{{unreferenced, date=July 2014 The Black Trail (Polish: Szlak czarny, Tatar: Dzorna islach) was one of three main trails used by

Crimean Tatars , flag = Flag of the Crimean Tatar people.svg , flag_caption = Flag of Crimean Tatars , image = Love, Peace, Traditions.jpg , caption = Crimean Tatars in traditional clothing in front of the Khan's Palace ...

in their destructive raids over southeastern regions of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

. The trail was named either after black traces left by the Tatars on

chernozem Chernozem (from rus, чернозём, p=tɕɪrnɐˈzʲɵm, r=chernozyom; "black ground"), also called black soil, is a black-colored soil containing a high percentage of humus (4% to 16%) and high percentages of phosphorus and ammonia compoun ...

, or after Black Forest, a wooded area at the confluence of the Siniucha into the

Southern Bug , ''Pivdennyi Buh'' , name_etymology = , image = Sunset S Bug Vinnitsa 2007 G1.jpg , image_size = 270 , image_caption = Southern Bug River in the vicinity of Vinnytsia, Ukraine , map = PietinisBug ...

, where Tatars concentrated their forces before a raid. Black Trail began in the swamps of the lower

Inhul The Inhul ( uk, Інгул) is a left tributary of the Southern Bug (Boh) and is the 14th longest river of Ukraine. It flows through the Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv regions. It starts near the village of Rodnykivka, Oleksandriia Raion in Kirovohra ...

river. It went northwards to the

Dniepr } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...

river, and then towards the

Dnieper Upland The Dnieper Upland or Cisdnieper Upland ( uk, Придніпровська височина, translit=Prydniprovska vysochyna) is a southeastern European plain occupying the territory between the Dnieper and the Southern Bug. It lies in central U ...

. Near Korsun, it split into two trails: northwest (to

Kiev Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

) and southwest (to

Zbaraz Zbarazh ( uk, Збараж, pl, Zbaraż, yi, זבאריזש, Zbarizh) is a city in Ternopil Raion of Ternopil Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is located in the historic region of Galicia. Zbarazh hosts the administration of Zbarazh urb ...

). Another trail used by Tatars in their destructive raids over the Commonwealth was the so-called Podole Trail, or Kuczman Trail. It stemmed from the Black Trail near the contemporary town of

Voznesensk Voznesensk ( uk, Вознесенськ, ; russian: Вознесенск) is a city in Mykolaiv Oblast (region) of Ukraine and the administrative center of Voznesensk Raion (district). It hosts the administration of the Voznesensk urban hromada ...

, and went towards

Bar, Ukraine Bar ( uk, Бар; pl, Bar; russian: Бар) is a town located on the Riv River in the Vinnytsia Oblast (province) of central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Bar Raion (district), and is part of the historic region of Podolia. The ...

. Near

Ternopil Ternópil ( uk, Тернопіль, Ternopil' ; pl, Tarnopol; yi, טאַרנאָפּל, Tarnopl, or ; he, טארנופול (טַרְנוֹפּוֹל), Tarnopol; german: Tarnopol) is a city in the west of Ukraine. Administratively, Ternopi ...

, the Podolian Trail merged with the Black Trail.

See also