Bilhorod-Dnister fortressCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
Ukrainian fortresses are grand architectural monuments that were built and developed for defense purposes over the centuries. They are diverse in their styles, but all have a rich and exciting history.
Kamianets-Podilsky Fortress (1621)CFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
1. Kamianets-Podilsky Fortress
This fortress is one of the most famous ones in Ukraine, located in Kamianets Podilsky in the Khmelnytsky region.
The start of its construction dates back to the 12th-13th centuries, with the New Castle finished in 1621 and big repairs conducted in the 18th century.
Kamianets-Podilsky Fortress (1621)CFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
The first written mention of the castle is marked in 1374 in the charter of Princes George and Aleksander Koriatovych when the Podillya region was included in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
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In different times, the castle was the prince’s residence and a prison. Now, it serves as a museum. Many movies have also been filmed there.
Khotyn FortressCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
2. Khotyn Fortress
The Khotyn Fortress was once one of the most powerful ones in the territory of Ukraine.
Its first mentions date back to the end of the 14th century. It is believed to have been built around the same time, ranging from the 13th-14th centuries.
Throughout its history, the fortress often changed its owners being under Moldavia's rule for the longest time. In the second half of the 15th century when it was included in Moldavia, the Khotyn Fortress was largely rebuilt, heightened and strengthened with new walls and towers.
Khotyn FortressCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
The walls were decorated with the pattern of red bricks, which, according to different versions, is believed to carry either Christian or Tatar symbolism.
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Although not having been involved directly, the Khotyn Fortress also withstood the battles of the Khotyn War between the Rzeczpospolita and Ottoman empires and the incomplete efforts to destroy it in 1675. After 1856, the fortress lost its military status.
Bilhorod-Dnister fortressCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
3. Bilhorod-Dnister Fortress
Bilhorod-Dnister, or Akkerman, Fortress, now in the Odesa region, is located in the place which earlier had been the ancient Greek city of Tyras (6-3 centuries BC). The fortress was built in the 14th century, and, for a long time, was an important political and trade center.
Bilhorod-Dnister fortressCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
In the 2nd half of the 14th century, the territory featuring the fortress was included in Moldavia. In 1484, it became a part of the Ottoman empire, and its name was changed to Akkerman. In 1789, Akkerman was taken over by the Russian empire and was later renamed to Belgorod.
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The central part of the fortress is the Citadel, or Genoese Castle, in a quadrangular form with four corner round towers. The fortress has four courts. Its walls are 2 kilometers long overall, reaching up to 5 meters in width.
Medzhybizh FortressCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
4. Medzhybizh Fortress
The Medzhybizh Fortress complex is located in the town of Medzhybizh in the Khmelnytsky region.
Initially a wooden castle ruined in 1255, Medzhybizh stone Fortress was built in the 14th century in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania period during the reign of Koriatovychi princes.
Medzhybizh FortressCFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy
Throughout its history, the fortress played an important role in the Ukrainian Liberation War led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky, was occupied by Ottoman soldiers, and belonged to the Czartoryski family.
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It served as a headquarters for Tadeusz Kościuszko, famous Polish military leader in the 18th century, and for Pavlo Skoropadsky, Ukrainian hetman in the 20th century.
