Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle
Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle | |
---|---|
Кам'янець-Подільський замок | |
Smotrych River canyon landscape. | |
Coordinates | 48°40′24″N 26°33′45″E / 48.67333°N 26.56250°E |
Type | Castle |
Site history | |
Built | |
Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle (Ukrainian: Кам'янець-Подільська фортеця; Polish: twierdza w Kamieńcu Podolskim; Lithuanian: Podolės Kameneco tvirtovė) is a former
Historical accounts date Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle to the early 14th century, although recent archaeological evidence has proved human existence in the area back to the 12th or 13th century.
Its location on a strategic transport crossroad in Podolia made the castle a prime target for foreign invaders, who rebuilt the castle to suit their own needs,
Along with the Old Town neighborhood, the castle is listed as part of the National Historical-Architectural Reserve "Kamianets" and the
History
Foundation and early history
Traditionally, Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle was thought to have been founded during the second half of the 14th century, as the first accurate historical accounts of the castle date back to the mid-14th century, when most of the territories of western Rus' were under control of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[15] A written document by Prince Yuriy Koriatovych in 1374, for example, mentions that the Magdeburg rights would be presented to Kamianets inside the castle.[13] Archaeological excavations during the 1960s, however, provided contrasting evidence suggesting that the castle might date back even earlier to the end of the 12th or the beginning of the 13th centuries.[5] It is also clear from historical and archaeological evidence that an earthen fortress existed in the area during the time of the East Slavic state of Kievan Rus', but not on the same site as the current castle.[16]
The castle was outdated but remained vital to the defense of Kamianets and nearby trade routes; as a result, the voivode of Kraków, Spytek of Melsztyn, began modernizing the complex at the turn of the 15th century.[17] During the reconstruction, the old towers were renovated and ten new towers were added. A century and a half later, the castle was updated again, this time by military engineer and architect Hiob Bretfus, who built the New Western and Eastern Towers, the castle's eastern wall and an underground gallery, as well as the Full Gates and housing for the town's starosta community.[18][nb 1]
Continuous attacks by invaders
During the mid-14th to mid-15th centuries, Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle was located on one of the main frontiers of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. From 1434 until its annexation by the Russian Empire in 1793, the castle played a major role in the defense against the oncoming Cossack, Ottoman, and Tatar invasions; from the 15th through 17th centuries, the castle was attacked by Tatar hordes a total of 51 times.[19] The Tatar invasions of 1448, 1451, 1509, and 1528, as well as the Ottoman siege of 1533, caused damage to both the castle and the city but all of these invasions were successfully repelled.[19]
Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle played an important role during the
In the beginning of August 1672, a 300,000 Ottoman force led by Sultan Mehmed IV and a 40,000 combined force of Tatars and Cossacks led by Hetman Petro Doroshenko laid siege to the castle.[19] After conducting negotiations with their attackers, the city's leaders surrendered control of the fortress to the Ottomans on August 18. In a sign of protest, the fortress's Commandant Michał Wołodyjowski and Major Ketling blew up the castle's remaining gunpowder, killing themselves along with 800 defenders.[19] For 27 years after the attack, the fortress served as the base of Ottoman rule in Podolia.[19] The 1699 Karlov Peace Treaty saw the return of Polish control over the area after the Ottoman Empire ceded its control in the area.[15]
From a castle to a prison
From the beginning of the 18th century, Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle had lost its defensive role, and was used more as a military prison than a military fortification.
Even though it had lost its defensive role, it was one of the strongest fortresses in the
From 1816 until 1914, the fortress was converted from a military prison into a jail for
Museum and conservation
After a series of political changes following the
In 1947, Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle was placed on the
In 2004, the "Kamianets" reserve was upgraded to that of a national preservation district.[27] On August 21, 2007, the complex was declared one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine when it came in 3rd place in a nationwide competition.[12] A severe storm on August 1, 2011, partially destroyed the New Western Tower; the city mayor's office didn't deny that the tower's structural integrity was weakened during its last reconstruction in 2007, paving the way for its collapse just four years later.[28]
Architecture
Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle rests on a limestone formation surrounded by the
The twelve towers
An important and large fortification complex, Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle had as many as 12 towers, some of which were added during later modernizations to the castle. Some of the towers were located on the peninsula on which the main castle sits; some of the other towers were located on the steep slopes across the Smotrych River. There also were other towers such as the Petty Southern Tower,[30] a Dacia-Roman Tower, while another Dacia-Roman Tower stood just outside the eastern walls and a half tower is located at the western end of the Castle bridge.[31] Of these towers, however, only a few remain unscathed today. Specifically, the 12 towers were the:[nb 3]
- Pope's Tower (also known as Karmeliuk's Tower, Julian Tower)[31] was built sometime in the 15th and 16th centuries; an artillery arsenal, powder warehouse, treasury, and a mill were housed within the tower,[30] interconnected with the extensive southern bastion;
- Kovpak Tower (also called the Szlachta Tower)[nb 4] an earlier tower originating between the 14th and 16th centuries, where the town's szlachta nobility were quartered;[30]
- Tenchynska Tower, from the 14th to 16th centuries, commemorated to the Tęczyński family;[30]
- White Tower (also known as Laska Tower), constructed in the 15th century,[31] which housed an additional artillery arsenal;[30]
- Daily Tower (also called the Dzienna Tower), a large tower with a second-floor artillery intersection to move guns into firing position as well as onto the New Western Tower. It also housed a small Lutheran chapel and a smaller "orlyk" (eaglet), or observation tower, at the top;[30]
- New Western Tower (or the Great Tower), built in 1544[31] and which served as a bastion. The tower contained one of the castle's printing presses, and also provided an artillery platform to cover the vast fields surrounding it. It was damaged in a severe storm in 2011.[28][30]
- Różanka Tower (also known as the Burgrabska or Kreslavska Tower), which was constructed between the 14th and 16th centuries,[31] housed a prison in the tower's basement. It is one of three towers (Tenchynska and Lanckorońska) that were finished with specially designed conical vault to draw away the gases from the gunpowder stored there;[30]
- Water Tower (also known as the Smotrytska Tower),[31] one of the castle's later constructions dating to the 15th to 18th centuries[31] used to be connected to the castle by the Field Gate, located some distance away from the main compound on the northern side. It contained a well which drew water from the adjacent Smotrych River, and a secret tunnel, whose existence was only known to the local starosta and scribes;[30]
- Commandant's Tower, built in the 15th century;[31]
- Lanckorońska Tower (or the second Laska Tower), built between the 14th and 16th centuries, commemorated to the Lanckoroński family;[30]
- Black Tower. Only the remains of this tower exist, dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries.[32] It served as a magazine and was blown up in a protest (see earlier history section);[31]
- New Eastern Tower, built in 1544.[31]
Fortification walls
The walls of Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle are divided into three sections or terraces; the northern, southern, and eastern.[8]
The walls of the northern terrace (about 336 metres or 1,102 feet in length) defend the whole inner courtyard. The courtyard's northwestern walls form the Old Castle, ending between the Day and Rozhanka Towers. They are made up of two parallel walls, which include the Petty Western Tower, the remnants of the Black Tower, and a two-level
At the eastern side of the castle's courtyard were the remnants of the St. Stanislaus Church,[30][31] next to which was located a tomb of M. Potocki.[30] Next to the Kovpak Tower stood an Eastern Orthodox church where Prince Koriatovych was buried.[30] In the courtyard along the southern walls between Kovpak and Tenchynska Towers were a granary and cart shed.[30] Across from these, near the northern walls and Lanckorońska Tower, was the residence of the starosta.[30] Next to the Tenchynska Tower stood the "Rurmush" which served as a water storage tank for the castle.[30] At the southern walls closer to the White Tower (between Tenchynska and White Towers) were a kitchen and a bakery.[30] Adjacent to the White Tower at the southern walls between White and Day Towers stood the starosta's headquarters.[30] Located against the western walls were the chelyadna, or serfs' quarters, which housed up to 70 serfs who served the castle.[30] Located outside of the northern walls were the castle stables, which could house up to 30 horses.[30] In the 16th century the castle had a garrison of around 300 soldiers, who lived in the town.[30]
The Kamianets-Podilskyi Industrial
The preserved northwestern walls are now 13.7 m (45 ft) high measured from the outside of the castle and 5.7 m (19 ft) high from the courtyard. As a result of the numerous reconstructions, the walls' depth changed throughout the centuries, being 1.45 m (4.8 ft) deep in the Medieval period, 2.2 m (7.2 ft) during the 14th and 15th centuries, and an average of 4 m (13 ft) after the reconstruction of the 16th and 17th centuries. Conservation works have recently been conducted on the walls to preserve the old Rus' fragments.[8]
Castle bridge
As a result of the castle's unique location on a peninsula, the castle bridge (Ukrainian: Замковий міст) serves as the only transport link to the city's
At the beginning of the 15th century, a large round gate tower was constructed at the castle end of the bridge; the bridge's height, including the tower, was equivalent to that of eight modern stories.[8] During the unsuccessful Polish siege of the city in 1687, the castle bridge was rebuilt and fortified by the Turks, acquiring the name "Turkish bridge" (Ukrainian: Турецький міст),[8] which many locals still call it today. The bridge's stone façade was in poor repair from 1841 until the end of the 19th century.[8] A subsequent lack of preservation work, together with earthquake damage in 1986, contributed to its poor condition. In 2000, the World Monuments Fund included Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle bridge in the 2000 World Monuments Watch.[34]
Legacy
Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle was the most recognized attraction in the city in 2005.[13] The castle also sees a large number of tourists from across Ukraine and abroad,[14] attracting thousands of tourists annually.[35] Its legacy has left behind several local legends. According to one legend, when Ottoman Sultan Osman II came to Kamianets in 1621 to capture the city, he was allegedly impressed by its strength and fortifications and asked "Who built this great city?" . Someone then replied to him, "God himself." When Osman could not capture the castle, he then replied "Then let God himself take the city."[5][16] Another local legend has it that Turkish gold is buried in the Smotrych River and that a 20 km (12 mi) tunnel leads to the Khotyn Fortress from Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle.[16]
The events of the 1672 Ottoman siege were depicted in the 1888
See also
- List of castles in Ukraine
- List of historic reserves in Ukraine
- National Historical-Architectural Reserve "Kamianets" on the Ukrainian Wikipedia
References
Notes
- ^ In the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, starosta referred to a royal official.
- Haidamakas were paramilitary bands of local Cossacks and peasantry, set up to fight against the Polish nobility in right-bank Ukraine.
- ^ Towers are listed in a clockwise order starting from the southwestern Pope's Tower.
- ^ Kovpak is a Ukrainian word for the Turkish Calpaq which is a high-crowned conical-form headgear (see Kalpak).
Footnotes
- ^ "Kam'ianets-Podilskyi historical". kampod.name (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2011-04-30. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
- ^ a b c Bochenek 1980, p. 93.
- ^ Welcome to Ukraine: About Kamianets-Podilskyi Archived 2013-05-13 at the Wayback Machine MIBS Travel
- ^ A trip to historic Kamianets-Podilskyi: crossroads of many cultures, Roman Woronowycz, Kyiv Press Bureau.
- ^ a b c Budzey 2005, p. 90
- ^ a b Solop, Viktor (December 11, 2009). "Fortress or castle?". Podolianyn (in Ukrainian). Kamianets-Podilskyi. p. 7. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ Holovko 1973, p. 6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Zharikov 1983–1986, p. 182.
- ^ "Great Ukrainian Castles". UAProperty.com. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- ^ "The fortress in Kamenets". Vinnytsia Oblast Universal Academic Library (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 19 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Cultural Landscape of Canyon in Kamenets-Podilsk". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
- ^ a b "National Historical-architectural Complex "Kamianets"". Seven Wonders of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2007-08-20. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
- ^ a b c Budzey 2005, p. 89
- ^ a b c Evans 2010, p. 176.
- ^ a b Rudnev 1895, pp. 146–7
- ^ a b c d "Kamianiec' Old Fortress". castles.com.ua. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- ^ a b Pyaterikov, Sergey. СТАРАЯ КРЕПОСТЬ НА СМОТРИЧЕ [The old fortress on the Smotrych River]. ZN.ua (in Russian). pp. № 24 (399). Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- ^ a b Ivchenko & Parkhomenko 2010, pp. 262–3.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p L. Bazhenov; V. Solovey. Excerpt (in Russian). National Environmental Park "Podilski Tovtry".
- ^ Chrzanowski 1993, p. 396.
- ^ Orłowicz 1919, p. 158.
- Greatest Ukrainians(in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2008-12-13.
- ^ "On the 10th of March, Ustym Karmeliuk (1787-1835) was born, Ukrainian "Robin Hood," national hero, who fought against nationalist and social oppression". Ukrinform Photo (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2008-12-13.
- ^ Bazhenova, S. (1982). В'язні старої фортеці (in Ukrainian). Radianske Podillia.
- ^ a b c Humeniuk & Meschyny 1968.
- ^ "History of the reserve NIAZ "Kam'ianets"". National Historical-Architectural Complex Kam'ianets (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- ^ Laws of Ukraine. Prime Minister of Ukraine No. 161-р: Про передачу цілісного майнового комплексу Національного історико-архітектурного заповідника "Кам'янець" у державну власність. Adopted on 21 March 2004. (Ukrainian)
- ^ UNIAN (1 August 2011). "Collapse in the Kamianets-Podilskyi Fortress: Mayors office does not deny tower was damaged during reconstruction". Korrespondent (in Russian). Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ^ a b c "Kamianets-Podilskyi castle". Snap.com.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Old castle". www.kam-pod.info (in Russian). Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Mudretsov, O. (2009). "Kamianets-Podilsky Old Castle". www.kam-pod.info (in Russian). Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- ^ Klymenko, Sergiy (July 2004). На південний захід від Києва, липень 2004 року. День четвертий: Чернівці -> Хотин -> Кам’янець-Подільський -> Чорнокозинці -> Чернівці [On the southwest of Kyiv, July 2004. Fourth day: Chernivsti -> Khotyn -> Kamianets-Podilskyi -> Chornokozyntsi -> Chernivsti]. serg-klymenko.narod.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2008-02-28.
- ^ National Environmental Park "Podilski Tovtry"(in Russian). Retrieved 2008-03-26.
- ^ "One Hundred Most Endangered Sites 2000" (PDF). World Monuments Watch. World Monuments Fund. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
- ^ "Museums" (Figure is for the total visitation number to Kamianets-Podilskyi museums.). Kamianets-Podilskyi Tourist Informational Site (in Ukrainian). 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ "In Transnistria a new commemorative coin is produced". Regnum (in Russian). regnum.ru. June 7, 2007. Retrieved 2011-06-18.
- ^ "Ancient fortresses on the river Dniester". Trans-Dniester Republican Bank. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
- ^ "Trans-Dniester profile". BBC News. June 20, 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ "Монета Старий замок у м. Кам`янці-Подільському 5 грн". Ua-Coins.info.
- ^ НБУ вводить в обіг пам’ятні монети, присвячені легендарній Кам`янець-Подільській фортеці [NBU puts into circulation commemorative coins dedicated to the legendary Kamianets-Podilskyi fortress]. Незалежний громадський портал. 2017-05-12.
Bibliography
- Bochenek, Ryszard Henryk (1980), 1000 słów o inżynierii i fortyfikacjach (in Polish), ISBN 83-11-06370-2
- Budzey, Oleh (2005), By the streets of Kamianets-Podilskyi (in Ukrainian), ISBN 966-603-274-0
- Chrzanowski, Tadeusz (1993), Sztuka w Polsce Piastów i Jagiellonów : zarys dziejów (in Polish), ISBN 83-01-11171-2
- Evans, Andrew (2010), Ukraine, ISBN 978-1-84162-311-5
- Holovko, Hryhoryi (1973), Architecture of Soviet Ukraine (in Russian), Stroyizdat
- Humeniuk, S.; Meschyny, A. (1968), Khmelnytska oblast (in Ukrainian), Lviv: Kameniar
- Ivchenko, A.S.; Parkhomenko, O.A. (2010), Ukrayina. Fortetsi, zamky, palatsy (in Ukrainian), ISBN 978-966-475-375-0
- Orłowicz, Mieczysław (1919), Ilustrowany przewodnik po Galicji, Bukowinie, Spiszu, Orawie i Śląsku Cieszyńskim (in Polish), Lwów: Książnica Polska
- Rudnev, V. (1895), "Kamenets-Podolsk (history)", Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, vol. V. 27, Saint Petersburg, retrieved 2008-06-08
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Zharikov, N. L. (1983–1986), "Old castle, 11th-18th centuries", Monuments of urban development and architecture in the Ukrainian SSR (in Russian), vol. 1–4, LCCN 84179019
External links
- "Official website". National Historical-Architectural Complex "Kam'ianets" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- "Podilski Tovtry NNP" (in Ukrainian). National Environmental Park "Podilski Tovtry". Retrieved 2008-12-30.
- "Old castle, Kam'yanets-Podilskyi : fortifications". Encyclopedia of Sights. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
- "Old castle: historical monument or a theatrical prop?". Kamianets-Podilskyi Online (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2011-06-19.