National Historical and Cultural Reserve “Hetmanska Stolytsia” (Hetman’s Capital) is a cultural, educational and research institution established by the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine № 445 from June 14, 1993 “About the State Historical and Cultural Reserve “Hetmanska Stolitsa” based on the complex of the monuments of history, culture and nature, related to the history of the Ukrainian Cossacks during the Hetmanshchyna period.
The base of the exposition, collection, monument conservation, nature protection and personnel activities of the reserve became the Baturin museum of history and local history which was reorganized and included into its structure and which was located in the landmarked building – the House of General Court (House of Vasyl Kochubey). In 1996 the plan of protective zones of the reserve was approved. Their total area was 57 hectares. In the permanent use of the reserve there are 10 land plots with a total area of 31 hectares.
The vast majority of monuments and cultural heritage sites that form the “Hetmanska Stolytsia” are located within the historic center of the city and its South-Eastern outskirts. In particular, the territory of the Citadel of the Baturyn fortress, where the Memorial to the victims of the Baturyn tragedy of 1708, the Resurrection Church-the tomb of K. Rozumovsky, the House of the General Court of the left-bank Ukraine in the park “Kochubeivskyi” and the palace with an attached park of Hetman Kyrylo Rozumovsky in the South-Eastern part are situated.
The reserve includes some separate monuments located outside Baturin: the tomb of the founder of the all-European school of beekeeping named after Petro Prokopovych in the village of Palchyky, Baturin Mykolo-Krupitskyi Monastery in the village of Verbivka and the territory of the former estate of Ivan Mazepa on the Island of Porosiuchka (the village of Halymonove).
On March 29, 2006 by the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine № 173-p the whole property complex of Baturyn State Historical and Cultural Reserve ” Hetmanska Stolytsia” was transferred from the joint ownership of territorial communities of Chernihiv Oblast to the state ownership with assigning it to the sphere of management of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine.
On November 16, 2007 the President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko by the Decree № 1102/2007, taking into account the importance of the state historical and cultural reserve “Hetmanska Stolytsia ” in preservation of the objects representing special historical, scientific and cultural value, its role in formation of historical consciousness of the Ukrainian people, in education for young generation respectful attitude towards history of the Ukrainian state, gave the state historical and cultural reserve “Hetman’s capital” the status of national one and the reserve was named National Historical and Cultural Reserve “Hetmanska Stolytsia”.
