Radomysl Castle is a historical and cultural complex created in 2007–2011 by Olga Bogomolets, a

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

doctor and public activist. The castle's center is an old flour mill built in the town of Radomyshl (

Zhytomyr region Zhytomyr Oblast ( uk, Жито́мирська о́бласть, translit=Zhytomyrska oblast), also referred to as Zhytomyrshchyna ( uk, Жито́мирщина}) is an oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. The administrative center of the obla ...

, Ukraine) in the late 19th century by

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

engineer Piekarski. The mill was constructed upon the ruins of a paper mill built in 1612 by the order of the archimandrite ( abbot) of Kyiv-Pecherska Lavra

Yelisey Pletenecki Yelysei Pletenetskyi, or Yelysei Pletenetsky (1550 – 29 October 1624), also known as Elizeusz Pletenecki, was a Ukrainian archimandrite. He served as archimandrite of a monastery in the Pinsk region from 1595 to 1599, and of Kyiv Pechersk Lav ...

(1550–1624). During research conducted during the reconstruction of this building, it was discovered that it had been planned to be used as a fortress. Since 2011, Radomysl Castle is part of the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...

's cultural project called Via Regia, its purpose is to promote cultural exchanges by means of tourism between European countries.

Interior

The main attraction of Radomysl Castle is the Museum of Ukrainian home icons. The Museum's collection is based upon Olga Bogomolets’ private collection of icons which she has been collecting since 1996. This is perhaps the first and only museum of its kind in Ukraine and in the entire world (despite museum on Supraśl and Sanok, Poland). The collection comprises more than 5000 icons and sculptures (

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

, Catholic and Greek-Catholic), created between the 16th and 20th centuries in different parts of Ukraine. One of the museum's highlights is an icon of St. Nicholas carved in stone. This is probably the oldest icon in the collection of Radomysl Castle, dated from the 12th century. Some icons retain traces of the Soviet aggressive

atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...

. Among the exhibits is a box made of headless icons. Some of icons were rescued from burning, but they are impossible to restore. The Castle's interior combines the features of the Late Medieval and Early Modern periods. One of the halls in the museum exhibition is the Ceremonial Hall. It is a place for special events, especially weddings. There is also a concert hall which seats 150 for

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

, folk and jazz.

Nina Matviyenko Nina Mytrofanivna Matviyenko ( uk, Ніна Митрофанівна Матвієнко), a Ukrainian singer, People's Artist of Ukraine. Life and career Matviyenko was born on 10 October 1947 in village of Nedilyshche, Yemilchyne Raion, Zhy ...

, a popular Ukrainian folk singer, performed there. The Castle Radomysl's concert hall has another unique feature, it is probably the only concert hall in Europe with its own natural water spring. The Castle's refectory is also a small museum. On its walls hang fine copies of old maps from the 15th–19th centuries. Its big oven can be used both to cook food, and as a fireplace.

Landscape park

Radomysl Castle's landscape park was created in accordance with modern environmental requirements. Human interference in the environment was minimal. There are some natural fresh water springs in the park, which provide a very refreshing drink. The vast majority of trees and flowers growing in the park are rare species. Among them are iris, pink and white lilies, English garden roses,

magnolias ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

, and ''Trapa rossica'', a water caltrop, which is listed in Ukraine's Red Book of endangered species. The park is inhabited by animals like beavers, otters,

mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ''Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the A ...

s, and

water voles The European water vole or northern water vole (''Arvicola amphibius''), is a semi-aquatic rodent. It is often informally called the water rat, though it only superficially resembles a true rat. Water voles have rounder noses than rats, deep brow ...

The Castle and its park are decorated with sculptures of

St. Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

, dated to the 17th–19th centuries. On 29 October 2009, near the place where the paper mill stood, a monument to Yelisey Pleteniecki was unveiled. This is perhaps the only monument in Ukraine on the surface of moving water.

External links

*http://www.radozamok.com.ua/en/ Official web page of Radomysl Castle

Sources

* Budka W. Papiernictwo w Nowym Stawie і Radomyślu // Pzegląd Biblioteczny. – Rocz. 3. – Kraków, 1929. * Енциклопедія українознавства. У 10-х т. / Гол. ред. Володимир Кубійович. – Париж; Нью-Йорк: Молоде Життя, 1954–1989. * Гладиш Л.А. Радомишль: ключі від міста. Нариси про історію міста. – Житомир, «Полісся», 2007 * Запаско Я., Мацюк О. Стасенко В. Початки українського друкарства – Львів, 2000. * Мацюк О. Історія українського паперу. – Київ, 1994. * Тимошенко Л. «Радомисль в історії Української церкви»// Людина і світ. – 1997. – No.2. – С. 6–11.
Радомисль" відзначає п'ятиріччя з дня початку реконструкції

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