Ostroh Castle
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__NOTOC__ The Ostroh Castle ( uk, Острозький замок, Ostroz'kyi zamok, pl, Zamek w Ostrogu) is a castle in the city of
Ostroh Ostroh ( uk, Остро́г; pl, Ostróg) is a historic city located in Rivne Oblast (province) of western Ukraine, on the Horyn River. Ostroh is the administrative center of the Ostroh Raion (district). Administratively, Ostroh is incorporated ...
, located in the
Rivne Oblast Rivne Oblast ( uk, Рі́вненська о́бласть, translit=Rivnenska oblast), also referred to as Rivnenshchyna ( uk, Рі́вненщина) is an oblast (province) of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Rivne. The surface area of th ...
of western
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. In the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, the castle was the key stronghold of the powerful House of Ostroh. Today it is in ruins.


Location

The castle itself is located in a relatively small elevated oval plaza. The area's natural geography helped to fortify the complex; the southern and eastern sides of the fortress raised upon a 20-meter high cliff, and the northern and western sides separate the city by series of trenches (moats) that replaced the big ravine.


History

The first wooden fortifications were built in the area before the 1241
Mongol invasion of Rus The Mongol Empire invaded and conquered Kievan Rus' in the 13th century, destroying numerous southern cities, including the largest cities, Kiev (50,000 inhabitants) and Chernihiv (30,000 inhabitants), with the only major cities escaping de ...
, during which they were subsequently destroyed. The ruins were later reconstructed by Knyaz
Daniil Daniil (russian: Даниил) is a Russian masculine given name; equivalent to that of the English given name Daniel. Notable examples People named Daniil include: Arts and literature *Daniil Andreyev (1906–1959), Russian writer, poet, and Ch ...
from the
Ostrogski family The House of Ostrogski ( pl, Ostrogscy, lt, Ostrogiškiai, ua, Острозькі - ''Ostroz'ki'') was one of the more prominent families in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The f ...
on the city's Sudovy Hill (''castle hill''). Since then, more additions and reconstructions were carried out, although the complex still retains its
Medieval architecture Medieval architecture is architecture common in the Middle Ages, and includes religious, civil, and military buildings. Styles include pre-Romanesque, Romanesque, and Gothic. While most of the surviving medieval architecture is to be seen in ...
. The castle complex consists of four main structures: the Guard Tower (''Vezha murovana'') where the castle's museum is located, the Bohoyavlenska Church, the New Tower, and the Belltower (constructed in 1905).


Legacy

A small park sits right next to the castle, separated by a small moat. A monument was placed in the park in 1978, commemorating the 400 anniversary of the foundation of the
Ostroh Academy Ostroh Academy ( pl, Akademia Ostrogska) was an academy located in Ostróg, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is considered to be the first institution of higher education in the territory of present-day Ukraine, dating to 1576 and founded ...
. A building used to stand in the same location, in which the "Azbuka" (''alphabet'') and the
Ostrog Bible The Ostrog Bible ( uk, Острозька Біблія, translit=Ostroz’ka Bibliya; russian: Острожская Библия, translit=Ostrozhskaya Bibliya) was one of the earliest East Slavic translations of the Bible and the first compl ...
were printed by Ivan Fedorov.


See also

*
Seven Wonders of Ukraine The Seven Wonders of Ukraine ( uk, Сім чудес України ) are the seven historical and cultural monuments of Ukraine, which were chosen in the ''Seven Wonders of Ukraine'' contest held in July, 2007. This was the first public contest ...
* Starokostiantyniv Castle - another castle of the Ostrogski family


External links

* * * * {{Castles in Ukraine Castles in Ukraine Historic house museums in Ukraine Museums in Rivne Oblast Gothic architecture in Ukraine Ostrogski family Buildings and structures in Rivne Oblast