When it was built in the late 16th century, Tokivsky Castle was called the most beautiful fortress of Volhynia.
It stood on an island — more precisely, on a rocky promontory surrounded by a wide pond formed from the old channel of the Zbruch river. Two sides faced the water. The third — most vulnerable to assault — had the most powerful fortifications.
The Turks destroyed it. It was rebuilt. Then the First World War — and one tower was dismantled for a road.
General Information
| What? | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Tokivsky (Ozhyhovets) Castle |
| Address | village of Toky, Pidvolochysky district, Ternopilska oblast |
| Location | rocky promontory on an island (now peninsula) in a pond formed from the old Zbruch channel |
| Construction | late 16th — early 17th century |
| Builder | Janusch Zbarazky, Bracław voivode |
| Plan | irregular triangle: 3 towers — one pentagonal, two semicircular |
| Material | sandstone with lime mortar |
| 1648 | seized by Cossacks |
| 1675 | destroyed by the Turks (Ibrahim Shishman) |
| Status | local architectural monument |
| What survives | ruins of the pentagonal tower + section of wall |
The Zbarazky, Vyshnevetskyy, Charnetsky Chain
After the death of the last Zbarazky, the castle passed to the Vyshnevetsky family — the same clan that held Vyshnivetsky Palace and Zbarazh — then to Jan Antoni Charnetsky and the Matkovsky family.
1648 — the Cossack army seized the castle.
1675 — the Turkish pasha Ibrahim Shishman — the same commander who that year destroyed Terebovlia, Ternopil and Skalat — captured and razed Tokivsky Castle.
It was rebuilt and maintained until the end of the 18th century. But with the decline of the Ottoman-Tatar threat, its strategic purpose faded.
The First World War and a Road Between Towns
The route between Volochysk and Pidvolochysk passed through the island. When the Russian army was stationed here in 1914–1918, they dismantled the eastern tower to its foundations to lay a proper road.
In the 1950s — the western tower was also demolished. No military necessity this time.
One pentagonal tower and a section of wall remain. The image of this tower now features on the coat of arms of the village of Toky.
What Survives Today
Ruins of the pentagonal tower on the natural rock outcrops of the island. A section of curtain wall. The upper parts of the walls are destroyed — the castle yard sits at the level of the wall-top. The ruins are partially consolidated, but there are no reconstruction plans. Local residents graze cattle on the site.
Practical Information
- Entry: free
- Condition: ruins of one tower + wall section
- Time on site: 20–30 minutes
- From Ternopil: ~50 miles (~80 km)
Conclusion
Zbarazky built the most beautiful fortress of Volhynia on an island.
Ibrahim Shishman destroyed it in 1675.
It was rebuilt. But one tower was taken apart for a road, another — for no reason at all.
The third stands on the village coat of arms.
