CHORTKIV CASTLE

located in Chortkiv, town in Ternopil region of WESTERN UKRAINE
Polish and Austrian place name: Czortkow, Russian name: Chortkov

CHORTKIV CASTLE dates back to 1610
when Chortkiv and whole Western Ukraine
were part of Polish Kingdom) and is situated on the top of a hill on the
bank of the river Seret, which flows south through Chortkiv and is a
tributary of Dniester). It is a stone building and was built as a private
possession on the place of an earlier wooden castle (most of medieval
castles in the area were wooden ones). It was erected of local sandstone
and is regular in plan of five corners. At each corner it was fortified
with towers. Nowadays, we have only defensive walls (which surround the
yard), two towers and palace ruins preserved. Earlier the interior
consisted of stone houses located peripherally. At the same time, the
external walls of these houses served as defensive ones. Out of these
houses we have only numerous cellars left. The main entrance to the
castle was in northern wall.

Bird view Chortkiv Castle 

Palace occupies western side of the interior yard and is rectangular in
plan, joined with two towers at the corners of the castle.
Chortkiv castle is built in Renaissance style and at the yard facade it
had the arch galleries of two floors.

The premises of the lower floor were intended for economic purposes and
were covered with cross-like and semi-compass arches. The entrance to the
living premises of upper floor was through the open staircase, which led
onto the gallery. The halls of the palace were painted with frescoes on
secular themes.

Two preserved towers with their structure come out of the walls line.
South western tower is of five facets and has two circles with a cellar.
North-western tower is of four facets ans has one circle with a cellar
also. Their flooring had been preserved.

At the time of reconstruction of the castle, after it lost its defensive
meaning (in the first half of 18th century) towers were turned into the
thesauri of the palace and at the external facade, a terrace was
arranged between the towers. Also cellar premises (coming out as arches
from the outside) were built under this terrace.
The preservation of castle ruins was made in the beginning of 20 th
century (during Austrian rule) by Podolian Tourist and History Society.
Chortkiv was on the main road junction, open to Tatar and Turkish
invasions from the south east. Thus castle played an important defensive
role before the 18th century (when it lost its defensive purpose and was
reconstructed after the invasions ceased)

Додати заголовок

Vinnitsa has been occupied by nazi armies on July, 19th, 1941. And in October 1941 in a wood grove between v. Strizhavka and v. Kolo-Mikhailovka near  Vinnitsa, Hitler has begun building of the Werwolf . German organisation "Todt" has begun building of confidential object on which have collected more than 14 thousand prisoners of war. From Europe have brought engineers, carpenters and other experts. It is interesting that for the period of works to all experts nazis paid the salary. Workers varied constantly: the exhausted people simply brought up to a peat hole on a roadside, threw in it, and then finished them. After building has ended, paid experts have dumped in the same hole. Subsequently all builders have been destroyed, now in village Strizhavka there is a memorial the lost worker which built the bunker.

How looked «Werwolf», anybody cannot precisely tell. According to the widespread version, there was a complex from 81 land buildings and three bunkers, main from which left deep into the earths on 8 floors. The thickness of walls made more than three meters and allowed to sustain powerful bombing attack. Nearby there was a Gestapo, apartment houses for generals and staff officers, pool and a dining room. At «Werwolf» there were also the power station and airdrome and a telephone exchange and even kitchen garden where grew up vegetables for Hitler who, as it is known, was the vegetarian.

The Fuhrer came here three times. The first time he has visited «Wehrwolf» in the summer of 1942 and has stayed in territory till the autumn. Here Hitler has signed the instruction on a capture of the Black Sea coast of Caucasus and Stalingrad. In the second time he has visited under Vinnitsa in the winter of 1943, having signed here the order on battle under the Kursk Arch, become critical in the Second World War. In the summer of the same year Hitler has arrived here last time to decide destiny of Donbas.

On March, 13th the bunker has been grasped by the Soviet troops but Germans had time to set fire to the bunker, and only three bunkers remained intact. Land constructions have burnt down. In three days Germans have superseded liberators from the bunker. Then German command has given the order to deliver in the bunker the explosive and air bomb. «Werwolf» has been mined and has flied up in air. Explosion was so strong that concrete blocks in weight about 20 tons has scattered on distance to 60 meters! All systems have failed, and an underground unit of bunkers has flooded with water.

What is hidden under the ground - still a mystery. Some argue that the underground bunker facilities remained intact and that there is kept no one knows. For more than 60 years, "Werwolf" time to acquire an incredible amount of legends and mysteries. Rate study was carried out after the war. Then engineers inspected the underground room, but found nothing. In 1945, Stalin ordered preserve the bunker. Smeared rust inhibitor, evacuated from the floors, sealed tube. Directed blast showered ground outs. Now the upper floors of the dungeon destroyed, and the bottom may have been preserved.

The current rate is fairly unique and interesting subject. Researchers have been able to resume the exact size of the territory of the rate and its individual zones. Also, was located central entrance, boiler, power station, water tower, water treatment facilities, parade ground and CPR. But many mysteries remain

Tarakaniv Fort

Tarakaniv Fort (1888) is in s.Tarakanovo, near Dubna, Rivne region. Was built in the late 19th century by the Russian tsarist government to strengthen the western borders in case of war with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At the time, the fort was a miracle of military engineering. Besides stone used in its construction and reinforced concrete, there were iron airtight door, elevator, which rises from the cellars of ammunition. Fort was even provided with telephones and lighting.
It was built very quick in the 70-80 of the XIX century and the early twentieth reconstructed. In the First World, and in the Civil and the Second World War the avalanche rolled fights fort troops avoided, considering it inappropriate to put the lives of soldiers for strategically unimportant object. The most significant episodes in the history of the fort battle can be attributed to its destruction during the momentous Brusilovsky breakthrough summer of 1916, in the battle, killing 200 soldiers of Austrian army, buried nearby. And in 1920 the cavalry Budennogo attempted attack head-take capacity involved by the time the Poles. The assault was unsuccessful, and the Red Army withdrew from attempts to take the fort.
After the war, the territory of the Soviet era fortifications used as a shooting range. Repeated attempts to transform the dungeons in any useful household objects were unprofitable. Now fort continues to die.

Tarakaniv Fort

Festival ''Medieval Khotin'' in Ukraine

''Medieval Khotin''  festival in Western Ukrainian city of Khotin
About a thousand knights showed audience fight with swords, riding, archery and crossbow. They were representatives of historical clubs from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. Between the parties arranged fights and riots.
Few days Khotyn fortress did not live in the 21st century, But in the Middle Ages. There was everything: life at the time of chivalry and real battles.
In addition to realistic fighting, audience also saw bazaar that where craftsmen sell authentic jewelry, clothing, armor and weapons. Theatrical performances, concerts, master classes and interesting contests did not give bored people of all ages.

 If you are planning go to Ukraine, you may need my assistance in booking tickets, hotels for your trip. I can be your guide, driver, translator, your assistant in Ukraine. Contact me: viktorysend@gmail.com

If you decided go to Ukraine  for your  holiday, you  will most likely get a few surprised questions from whoever hears your news. The country is  not on the most popular list of top places in Europe . But despite that you have many reasons to visit Ukraine, unspoiled tourist destinations that will make your stay  in our country full of impression, you seem to be transported to at least 50 years in  the past, compared with Europe. That's what will make your trip very interesting. You like to plunge into the past, where old traditions still exist, modern western world is boring without them.
There are many more that I want to write about Ukraine, but I think it will be much better if you come and see everything with your own eyes.
If you are interesting  go to Ukraine and you need your own guide, translator, driver with a car....

You can contact me by email:   viktorysend@gmail.com