Cossack ship

Ukrainian archaeologists have found and recovered the last part of a single-masted Cossack ship near Khortitsa island on Dnieper. The XVIII century ship was found in 1999 and recovered in 2004. It was conserved in a specially built hangar on the Khortitsa island. Unfortunately, during the 1999 spring flood the stern of the ship was torn away and carried by the current some kilometers down the river. The search can only be performed in winter, when the water is clearer than in summer, and in February 2007 the missing part was found. In March the works started. The recovered stern will be conserved and added to the remains stored in the museum. Besides, the archaeologist say that during the search they found remains of more ships. The remains of another, smaller, Cossack boat are already in the Khortitsa National Reserve (link in Ukrainian) and taken together, these ships could make a good exposition.

Earlier, the director of the Institute for Underwater Explorations Maxim Ostapenko found a Scythian settlement on the island. Greek amphorae are sometimes found near Khortitsa, and it makes the archaeologists hope that some traces of the Greek ships may found -- anchors or other parts. Unfortunately, Ostapenko says, the riverbed is changing fast due to the construction of water reserves in XX century and the ships remains may be lost forever if not recovered as fast as possible.