Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle.

Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle is a former Ruthenian-Lithuanian castle and a later three-part Polish fortress erected in the castle site, located in the historic city of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine, in the historic region of Podolia in the western part of the country.It was first mentioned in 1374 in a document from the Prince George Koriatovicha who owned at the time of Podolia. Archaeological research indicates that there was a castle in the tenth and thirteenth centuries  The fortress consisted of Kamianets-Podilskyi's Old Town fortified by King Casimir IV Jagiellon, the Old Castle rebuilt by Kings Sigismund I the Old and Stephen Bathory, and the New Castle founded by Kings Sigismund III Vasa and Wladyslaw IV Vasa, and until the 1793 Second Partition of Poland it was one of the strongest fortresses in the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland.

The castle was built on top of a peninsula carved out by the winding Smotrych River, forming a natural defense system for the castle and Kamianets-Podilskyi's Old Town neighborhood; a bridge over the river forms the only entrance to the castle. The castle's name is attributed to the root word kamin', from the Slavic word for stone.

Name:    Kamianets-Podilskyi                           castle  Country: Ukraine  Location: Khmelnytskyi Region,                    Kamianets-Podilskyi Architectural style: Gothic,                  Renaissance  Material: Brick  Start of construction: pre-13th century  Condition: restored and opened to the public

Initially, the fortress was built to protect the bridge connecting the medieval town with the mainland. Its location on a strategic transport crossroad in Podolia and made the castle a prime target for foreign invaders, however, who rebuilt the castle to suit their own needs, adding to its multicultural architectural diversity. In spite of the many architectural and engineering changes to the original castle structure, the Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle still forms a coherent architectural design, being one of the few medieval constructions in Ukraine that is relatively well preserved. It is the most recognized landmark of the city, serving as an important regional and national tourist attraction.

Author: Andy Shal

The structure consists of eleven Kamenetz fortress towers, each of which has its own name and history. Thus, the highest tower named Papal because it was built with funds sent by Pope Julius II. Yet it is called Karmelyukovoy, because it was signed three Ukrainian folk hero Ustim Karmelyuk. The Black (corner) tower is a well depth of 40 meters and a diameter of 5 m, carved in the rock. In the dungeons of the castle complex opened exhibition recreating the pages of its history. In the western bastion reconstructed panorama castle defense in 1672 under chasturetskoi invasion. In the eastern bastion of exposition on the history of the light thrown weapons in Podolia, where the visitor can shoot a crossbow, feeling the medieval warrior. Before our time preserved the system moves and casemates.

Author    Håkan Henriksson (Narking), License

Today, along with the Old Town, the castle is listed as part of the National Historical-Architectural Sanctuary "Kam'ianets," created to protect its architecture and cultural heritage, and the National Environmental Park "Podilski Tovtry". The castle and its surrounding complex is one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine.It is also a candidate UNESCO World Heritage Site, nominated in 1989 by the Ukrainian representatives.

Today, with the prior, the agreements can become a party night theatrical tour of the old fortress. Tour of the towers (towers) and dungeons of the fortress holds Kamenetsky "elder" and his "entourage" that interesting stories, songs, dances, not only acquaint tourists with the history of the castle and weapons, but also create a unique sense of time travel. Visitors can enjoy the fortress on horseback, shoot crossbows and bows, to mint his own coin.

 In the preparation of this article, were partially used materials of website: www.wikipedia.org