessmen to love their country more than money.

The agricultural enterprise specialises in growing cereal crops. Around the village stretch wide fields with ripening ears of grain.

There are several streets in the village; the houses are numbered and have the appropriate plates.

Kamianka. Dobropillia district. A semi-detached house on Shkilna Street

The owners make fences from the stone of an abandoned quarry. Craftsmen neatly stack the slabs, and the fence comes out sturdy and original.

The main street is asphalted and bears the name of the fighter pilot Astakhov, whose plane and remains were found in Kamianka 20 years after the war.

Kamianka. A monument to the pilot Astakhov and a memorial sign to the fellow-villager soldiers

During the years of the Hitlerite occupation the Germans set up a camp for captured Red Army soldiers on the territory of the collective farm. In 1943, after the village was liberated, about 1,000 prisoners who had been tortured and shot were reburied in a mass grave.

Kamianka. The mass grave of prisoners of war, victims of the concentration camp

Kamianka. A memorial sign on the site of the former concentration camp

One of the streets is named Shkilna in memory of the school, but there is no school in the village. In the old building of the village school there are a paramedic station, which is also currently closed, and the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God. The community in Kamianka is small, and services are held on feast days.

Kamianka. The Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God. A former school

There is no shop in the village either, and the residents travel for their shopping to Shylivka, 10 kilometres from Kamianka.

Kamianka. Astakhov Street. A closed shop

Rubbish containers are set out at all the crossroads of the small village, but spontaneous dumps are still to be found on the riverbank.

Despite all the difficulties, declines and crises, the hearth of culture has managed not to go out. The House of Culture, with its columns, ramp and new roof, has undergone a metamorphosis with the use of plastic. Beside the House of Culture a rest area has been created with a gazebo, a swing and flower beds.

The bus stops in Kamianka are ingeniously decorated — with quotations and drawings in the national style and a patriotic spirit.

On one of the stop shelters are the lines of M. Rylskyi: "He who does not know his own past is not worthy of his future".

Coordinates of the village of Kamianka: 48°22’7"N 36°50’23"E