Lysa Mountain
Near Kyiv there is a legendary Lysa Mountain. The Ukrainian world “lysa” means “bald” and this is because its slopes are covered with a dense forest and brakes, but the top is remarkable for its steppe meadows. Unique beauty of the nature attracts, as well as the mystery of this place. Climb these slopes… You’ll see a wooden idol Peroun. At the time of Kyivan Rus’ there was an old Slavic heathen temple at this place, where pagans performed their rites.
The territory of Lysa Mountain is divided into several parts – Rusalchyn Ravine, Vid’myn Ravine and Mertvets’kyi Grove. People say this is a place of unnatural powers and witchcraft.
Bewitching potions are an essential attribute of witches. Gentian grows on Lysa Mountain and according to the legends witches used it for their transformation. The night from the 30th April to the 1st Mai is special. According to the legend this is the day when those who practice witchcraft meet to celebrate Sabbath. Every witch comes to this holiday with her demon. Satan awaits them on his majestic throne. They all greet him down on their knees. Then witches boast their bad and evil things done during the year and plan new dirty tricks together. They all whirl and dance. Musicians play not violins, but horse skulls, with a cat’s tails instead of bows. After such dance a black billy-goat, a bull and a caw should be burned. At the end of the holiday satisfied witches leave the Sabbath place on their brooms.
Numerous stones with hieroglyphs of apocryphal script found by archeologists make this place unique and uncommon. We emphasize that before Kyivan Rus’ was converted to Christianity, Old Slavic religion had existed on its territories. Many secrets of this religion aren’t out till now. Followers of this religion have met on Lysa Mountain and prayed to their gods. When this religion was banned in Rus’, soothsayers and priests settled the territory of Lysa Mountain and lived in its caves. They tried to unite Christianity and Slavic religion. For this purpose apocryphal books were written, where religious texts were at variance with the Bible. These mysterious books, gold and different mystical signs have been preserved in the caves. Time passed and monks settled this territory for their prayers. Lysa Mountain used to be a part of the Pechers’k Monastery and was connected with it by underpasses. The monks have grown fruit and vegetables, kept bees there.
In the second part of the 19th century these territories went into hands of city authorities and under the guidance of General Totleben building of Lysohirs’k Fort was started. This fort was a complex of fortifications – retrenchment, bastions, ravelins etc. Both sides of tunnels of about 40 meters long were bricked and closed with gratings. This fortress was carefully planned by engineers: reservoirs with injected water from the Dnipro were built. In case the fortress and its fortifications were reduced by the enemy, the underground rooms with all people inside were flooded. Villagers sometimes were left in those reservoirs so they wouldn’t open secrets to the enemy. The militaries tried to keep the plan of Lysohirs’k Fort and those who got to know this secret, were sent out to Siberia or were shot.
In 1897 the fort gained the statues “fortress-depot of the 3rd category”. For some period of time en explosive pyroxylin was kept there. Dating back to the year of 1918 there was one of the most terrible tragedies. At the time of German occupation a powerful explosion rocked Lysa Mountain that destroyed part of Pechers’k region. Later these depots were carried to the other place and Lysohirs’k Fort became a stockade. Offenders have been executed on gibbets placed there. All executions and punishments have been written and pictured in Kyivan newspapers.
During the postwar years a missile unit was located on Lysa Mountain. Later this place dwindled in military importance and the fortress has been destroyed almost totally. Military radio-technical unit, which used to be prohibited, was located there. In 1982 Lysa Mountain became a landscape nature park. Today it is a dense forest full of legends and stories. You might feel influence of powerful energy here...
