< Back

Know Zhitomir. Part 4

Route Details

Route Distance

13.5 km

Route Duration

2 h 40 m

Route Points

Zhytomyr is one of the oldest Ukrainian cities. According to local legend, the city was founded around 884, and got its name from the name of its founder - vigilant of Kiev princes Askold and Dir - Zhitomir, who refused to serve Oleg, hid in the forests and settled on a high rock at the confluence of Kamyanka and Teterev. Pavel Joseph Safarik, a famous Czech Slavic scholar, argued that the ancient settlement - the future Zhitomir - arose as the center of the tribe of dwellers, which was part of the tribal union of Drevlians. The name of the city — the world of the people, as well as the tribe itself, whose main occupation was agriculture, arose from an important culture in this region — rye. The first written mention of the city dates back to 1240. In 1444 Zhytomyr received Magdeburg law, and in 1667 actually became the administrative center of the Kiev Voivodeship. In 1797 the city became the center of the newly created Volyn province. Today, Zhytomyr is the regional center of the region of the same name and a very interesting city, which you should definitely get acquainted with. And this route will help to know Zhitomir. It begins near the building of the magistrate, and includes the Castle Hill and the Castle Square, the regional museum of local lore, the Flat House and the building of the postal station of the tsarist times.