A Dream Castle

By Walter Kish

When one thinks of Ukrainian history, the typical vision is one of hordes of brave Kozaks roaming the steppes of Ukraine and battling with invading Tatars, Russians or Poles. One seldom thinks of castles, yet Ukraine is blessed with hundreds of castles of all shapes, sizes and states of (dis)repair.

One of the most impressive is located in Kamianets-Podilskiy, a town of some 100,000, about 400 kilometres southwest of Kyiv. This ancient town’s origins go back to Roman times, and archeologists have found artifacts in the old town that date to at least the sixth century AD.

 Its early origins testify to its geographically strategic location. The town is situated on an island surrounded by a steep river canyon forged by the Smotrych River. At one time this site was undoubtedly a loop in the river, which millennia eroded into an island, with high escarpments reaching up to 60 metres. The early Slavs no doubt saw the defensive potential of such a location and created fortified settlements, traces of which have been found dating to the sixth through eighth centuries AD.

The original wooden fortifications were destroyed sometime during the thirteenth century, undoubtedly by the Mongols, but were replaced by stronger stone ones built over the succeeding centuries primarily by the Lithuanians and Poles who occupied Western Ukraine during this time. To fend off the constant incursions by Tatars and Turks from the south, the walls of the old city were constantly reinforced and upgraded until, by the end of the fifteenth century AD, the entire town was surrounded by sturdy stone walls of up to three metres in thickness, with some 12 impressive towers creating a strong defensive circle.

At the same time, a massive castle was built on the mainland side of the island, which was connected to the old town by a narrow stone bridge. The castle and town withstood countless attacks and sieges, succumbing finally to the Turks, in 1672. They occupied it for over 20 years and added enhancements to the town’s defences. Their presence can still be seen in the remains of what is known as the Turkish bastion as well as in the curious presence of a minaret attached to one of the town’s Catholic churches. The minaret served to call the faithful to prayers during the Turkish occupation, when the church was converted into a mosque. Although all other traces of its time as a mosque have disappeared, the minaret remains, though its peak has since been crowned with a golden statue of the Virgin Mary.

My wife and I recently spent a weekend exploring this delightful city and were thoroughly enchanted. The first view of the old castle as one rounds a turn in one of the town’s many cobble-stoned streets is truly spectacular. The castle itself has become one of Ukraine’s most visited historical sites, and deservedly so. It has been significantly renovated and is one of the most interesting medieval castles I have seen anywhere in Europe. On the island side of the bridge that leads to the castle, a restaurant built into the original fortifications offers an excellent and magical view of the castle.

Aside from the castle, the town is full of interesting historic buildings and ruins. Though some have been renovated, we ran across many sites that are in sore need of preservation. The old city hall has been largely restored and the former basement quarters of the town executioner contain an interesting if gruesome display of instruments used for torture and execution. The upper story of the structure contains a surprisingly extensive and comprehensive museum of coinage and currency in use throughout the town’s existence, as well as a lovingly restored council chamber dating to the time when the town earned its Magdeburg Charter.

We stayed in a small hotel called The Hetman in the centre of the city. The hotel has some dozen very comfortable and luxurious suites renovated to European standards that rent for the equivalent of between CDN$75 to CDN$100–well worth the price compared with the many hotels I have stayed in while in Ukraine. The interior is lavishly decorated with portraits of Ukraine’s hetmans, as well as Kozak arms and memorabilia.

Our weekend in Kamianets-Podilskiy was one of the more pleasant excursions we have had in Ukraine, and has been added to our “must see” list of places for anyone visiting the country.