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Khortytsia is the heart of Zaporizhia, rightfully attracting the most people to the region. It is the biggest island on the Dnipro River. The island is famous for its unique nature and interesting archeological findings. But the most vivid scenes of the island’s history are undoubtedly connected to the Zaporizhian Cossacks, who founded the Cossacks' Republic here in the 16th century.
Today, Khortytsia is a beautiful national historical and natural reserve, where many types of rare plants and animals can be found.
All of the relics are kept in the History Museum of the Zaporizhian Cossacks. Its collection has over thirty thousand items that help show the history of the island during Cossack rule: there are weapons, clothes, everyday knickknacks, and items used in a church. The museum’s exhibits cover other periods, too: ancient times and Kyivan Rus, as well as the modern history of the region.
The historic-cultural complex «Zaporizhian Sich» is also one of the island’s main attractions. It is a reconstruction of an old Cossack fortress and it takes visitors into the Sich atmosphere of 16th - 18th centuries. Here you may see a wooden church, built in the traditional style, Cossacks’ straw huts, carts and wagons, and various other buildings.
The main draw of the island is the horse theater «Zaporizhian Cossacks». Theatrical performances take place on an improvised stage, where Cossacks demonstrate their mastery of horses as well as various games and entertainments. You may go through ceremony of initiation into a Cossack tribe.
In 2007, the national reserve Khortytsia was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.
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