^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Berestechko (Volynia, Ukraine)

Берестечко

(1:1)
from the site of Ukrainian Heraldry

The Gonfalon
Coat of Arms
The City

See also:

The Gonfalon

From the site of Ukrainian Heraldry:
"It was confirmed at June, 22d, 2001 by the decision N13/2 of city council. The rectangular canvas with a ratio of the sides 1:1. Panel consists of two horizontal fields - top dark blue (width in 2/3 parties of a flag) in which sprouts yellow birkenrinde with three leaflets, and bottom, chequy in the soltire by yellow and red fields. The author is A.Grechylo."
Dov Gutterman, 20 February 2005

Coat of Arms

from the site of Ukrainian Heraldry

From the site of Ukrainian Heraldry:
"It was confirmed at June, 22d, 2001 by the decision N13/2 of city council.
Board per fess abaised. Azure, or birkenrinde (berest) with three leaflets; chequy in the soltire by gules and or. The shield enframed by or cartouche and crowned by argent urban crown with three prongs. The author is A.Grechylo.
Birkenrinde specifies one of versions about an origin of the city name from birke woods. Chess division personifies a battlefield, blood on the sandy. Symbols specify revival of city after tragical events. Azure means goodwill and nobleness, and also waters of small river Styr.
A.Grechylo, "Ukrainian city and village arms and flags", part 1."
Dov Gutterman, 20 February 2005

The City

from the site of Ukrainian Heraldry
"The first mention refers to XV century. The Magdeburg Right was given at July, 7th, 1547.
Near the city in the 1651 was a well-known drama fight of Bohdan Khmel'nyts'kyi troops against the Polish armies. When the cossack army already began to win, the Crimean khan Islam-Girey III who was bribed by Poles, has betraid het'man and, having taken away him in a captivity, has run away from a battlefield. The cossack army remained without a management.
On emergency advice colonels have decided to stop fight and to recede through bogs. For covering a withdrawal of the troops have been left some small groups. The eyewitness of fight Frenchman Pierre Shevale so described end of this fight: "In one place among a bog has gathered three hundred cossacks and bravely battled against the big number of attacking. Completely surrounded, they were lost. There was one which struggled during three hours against all Polish army."
Peasants dug out the weapon, crania, bones of cossacks and Poles through 100, and in 200 years after fight. For last 20 years it is found about hundred human skeletons, many exemplary of the weapon and personal things.
Different sources submit the quantity of armies which took part in fight. The most possible figures - about 150 000 Poles against 100 000 cossacks. On the party Khmel'nyts'kyi was about 30 000 Tatars.
Till now it is not known, whether plot of Tatars with Poles was. Khmel'nyts'kyi, having learned about change, has rushed after for Tatars, and itself was taken as prisoner. And though fight last ten more days after it, his destiny has been solved.
In territory of a museum is wooden Mykhailivs'ka church from Ostriv village (transferred in 1914), constructed even before fight. Before an iconostasis - a ladder under the ground. The underground course conducts to a sarcophagus with remains of cossacks.
An ornament of a museum . Heorgiivs'ka church. Analogues of church in the world are not present, as in one walls are three temples: Heorgiivs'ka - the basic, Borys and Glib church is on the second floor and Paraskeva Pyatnycia church - underground.
The project of a temple-monument was developed by the student of architectural branch of the Academy of arts in Petersburg V.Maksimov. Any construction was not capable to contain all praying. It has been overcome due to the unexpected decision - to bear an iconostasis outside. The church appeared directly under the sky.
For 2 kilometers from a complex is the island of Haiok surrounded with bogs. Legendary 300 cossacks here have found death. All the day some thousand Poles could not overcome them. Even downs appeared powerless. While fight last, Poles could not be risen to a ferry, and thousand cossacks and peasants could recede easy. To storm island has arrived king Jan Kazimir. And in the evening groups of German mercenaries have grasped island.
Now here, behind a crosswise fence are some old crosses. Last from three hundred cossacks has left here. Having come up on the middle of lake a boat, the last cossack was shot from enemies. Struck with his heroism, Polish king has suggested the cossack to surrender in a captivity, having promised to leave a life. The cossack has refused and was lost not defeated. In the body of the unknown hero have found 14 bullets.
Field of fight in 30th years of ХХ century, in days of the Polish occupation, was the forbidden place for which visiting it was possible to get in prison. At the Soviet authority here was pioneer camp. Only in 1966 the territory has been declared by reserve and transferred to a museum."
Dov Gutterman, 20 February 2005