Chotyn Castle (Ukraine)

The Chotyn fortress can be called one of the most popular objects of its kind in Ukraine. This fortress really impresses people for his power and impregnability and is one of the best preserved fortifications. Every year, thousands of tourists from around the world visit. Many remember the fortress on the banks of the river from famous movies. Film producers often use it as a piece of scenery for episodes of many films.

Inside the fortress is divided into two fields, a field for the soldiers barracks and surrounded by a well in the center, the national commander of the Commander's Palace and the North Tower. This tower is the largest, and defenders may maintain it even when the enemy was able to set within the fortress area.

The fort itself is more than just old - her age is about a thousand years! During this period, both the appearance and construction of the rulers of the adjacent lands are not changed for once. This place has seen first fortifications back to the times of Rus' of Kiev, in the 11th century. The stone fortress we can see today was built in the 14th century, when Khotyn belonged to the Moldavian principality. As a border town, Khotyn has always played an important economic life of the principality. It housed a customs merchants from other regions actively traded their products and held large fairs. Around the walls of the castle, the city streets and alleys gradually grown with the artisans to come here to live and work.

For many years, the Moldavian principality was a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. In the fortress, there lived a borsholder turkish who brought his harem and installed a turkish bath.

In 1621, the Khotyn fortress witnessed a dramatic event - there is a decisive battle of the Polish-turkish war took place. The Zaporozhian Cossack army under hetman Petro Sagaydachny has played a very important role in this victory. The battle ended in a truce that prevented the Turks from the region captures Podillya and pushing more to conquer Europe.

The Khotyn stronghold happened to witness many battles. In the 18th century, the Turks captured again, and did their best to make it even more invincible.

It is then that the fortress received its outer ring of fortifications, the so-called New Fortress. However, after the Russo-Turkish War of 1806-1812, Khotyn was included in the Russian Empire. He has received a Russian garrison and the church of Alexander Nevsky, which is still working and is in good condition.