About This Site

Kachanivka Palace is one of Ukraine's most outstanding palace-park ensembles, built in the 1770s to designs by architect Karl Blank for Count Pyotr Rumyantsev. It has been a National Historical and Cultural Preserve since 1982.

Kachanivka Palace is one of the many country estates built by Pyotr Rumyantsev, Catherine II's viceroy of Little Russia. Located on the bank of the Smosh River near the village of Petrushivka in Pryluky Raion, Chernihiv Oblast, the palace impresses with its Neoclassical architecture and rich history. The residence was erected in the 1770s to Neoclassical designs by the prominent architect Karl Blank. In the 19th century, the complex was supplemented with a church, orangery, aviary, water tower, and several other buildings, creating a unique architectural ensemble. After Nikolay Rumyantsev's death in 1826, the property passed to the Tarnowski family. Count Vasyl Tarnowski, known for his passion for Ukrainian history, amassed a unique collection of weapons owned by Ukrainian hetmans. The palace became a true cultural center: it was visited by Nikolai Gogol, Taras Shevchenko, Ilya Repin, Mikhail Vrubel, and Mikhail Glinka, who worked here on his opera 'A Life for the Tsar'. Although the Soviets nationalized the palace for use as a penal colony and tuberculosis hospital, the manor complex, including the extensive English park and several subsidiary outbuildings, has been exceptionally well preserved. Since 1982, Kachanivka has been a national cultural preserve and was selected as one of the Seven Wondrous Castles and Palaces of Ukraine.

Historical Significance

The history of Kachanivka begins in the 1770s when powerful Russian military figure and diplomat Count Pyotr Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, who received these lands from Empress Catherine II for military service, decided to build a country estate here. The project was developed by prominent architect Karl Ivanovich Blank, one of the greatest masters of Russian Classicism. After Pyotr Rumyantsev's death in 1796, the estate was inherited by his son Nikolay Petrovich Rumyantsev, an outstanding statesman, diplomat, patron, and collector. He transformed Kachanivka into one of the most famous cultural centers of Ukraine. Rumyantsev assembled a unique library here, along with collections of manuscripts, minerals, and ethnographic items. In 1826, after Nikolay Rumyantsev's death, the estate passed to Count Vasyl Tarnowski. The Tarnowski family owned Kachanivka until 1917. Count Vasyl Tarnowski was a passionate collector and historian who assembled a unique collection of Ukrainian hetman weapons and created a genuine museum of Ukrainian antiquities in the palace. In the 19th century, Kachanivka became a pilgrimage site for Ukrainian intelligentsia. Nikolai Gogol, Taras Shevchenko, artists Ilya Repin and Mikhail Vrubel, and composer Mikhail Glinka all visited. Glinka worked on his opera 'A Life for the Tsar' in the summer house. After the 1917 revolution and establishment of Soviet power, the palace was nationalized. At various times, it housed a penal colony, tuberculosis hospital, and school. In 1982, Kachanivka was declared a National Historical and Cultural Preserve, saving the palace-park complex from complete decay.

Highlights

• ✓One of the Seven Wondrous Castles and Palaces of Ukraine
• ✓Neoclassical architecture by Karl Blank from 1770s
• ✓English park covering over 500 hectares
• ✓Unique collection of Ukrainian hetman weapons (historical)
• ✓Site visited by Gogol, Shevchenko, Repin, Glinka
• ✓National Historical and Cultural Preserve since 1982
• ✓Cascades of ponds and romantic pavilions
• ✓19th-century church, orangery, and water tower

Photo Gallery