Lilac grove

Viktor Pavlovich Kochubei, a native of the famous Little Russian Cossack family, the famous Russian diplomat was very affectionate to the place where he was born - the village of Dikanka in the Poltava province. It was he who in the beginning of the 19th century became the manager of the estate of Dikanka. On the outskirts of the village, he built a small brick factory, near which was dug a decent pit, from which clay was extracted.

Victor Pavlovich Kochubei, a native of the famous Little Russian Cossack family, the famous Russian diplomat was very affectionate to the place where he was born - to the village of Dikanka in the Poltava province.

It was he who in the beginning of the 19th century became the manager of the estate of Dikanka. On the outskirts of the village he built a small brick factory next to which was dug a decent pit size from which clay was mined. Yama eventually expanded to 5 meters in depth and an area of ​​2 hectares. The plant was soon closed, and in its place remained a pit.

And in 1822 the owner of these lands Viktor Pavlovich, on the territory of this clay quarry, in which he received raw materials for his brick factory, decided to plant a lilac grove - a delicate beautiful flower garden, which still pleases people with its freshness and beauty. Nevertheless, the reason for this action is not so joyful: according to legend, the prince wanted to please his daughter, Anna, with a bitter condition of tuberculosis.

40 varieties of lilac in the form of seedlings were brought to Dikanka from all over the world, followed by a courteous staff of gardeners. The girl was shocked and quickly went, was, on the mend. But the lilac has faded, and Anna has become worse. She died at the age of 14.

Until now, every year for more than 200 years in early May, blossoms and smells in Dikanka beautiful lilac grove, turning into a place of tourist pilgrimage. A similar amount of lilac can not be seen in any corner of the world.

Dikanskaya lilac was admired by many celebrities. Here, under the lilac bushes, the great composer Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka recruited local children into his chapel. Vladimir Alekseevich Gilyarovsky - writer and historian collected folklore in these places, Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol stayed here.

Alas, after the revolution, Kochubei emigrated. Behind the lilac bushes, there was no one to look after. Many varieties have disappeared.

Today, the Lilac Grove in Dikanka occupies an area of ​​about 4 hectares. Since 1969, here, on the shore of a beautiful lake, in early May , the festival "Songs of the Lilac Grove". It is under the department and protection of the regional landscape park "Dikansky".