Main image: Cossack burial cross. Photo: Suspilne Dnipro
In the Nikopol district, at the bottom of the Kakhovka Reservoir, unique artifacts were discovered, including cannonballs dating back over 500 years and a burial Cossack cross. The found artifacts were handed over to the local Local Lore Museum.
Five centuries ago, the Tomakivska Zaporizhian Sich was located precisely here, as reported by Susipilne.
According to the deputy director of the museum, Myroslav Zhukovskyi, the manually crafted projectiles are made of limestone. The cannonballs have been preserved because they lay in the sand all these years.
Cannonball cores. Photo: Suspilne Dnipro
In addition to the cannonballs, the Local Lore Museum received an equally important artifact – a Cossack burial cross. It was found at the site of the former Cossack winter camp.
"This cross is from the 18th century, indicating that there was a Cossack cemetery nearby, which was destroyed. The crosses were either used for domestic needs or discarded on the banks of the Dnipro," says the local historian.
Retrieving the cross was quite challenging because these areas are constantly under fire. During a special expedition, the artifact was taken and placed in the museum's collection.
Currently, access to the reservoir is prohibited, but the museum asks those who decide to take the risk to bring the found artifacts to the museum so that they can be preserved there.