PHOTOS  of  city |  | Русский | Українська | Español | Français | | Authors

      Korosten (Iskorosten)

                                           A small town with a great history.

This is the year 945, Igor the prince of Kiev Rus customarily goes over the Slave tribes, submitted to him, gathering for annual tributes. He always keeps company with his faithful troops (druzhina) because he can’t be sure in this land: the Slaves don’t like to share their goods. He always resorts to violence. Igor’s task is not easy. All the more that every year he needs more and more means for wars against the Byzantines and the Greeks; for the defense of territory from the Peachenegs' invasions; for the internal struggle to keep the state from disintegration.

Now it is the turn to Drevlianys. This tribe is called so because they live “among trees” (drevo-“tree”) so their land is completely covered by forests. The Drevliany capital city, Iskorosten (Korosten) is made of wood and the walls around are faced with old oak without brushing. So, the city wall seems be covered by bark. That’s because this city is called Is-koro-sten: the city with the bark walls (kora –“bark”, stena -“wall”). The fort is formidable and the people with their chief Prince Mal do not have any passion for the power of Kiev. Nobody has forgotten the battles of 914 when the Drevliany’s revolt was suppressed by sword of prince Igor. He knows how this tribe hates him. It’s worth while because this land is very rich and it always makes generous payments. That year Igor could also collect much honey, wax, leather and fur, but he is not satisfied. Prince feels deceived because he suspects that the tribute is not too difficult for Drevlianys so he could charge much more. Finally, after some reflection, on his way home, he says to his followers 'Go forward with the tribute. I shall turn back, and join you later.' Igor dismisses his retainers on their journey homeward but, being desirous of still greater booty turns halfway back with a small detachment in order to grab more loads!

When the Drevlianys heard that he was approaching again, they rose in revolt. They sent truce envoy to Igor inquiring about the reason of his returning, since he had collected all the tribute, but Igor did not heed them. Then Drevlianys consulted with their leader Prince Mal and made a historic conclusion: “If a wolf begins to chase a sheep, it will soon reach all the sheep one by one unless it is killed. The same with this man: if we do not thus kill him now, he will destroy us all.' The Drevlianys came forth from the city of Iskorosten and confronted Igor’s company. In the battle the Kiev detachment was defeated and the prince was captured. Drevlianys decided to execute him in a special and cruel way in order to prevent others profiteers of their land. They had bent down two birch trees to the prince’s feet and tied them to his legs; then they let the trees straighten again, thus tearing the prince’s body apart... Perhaps that message was: “We bowed to your feet, but if you don’t respect our dignity we also can straighten by tearing you to shreds”. However, the Drevlianys buried him in the woods with all honors corresponding to a prince. According to the custom, they settled a big barrow on his grave. The nearest village was called Moguilno (moguila – “tomb”) for homage of the Tomb Prince Igor is found there.

The terrible news about the riot and the death of the prince came to Kiev, the capital city of Rus. For a moment the state stayed without superior governor. Igor left behind his wife Olga and their little son Sviatoslav. This is the same Saint Olga who in 10 years time will be the first Christian of Kiev Rus, (more than 30 years before that her grandson Saint Vladimir established the Christianity as a state religion of Rus). There was a power crisis: Igor's sole successor, Crown Prince Sviatoslav was only three years old. The Drevlianys decided to take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of the Kiev's dominion on their land and thus recover their autonomy. They decided to persuade Olga to marry their Prince Mal, and in that way to obtain possession of Svyatoslav, and work their will upon him. So Drevlians sent their twenty best men to Olga by boat. When Olga was informed that the Drevlians had arrived she summoned them to her presence with a gracious welcome. They announced that their tribe had sent them to report that they had slain her husband, because he was like a wolf, crafty and ravenous; but that their princes, who had thus preserved the land of Iskorosten, were good; and that Olga should come and marry their prince Mal. Olga made this reply, "Your proposal is pleasing to me; indeed my husband cannot rise again from the dead, but I desire to honor you tomorrow by showing special respect in front of my people. Return to your boat, and remain there. I shall send for you on the morrow, but you should have an aspect of arrogance and you shall say, 'We will not ride on horses or go on foot; carry us in our boat.' And you shall be carried in your boat." Thus she dismissed them to their vessel.

Now Olga gave command that a large deep ditch should be dug in the castle with the hall, outside the city. Thus, on the morrow, Olga, as she sat in the hall, sent for the strangers, and her messengers approached them and said, "Olga summons you to great honor." They replied with arrogance, "We will not ride neither on horseback nor in wagons, nor go on foot; carry us in our boats." The people of Kiev then lamented, "Slavery is our lot. Our Prince is killed, and our Princess intends to marry their prince." So they carried the Drevlianys in their boat. The latter sat on the cross-benches in great robes, puffed up with pride. Thus they were borne into the court before Olga, and when the men had brought the Drevlianys in, they dropped them into the trench along with the boat. Olga bent over and inquired whether they found the honor to their taste. They answered that it was worse even than Igor's death. Then she commanded that they should be buried alive, and they were thus buried. .

Olga then sent messages to the Drevlianys to the effect that, if they really required her presence, they should send to her their most distinguished men, so that she might go to their Prince with due honor, for otherwise her people in Kiev would not let her go. When the Drevlianys heard this message, they gathered the best men who governed the land of Iskorosten, and sent them to her. When the Drevlianys arrived, Olga commanded that a bath should be made ready, and invited them to appear before her after they had bathed. The bathhouse was then heated, and the Drevlianys entered in to bathe. Olga's men closed up the bathhouse behind them, and she gave orders to set it on fire, so that the Drevlianys were all burned to death.

Then the princess prepared an army to attack Iskorosten. She brought Crown Prince Sviatoslav with her to participate in the revenge. Olga gave him a bow and a stinger to launch. The little boy just dropped the stinger, but for the troops it was the signal to begin the first assault... So, this fact is considered the first battle of Prince Sviatoslav (Years later he will become one of the greatest conquerors of that epoch).

All summer Olga’s troops stayed in front of the wall of bark in a siege. Repeatedly she intended to take the city by assault but the fortress proved impregnable. The forces and the patience began to wear out. The clever princess understood that the city was also exhausted. The Drevlianys were rather workers-countrymen than soldiers. So, it was just a time to use intelligence instead the force. Olga launched a rumor that she had forgiven the Drevlianys, then sent them the following message, "I am now coming to you, so prepare great quantities of mead in the place where you killed my husband, that I may weep over his grave and hold a commemoration for him at Red Hill." Many people believed this to be true and came out of city; they gathered great quantities of honey and brewed mead. But there an ambush awaited them and the Red Hill became red with blood. Nearly 5,000 persons died in this massacre.

Then princes Olga announced that now she was satisfied with her revenge and, if the city paid tribute, she would put an end to the siege. The Drevlianys then inquired what she desired of them, and expressed their readiness to pay with honey and fur. Olga retorted that at the moment they had neither honey nor fur, but that she had one small request to make. "Give me three pigeons," she said, "and three sparrows from each house. I do not desire to impose a heavy tribute, like my husband, but I require only this small gift from you, for you are impoverished by the siege." The Drevlianys rejoiced. Perhaps some of them suspected that it could be any trick but their will to stop the war was too great. They accepted the treaty at once. Olga then instructed them, in view of their submission, to return to their city, promising that on the morrow she would depart and return to her own capital. The Drevlianys re-entered their city with gladness, and when they had reported to the inhabitants, the people of the town rejoiced and collected from each house three pigeons and three sparrows, which they sent to Olga with their greetings.

A pigeon is a peaceful bird and faithful to its house. It always returns to its home. Olga gave each soldier in her army a pigeon or a sparrow, and ordered them to attach with thread to each pigeon and sparrow a piece of sulfur bound with small pieces of cloth of people assassinated on Red Hill. When night fell, Olga bade her soldiers light the bounds and release the pigeons and the sparrows. So following their instinct naïve and innocent birds flew to their nests, the pigeons over the roofs, and the sparrows under the eaves. The woody city caught on fire at once. The dove-cotes, the coops, the porches, and the haymows were set on fire. There was not a house that was not consumed, and it was impossible to extinguish the flames. The hungry fire consumed everything from the bark of the walls to the weathercocks of the towers. The rebel capital of Drevlianys, the glorious city of bark walls, Iskorosten became to a pile of smoking charcoal and ashes in only one night. The people fled from the city, and Olga ordered her soldiers to catch them. Thus she took the city and burned it, and captured the elders of the city. Some of the other captives she killed, while some she gave others as slaves to her followers. Princess Olga banned to reconstruct the city. It was forbidden to even settle near this place.

For many years Iskorosten was rubbed out from history, but as time passed and life returned to this land. Some settlements appeared and formed a small town with the same name of Iskorosten. Because of its favorable geographical position (at the cross of commercial routs) and its rich natural recourses, Iskorosten was transferred to different states, principalities and kingdoms many times.

As a consequence of internal differences some of princes of Kiev Rus moved to the northeast and in 1157 established the new principality of Vladimir-Suzdal, a little later - Moscow. In 1260-70 they got together and established the Great Principality of Moscow. Two Russian states appear on the map: Kiev Rus and Moscow Russia. Iskorosten stayed in Kiev’s administrative area. From 1285 the hordes of tartars took possession of this territory. After the defeat of the Teutonic Order in1348 and 1370 the prince of Leetonia Alghidas Olghed annexed this land to the Great Principality of Leetonia. Then he gave it as a present to one of his knights Terekh for his faithfulness and courage. From 1385 when Leetonia and Poland were united in Krevska Unia, the great influence of Poland began. In 1586 a rich polish magnate Prokop Mrzhevitsky married a Terekh's heiress and became the owner of Iskorosten. He managed to obtain the status of city for this little fort. On May 22nd 1589 the polish king Sigmund III conferred on Iskorosten the Right of Magdeburg (which assumed autonomy and citizenship).

           From the XIII century The Great Principality of Moscow prospered and extended its territory to turn it into an empire. The Moscow Prince called Czar (“Cesar”, “imperator”) and the city of Moscow was declared the capital of united Russia. The Kiev Rus territory is proved in the frontier side of this enormous empire and now it is called Ukraine (“the land on the edge”). Ukraine suffers from permanent invasions from Poland, Turkey and tartars of Crime. As a consequence the new military order of Cossacks appeared in the central part of the country. It grew rapidly and established a new original political institute unknown for that epoch – Zaporizhska Sich. Its chefs called Hetmans are elected by the general assembly. It was a new democratic organization that arose in the middle of feudal Europe. The duty of Cossacks was to defend the territory, the people and the Christian faith. In 1649 the detachment of Cossacks lead by Gheraska liberated Iskorosten from the Polish after a long and bloody combat. All the fortifications were destroyed. In 1654 Hetman Boghdan Khmelnitsky signed an agreement of alliance with the Russian Czar Alexis. As the consequence of his political pact known as Pereyaslavska Rada Ukraine obtained the protection of the Russian empire in the beginning but later lost their independence. The power of this treaty only covered the east part of Ukraine only, but the west territories remained in the administrative area of Rezcpospolita (the new pact between Poland and Leetonia). So since 1667 Iskorosten belonged to Poland again.

         In 1795 according to the agreement between Russia and Rezcpospolita, Iskorosten joined the Russian empire as a district center in the Wolyn Province. But it continued to be a little trivial town.

           City’s the life changed with the construction of the Kiev-Kovel railway in 1902. From that time renamed to Korosten, it is known as a big railway station. Later, thanks to the development of the railway, it was converted into an important 5-directions junction. The city took an active part in the events of Great Russian revolution 1917 and in the civil war from 1918 to 1920. July 15th 1918 the railway workers of Korosten began a strike which turned into the great national strike. Different political forces fought to have a control over this strategic city. During the civil war Korosten was taken by troops of the Ukrainian National Republic, by German and Polish armies, finally on October 12th 1920 it remained in hands of the Red Army. In 1921 the capture of Korosten was the main aim of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army offensive lead by general Tutunnick. This combat on November 7th 1921 was the last battle of the civil war in Ukraine. January 1st 1926 Korosten was declared a city of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

         The Second Word War came to the Soviet Union on June 22nd 1941. Germany attacked by surprise and rapidly advanced inside Ukraine. Being a strategic point Korosten was intensively bombed from the first moments of war. Despite the almost incessant air attacks the railway junction of Korosten didn’t stop working. Its duties were logistics and the distribution of troops and ammunition, evacuation of civilians and injured soldiers. Moreover, Korosten was a key point in the line of the strategic defense designed by famous general Karbishev. That’s exactly where the advance of German troops was delayed as long as for more than one month time; thanks to the heroic self-sacrifice of the 5th Army lead by general Potapov. The Nazi quick victory project (plan “Barbarous” – finish the war with Soviet Union in 8 weeks time) was destroyed. The human casualties were calculated as hundreds of thousands. The German Army could come to Korosten on August 7th 1941.  

        However, the city didn’t surrender. The forests around are an ideal refuge for the resistance. Numerous partisan detachments were formed. They caused serious damages to the occupants: attacked military barracks and columns, exploded the depots and bridges, cut the communication lines, interrupted the train circulation, etc. In order to fight the resistance, the special SS troops (known for their cruelty) came in. During the fascist occupation in Korosten 1633 persons were executed, 15 persons were hanged, 1803 were deported to Germany for forced works.

        After the Kursk battle victory (one of the greatest battles of the history, where 2,000,000 soldiers confronted) in August 1943, Red Army begins its rapid advance to the west, recovering huge territories occupied by Nazis. On November 17th 1943 Korosten was liberated, but the Germans did not agree with losing this important strategic point and using aircrafts, tanks and artillery succeed in taking the city again after various counterattacks. The combats were very cruel and devastative. Korosten remembers and honors its heroic defenders in numerous monuments, street and school names, etc. On December 28th 1943 the city was finally liberated by the 13th Army lead by general Pukhov.  

After the war Korosten was totally destroyed, but to rise from the ashes is nothing new for this city. Now this is a small well-coming town, a district center with nearly 70,000 habitants, famous by its fabulous porcelain and rich reserves of natural granite. The sinuous river Uzh with its picturesque rock banks runs through the city.  

           At the end of the XX-^th  century this idyll was troubled by the economical and political crisis after the disintegration of the USSR and geographical proximity to the Chernobyl zone. Many people had to abandon this marvellous land. However, they continue being faithful to their native town, spreading and promoting its wonderful history and in this way helping the city to come out its obscurity.  

Copyright © 2001 by Leonid Tarasenko.  All rights reserved.
Revised: February 27, 2008 .