Ilinska Hill is a prominent historic site in Borshna: it is located on the grounds of the former Church in Honor of Saint Ilja. Here, local history and landscape can be experienced together in a single visit.

Ilinska Hill and Its Church History

At the end of the 18th century, the wooden Sviato-Illinska Church was built on the hill. It had five domes and a sixth above the bell tower. In 1944, the church was converted into a village club and library. Several decades later, it was dismantled and its wood was used as fuel. The church building has not survived. The progression from a religious building to community use and finally its dismantling reveals several distinct phases in the village’s history.

Views of Villages, Monastery Domes and Floodplains

From Ilinska Hill, you can see the surrounding villages, the golden domes of the churches of the Sviato-Troitsky Hustynsky Monastery, and the floodplain landscape along the Udai River. There is also a wooden carved figure of a monk on the hill, facing toward the monastery. This connects the view to a specific point of reference: the figure faces in the same direction as the golden domes.

Park and Tourist Route

A park of the same name was created on Ilinska Hill to make recreation there more comfortable. The tourist route “Do Hustyni cherez Hat” also begins on the hill. These are two distinct features: the park area designed for recreation and the hill as the starting point of a tourist route. If you are planning a visit or tour, it is advisable to check the hill’s current accessibility, as well as route directions and markings, in advance.

Borshna and Its Former Milling Industry

According to local tradition, the name Borshna is derived from the Ukrainian word for “flour.” In the past, the village had 18 mills, where grain was ground into flour for almost the entire year. None of these mills survive today. The proposed origin of the name remains a tradition; the number of mills and the work described also offer a glimpse into the village’s former milling industry. The history of grain processing thus complements the church history of Ilinska Hill with another aspect of the village.

A Procession on the Feast of the Holy Trinity

One tradition passed down over time is a procession on Dukhov Den, the Feast of the Holy Trinity. Its route leads from Ilinska Hill through the village of Valky to Hustynia. The route connects the hill with two other places and gives the feast a geographical setting. If you would like to plan your trip around this feast, check the dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Oleshnya, Syrai, Kozyn, Zamostya, Snov'yanka, Yerkiv, Chernihiv, Pryluky

For the overview of the wider region: Chernihiv Oblast.