Tyasmyn Canyon – a natural landmark of the Cherkasy region
There are several canyons in the Cherkasy region that have the status of natural monuments and protected areas, and one of them is Tyasmin. It is easy to get here, so let’s explore these places!
The Kamianka town and the Tyasmyn River
The Tyasmyn Canyon is located on the outskirts of the town of Kamianka on the Tyasmyn River. The river is calm and shallow, with murky brown water flowing among Proterozoic granites. The place where the granite rises above the river to a height of 12-15 meters forms a canyon no more than 1-2 kilometers long.
The banks of the canyon are densely covered with trees and bushes, including valuable species of American and Tatar maples, ferns (Asparagus procumbens), moss growing on rocks, and many other plants listed in the Red Book and simply rare in Ukraine. Mosses, for example, have survived since the Ice Age. Although the age of the plantings is not great, they are of great importance for the flora and fauna, as well as for research and simply for their beautiful appearance. We observed fish and snakes in the river.
The rocks are 2 billion years old, so you can imagine that visitors to the Tyasmyn Canyon have the opportunity to touch history, when life on Earth did not yet exist or was just beginning.
The canyon covers an area of 1,497 hectares and has been a regional nature reserve since 1995.
Walking through the Tyasmyn Canyon
If you arrive and descend into the canyon from the cemetery at its western end, you will see a paved path. There are several observation decks here. One is above the canyon, and the other is below, among the rocks near the water.
The banks are relatively clean, as is the water itself, although you can find trash on the ground and in the water. I also noticed that there are inscriptions on the rocks.
It turns out that the rocks stood for 2 billion years, and careless tourists ruined them.
Some inscriptions appear to be old; for example, I saw a mark that read “1975.” However, it is possible that they were written recently.
When you descend, there are signs next to the observation deck. “Spring” and “Maiden’s Rock.” If you go east, you can actually see water flowing in a thin stream from the rock and quietly gurgling. The spring is easy to miss because it is hidden among the grass and trees. But you can hear it — the canyon is quiet and comfortable.
There are also several observation platforms on the way to the Maiden’s Rock, and it is very, very beautiful. Rocks split by time into bizarre cracks, overgrown banks, boats among the grass — an idyll worthy of the paintings of the best masters.
The canyon ends with the Maiden’s (Pushkin’s) Rock.
Maiden Rock (Pushkin Rock)
The Tyasmyn Canyon has its own natural landmark—a geological monument of local significance. It is a rock made of pink granite. The small island has an area of 0.18 hectares and rises 5 meters above the water. The rock received its status in 1972 and was named Pushkinska.
The rock was named after Pushkin because the poet visited this place, admired it, and wrote poems here. So says historiography. However, modern sources say that he only visited twice and could not write poems because it was winter and the ink froze in sub-zero temperatures. In 2024, Pushkin Rock in the Tyasmyn Canyon was renamed Divochaya (Maiden’s Rock). In modern reality, it is unrealistic to keep the former name.
The Maiden’s Rock became so named because there was always a women’s beach opposite it, and the people called the Babin rock (Women’s). And Maiden’s sounds nicer to the ear.
How to get to the Tyasmyn Canyon
Organized tours come here from Cherkasy, Kyiv, and possibly other regional centers. If you are traveling independently, you need to go to Kamianka, then find the cemetery (the street is not shown on the map), leave your car on the paved area, and walk down the well-maintained path.
You can also search the internet for a place called “Boat Tour” — it is at the opposite end of the canyon. Here, you will be given an organized tour and told all the interesting stories about the Tyasmyn Canyon and the city of Kamianka.
Have a pleasant time and enjoy nature!