Is there any region of Ukraine where there would be no ancient building? We already know about some of them, we have even visited some and enjoyed them, but there are some that have escaped our attention. Of course, they are the ones that interest us the most now. So, today we want to tell you about little-known, but no less interesting fortresses, palaces and castles of Ukraine.
Surely, someone considers themselves a very educated expert on the fortifications of Ukraine, but to interest you too, we have changed the names of the structures. Will you now recognize them, just from the photos and descriptions? You will find the answers in the links.
Psary Palace
It is hidden in a dense grove, so finding it is not so easy. In addition, the road to it is complex and winding. Previously, the palace belonged to the Potocki dynasty, but today it is difficult to imagine that this building was once majestic. But, straining your inner vision, you can guess or imagine a beautiful estate that remembers past times and luxury.
Red Castle
It rightfully bears the name of the most mysterious castle in Ukraine. Today we can see only two crenellated round towers, remnants of its past grandeur. Built in the 9th century, it was then completely rebuilt. It is the only thing left of a settlement completely cut off from civilization. This gives it mystery and mystery. The only dirt road leads to it, and when it rains or in bad weather, this road becomes impassable.
Tavria Manor
The estate is the only building of its kind in the palace-castle architecture of the 19th century that still exists today. It is the most interesting monument of Eastern Ukraine. When you drive up to the palace complex, you will see spires crowning the battlements and walls of the building. An interesting fact is that the construction of the palace itself took 30 years.
Such a long construction period is due to a local legend: during the fair, a gypsy woman prophesied to the owner of the manor under construction that his life would last as long as the castle was being built. Therefore, adjustments were constantly made to the project. Since the owner of the estate did not try to extend his life at the expense of construction, it happened, as the gypsy woman recalled: on the day the construction was completed, the prediction came true.
Moorish pearl
Not far from here are the destroyed supports of a bridge, which indicates that a river once flowed here. Today it is difficult to guess the remains of the structure under the old ruins. A field of reeds, a small stream, if you walk a little - you can see a small village, and that's all. And only by looking closely, you can see an unusual spire - or the remains of a church dome, or the ruins of something else. And only if you know what to look for, and if you get off the road - you will discover an unusual Moorish castle.
Fortress "By the River"
Also, little remains of the building that was once a mighty fortress. Now it is a pentagonal lonely tower, leaning on the river bank. Once, in ancient times, this castle was very important for the whole country and played a significant role in its history. It was built in the 17th century, and there were six more towers then, and it was surrounded by a deep protective moat. It was a wonderful shelter for the local nobility. Today, not even all residents of the villages located nearby know about the very fact of the existence of this castle.
With the loss of its important strategic importance, this area has become completely useless. Only lovers of antiquity visit these places, where a magnificent view opens up.
Nadzbruchanska Fortress
Looking at the bank of the Zbruch River, you can notice a narrow line of stone fragments. This is one of the old forgotten Podolsk fortresses. Built in the second half of the 14th century, for the sake of defending the area, today it has only ruins. Even during the bloody battles of the First World War, its walls held the defense. And you will be surprised at what a career in literature this fortress has made. It is mentioned repeatedly by various writers, it is a real muse for many of them.
Strip Palace
This fortress is named after the River Strip, near which it was built on a rocky outcrop in the 14th century. The small mountain slopes abruptly and descends to the water. The castle had an oval shape, with a bridge crossing the river.
Over time, the palace lost its defensive significance and therefore fell into disrepair. Gradually, its remains began to be stretched by local residents for their construction needs, and now only the frame remains. And only interested tourists still visit these places from time to time.
Ruins of the arched castle
Near a small village, surrounded on all sides by ponds, there is a castle, which today we can see only as fragmentary ruins. Once it played a significant role in history. Yes, it was from its walls that False Dmitry set off on a campaign against Moscow. During the First World War, Russian artillery dealt a devastating blow to its walls. Today, only part of the southwestern walls have survived, which do not reflect even a quarter of the original height of the buildings. And even in this form, these ruins say a lot about how strong the castle once was.
Sluch-Ikopot Fortress
This fortress is about five hundred years old, and yet not the oldest in these places. The structure was built on the "black" path, that is, on one of the important roads for the Tatar campaigns, and still its condition is excellent and has survived almost unchanged to our times. Now restoration and archaeological work is being carried out here, and a large part of the castle has been restored.
Ruins of the castle on the Sluch River
Long ago, back in the 15th century, there was a huge castle on the banks of the Sluch River. Today, only ruins remain of it, in which it is almost impossible to guess what exactly was here once. Only our imagination can reconstruct a certain image of the structure. According to historians, it was a fortress, powerful and impregnable, which surrendered only under the pressure of the Swedes in 1708. It was then that it turned into numerous ruins and never rose from them again. In our time, there are so few ruins left that it is difficult to even predict what will happen to them in another ten years.
Saken Estate
The history of this building, unfortunately, is no longer known to descendants. It was first mentioned in the 19th century, during the time of Count Saken. Later, the castle passed from one owner to another, until a biochemical plant was located on its territory in Soviet times. This was almost the end of its history, because during this period a fire occurred, which almost completely destroyed the estate.
Gerburt Fortification Castle
On Strelka Mountain, the ruins of a defensive fortress are surprisingly well preserved. At one time, it was built by the Poles to protect the land from Tatar raids. Rumor has it that a network of underground passages intertwines under the castle walls. Today, it is no longer possible to verify whether this is fact or fiction: they are all covered with earth. But the legend that somewhere deep down the owners of the castle hid piles of treasures lives on to this day. Another legend tells of a ghost that supposedly wanders around the area. It is the spirit of a young girl who was walled up in the castle walls by the Turks.
Castle ruins on Slipia Gora
The fortress was first mentioned in the 1450s, when it was still a wooden structure. During one of the Tatar attacks, it was burned down, along with all the inhabitants and settlements. A legend was composed about this event.
A bloody battle was going on, and when the enemies were almost victorious, a young princess appeared in the courtyard in a wedding dress. Her appearance was so unexpected that the battle stopped. Meanwhile, the princess herself, maintaining her dignity, walked past both the defenders of the castle and its enemies, and "married to death" - she threw herself into a well so as not to be captured as a trophy. According to legend, her spirit is the guardian of the area.
Castle of the Wicked Maidens
This castle has a complex and confusing history, especially for people not connected with history. Its name is very unusual, it is worth talking about it. This name is associated with Elizabeth Bathory, the so-called Bloody Countess or the Czachtyc Monster. She was known for her ingenuity in using cruel actions, and had a habit of spending bath days - where she used the blood of young girls instead of water. From the persecutions, which, of course, were carried out, she tried to hide in this castle. They say that the ghost of this woman still walks among the ruins, and at night you can hear women's screams.
Kanko Castle
This castle is located on the terrace of the Black Mountain. Originally a wooden building, it was transformed into a knight's castle made of stone, guarding the salt road that ran along the Tisza River. In this way, it stood guard for over 300 years, until it began a new life as a monastery.
Speaking of the name, there are two versions. According to the first, the owner of the castle for some time was the robber Kanko. The second version is more likely: according to it, the name is associated with local monks, whose special outerwear, made of sheep's wool, was called "kanko".
Fortress Satan
Nowadays, only ruins remain from the fortress, where the wind whistles, but this ancient monument is very valuable. The history of its origin knows many blank spots - who built it and when. That is why its origin is closely intertwined with legends. There is a long and difficult path to the fortress, which passes through a forgotten sugar factory and rests against high iron gates. The grandeur of the castle has not been preserved to this day, only ancient walls and several ruins of towers have remained. But from the walls themselves you can see a beautiful panorama.
Citadel of the Galician Princes
Above the city, on the Dniester River, on its right bank, there are ruins of an old castle. None of the chroniclers mention the history and origin of the building. Some of them believe that the fortress dates back to the mid-14th century, but according to written evidence it already existed in 1114.
The only opinion shared by all is that it was the largest fortress in Galicia. But the middle of the 18th century already remembers it as ruins. In our time it is one of the important monuments of Ukraine and is subject to restoration work.
Castle-fortress in the Borzhava Valley
This castle is considered the only architectural indicator of a rural medieval manor in Europe. Researchers believe that initially the first version of the castle was made entirely of wood, in the 11th-12th century, but this is not confirmed by any written arguments. In the 15th century, a new palace began to be built, this time of stone.
It is even surprising how well the castle has preserved all its main parts and overall appearance to this day. Nowadays, there is an active discussion about the restoration of the fortress.
Zamoyski Fortress
This fortress has its own legend - about the times of the siege of the Polish troops. The Poles penetrated the fortress grounds and fought long and bloody battles. The widow of the Cossack centurion Mariana blew up the enemies by setting fire to the cellars with gunpowder. The castle was destroyed, that's all. What remained of it was part of the underground corridors and the only tower. Over time, the tower was converted into a bell tower. Now its remains embody the pride, courage and will of the Ukrainian people, who defend themselves and their land to the last.
Berislavsky outpost
This fortress and what remains of it are historical evidence of the struggle of Turkish troops with Ukrainian Cossacks. It was created by the Turks in the 15th century, to replace the Lithuanian customs. It was used to counter Cossack campaigns on the Dnieper, as well as for attacks on Ukrainian land. In 1689, Golitsyn's troops tried to take the fortress, but then they failed. Only Hetman Mazepa conquered it in 1695. Today, only fragments of the ruins of the fortress remind us of all those events.
Ghost town
This powerful fortress is very different from all the others, it is difficult to even call it a castle or a fortress. It has been perfectly preserved to this day and is a monument. The fort was created to protect the railway tracks of Lviv. It was successfully used in the confrontation between Russia and Austria-Hungary.
There is information that during World War II, secret nuclear weapons were tested in this place. Unfortunately, today this fort is abandoned, it is gradually falling into disrepair and has even been called a Ghost Town.
Zvyagel
The castle was created by Prince Ostrozky. He decided that the left bank of the Sluch River would be a very good place for the fortress, and personally laid the first stone. This happened in the 16th century. During the War of Independence, the castle was destroyed, unfortunately, by the hands of the Ukrainian people. The ruins remained unchanged for a long time, until the past power of the fortress was remembered again. In memory of the past power, it was decided to restore the structure, but its current appearance is very different from the original structure.
Oblique caponier
This massive earthen fortress is the second largest in the world. It took almost 2 centuries to build, during which time the inhabitants of an entire region were evicted.
The oblique caponier is only part of the entire fortress. It was used to store firearms and loopholes, convenient placement at a certain angle made it possible to make artillery fire more effective. The caponier also served as a political prison - from the middle of the 19th century. Today the fortress is the largest museum, and here you can see both the dungeons and the famous "death carriage", as well as examine a rich collection of weapons and other finds.
Based on materials from igotoworld.com
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