Old fortress Kamenets Podolsk castle. Kamenets-Podolsk fortress is a historical monument of Ukraine. History of the Kamenets-Podolsk Fortress

Do you know which fortress not a single enemy army could take by storm?

Which fortress terrified all invaders for half a thousand years and was a shield for Europe, protecting its countries from the Mongol-Tatar horde?

This is the fortress of Kamenets-Podolsky, in Ukraine!

There is even a parable: the Turkish Khan Osman, in 1621, came close to it with his troops. Surprised by the power of the structure, he asked who strengthened the fortress like that? They answered him: “God himself.” “Then let God take it,” the khan answered and withdrew the troops.

Our tourist group hurried to such an amazing structure after visiting the main attractions of the city; I wrote about it in a previous article.

The fortress is the pride of the city; it occupies a central place in the Kamenets nature reserve, and guards the entrance to the Old Town, which is located on a stone peninsula. The peninsula was formed by an omega-shaped loop of the Smotrich River bed.

The first mention of the fortress was found in 1374, in the princely charter of the owner of those places, Yuri Koriatovich. Although historians suggest that it appeared in wooden form even earlier. But it became stone already under the rule of the Lithuanian princes Koriatovich.

The defensive structure of Kamenets-Podolsky was a powerful outpost at all times. At first, the Lithuanian princes ruled, then, in the 15th century, the Polish ones. The outpost often changed hands, but not as a result of military battles, but through deception. It was very important for the rulers of neighboring countries to own such a powerful “extreme bastion of Christianity.”

In 1492, the fortress was surrounded by stone walls with several towers and two gates. Adjoining them was a courtyard surrounded by a wooden wall. The modern appearance of the fortress appeared already in the 16th century. All dilapidated buildings were replaced with stone ones.

Powerful towers were built at the corners of the elongated polyhedron (this was the shape of the fortress). Each had its own name and purpose. I counted 12 of them, and another one near the river itself - this is the Water Tower, the main source of drinking water during the siege. It is connected by an underground tunnel to the internal Rozhenka tower. The tunnel was kept in great secret, and only the commandant of the fortress knew about it.

We walked into the fortress along the ancient Turkish Bridge. Once upon a time, the bridge played a very important role, being the only connection with the Old Town. The bridge was called Turkish after Kamenets-Podolsky was surrendered to the Turks in 1672. Turkish craftsmen rebuilt the bridge and strengthened it well, hoping to stay here for a long time. But already at the end of the 17th century the Poles returned again. And only after the collapse of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth did the lands and the fortress pass into the possession of the Russian Empire.

Here is a brief history of the defensive structure of Kamenets-Podolsky. Soon it lost its direct purpose, and already in 1928 the fortress was listed as a nature reserve, and in 1937 - as a museum-reserve.

In the courtyard of the Old Fortress there is a wooden well, its depth is 35 meters and its diameter is 5 meters. They used a huge wheel to get drinking water from the well.

There is also a debt hole, with a dummy of a malicious tax evader, it is to the left of the entrance. Once upon a time they threw debtors into it, but now many people throw coins there so as not to have debts.

In one of the dungeons of the fortress we were shown a cell with a replica of the folk hero Karmelyuk. He was called the Ukrainian Robin Hood. A film was made about him here - “Ustim Karmelyuk”.

It must be said that in the fortress, as in, many historical films were filmed: “The Old Fortress”, “The Nine Lives of Nestor Makhno”, “Commissar”, “In War, Like in War”, “Gypsy Aza” and many others. You can read about the fortress and the battles around it in the historical novel “Pan Volodyovsky” by the Polish writer Henryk Sienkiewicz.

In the museum of the reserve you can see collections of icons, crosses, ancient Roman and Polish coins, Italian marble sculptures, paintings of military battles, portraits of governors, souvenirs and various kinds of wood crafts. Various shows are held on the territory of the fortress. Here you can shoot with a real bow and crossbow, and try on knightly armor.

The fortress is also captivating in the evening illumination.

The Kamenets Fortress or Kamenets-Podolsk Fortress is one of the most impregnable defensive structures in Ukraine. The stone stronghold is located on a rocky island above the Smotrich River in Volyn. Archaeologists attribute its appearance to the XIII-XIV centuries. But even earlier there were wooden fortifications at this place. And under some of the fortress’s structures, researchers discovered stone foundations of buildings from Roman times. The first written mention of the Kamenets-Podolsk castle is contained in the charter of Prince Yuri Koryatovich, which dates back to 1374. It was then that he was given the right to build a fortress in Kamenets-Podolsky.

Kamenets-Podolsk fortress. on Google Maps.

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The first mention that has reached us with a description of the Kamenets-Podolsk castle dates back to 1494. Then, on the side of the city, a gate with a tower was made in its walls, and in the northern wall - a Floor Gate. During the 14th-15th centuries, stone-throwing mechanisms went out of use and firearms were increasingly used. Therefore, in the 16th century, new towers appeared in the Kamenets-Podolsk castle. Military barracks and a number of cellars for storing weapons, gunpowder and food also appeared. Currently, the castle is a complex of eleven towers, united by stone walls into a single defensive structure. Subsequently it received the name - Old Castle.

Despite the fairly strong natural and artificial fortifications of the Kamensky Castle, which protected it throughout the Middle Ages, at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries the city faced the problem of radical modernization of the fortification system. In 1621, when the city and the castle were part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a New Castle was built around the old fortification, adapted for defense in conditions of artillery shelling. It consisted of two earthen semi-bastions and a curtain wall (the rampart), in front of which stretched a dry ditch. Such fortifications were resistant to gunfire, but the enemy found themselves under a hellish downpour. It’s good that there was no gunpowder in the fortress itself - it was produced in gunpowder mills in the Smotrich canyon. To test the quality of gunpowder in the 18th century, a casemate tower was erected in the Old Town, called the “Laboratory”.

Even the Great Khan Osman was afraid of the inaccessibility of the castle. They say that, having seen the fortifications of Kamenets-Podolsk in 1621, he asked: “Who built such a mighty city?”

“Allah himself,” was the answer.

“So may Allah conquer it!”

And he turned the army away from the walls of Kamenets-Podolsk. Only in 1672 did the Turks capture the stronghold of Podolia thanks to their numerical superiority (more than 60 times).

Kamenets-Podolsk fortress. Photo.

Now the castle dungeons and towers are populated with figures depicting Ustim Karmelyuk with his fellow prisoners, warriors and other historical characters. Also on the territory of the fortress you can look into the abyss of a 40-meter well, walk through the gallery of the castle, and sometimes even admire recreated knightly tournaments.

Now this perfectly preserved monument of medieval architecture attracts many tourists. Thanks to the activities of military history clubs, festivals dedicated to the historical events that took place here are regularly organized in the Kamenets-Podilsky Castle. The largest of them, “Terra heroica,” is dedicated to the events of the 17th century.

We invite you to take a historical walk. Video Kamyanets-Podolsk Castle or Kamyanets-Podolsk Fortress.

This video is for those who want to know more about the castle. Enjoy watching.

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Kamenets Podolsky Castle belongs to the seven wonders of Ukraine along with such famous sights as the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. Its strategic location on the Smotrich River played an important role in the history of the country.

The castle is the largest building, towering over the landscape of the entire city. Situated on a cliff of a peninsula formed by a river (the ancient city was located in a loop of the Smotrich River), the castle was reliably protected on all sides and was of great strategic importance. Thanks to this, Kamenets became the capital of the region and the “extreme bastion of Christianity”; it was a desirable object for many countries. At first it was owned by Lithuania (under whose reign the castle was built), then Poland, the Ottoman Empire, Russia, the Soviet Union, and finally.

Although the foundation of the fortress dates back to ancient times, since this area was inhabited during the times of Kievan Rus, the name Kamenets Podolsky was first mentioned in 1374 in historical records. The stone castle was built by the Lithuanian princes Koriatovichi. Over the past thousand years, this fortress has undergone countless changes. In the middle of the 16th century, all wooden buildings were replaced with stone ones, and they acquired a modern appearance that has survived to this day.

In the 19th century, Kamenets-Podolsky lost its military significance and was used as a prison for criminals, political prisoners and debtors. In the 1920s and 1930s, the castle was converted into a cultural and historical monument and museum.

What to see

Today, several historical monuments have been preserved in Kamenets: such as the towers of Stefan Batory and the Window Gate, the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, as well as several examples of historical architecture located in the city center. The local markets clearly demonstrate the mixture of Ukrainian, Polish and Armenian culture that came together to create this city.

In 2007, the castle in Kamenets Podolsky was recognized as one of the seven wonders of Ukraine. Showcasing twelve large towers, strongly fortified walls, a bridge over the river into the Old Town and a wealth of fantastic views and relics, this castle is the region's main attraction for tourists and travelers.

On the other bank of the Dniester is located, which went down in history with the victory of the Ukrainian Cossacks over the Ottoman Empire. To the south, in - the largest fortress and the best example of fortifications of the Middle Ages.

Kamenets-Podilskyi Castle is open daily from 9.00 to 19.00, in winter until 18.00. The entrance is free.

Kamenets-Podolsky– one of the most popular cities in Ukraine for tourists.

We will tell you about the most famous and lesser-known sights of Kamenets-Podilskyi and its surroundings. We also offer to your attention a route thanks to which you can see the main “highlights” of the city in just 1 day!

Kamenets-Podolsk Fortress

Old castle of Kamenets-Podolsky– one of the most famous monuments of the Middle Ages in Ukraine.

Although the first mentions of the fortress are found in XIV century, it is believed that it existed in ancient Russian times. Judging by historical documents, at first the castle was made of wood, later it acquired its own stone appearance and has expanded significantly.

There are several other interesting objects on the territory of the fortress.

In the western part of the castle is located New castle, built to strengthen the defense of the fortress itself. Interestingly, the new fortress had an even larger area than the old one, but, unfortunately, now part of it is underground.

Castle Bridge, connecting the Old Fortress with the city, is a landmark of national importance. It is the oldest bridge in Ukraine, on the basis of which it is included in the country’s Book of Records. It is believed that the bridge was built by the Romans back in the 2nd century, although documentary evidence of the bridge’s existence dates back 1494 year.

The bridge acquired its present appearance thanks to the Turks in XVII century. Now the width of the bridge is 7 meters at the top and 12.8 meters at the foot. And the height of the bridge at its highest point is 28 meters!

Also on the territory of the fortress you will see Karmelyukov Tower, Debt pit and many other interesting objects. Kamenets-Podolsk Fortress you will find it at st. Zamkovaya, 1.

Architecture

City Hall of Kamenets-Podilskyi is also a symbol of the city. It is located at st. Polish Market, 1. This landmark, built at the beginning XVI in, was used as the building of the city magistrate. IN 1884 year, a clock was installed on the town hall tower, which still shows exact time.

Russian Gate on the street Russkaya, 93 is a unique defense structure in Eastern Europe. After all, these gates are at the same time part of a complex system, which, in case of danger, flooded the river valley. Smotrich. To this day, unfortunately, only part of the structures that once represented the Russian Gate has survived. But even this part is a very fascinating site for tourists to visit.

By the way, some of the premises now house pottery, open to tourists.

A must-visit place in Kamenets-Podilskyi is Trinitarian Church. Built in 1765 year, it has been perfectly preserved to this day. The building is very beautiful. The main facade is decorated with pilasters and a pediment with amazing sculptures and vases. Inside the church there are 7 altars, decorated with icons and beautiful stucco.

Stone wall gate, separating the territory of the church from the street, are also a work of art. You will find the church at the address: st. Starobulvarnaya, 1-a.

Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

But the main religious building in the city is considered Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. The church built in XVII century, is the only Christian building in the world with a minaret. The reason for this strange combination is the twenty-seven year reign of the Turkish invaders.

The church is especially beautiful inside. There is a rich iconostasis, decorated with gilded wood carvings and a crucifix made of white marble, as well as a masterpiece Laura Przezdecka's gravestone, which at one time they wanted to transport to the Hermitage.

See the cathedral and also enjoy organ music, who sometimes plays here, you can visit st. Tatarskaya, 20.

Here are some more architectural monuments of the city and its surroundings that deserve your attention:

Triumphal Arch Stanislav Augusta (Tatarskaya St., 20);
Polish Gate(Russkaya st., 2);
Dominican Monastery(Dominikanskaya St., 3);
Zhvanetsky Castle(village Zhvanets);
Church of the Virgin Mary(village Zhvanets);
Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary(village Kitaygorod);
Panowiec Castle(Panovtsi village).

Stefan Batory Tower(Russkaya st., 20);
Peter and Paul Church(Tatarskaya st., 9);
Nicholas Church(lane Nikolaevsky, 2);
Turkish Bastion(Russian market square, 1);
Pottery Tower(Valy st., 1);
Trinity Church(Trinity Square);
Armenian well(Polskiy Rynok Square, 1);

Museums

On the square The Armenian Market (on Pyatnitskaya street, 11) is located Art Museum cities. Previously, the museum building housed the city theater, then the Theological Orthodox Seminary. Therefore, the museum building itself is an important architectural monument.

In addition, the museum exposition contains more than 120 thousand unique works of painting and graphics, valuable sculptures and icons of various religious schools.

An important place in the museum's collection is occupied by exhibition of paintings Ukrainian artist of the twentieth century V. Rozvadovsky.

Archaeological Museum, located in the former bishop's palace on the street. John the Baptist, 2, is also both a museum and an architectural monument. The museum's exposition recreates the ancient human habitation and allows you to get acquainted with the tools and household items that the people of Podolia have used since ancient times.

Also on the territory of the museum in the courtyard there is lapidarium.

We also suggest that you familiarize yourself with:

Museum of Magdeburg Law;
Museum of the History of Money;
Exhibition “Court in Medieval Kamenets”.

All of them are located in the City Hall building on the street. Polish Market, 1.

City monuments

As for monuments, the most unusual of them is "Table of Agreement", located in the city of Tatarishche within the city. Second name of the sculpture "Monument of Seven Cultures".

The sculpture is a reinforced concrete disk 8 meters in diameter and seven huge stones located around the “table”. In the center of the table there is a metal "torch of friendship", and each stone represents a people who left a significant trace in the history of Kamenets-Podolsky. These are Ukrainians, Turks, Armenians, Jews, Poles and Lithuanians.

Not far from the disk there is another stone, inviting you to participate in cultural development cities.

Natural attractions

If you find yourself near Kamenets-Podolsky, be sure to visit Podolski Tovtry National Park. This is a unique mountain range with its own unique, rich, beautiful nature. Beginning with X centuries, there were settlements of the ancient Slavs here. So, not only the park’s landscapes and ancient caves are of interest, but also the ruins of the Bakota monastery, the remains of fortresses and ancient ramparts.

Karst cave Atlantis(village Zavalye);
Kitaygorod forest(village Kitaygorod);
Vrublevetsky forest(Vrublivtsy village).

What to see in Kamenets-Podolsky in 1 day?

Let's start the journey with City Hall.
Let's get to Cathedral Peter and Paul Church.
We examine Smotritsky Canyon, surrounding the Old Town in an arc.
Walking around the Old Town in Kamenets-Podilskyi, you can take beautiful photos of the city and enjoy its sights. Be sure to check it out Armenian well, Trinitarian Church, Nicholas Church, Kushnir tower.
We are moving towards the exit from the city. We examine Castle Bridge.
Finally we get to Old fortress, which has many of its own attractions.
If you wish, you can take a walk around night city.

Kamenets-Podolsky Castle consists of two parts - the Old Castle itself, which is known as the most important attraction of the city, and the New Castle, located nearby and representing bastion fortifications. Disputes about the time of the foundation of the Kamenets-Podolsky castle among scientists do not subside to this day, however, the generally accepted date for the construction of the stone fortress is considered to be 1374 - the moment of the first mention of it in the charter of Yuri Koriatovich. What is noteworthy is that this charter informs about the granting of Magdeburg rights to the city.

Over the long period of its existence, the castle changed hands several times. If we report back to ancient times, namely from the Daco-Roman hypothesis of the founding of Kamenets-Podolsk, then the fortifications were first considered part of the Trajan Ramparts complex, after which they passed into the hands of the Goths, and from them to the Slavs, who used what remained from the ancients. times fortifications, they erected their own wooden fortification, which later became the basis for the Old Castle. It also belonged to the Tatar-Mongols, although indirectly and not for too long - subsequently the city was captured by the Lithuanian king Olgerd and transferred it to the jurisdiction of the Koriatovich princes, who erected a stone fortress on the basis of a wooden castle.

There is a legend among the residents of the city that no one has ever been able to take the castle by storm - only by cunning or gold, but history still refutes it. Thus, due to internal disagreements within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, in 1394 the castle was stormed by Prince Vytautas. After this, in 1430, the castle passed to the Poles, who captured it by cunning. Fyodor Ostrozhsky managed to recapture it temporarily, however, for a period of less than a year.

However, Bogdan Khmelnitsky did not dare to take the castle by storm and, after short unsuccessful attempts to take it through sabotage, he simply passed by with his army. The Ottoman Empire also failed to take the Old Castle in 1672 - they managed to break through the bastions of the New Castle, but they were unable to defeat the defenders in the ancient medieval fortress. The Turks simply paid for the castle, but the carriage with the gold, according to legend, fell from the Castle Bridge, drowned, and has not been found to this day. The Turkish occupation lasted less than 30 years, and soon the old fortress of Kamenets-Podolsky again went to Poland, but did not appear in any significant battles.

The museum on the territory of the fortress was organized in 1928 and is still in operation. However, during festivals, which happen several times a year, it will be impossible to enter its territory without a ticket directly to the festival. The entrance price to Kamenets-Podilskyi Castle is low - about 20 hryvnia last year.

Within the castle itself there is the opportunity to visit a wide variety of places. So, almost immediately near the entrance, visitors are greeted by a debt pit with a debtor sitting inside:

To the right of the entrance you can get into a tower called “The Well”, precisely because the main castle well was located in it, which you can look at. By the way, it has not yet been cleared to the very bottom. The following descent leads to the well:

This is what the well itself looks like:

You really can't see the bottom:

On the second floor you can see the reconstructed well gate:

And climb to the upper terrace of the castle wall:

From it you can go to the lower external terrace:

There you can see the descent into the dungeons. Some of them are simply blocked, and some are barred and are simply additional entrances to museum exhibitions:

This is the Lantskoronskaya Tower, on which the remains of the coat of arms can be seen:

Inside the castle, in the Karmalyuk Tower or in the Papal Tower, there is a pottery workshop where you can make your own pot or plate under the guidance of a master:

And a little higher, sits Karmalyuk himself, who, according to legend, was imprisoned in this very tower and managed to escape from it. Although, according to another legend, he failed to escape - he was caught a few minutes after his escape.

Inside the castle courtyard there are many souvenir shops, authentic medieval cuisine and other tourist attractions. In general, most of the souvenirs are similar to those on display in the center of the Old Town, but they are more expensive, and we didn’t find anything particularly interesting there, except for such funny, although not particularly historical, mini-crossbows:

The courtyard itself of the old fortress of Kamenets-Podolsky, as can be seen from the photo, is quite spacious:

There is an opportunity to walk through the galleries on the walls:

After a short walk, we went to the internal exhibition of the museum, consisting of wax figures in the dungeons:

The quality of their performance, of course, is several times worse than in ...

But some are still quite good:

After viewing such an exhibition, we decided to walk inside the castle walls:

After which all we had to do was take pictures of the area from different angles, being on the towers and walls of the castle:

Some openings are barred to prevent overly enthusiastic tourists from accidentally falling out:

Here is a view of the New Castle, which we will talk about a little later:

And here are the views of the canyon and the Table of Concord, which we will also talk about separately:

In general, the castle is more beautiful for its appearance and history than for its museum exhibition. Thus, in Medzhybizh and Khotyn the museum part of the castles, despite the fact that it is quite small, is still much larger than in Kamenets-Podolsky. But everyone should visit it at least once. And yes, be sure to look at the castle’s lighting at night - it’s worth a look!