By the roads of Mykolaivshchyna By the roads of Mykolaivshchyna | Page 20

reaches) is fragmented with numerous
former river-beds and channels (for
example, the branch of the Turunchuk).
The mouth is rushy. The width of the
valley near the mouth is 16–22 km: in the
middle current, the valley is not wide,
meandering, with lots of picturesque
landscapes. The feed of the river is
mixed, with the predominance of snow.
High water in spring and rain floods in
autumn are common. The ice regime is
not steady.
The origin of the river name is not
clear. However, as the analysis of ancient
words reveals, supposedly, the word
“Dniester” means a “deep and fastflowing” river.
The advent of the primitive man
on the banks of the Dniester and its
tributaries is dated to the first half of
the Early Paleolithic. The most famous
is the Early Paleolithic site, located in
the vicinities of the village of LukaVroblevetska (Khmelnitsk Oblast),
discovered in 1946. 4,000-5,000 years
ago, Podnistrovye Region was rather
densely populated. Ancient Slavs got to
settle near the Dniester not later than
1,000 CE.
Throughout centuries, the Dniester
was used as the main water way, which
connected Near-Carpathian Region
and Ponyzzya (Lower Lands) with the
Balkans and the Middle East. Medal
goods, pottery, fabrics etc. were delivered
from the South; meanwhile, the tribes
of Podnistrovye took out bread, furs,
leather. From the times of Kievan Rus
till the middle of the 19th century, fine
wood (mainly, so called ship timber) was

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taken down the Dniester to the Black
Sea ports; also, such items as grain, furs,
honey, wax, arms, goods, made by local
craftsmen were exported via this water
way.

Veryn nature preserve

The area of the natural preserve
(which got this status was in 1989)
amounts to 70 hectars. The preserve
incorporates the left-bank section of
the Dniester flood land with numerous
former swamped river-beds, nonfreezing springs, meadows and flood land
A thousand-year old oak

forests. The area is known for the largest
in Ukraine population of an endangered
species – the early spring ephemeroids of
guinea-hen flowers.
The preserve is rich in animal wild
life, such as the musk-rat, the Eurasian
water shrew (Neomis fodiens), the
tufted duck (Aythya fuligula), and
other water as well as wetland birds.
Occasionally, one can come across the
black stork, the black kite, the osprey
(Pandion haliaetus), sometimes know
as the river hawk, or the fish hawk,– all
these species are registered in the Red
Book of Ukraine.

Thousand-year old oak

A thousand-year old oak tree in the
village of Veryn is one of the oldest and
most picturesque oaks, which can be
found in Ukraine. The tree girth is 8.50
m, its height is 18 m. Although the tree
does not have a fence and a protection