Kamianets-Podilskyi

Since the Middle Ages, the Dniepr river was the border between Moldova (south of the river) and very fertile lands called Podolia, located north of the river and inhabited by Ruthenians. Just a few kilometers north from the border, on the banks of Smotrych River, lies the capital, main fortress and gate to Podolia and the entire Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. Ladies and gentlemen - welcome to Kamianets-Podilskyi.

Podolia is a mountainous region with canyon-like fluvial valleys, difficult to pass and quite easy to defend.

Just compare the view and safety of the defenders ...

with the effort of the besiegers.

Smotrych river not only created the canyon, but it has curved almost a full circle around the rock on which the castle was built, being the natural moat to strengthen its defence. From the 15th through 17th centuries, the castle was attacked by Tatar hordes a total of 51 times and was never taken by force.

Let's visit the castle, built from 14th till 18th century.

Here we are on the main coutryard. From the left: Tenchynska, White & Daily Towers.

Turning right we can admire Rozanka Tower.

Here is the view on the Turkish Bridge over Smotrych from the Lanckoronska Tower.

The corridor allowed safe passage between the towers.

View on the modern Kamianets and St. Gregory orthodox church.

View on Pope's (further) and Kovpak's (closer) towers.

View on Lanckoronska (on the left), Commandant's (the small) and Rozanka Towers.

View on the inner courtyard, White & Tenchynska Towers.

View from Rozanka Tower on Commandant's and Lanckoronska Towers.

and on the Rozanka Tower from the White Tower.

Thanks to the twelve towers the castle was never taken. But 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. 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 Hejking blew up the castle's remaining gunpowder, killing themselves along with 800 defenders. The events of the 1672 Ottoman siege were depicted in the 1888 historical novel Fire in the Steppe, written by Polish Nobel Prize laureate Henryk Sienkiewicz.

But Kamianets is not only the castle. Let's pass the bridge and visit the city centre.

Ataman Khmelnytsky welcomes you.

In the times of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth there were three magistrate buildings in Kamianets: Armenian, Ruthenian and Polish. The last one you can still admire, this is the tall building in the back. On the top you can see the Sun - the coat of arms of Podolia.

From the main secular building let's move to the main religious building, at least for the catholics. The yellow building below is the St. Peter & Paul Cathedral, built in 16th century. In Soviet times it was changed in the museum of atheism.

I hope that you have enjoyed our trip to the main fortress on the Ruthenian banks of Dniepr. Next week we will pass the river and see the other side.