Zubyria

Artist's rendition of the interior of the main cottage. The central fireplace will have a pipe above heading up to the roof. Also, I don't think it will be decorated with modern art paintings. Think leather, books, and cognac. The stairs will also have railings. The brick wall, however, is accurate -- it's made out of the bricks from the original pre-Revolutionary (Tsarist-era) oven that used to dominate the original home.

Our neighbors are the co-founders of Zubyria, Olena Kustova and Yaroslav Tsukanov. 

Zubyria abuts one of the largest forest preserves in Ukraine, home to the last remaining wild European bison ("Zubyr" in Ukrainian).

We are between the forest preserve and a river, which is short on people but long on activities: swimming, kayaking, rafting, weekend canoe trips with camping on tiny island, or just sitting next to a small fire and watching the sun go down in silence.

We bought the wood from a local sustainable forest to build our cottage and loft-barn.

The cottage in November 2017. Work proceeds apace.

Our favorite local horse Zorka loves to take us on secret excursions through the nearby forests.

The "Cottage" will feature a central fireplace as well as a gorgeous wall made from Tsarist-era bricks recovered from the huge Russian stove (печь) that formerly sat in this home.

This quaint cottage is next door and remains for sale to an intrepid buyer who wants to renovate this gem of the village (it used to be the home of the local schoolmaster during Soviet times).

Zubyria is full of friendly visitors bearing blini!

A nearby market sells flowers, dried fish, and everything else you might need for a perfect weekend!

Lovingly refurbished sidecars are the preferred mode of exploring Zubyria.

For guests that aren't staying at the property itself, there is are several options. Here is a hotel about 25 minutes away. There is also a Soviet-era summer camp 10 minutes away. And other options. During the festival and other events, we will run a bus between this hotel complex and the site of our events.

Day trips to Chernobyl and the Russian Woodpecker are encouraged.

Wonderful skiing in Bukovel.

This six meter deep pond will be beautifully landscaped with weeping willows and flowers. It will provide a perfect spot, just a few steps from the cottage, to read a book, watch the ducks, or take a summertime dip in its fresh, cool water.

We've salvaged the original pre-Revolutionary bricks that were used in the huge central oven of the original cottage. Their wonderful textures and colors make for a lovely wall. 

A few minutes from our cottage is a recently renovated 150-seat theater, which can be used for film screenings, theatrical performances, and more.

In the center of our village is a little park with this monument to the forgotten soldiers of the area who died fighting against Nazi Germany. Fresh flowers are still often placed here.

Amidst the Soviet style construction are many little architectural gems. Some are in a state of decay and we will salvage and reuse the intricate woodcarving, giving these mini-artworks a second chance to delight.

We are one hour from the center of Kyiv. About 1/3 of the journal is through a forest. Uber will take you to us.