Historic and cultural reserves (Ukrainian:історико-культурні заповідники) are defined underUkrainian law as ensembles and complexes ofmonuments (landmarks) that collectively possesscultural, historic, or scientific value, and are thus placed under the protection of the state. Such a reserve may be limited to a singlepopulated place orregion. Historic reserves can be designated as historic and architectural, architectural and historic, historic andmemorial, historic and archaeological, or historic andethnographic depending on the dominant type of monuments that make up the reserve.[1] Some historic reserves are officially listed by theMinistry of Culture and usually known as national. However, there are other historic reserves that are established by regional state administrations and other bodies.[2] The designation of a territory as a historic reserve entails bans or restrictions on industrial and agricultural activities within its boundaries. Its administration is responsible for the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the area, ensuring its proper use, and carrying out educational, tourism, archival, and research activities.[3] Historic and cultural reserves are not to be confused withnature reserves, which protect natural rather thanhistoric areas.[4]
This list includesmuseum-reserves (museums that were also designated as historic and cultural reserves) that are directly subordinated to the Ministry of Culture or to the regional state administrations. However, it excludes other entities also referred to as museum-reserves, notably those managed byBorys Voznytsky Lviv National Art Gallery.[a] Similar institutions that are not officially designated as reserves are likewise excluded, such as the Historic and Archaeological Museum Complex "AncientLiubech", the Cultural and Archaeological Center "Peresopnytsia", and the Historic and Cultural Complex "Radomysl Castle-Museum".
As of 2025, there are 67 historic and cultural reserves in Ukraine, one of which (located inLviv'sOld Town) isde facto not functioning.Shevchenko National Reserve inKaniv, established in 1925, is the oldest, while AncientZvenyhorod, created in 2020, is the most recently established reserve.Cherkasy andLviv oblasts (regions) each have the highest number of active reserves, at eight. There are no reserves inDnipropetrovsk,Kherson,Luhansk,Odesa,Zakarpattia, andZhytomyr oblasts.
The idea of protected historic areas in Ukraine dates back to theperiod following theRussian Revolution, when theUkrainian People's Republic designated thegrave ofTaras Shevchenko – the country'snational poet[6] – as a national sanctuary in 1918. The same site was declared a state reserve in 1925 under theSoviet Union and additional historic and cultural reserves were established in the following years.[7] The Soviet government also distinguished between reserves of republican and local significance, which were managed by theUkrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and local governments, respectively.[8] In the 1930s, most existing reserves were liquidated and proposals for new ones were rejected, withStalinistrepressions also affecting the reserves' workers.[7] The creation of new reserves resumed afterWorld War II but gained momentum only in the 1970s–1980s, when the approach shifted toward preserving entire historic ensembles rather than individual monuments.[8] Another wave of reserve establishment occurred in the years followingUkraine's declaration of independence in 1991,[7] and slowed after 2010. Nevertheless, they currently face multiple organizational and managerial challenges. This is reflected in the unsuccessful attempts to establish reserves inOdesa (in 1994),[9][10]Chuhuiv (1996),[11][12] andHamaliivka [uk] (2019);[13] land ownership conflicts between the historic reserve and theregional landscape park [uk] inTrakhtemyriv;[2] as well as thede facto abolition of the reserve inLviv due to government-level disagreements.[14] Inadequate government funding hinders proper maintenance,[3] and many reserves still lack scientific and designdocumentation despite this being a legal requirement.[15] Moreover, several such areas havesuffered damage during the ongoingRusso-Ukrainian war, including the reserves inSviatohirsk,[16]Vasylivka,[17] andVerkhnii Saltiv.[18]
| Name | Image | Location[b] | Region[c] | Body[d] | Area[e] | Date[f] | Description | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Palace and Park Museum-Reserve in Alupka * | .jpg) | Alupka,Masandra | Autonomous Republic of Crimea[g] | Council of Ministers of Crimea | >40[h] | 8 September 1990 | TheVorontsov Palace (pictured), surrounded by a large garden, was built in 1828–1848 for the Russian noblemanMikhail Vorontsov. The reserve arose from a museum that had previously functioned on the territory of the palace. It also includes thechâteauesqueMasandra Palace, built for the Russian nobility in 1881–1902. | [22][23] |
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve in Bakhchysarai |  | Bakhchysarai,Khodzha Sala [uk],Kudryne [uk],Pishchane [uk],Viline [uk] | — | 7 September 1990 | Bakhchysarai served as the capital of theCrimean Khanate and has preserved numerous monuments from that era, notably theKhans' Palace (pictured),Eski-Yurt, andChufut-Kale. The reserve also includes the cave towns ofMangup-Kale andEski-Kermen, the ScythianUst-Alma archaeological site [uk], the site of theBattle of the Alma, multiplegrave fields, and museums dedicated toIsmail Gasprinsky and art. | [24][25] [22] | ||
| Koktebel Ecological, Historic and Cultural Reserve "Cimmeria ofM. O. Voloshin" * |  | Koktebel,Feodosia,Staryi Krym | — | 18 October 2000 | The reserve primarily focuses on preserving the heritage of the poetMaximilian Voloshin. In addition to the museum dedicated to him (pictured) and his grave, the reserve also covers the museums ofAlexander Grin,Konstantin Paustovsky, andAnastasia andMarina Tsvetaevy, and literature and art. | [22][26] [27] | ||
| Republican Historic and Archaeological Reserve "Kalos Limen" |  | Chornomorske | 2.5 | 20 May 1997 | Kalos Limen is an ancient city founded by theGreeks, and later controlled by theScythians and theSaltovo-Mayaki culture. In addition to the city's remains (pictured), the reserve manages the Chornomorske Museum of Local History and holds a collection of artifacts from theTarkhankut Peninsula. | [22][28] [29] | ||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve in Kerch |  | Kerch | — | 5 March 1987 | Kerch is the site of multiple ancient Greek andBosporan cities, includingPantikapaion,Mymekion,Nymphaion, andTyritake, the remains of which are included in the reserve. It also covers burial monuments from that period, such as theCrypt of Demeter [uk] and theRoyal andMelek-Chesme [uk] kurgans, as well as other landmarks, notably theKerch andYeni-Kale fortresses,Church of Saint John the Baptist (pictured), and museums of theAdzhimushkay quarry, history and archaeology, and the liberation of Kerch. | [22][30] [31] | ||
| Historic and Archaeological Reserve "Scythian Neapolis" | _(29689226505).jpg) | Simferopol | — | 27 April 2011 | Scythian Neapolis served as the capital of the late Scythian state and existed from the 3rd century BC to 3rd century AD. The reserve includes the remains of the city, with the mausoleum (pictured on the right) being the most prominent surviving structure. | [32][33] [34] | ||
| National Historic and Cultural Reserve "Chyhyryn" |  | Chyhyryn,Buda [uk],Medvedivka [uk],Stetsivka [uk],Subotiv | Cherkasy Oblast | Ministry of Culture | 1,161.7 | 7 March 1989 | Chyhyryn served as the capital of theCossack Hetmanate from the mid-17th century until 1676. The reserve includesBohdan Khmelnytsky's residence (pictured), fortress remains, and museums dedicated to Khmelnytsky and archaeology, along with numerous historic buildings and memorials in the city. It also encompasses sites in nearby villages, such asSt. Elijah Church [uk], theThree Wells, theMaksym Zalizniak Oak and theCossack Village open-air museum. The reserve gained national status on 23 September 1995. | [35][36] [37][38] |
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve in Kamianka |  | Kamianka | Cherkasy Regional State Administration | 10.1 | 21 July 1995 | The Russian poetAlexander Pushkin and composerPyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky once lived in Kamianka, which originally formed the basis of this reserve. It includes the Green House Museum (pictured) and the Historic Museum – both built in the 19th century – as well as an art gallery, a water mill, a park, and a canyon. Since the Russian invasion, which has drivenderussification in Ukraine, the reserve's focus has shifted towards local history and prehistory. | [39][40] [41][42] | |
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve in Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi |  | Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi,Kvitky [uk],Stebliv,Vyhraiv [uk] | Cherkasy Regional State Administration | 103 | 8 February 1994 | In the 11th–13th centuries, Korsun served as a defensive fort on the southern border ofKievan Rus'. The archaeological site from that period is one of the largest in the reserve, alongside the 18th–19th-century park with its palace (pictured). The reserve also manages museums dedicated to composerKyrylo Stetsenko, writerIvan Nechuy-Levytsky, art, history, and military, in addition to other sites in the city and nearby villages. | [43][44] | |
| National Historic and Architectural Reserve "Old Uman" | %2c_%25D0%25A8%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B2%25D1%2587%25D0%25B5%25D0%25BD%25D0%25BA%25D0%25B0_%25D0%25B2%25D1%2583%25D0%25BB._2.jpg) | Uman | Ministry of Culture | 82 | 18 April 2005 | The reserve covers various 18th–20th century buildings in Uman, including the Basilian Monastery, the Dormition Cathedral, the shopping arcade, the women's gymnasium, mass graves, and manors (one pictured). | [38] | |
| Shevchenko National Reserve in Kaniv |  | Kaniv | 42 | 20 August 1925 | Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine's national poet, was buried onChernecha Hill on 22 May 1861. His grave and the two nearby musems dedicated to him form the basis of the reserve. It has since expanded and also includes theDormition Cathedral, the Pylypenkova Hora archaeological site, and the museums of history and folk art in Kaniv. The reserve gained national status on 21 November 1989. | [45][46] [47][38] | ||
| National Reserve "Taras Shevchenko Homeland" |  | Shevchenkove [uk],Budyshche [uk],Moryntsi,Vilshana | 27.3 | 25 March 1992 | The reserve includes both original and recreated buildings associated with Taras Shevchenko's childhood, along with a monument to him and museums dedicated to his life and local history. | [38][48] [49] | ||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Trakhtemyriv" |  | Hryhorivka [uk],Buchak [uk],Lukovytsia [uk],Trakhtemyriv | Cherkasy Regional State Administration | 590 | 1 July 1994 | The Trakhtemyriv Peninsula has been inhabited for many millenia. It was settled by the Scythians, and later theZarubyntsi culture, which was discovered here. The city of Zarub existed on the territory in the Kievan Rus' era, and the town of Trakhtemyriv later served as an unofficial Cossack capital. The reserve features archaeological sites belonging to a wide range of time periods, as well as a Cossack cemetery and some natural sites. In 1999, the area of the reserve was significantly decreased with the creation of aregional landscape park. | [2][38] [50] | |
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Trypillia Culture" |  | Lehedzyne [uk],Apolianka [uk],Chychyrkozivka [uk],Dobrovody,Hlybochok [uk],Kosenivka [uk],Maidanetske,Onopriivka [uk],Pishchana [uk],Talianky,Veselyi Kut [uk],Vilkhovets | 2,045 | 13 March 2002 | Cucuteni–Trypillia culture was a Neolithic–Chalcolithicarchaeological culture known for buildinglarge proto-cities. The reserve encompasses eleven of these settlements,[i] and its collection holds over 50,000 artifacts. More than 500 of them are displayed in the museum in Lehedzyne, which also has several recreated Trypillian buildings (pictured). | [51][52] [53][54] | ||
| National Architectural and Historic Reserve "Ancient Chernihiv" |  | Chernihiv | Chernihiv Oblast | Ministry of Culture | 62 | 22 June 1978 | Chernihiv was a major city of Kievan Rus' and the reserve includes six monuments from that period. Among them is theTransfiguration Cathedral, the city and region's oldest building (pictured on the left). It also includes several sacral and secular Cossack-era Baroque buildings, as well as some archaeological sites and two sculptures. | [55][56] [57] |
| National Historic and Cultural Reserve "Hetman's Capital" | .jpg) | Baturyn,Khalymonove [uk],Palchyky [uk],Verbivka [uk] | 57 | 14 June 1993 | Baturyn served as the capital of the Cossack Hetmanate in 1669–1708 and 1750–1764. The reserve includes the rebuiltfortress citadel (pictured),Rozumovskyi Palace, Ascension Church,Kochubey House, museums of history andarchaeology, and other landmarks in the city and its surroundings. Its ownership was transferred to the Ministry of Culture on 29 March 2006, and the reserve gained national status on 16 November 2007. | [58][59] [60] | ||
| National Historic and Cultural Reserve "Kachanivka" |  | Kachanivka | 568.63 | 24 November 1981 | The reserve covers the 18th–20th century Kachanivka Park and the twenty-four landmarks in it, most notably the neo-classicist palace (pictured). The estate was visited by numerous contemporary artists and has collected a variety of works. The reserve gained national status on 27 February 2001. | [61][62] | ||
| Novhorod-Siverskyi State Historic and Cultural Museum-Reserve "The Tale of Igor's Campaign" * |  | Novhorod-Siverskyi | Chernihiv Regional State Administration | — | 27 August 1990 | Novhorod-Siverskyi was a major regional center of the Kievan Rus'. The reserve covers theTransfiguration Monastery [uk] and musems dedicated to local history andThe Tale of Igor's Campaign, as well as other historic sites in the city. The reserve was first created in 1929 but subsequently dissolved. The museum of local history was re-established in 1975 and later transformed into a reserve. | [63][64] [65] | |
| Regional Historic and Memorial Museum-Reserve ofPanteleimon Kulish "Hannyna Pustyn" * |  | Olenivka [uk] | 9.2 | 28 June 2000 | The museum is dedicated to the writersPanteleimon Kulish andHanna Barvinok and located inside the house where they had resided. The graves of the two authors andVasyl Bilozersky, as well as the surroundings of the house, are also included in the reserve. | [66] | ||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Khotyn Fortress" |  | Khotyn | Chernivtsi Oblast | Ministry of Culture | 16.10 | 12 October 2000 | The reserve covers the Khotyn Fortress, which dates to the 13th–19th centuries, as well as other landmarks that belong to the ensemble. Its ownership was transferred to the Ministry of Culture on 20 October 2011. | [67] |
| Sviatohirsk State Historic and Architectural Reserve |  | Sviatohirsk | Donetsk Oblast | Donetsk Regional State Administration | 19 | 27 May 1980 | The reserve includes theSviatohirsk Lavra – a monastery that dates to the 17th–19th centuries – as well as a historical museum, a World War II memorial, and asculpture [uk] byIvan Kavaleridze. It was known as the Slovianohirsk State Historic and Cultural Reserve until 2003, when the city was renamed to Sviatohirsk. | [68][69] |
| National Reserve "Ancient Halych" |  | Halych,Bilshivtsi,Krylos,Shevchenkove [uk],Zalukva [uk] | Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast | Ministry of Culture | — | 8 February 1994 | Medieval Halych was a major city of the Kievan Rus', and its remains within modern-day Krylos (pictured) are included in the reserve. It also covers various monuments in modern Halych and neighboring villages, notably theChurch of Saint Pantaleon in Shevchenkove. | [70] |
| State Historic and Archeological Museum-Reserve "Verkhnii Saltiv" * |  | Verkhnii Saltiv [uk] | Kharkiv Oblast | Kharkiv Regional State Administration | 150.19 | 20 October 1997 | The reserve covers one of thetype sites of theSaltovo-Mayaki culture that belongs to the 8th–10th centuries. The museum was founded on 20 October 1899 and has been under government protection since 21 July 1965. | [18][71] |
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Samchyky" |  | Samchyky [uk] | Khmelnytskyi Oblast | Khmelnytskyi Regional State Administration | 18 | 5 August 1997 | The reserve encompasses an 18th–19th-century park complex on the shore of a lake, including the neo-classicist palace (pictured), the old manor, theorientalist Chinese house, and other buildings and structures. | [72][73] [74] |
| National Historic and Architectural Reserve "Kamianets" |  | Kamianets-Podilskyi | Ministry of Culture | 121 | 18 May 1977 | Kamianets-Podilskyi, the capital of the historic region ofPodolia, dates back to the medieval period and is particularly known for its location within theSmotrych River canyon. The reserve covers thecastle (pictured) and numerous landmarks in theold town [uk]. The reserve gained national status on 30 April 1998. | [75][76] | |
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Mezhybizh" | .JPG) | Medzhybizh | Khmelnytskyi Regional State Administration | — | 18 January 2001 | Medzhybizh was founded in the medieval period but mostly developed in the 16–18th centuries. Monuments from that period, such as thefortress (pictured), are included in the reserve. | [77][78] [79] | |
| State Museum-Reserve of I. K. Tobilevych (Karpeno-Karyi) "Khutir Nadiia" * |  | Mykolaivka [uk] | Kirovohrad Oblast | Central Ukrainian Museum of Regional Studies [uk][j] | 11 | 1 August 1956 | The reserve is dedicated to the playwright and theatrical figureIvan Tobilevych (Karpenko-Karyi). It covers the estate that belonged to his family, including his house that now houses a museum and the park that surrounds it. | [83][84] |
| Historic and Cultural Reserve "Exaltation of the Holy Cross Church" |  | Rozumivka [uk] | 24 October 2004 | The 19th-century neo-classicist Exaltation of the Holy Cross Church functions as the tomb of the Raevsky family, including the generalNikolay Raevsky. In 2014, its ownership was transferred from the Kirovohrad Regional State Administration to the museum of regional studies. It was known as the Historic-Architectural Reserve of the Raevsky Family until its renaming to comply with derussification laws. | [85][86] | |||
| State Historic and Architectural Reserve "Ancient Kyiv" | .jpg) | Kyiv | Kyiv | Kyiv City State Administration | 18 May 1987 | |||
| National Historic and Memorial Reserve "Babyn Yar" |  | Ministry of Culture | 1 March 2007 | |||||
| National Historic and Memorial Reserve "Bykivnia Graves" |  | 22 May 2001 | ||||||
| National Kyiv-Pechersk Historic and Cultural Reserve |  | 23.54 | 29 September 1926 | |||||
| State Historic and Memorial Lukianivka Reserve |  | Kyiv City State Administration | 1 July 1994 | |||||
| National Reserve "Sophia of Kyiv" |  | Kyiv,Sudak | Ministry of Culture | 1934 | [22][87] | |||
| National Museum-Reserve of Ukrainian Military Achievements * |  | Novi Petrivtsi | Kyiv Oblast | Kyiv Regional State Administration | 12 March 1996 | |||
| National Historic and Ethnographic Reserve "Pereiaslav" |  | Pereiaslav | Ministry of Culture | 13 March 1979 | ||||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve in Vyshhorod |  | Vyshhorod | Kyiv Regional State Administration | 6 July 1994 | ||||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve in Belz |  | Belz | Lviv Oblast | Ministry of Culture | 13 December 2001 | |||
| Historic and Cultural Reserve "AncientPlisnesk" |  | Pidhirtsi | Lviv Regional State Administration | 15 September 2015 | ||||
| Historic and Cultural Reserve "Ancient Zvenyhorod" |  | Zvenyhorod | 31 | 2020 | [88] | |||
| State Historic and Architectural Reserve in Lviv[k] |  | Lviv | 12 June 1975 | Old Town | ||||
| Historic and Cultural Reserve "Lychakiv Cemetery" |  | 10 July 1990 | ||||||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Nahuievychi" |  | Nahuievychi | 10 March 1994 | |||||
| Historic and Cultural Reserve "Stilsko Hillfort" |  | Stilsko [uk] | 15 September 2015 | |||||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Tustan" |  | Urych | 5 October 1994 | |||||
| State Historic and Architectural Reserve in Zhovkva |  | Zhovkva | Ministry of Culture | 10 August 1994 | ||||
| Historic and Archeological Reserve "Olbia" |  | Parutyne | Mykolaiv Oblast | National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine | 31 May 1926 | |||
| Historic and Cultural Reserve "Bilsk" |  | Bilsk | Poltava Oblast | Poltava Regional State Administration | 15 April 2005 | |||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Poltava Battlefield" |  | Poltava | 31 March 1981 | [89] | ||||
| State Museum-Reserve ofM. V. Hohol * |  | Hoholeve | 17 July 1979 | |||||
| National Museum-Reserve of Ukrainian Pottery in Opishnia * | .jpg) | Opishnia,Miski Mlyny [uk] | 3 November 1989 | |||||
| National Reserve "Chersonesos Taurica" |  | Sevastopol,Inkerman | Sevastopol[g] | Ministry of Culture | 1978 | Chersonesos was a major ancient and medievalGreek colony on the Black Sea, and the remains of the city and its chora (surrounding agricultural plots) are included in the reserve. It also covers theCembalo [uk] andKalamita [uk] fortresses. The reserve gained national status on 8 February 1994. Chersonesos became a World Heritage Site in 2013. | [22][90] | |
| National State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Hlukhiv" |  | Hlukhiv | Sumy Oblast | 8 February 1994 | ||||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Posullia" |  | Pustoviitivka [uk],Khoruzhivka,Kulishivka [uk],Nedryhailiv,Romny | Sumy Regional State Administration | 2007 | ||||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve in Putyvl | .JPG) | Putyvl | 30 December 1986 | |||||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve in Dubno |  | Dubno | Rivne Oblast | Rivne Regional State Administration | 14 June 1993 | |||
| National Historic and Memorial Reserve "Berestechko Battlefield" |  | Pliasheva [uk] | Ministry of Culture | 12 June 1991 | [91] | |||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve in Ostroh |  | Ostroh | Rivne Regional State Administration | 11 August 1981 | ||||
| National Reserve "Castles of Ternopil Oblast" |  | Zbarazh,Chortkiv,Kryvche,Mykulyntsi,Pidzamochok,Skala-Podilska,Skalat,Terebovlia,Vyshnivets,Yazlovets,Zolotyi Potik | Ternopil Oblast | Ministry of Culture | 8 February 1994 | |||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve in Berezhany |  | Berezhany | 17 November 2001 | |||||
| Kremenets–Pochaiv State Historic and Architectural Reserve |  | Kremenets,Pochaiv | 29 May 2001 | |||||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Busha" |  | Busha | Vinnytsia Oblast | Vinnytsia Regional State Administration | 18 August 2000 | |||
| State Historic and Cultural Reserve "Ancient Volodymyr" |  | Volodymyr | Volyn Oblast | Volyn Regional State Administration | 17 November 2001 | |||
| Lutsk Historic and Cultural Reserve |  | Lutsk | 26 March 1985 | |||||
| National Historic and Archeological Reserve "Stone Grave" |  | Terpinnia [uk] | Zaporizhzhia Oblast | Ministry of Culture | 12 February 1986 | [92] | ||
| National Reserve "Khortytsia" |  | Zaporizhzhia | 18 September 1965 | |||||
| Historic and Architectural Museum-Reserve "Popov's Manor" in Vasylivka * | .jpg) | Vasylivka | Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration | 29 January 1993 |
