The historic center of Chernigov at the confluence of the Desna and Strizhenya occupies a vast well-groomed park, a favorite place for walks of the Chernigov and a must-see for tourists. In the people it is simply called a "shaft", since a high mound above the river bank is all that remains of the ancient Russian fortress-detinets, repeatedly rebuilt and again destroyed by the next adversaries.
The first Slavic settlement arose here in the 7th century AD. e. Then the fortified settlement becomes the capital of the Chernigov-Seversky principality and acquires walls and towers. By the beginning of the 13th century Detinets was already a powerful defensive structure, but could not resist the horde of Khan Meng and burned with the city. The second time the fortress was built in the beginning of the 16th century, but after only 100 years it was again burned, now Poles. Finally, at the end of the 17th century Chernigov became a regimental center. Growing stone walls, surrounded by a moat. According to rumors, in the local garrison served a young Cossack Emelyan Pugachev. But at the beginning of the 18th century, the castle that lost its military significance is being disarmed, the walls are demolished, the trees are falling asleep. And in place of the terrible stronghold they break the park.
The main attraction of the detinets is 12 cast-iron cannons on iron carriages, looking with their vents on the Desna from a high shaft. Near them constantly photographed newlyweds, children play, and guides tell tourists about the glorious history of the ancient city. But no one knows - where did these guns come from. According to one of the versions, the citadel was given to the citadel by Tsar Peter I after the Battle of Poltava, on the other - it is the remnants of serf artillery of Catherine's times. On the carriage they were delivered only in 1911, and before that they just lay in the grass. There are no stamps on the trunks, so the mystery remains undisclosed.
In addition to the famous cannons, the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, the Catherine's Church, Borisoglebsky Cathedral and the House of the Regimental Chancellery are located on the territory of the Detinets, also the House of Lizogub. The eerie legend says that in him hetman Mazepa hid his beloved Motryu Kochubeevna. Mother cursed her for her connection with the murderer of her father, and now on the night of the Most Pure (August 28) her ghost wanders around the house and asks him to be crossed for the sake of getting rid of the mother's curse. Now the building, richly decorated with stucco, in the style of the Ukrainian Baroque, serves as a repository for the funds of the Chernigov Historical Museum.
