Locals in Ozarynivtsi show visitors their fortress and call it “the Turkish fortress.” But the Ottomans never built it here. They only destroyed it. The …
Ozarynetske Castle — the “Turkish Fortress” Built by Cossacks, Where They Once Stored Bread
Kryvche Castle — Tatars and Ottomans Couldn’t Take It, But a Private Owner Tore It Down
The castle at Kryvche withstood the Ottoman invasion of 1672. It survived the Cossack raids of 1648. The Tatars tried to take it several times …
The von der Osten-Sacken Estate in Nemishaieve — a Palace That Burned, and Ruins Still Standing
24 miles from Kyiv’s metro, on the edge of Nemishaieve urban-type settlement and Myrotske village, stand ruins that resemble the Parthenon. Columns, open sky instead …
The Lipkowski Palace in Krasnosilka — a Polish Noble Estate on the Southern Buh
Krasnosilka sits on the left bank of the Southern Buh, in the southeast of the Vinnytsia region. An ordinary village. The railway stop “Henrykhivka” — …
The von Meck Estate in Kopyliv — the Quiet of a Grand House Beside the Highway
34 miles from Kyiv, almost right up against the Zhytomyr highway, stands an estate that remembers two great artists. Pyotr Tchaikovsky was a guest here …
The Stamm Estate in Bucha — a Railway Engineer’s Small Castle in a Pine Forest
Bucha is now known around the world for a very different reason. But even before 2022, the town had its own architectural heritage — including …
The Defensive Tower in Starokostiantyniv — Two-Tier Renaissance Architecture With Firing Slits, at the Meeting of Two Rivers
In Starokostiantyniv, most eyes go to the Ostrozky castle. But it’s worth looking closer: of the whole castle ensemble, the defensive tower has survived best …
The Zaleski Palace in Rude Selo — a Palladian Villa Burned Down in 1994
Rude Selo is an ordinary place. Roads, fields, a few houses. At its edge stands something unusual: two stories of open façade, no roof and …
Skala-Podilska Castle — a Fortress Above the Zbruch, Struck Down by Lightning
Skala-Podilska stands at the edge of a plateau, where Podillia breaks toward the Dniester canyon. The town sits above the Zbruch — protected on three …
Kamianets-Podilskyi Fortress — Where Geography Became a Weapon
Kamianets wasn’t built around a fortress. The fortress was carved out of the town itself. The rock, the Smotrych canyon, the narrow isthmus — everything …
Uzhhorod Castle — Where Hungary Got Its Name, and a 700-Year-Old Coat of Arms Still Hangs Over the Gate
Above the arch of the main entrance to Uzhhorod Castle hangs a coat of arms with four thrushes. It belongs to the Drugeth family, who …