Berestechko

Berestechko is a town in Horokhiv Region, Volyn Oblast. It is one of the smallest towns in Ukraine in terms of population. There are many mythical legends about the origin of its name. One of them says that some settlers from Berestia came to the river Styr and founded a settlement there giving it the name in honor of their native Berestia. Another version refers to the fact that Berestechko was surrounded by dense large forests abundant in birches, hence the name Berestechko. This origin of the name is most likely to be true. In archival documents of the XV century there are names such as Berestovka, Berestochechek, Berestochochek and Berestechko.

At the present day Berestechko bears little resemblance to the city in terms of population (it is ranked one hundred and thirty-sixth from the beginning in terms of population in Ukraine after Radekhiv in Lviv Oblast accounting for 2,800 people), although it fits the status of what was said. Before the Second World War there were 5633 inhabitants in Berestechko, and during the existence of Russian Empire, according to some data, the number of inhabitants of the town reached 3726.

Berestechko became a place of pilgrimage after the battle that took place on June 18-30, 1651 between the troops of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and the Polish King Casimir III the Great. The feat of 300 Cossacks was reflected in the poem of Taras Shevchenko “The Cold Ravine”. Being in Volyn Oblast in 1846 the Great Kobzar mentioned Berestechko in his poem “why have you blackened, oh green field? “.