Monoxyl returns to the waves of Borysthenes

Monoxyl returns to the waves of Borysthenes

The Restoration Department of the Khortytsia National Reserve is undertaking a unique project to manufacture an ancient vessel – a dug-out boat known as a monoxyl.

A dug-out is a boat made from the trunk of a single tree by hollowing out its core. Such vessels were massively used from prehistoric times until the 19th century.

The Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, in his treatise “On the Administration of the Empire” (10th century), mentions the Slavs who built “monoxyls”. In many regions of Ukraine, such boats were used until the beginning of the 20th century.

Among the river treasures of our reserve, stored in the Museum of Shipping, there is a 7-meter-long oak dug-out, the age of which may reach 1000-1300 years. This precious artifact was found in 2023 in the Zaporizhzhia reserve “Dniprovskie Porohy”.

While adhering to ancient technologies as much as possible, the restorers are approaching their goal: to launch a self-built dovbanka boat using knives, axes, adzes, and other hand tools.

We will certainly inform the fans of Ukrainian history about the completion and all the exciting stages and details of this work.