Khotyn, the old fortress Chernivtsi region
Many ancient castles and fortresses have survived in western Ukraine. At present, there are 20 architectural monuments of Kievan Rus' in Ukraine. In the Chernivtsi region near the town of Khotyn, a fortress has been preserved for about 1.000 years. The first buildings on the territory of the fortress appeared in the XI century. It is one of the seven wonders of Ukraine thanks to its well-preserved building. Khotyn Fortress is located near the borders of three regions, which makes it very popular with tourists. Numerous groups of tourists come for day trips or vacations. In the past, it has been repeatedly conquered by foreigners. In the 17th century, during the Polish-Turkish War, a peace treaty was signed thanks to the Cossacks under Sagaidachny. In connection with these events, a monument to Hetman Sagaidachny was erected at the entrance to the main gate.
In the 18th century, the Turks conquered the fortress and built new fortifications, the New Fortress, to make it even more impregnable. When the fortress belonged to the Russian state (19th century), the church of Alexander Nevsky was built on the territory. Worship and weddings are still held in this church; there hang ancient icons, on which the faces of saints are almost invisible through antiquity. On the one hand the fortress is surrounded by the Dniester River, on the other by fields. The fortress consists of 6 towers, the church of St. Constantine and Helen, the palace of the commandant, underground buildings, which once housed supplies of food and ammunition. The building itself is decorated with beautiful red ornaments on the outside. The highest tower (Death Tower) with which the convicts were dumped is about 65 meters high.
There is still a well in the yard, decorated with a wrought-iron fence, and even now travelers can quench their thirst with cold water collected from it.
Restoration work is currently underway in almost all above-ground premises. The underground premises are still flooded in some places, but their complete restoration is planned. The presence of the Dniester River makes the local landscapes very beautiful in both summer and winter. In summer, lovers of water tourism float on the Dniester. Also in summer you can ride an inflatable boat or catamaran. Often the ancient vaults of the fortress are used for filming episodes. In Soviet times, "Zachary Berkut", "Ballad of Ivanhoe", "Robin Hood's Arrows", "D, Artanyan and the Three Musketeers" were filmed here. In modern times, scenes from the historical film "Taras Bulba" were shot here. For tourists, this place is interesting at any time of year. Many foreigners come here.
There are many private small hotels nearby, which allows tourists to find places to spend the night. Near hotels you can find places to eat and have fun.
Recently, national festivals and folklore festivals have been taking place on the territory of the castle. Not far from 27 kilometers in Kamyanets-Podilsk is another fortress, which is perfectly preserved from ancient times.
