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22 Sep. 2024

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Ukrainian Venice: experiencing Vilkovo with Max Uzol and Ola Manko

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Ukrainian Venice: experiencing Vilkovo with Max Uzol and Ola Manko

Max Uzol and Olya Manko have already visited Bessarabia, so this time their video is dedicated exclusively to one town - the only town on the water in Ukraine where Old Believers and descendants of Ukrainian Cossacks live. Find out what Vilkovo is known for and what ancient traditions it preserves

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Almost on the border, a charming town called Vilkovo lives and thrives. Its peculiarity is that part of the settlement is located on the water: instead of sidewalks, there are canals, instead of cars and mopeds, there are boats. But this is not the only thing Vilkovo is known for. Visit Ukraine experts have watched a video by You Tube bloggers Max Uzol and Olya Manko and are now telling us about the city on the water in an interesting and useful way. You can see the city with your own eyes by travelling to Bessarabia or watching the video here, and read the details in the article.

Vylkove is a town of Old Believers and Cossacks of the last Sich (recall that the last Zaporizhzhia Sich was destroyed by Russian Empress Catherine II in 1775, and it is the descendants of the Cossacks of that Sich who have lived in Vylkove for several centuries).

Two worlds of the city on the water


The town is divided into two parts - the mainland and the water area. The latter is more interesting for tourists, as it is cut by canals and has many attributes of a typical water town. The mainland is a city of ordinary people with tall buildings and asphalt roads, where everyday city life goes on. By the way, it is on the mainland that the boat monument is located, which makes it easy to recognise the legendary city.

The old part of the city is water-based: boats sail here, and canals replace asphalt. Max Uzol says that at first glance, these are two different cities, with a different pace of life.

Earlier we told you that Odesa region has opened its own Venice to Ukrainians. Yes, we are talking about Vilkovo.

History of the ancient town of Vilkovo


In Vilkovo, there is a monument to an Old Believer who came here by boat and founded the settlement. The local guide says that the event happened in 1746 (yes, before the destruction of the Sich - the Cossacks were not the first). In the Russian Empire, Christians who did not accept the reform of Orthodoxy were called Old Believers, or schismatics. They were forced to flee the Russian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire, which owned these territories at the time, allowed them to stay. Later, Zaporizhzhia Cossacks settled here after the destruction of the Sich. Both banks were settled, including the one that is now Romania. It was there that the Danubian Sich, the last in the history of the Hetmanate, emerged. At the moment, only a quarter of the city's population is descended from Zaporizhzhia Cossacks, while the rest are descended from the first Old Believers.

Not only Vilkovo is interesting in Odesa region. More tourist attractions on the way from Kyiv to Odesa can be found here.


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About the life and economy of Vylkove


Vylkove is a vivid example of how human labour has been able to turn fertile land from impassable swamps and marshes. When the first settlers came here, it was a muddy plain - ideal for those who were hiding from persecution. The settlement is located in the Danube delta, and the entire life of the locals is connected with the river: it feeds them, provides water and soil under their feet. When the first settlers appeared in this area, there were floodplains (even earlier, there was a sea). In order to get fertile land, people literally poured soil on islands and drained it. In this way, islands were formed, connected by water channels. Over decades of hard work, the ‘Ukrainian Venice’ was formed, and now it is known in every corner of the country.

It has unique traditions and customs, culture and lifestyle. The Old Believers are a fairly closed community, so the traditions here (Cossack and other) have been preserved in almost their original form.

The video about Vilkovo is actually a continuation of the tour of Bessarabia that Max Uzol and Olya Manko went on this summer. More details can be found here.


Photo: TSN


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Frequantly

asked questions

What city in Ukraine is located on water?

Almost on the border, a charming town called Vilkovo lives and thrives. Its peculiarity is that part of the settlement is located on the water: instead of sidewalks, there are canals, instead of cars and mopeds, there are boats.

Who lives in Vylkove, Odesa Oblast?

When was the last Zaporizhian Sich destroyed?

When was the town of Vilkovo in Odesa Oblast founded?

Who are the Old Believers?

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