Trubetskoy Waterfalls, Cossac'ke

Waterfalls in the steppe are almost an oxymoron. Yet on the high bank of the Dnipro at Kozatske, cascades six to ten metres tall plunge from the cliff edge. Above them, the ruins of a palace once called one of the most magnificent in southern Ukraine stand in silence.

The Trubetskoy Waterfalls are a man-made wonder that outlasted their creator. They were designed as part of the sweeping landscaped park of Prince Petro Trubetskoy’s estate. Today the palace lies in ruins, but the water still flows — a quiet reminder that human grandeur passes faster than a stream.

Location Card

Safety First

Kozatske lies in Beryslav district on the right bank of the Dnipro, in a region that has suffered heavily from the war and remains a frontline zone. This is not a weekend-trip destination right now. This article is about the history and beauty of the site — to preserve its memory and help plan a future visit. Before making any travel plans, always check the official security situation and government recommendations.

What It Is and Why It’s Unique

The Kherson steppe is all sun-scorched flatlands where sizeable water is found only in the Dnipro. Waterfalls here are a rare surprise — the kind that stops you in your tracks. The secret is both simple and ingenious: the cascades are artificial, part of a grand terraced park that Prince Trubetskoy carved into the Dnipro riverbank. Springs, dams, weirs, and waterfalls were all ornamental features of his lavish estate.

Visitors come for a combination found nowhere else: living water tumbling off a cliff, and directly above it the romantic ruins of a French Renaissance palace. It is a ready-made photograph and a ready-made story all in one place.

The palace was built to a design by architect Petro Boitsov in the late 1890s. The estate was vast — 30,000 desiatynas of land (roughly 32,700 hectares). Today mostly the stone shell of the main building survives.

History: Estate, Vineyards, and Decline

Petro Trubetskoy inherited the Kozatske estate from his mother, Liubov Vasylivna. In the late 19th century a French Renaissance palace was built here to Petro Boitsov’s design: stone-clad, set on the Dnipro slope, and fronted by a terraced landscape park complete with decorative towers, gilded staircases, a small landing pier, waterfalls, and dams.

The prince developed a passion for winemaking: the first vineyards were planted in 1896, on the advice of the celebrated Lev Golitsyn. The estate became one of the leading viticulture centres in southern Ukraine. But the 20th century — its revolutions and wars — was not kind to the property: the palace deteriorated steadily, and today the legacy of all that grandeur is mostly the walls of the main building and the terraced park landscape with its waterfalls.

The Legend of the Maidens’ Tears

The most famous local legend explains the source of the water in poetic rather than engineering terms.

According to local lore, the waterfalls beneath the cliff are the tears shed by young women mourning Prince Trubetskoy.

A romantic story — though historically the water is the product of natural springs and the estate’s hydraulic engineering. But then, when did a legend ever care about engineering?

What to See

The waterfall cascades. The centrepiece: water drops from the cliff in several tiers up to ten metres high.

Ruins of Trubetskoy’s palace. The stone shell of the main building on the slope — a dramatic photographic backdrop and a testament to former splendour.

Views over the Dnipro. From the high bank, a wide panorama of the river opens up.

How to Get There

Important: the route below is valid only once the security situation in the region has stabilised.

By car: Kozatske lies on the right bank of the Dnipro in Beryslav district, between Beryslav and Nova Kakhovka. Look for the high riverbank within the settlement.

By public transport: in peacetime — by bus to Beryslav or Kozatske, then on foot to the riverbank.

Traveller’s Checklist

• ✅ Check the security situation in the region — this comes first
• ✅ Sturdy footwear for uneven slopes
• ✅ Camera — the combination of water and ruins is well worth it
• ✅ Water and a hat (open steppe, little shade)
• ❌ Do not approach the edge of the wet cliff
• ❌ Do not climb the unstable ruins of the palace

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to visit right now?

No. Kozatske is in a frontline zone of Kherson Oblast. Plan the trip only after the situation has stabilised, and always check official recommendations before going.

Are the waterfalls natural?

No, they are man-made — part of the estate’s park hydraulics — though fed by natural springs.

What is left of the palace?

Mostly the stone shell of the main building and the terraced park landscape with its waterfalls.

The Trubetskoy Waterfalls are a story about beauty that outlasts power, money, and even war. The palace collapsed, the prince is long gone, and still the water cascades off the cliff above the Dnipro. One day, in peacetime, it will be well worth coming here — to stand by the cascades and listen to the steppe speaking through running water.