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year-round Activities

Home-bodying

After a long day in Kyiv or of hiking in Zubyria, you may simply want to return home, throw a log on the fire, and watch the sun set over the forest and listen to the sounds of village. Zubyria is packed with antique books -- in English, Russian & Ukrainian -- so you can cuddle up next to the fire and read yourself to sleep. In the morning, you'll be treated to a basket of eggs, milk, veggies and herbs (seasonal) at your door. Zubyria is the perfect AirBNB, except you are one of a small group of "owners."

There is also a huge terrace with a bbq, so feel free to invite some friends and host a cook-out on a Sunday afternoon - the fully stocked kitchen will provide all the utensils and cast iron cooking implements you will need to feed you and your friends. If you are too tired, we can provide a local cook to prepare your meals so you can simply relax and enjoy the local specialities. Of course, local homemade birch juice, uzvar (google it!), and Chad's flavored vodka is provided gratis for all visitors.

End the night around an outdoor fire pit, swirling a fine cognac and planning the next days' events.

river & Water activities

Not far from our home is an untouched river where you can take a dip under the moon, fish in the daytime, kayak or tube. If you'd like to do the latter, we can arrange to drop you upstream and meet you 3 hours or 3 days later (camping on untrammeled islands is available along the route).

Biking & Motor biking

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Theater

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Exploring on foot & Bicycle

As you can see in this illustrated map, the area is great to explore on foot. A half day hike can take you to an uninhabited island the size of Manhattan, through a forest preserve from Soviet times full of animals that have wandered in from Belorussia and Chernobyl, or explore the tiny village markets and "Palace of Culture," a 99-seat theater built during the USSR and now generally unused.

master-classes

One of our primary goals is to support the economy of Zubyria. There are dozens of hard-working babushkas in the area, and they'll be delighted to tell you stories of WWII, show you how to properly cook blini, or weave a traditional "vyshivanka." Some of the locals are also experts in mushroom hunting, birch sap juice harvesting, metal detecting, horseback riding, and more. My more modern friends in the area can provide photography walks, contemporary cooking classes, and pottery.

There is also the opportunity to go "antiquing" -- we've found 100+ year old huge hand-hewn oak chests and handmade canoes that locals have inherited from the past and are about to throw away but which you can buy for 1/10th what they would cost in America.

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