If anyone is interested in ancient fortifications, fortresses and castles, then welcome to Ukraine! A particularly large concentration of such structures is in the Lviv and Ternopil regions. The most visited sites are Olesko, Podgoretsky and Zolochiv castles. True, most of them need restoration and elementary care, but still the buildings are worthy of the attention of inquisitive tourists, because, in addition to architectural performance, they conceal a certain historical message. And the Zolochiv citadel is no exception.
Zolochev's story
Chronicles mention the existence of the small town of Radeche on the site of modern Zolochev, at the crossroads of trade routes, 900 years ago, in 1180. But the attacks of the Mongol-Tatars did not leave a trace of him. Yet soon the settlement reappears. In 1441, it became the property of the Polish magnate Jan Seninsky, and after 80 years it received the Magdeburg Law, that is, a system of self-government. Despite the constant raids of the Tatars, since that time the city begins to grow rapidly: trade and economic ties are being established, crafts are developing.
The peak of the city's prosperity is associated withborn of the magnates Sobieski. The first owner from this dynasty - Marek Sobieski - bought Zolochiv in 1598. At that time, wooden fortifications performed a defensive function. A little later, the Zolochiv Castle itself appeared. Who built it?
A stone fortress appears
The beginning of the 17th - the end of the 18th century was truly a golden time for Zolochev. The next patron of the city after Marek was Jakub Sobieski. He converted wooden buildings into stone ones. Then all the main buildings of the castle appeared in the form in which we can contemplate them today, with the exception of the Chinese Palace, which was built later. On one of the walls of the castle, the date of completion of the work is indicated - 1634.
Fortifications using the new method
Technology moved forward, artillery guns became more and more perfect, for example, guns of that time could already overcome almost any wall. Even massive stone fortifications were not very effective in saving from shells. Therefore, there was a need for new methods of fortification. This is where the new Dutch system for building defensive structures came in handy.
The basis of this system of fortifications were earth embankments, which were strengthened from the outside with stone walls. The total perimeter was 400 m. The height of the walls reached 11 m. Moreover, they were not built perpendicular to the earth's surface, but at a slope, so that it was harder to climb. Living quarters were built inside this fortified quadrangle, that is, it combined the functions of defense and housing. In the corners were fourpentagonal bastions. This entire outpost was erected on a hill, around which a ditch was dug with stakes stuck in it. The innovation was precisely in earthen ramparts, because they were the easiest to restore after shelling, and this could be done even during hostilities. This is the technology used to build the Zolochevsky castle, the description of which testifies in favor of its insurmountability.
Royal residence
Only once the citadel fell under the onslaught of the Turks - in 1672 - and was destroyed, but its then owner Jan Sobieski (who became the King of the Commonwe alth Jan III two years later) rebuilt the fortress and made it even more powerful. The test of strength was not long in coming, and in 1675 the Zolochiv citadel justified its existence by surviving the attack of the Tatars.
From that time until 1696, Zolochiv Castle served as a royal residence. Although the king himself did not visit there often, his wife, Maria Casimira, fell in love with this place very much. And not in vain. The large two-storey palace was built in the Renaissance style. Four fireplaces heated all rooms. There was an office of the king, a treasury, a system of listening to conversations, secret entrances - all in the best traditions of the royal court. For example, an underground tunnel connected the bedrooms of the spouses. Also, the king could leave the fortress unnoticed through the underground passage. Worthy of special mention is the sewerage system. The gutters for wastewater from the roofs were connected to the toilets in such a way that they carried all the sewage intocesspool. It was a breakthrough for the time.
Maria Casimir often visited the Zolochiv castle. History says that it was thanks to her that the Chinese Palace appeared in the Zolochiv possessions. In Europe at that time there was a fashion for everything connected with the East. Although the round rotunda existed during the time of her father-in-law Yakub Sobieski, but at her request, side extensions were added and decorated in a style reminiscent of the Orient. Near the Chinese Palace, a small square was laid out in the appropriate style.
The further fate of the castle
After the death of Jan Sobieski's father, Zolochevsky Castle was sometimes visited by his son Yakub, but the former glory of the palace is already behind. Since the middle of the 18th century, the princes of the Radziwills have owned it, but they don’t really care about its departure or development, because there was no longer a need for a fortified citadel. Thus began a period of gradual destruction of the castle. In 1772 the fortress passed into the possession of the new Austrian government. At that time, all valuable things from the palaces disappeared, and in the castle itself, the new owners placed first a hospital, and then a state prison where criminals were kept.
Castle in Soviet times
When in 1939 Soviet power reigned in this territory instead of the Austro-Hungarian one, the purpose of the castle did not change. True, now it has become known as Lviv Prison No. 3. Political prisoners were kept here. The NKVD killed more than 700 people in the dungeons of this once magnificent palace. In 1953, the walls of this building began to play a more humane role: a vocational school was located here. Only in 1986, officials realized the cultural and historical value of this architectural monument and gave it to the Lviv Art Gallery, which began the restoration of buildings.
Castle status today
Although restoration work is still ongoing, Zolochiv Castle is now open to tourists. It is included in the excursion route in the Lviv region "Golden Horseshoe".
You can see the Grand Palace, the Chinese Palace, the castle courtyard, the gate tower, defensive structures. Unfortunately, almost all the interior decoration of the palace has not been preserved; both Austria-Hungary and the Soviet government had a hand in this. But now the expositions of the Lviv Gallery are located within the walls of the magnificent halls.
Zolochiv Castle: interesting facts
- Toilets built in the palace may be the first in Europe.
- There was an underground eavesdropping tunnel called the "long ear".
- Among the exhibits of the museum is the largest painting in Europe measuring 9 x 9 m.
- Near the entrance to the museum there are stones with inscriptions in an unknown language, the origin of which is associated with the Knights Templar.
Zolochevsky Castle: how to get there
If you go by your own transport, then you need to follow the M-12 highway (Lviv - Ternopil) to the turn to the village of Podgorodnoye and turn into this turn. Along this road standsZolochevsky castle.
How to get there by bus? Easy peasy. In Lviv, you need to take any of them, going to Ternopil (departures every half an hour), get off at the Zolocheva bus station and find Zamkova Street, 3. It's a 5-minute walk from the bus station.
Among the well-preserved castles of the time of the Commonwe alth, the most well-groomed today is the Zolochiv Castle. Photographs of the exterior and interior show that the restoration was carried out perfectly, and the castle is ready to receive visitors.
