Traveling Route: «Stezhkamy kniaziv Ostrozkykh»
The «Stezhkamy kniaziv Ostrozkykh» project began in 2015 as a small youth initiative of a newly established local branch of the NGO “National Alliance” in Ostroh.
At the time, the team was only beginning to work systematically with students and young people. We wanted to create more than individual events, lectures or meetings — we wanted formats in which young people could learn, travel, interact with one another and better discover the history of the place they lived in.
That is how the first camp came about in 2015. Only eight people took part. There was no large budget, established infrastructure or team of dozens of people. There was only an idea, enthusiasm and a desire to try a new way of working with young people.
The participants provided their own equipment and food, while the initiative relied primarily on volunteering, partnerships and people who believed in the idea.
By the following year, it had become clear that we had created something much bigger than a small local camp.
In 2016, young people from different cities and regions of Ukraine began joining the project. New partners, new opportunities and new participants appeared. What had started with eight people in Ostroh gradually developed into a nationwide youth project.
As the camp grew, an active civic community began to form around it. NGOs, government and municipal institutions, local partners, volunteers, businesses and simply people who believed that young people should have opportunities to act, learn and discover the history of Ukraine all became involved in the project.
Over the years, dozens of partners have helped develop the project — sharing equipment, knowledge and experience, supporting training sessions and safety arrangements, assisting with logistics, providing access to historical and natural sites, and offering communication and other resources.
Over the years, the camp has become a place where people from different cities and regions of Ukraine meet, make friends, find like-minded people and build partnerships for future initiatives. Some former participants went on to pursue civic engagement. Some found lifelong friends there. And some met the person with whom they would later build a family.
One of the important stages in the camp’s development was cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine. The Ministry provides financial support for the project, helps ensure compliance with requirements for the use of funds and reporting, provides methodological support, and helps ensure that the project meets national standards in the field of youth policy. In 2023, the project received the “Best Practices in Youth Work” recognition from the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.
Over the years, the local initiative has grown into a nationwide youth project. The number of participants has increased from 8 to 100–120 people per camp session. Hundreds of young people from different cities and regions of Ukraine apply every year, so the team carries out a selection process based on the capacity of the route and the camp location.
From the very beginning, the project has combined historical and patriotic education with practical training. Participants explore the history of Ukraine’s national liberation struggles, learn about the history of the Ostroh region and discover the figures connected with the development of Ukrainian statehood.
At the same time, they develop practical skills: they learn tactical medicine, media literacy, navigation, outdoor and tourism skills, the basics of mountaineering, and survival in extreme conditions.
However, over the years, the camp has become more than a set of educational activities. A community has grown around it — a community united by shared values, experiences and memories.
Many former participants are now defending Ukraine in the ranks of the Defence Forces. More than ten project participants have been killed defending their homeland. Their memory remains an important part of the camp’s history and an example of strength, faith and responsibility for future generations of participants.
Over the years, “The Footsteps of the Princes of Ostroh” has helped hundreds of young people learn more about Ukrainian history, feel a connection with the place they are visiting and develop skills needed to take action in real life.
Throughout the project’s history, approximately 800 participants from all regions of Ukraine have taken part in the camp. In 2026, the 13th camp was held.
For many years, the route was an integral part of the camp experience. Participants walked it on foot, listened to stories about the places they visited, and learned about the people and events that shaped Ukrainian history.
And at some point, we realized: this route should not remain only a part of the camp’s story.
Families, tourists, schoolchildren, students, local residents and anyone interested in the history of the Ostroh region could travel it too — at their own pace, at a convenient time and with their own companions, without having to take part in the camp.
This led to the creation of a separate project, the “Footsteps of the Princes of Ostroh” Travel Route, created with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and MHP-Hromadi. We took a route that had lived within the camp for years and made it accessible to a much wider range of travellers.
The route was officially approved at the regional level, marked on the ground and equipped with information signs. We have now also created this platform so that people can explore the “Footsteps of the Princes of Ostroh” even when they are not ready or able to undertake the journey on foot.
So, if you are reading this text on the route’s website, you have already become part of the next chapter of its story.
Today, the route can be explored with the camp, independently, with friends or family, at your own pace — either in person or online.
Partnership
The camp’s resilience and continuity have been shaped to a great extent by the partners who have supported its implementation over the years. Each of them contributes to turning several days of travelling into a meaningful educational, training and team-building experience.
Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine. The Ministry provides financial support for the project, helps ensure compliance with requirements for the use of funds and reporting, provides methodological support, and helps ensure that the project meets national standards in the field of youth policy. In 2023, the project received the “Best Practices in Youth Work” recognition from the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and MHP-Hromadi. Through this partnership and their financial and institutional support, the route received official status, trail markers and information signs, as well as a web platform that allows users to explore the route even without leaving home.
Ostroh City Council. Thanks to the City Council, the camp has free access to the route used by its participants. The Ostroh City Council coordinates cooperation between the camp organizers, local cultural and educational institutions, and other stakeholders. It also consistently supports the event through the City Council’s official communication channels, including its website, social media and local media.
This cooperation also helps establish additional partnerships necessary for the project, including with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS), the Ostroh Police Department, and the Rivne Regional Rapid Response Unit of the Ukrainian Red Cross.
Youth and Sports Department of the Rivne Regional State Administration. This cooperation has helped strengthen the project’s sustainability and build trust in it among young people and partners.
Dermansko-Ostrozhskyi National Nature Park. The Park provides permission for participants to use the trails and advises on route marking and the installation of information signs. It also provides informational support.
Municipal Institution “State Historical and Cultural Reserve of Ostroh”. The first camp location is Castle Hill. The State Historical and Cultural Reserve of Ostroh provides participants with free access to the site and also supports the project through information and communication.
NGO “All-Ukrainian Movement ‘National Alliance’”. The National Alliance is a co-organizer of the camp and is responsible for its historical, cultural and patriotic components. It also provides part of the camping equipment free of charge, including tents, sleeping bags, flashlights, sleeping mats and mountaineering equipment.
17th State Fire and Rescue Unit of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Ostroh. Rescuers conduct practical sessions for participants on mine safety, emergency response and basic rescue skills. Medical professionals also take part in the programme, teaching participants the fundamentals of tactical medicine, including bleeding-control algorithms, the use of tourniquets and dressings, and actions to take in crisis situations.
Rural Tourism Homestead “Ukrainska Khata”. Its owner, Liudmyla, provides the team with access to the property and house for the camp every year. This gives participants a safe place to set up their tent camp, access sanitary facilities and use space for training, teamwork and evening activities around the campfire.
At the same time, the camp helps promote rural tourism and local cultural heritage.
Yarych Confectionery Factory. The company provides participants with cookies and baked goods for their daily snacks. Over twelve years, this cooperation has become one of the camp’s most stable and long-standing partnerships.
PJSC “Dobra Voda”. The company provides drinking water for participants during hikes, excursions and their stay at the camp. For a remote camp location, this support is both practical and essential.
“Gorgany-Rivne” Online Store. The store supports participants with outdoor equipment, providing gift certificates that young people can use to purchase essential items for future trips, as well as clothing for camp participants.
Idealist Coffee Co and PJSC “Monomakh”. These partners provide the camp with tea and coffee, creating a simple but important part of everyday camp life.
NGO “Brotherhood of Students”. Through this partnership, information about participation opportunities reaches not only students in Ostroh but also student self-government networks at universities across Ukraine.