About us

About us

Khortytsia is one of the most famous places in Ukraine, its pride and shrine. It is the largest island of the Dnipro River. Its area is about 23.5 square kilometers, almost 10% of the territory of the modern city of Zaporizhzhia. The island is 11.2 km long and 2.5 km wide.

The island was formed by several geologic faults, the last of which occurred about 2.5 million years ago. The age of its geological basement (a massif of granitoid—a combination of granites and their varieties) is about 3 billion years. The height difference within Khortytsia Island is 56 meters. In the north, the granite blocks are almost 30 meters above the water edge, and in the south, they are far below the water edge.

The southern outskirts of the island are the parts of the Zaporozhzhia Velykyi Luh (Great Meadow) flooded by the Kakhovka reservoir. This place is a picturesque floodplain with bays, canals, and floodplain forests.

The reserve “Khortytsia” received national reserve status in 1993. At present, it submits to the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.

Today, Khortytsia National Reserve includes the island of Khortytsia, adjacent islands (Baida, (Three) Tri Stohy, Dubovy, Rasstebin), the rocks Serednya and Blysnyuky, the tract Vyrva on the right bank of the Dnipro, and a historical monument of national importance, “Kamyanska Sich,” in the Kherson region.