Ostrozky Castle: description, history, interesting facts and reviews

In the south of the Rivne region is located Ostrozhsky (Ostrozky) castle - the patrimony of the princes Ostrozhsky.

This stone three-tier structure (the thickness of the walls reaches 2-2.6 meters) with vaulted ceilings on all sides surrounded by moats filled with water.

Ostrozhsky (Ostrozky) castle. History of the impregnable fortress

The construction of the majestic stone structure began in the 16th century. Prince Vasily-Konstantin Ostrozhsky, trying to expand the zone of protection, built and fortified the Round Tower.

Completely Ostrozhsky (Ostrozky) castle, according to historical information, was built by the descendant of Vasily-Constantine - Daniil Ostrogsky. Today, the castle is called the architectural ensemble, consisting of the Round Tower, the Epiphany Church and the Gate Belltower.

Stone-sandstone and brick were used for the construction of the Round Tower. Vasily-Constantine divided this structure of cylindrical form into three tiers, pursuing two goals - aesthetics and functional expediency.

Today Ostrozhsky (Ostrozky) castle is recognized as a model of fortification architecture and Renaissance stylistics in the architecture of Ukraine.

The Epiphany Church, according to an ancient source, was also involved in the defense system. The building of the church, which for a long time was not used for its intended purpose, eventually collapsed. It was restored only in 1886-1891. From the building erected by Prince Vasily-Constantine, there remained only the northern wall.

Vasily-Konstantin Ostrozhsky - an outstanding political and cultural figure of his time

Prince Vasily-Konstantin Ostrozhsky (Ostrozky), whose castle to this day flaunts on the hill of Smolensk, died in 1608, having lived to 82 years. Contemporaries would call him a politician, patron and philanthropist.

During his lifetime, Vasily-Konstantin Ostrozhsky occupied numerous public posts: he was a Vladimir-Volynian headman, a marshal of the Volyn land, a Kiev governor and senator, and even claimed the Polish and Moscow throne.

The Prince's efforts in 1576 were the foundation of the first higher school in Eastern Europe - the Ostroh Academy. They studied grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, geometry, music, astronomy and foreign languages - Greek and Latin.

Philanthropist and collector

In 1580, the first printer Ivan Fedorov, not without the help of Vasily-Konstantin Ostrozhsky, managed to print the first, unbroken version of the Bible (Ostrog Bible) in the Church Slavonic language.

The pride of Prince Vasily-Constantine was his collection of weapons, which he periodically showed only to the most distinguished guests. The collection was rather big: in order to arrange all the objects, the stone walls of several lock rooms had to be lined with expensive carpets.

Another version of historians

According to another source, it began in the 14th century when the Prince of Fyodor Ostrozhsky built a wooden castle in Dubno for his family. Vasily-Konstantin Ostrozhsky will later enclose the wooden structure with a stone and turn it into an impregnable fortress.

Treasury of the Ostroh family

The authority of Prince Constantine Ostrozhsky significantly increased after his appointment to the post of Kiev governor. The most influential statesmen listened to him also thanks to the high position of his father-in-law, Prince Tarnovsky.

If you believe the next version of the development of events, Vasily-Konstantin Ostrozhsky used Ostrozky Castle (translated into Russian as Ostrozhsky) solely for the storage of his treasures. Numerous chests, hidden in deep castle dungeons, were stuffed with precious luggage.

What was there just was not there! Moscow icons, Krakow, Roman and Russian books, dining sets, silver tables, caskets, goblets, lights, baskets, belts, buttons, needles, bells, chains, crucifixes, silver bars, music boxes, bracelets with relics, watches and many more What ...

In addition to the listed items, the castle of Prince Ostrozky (Ostrozhsky), according to rumors, concealed valuable hunting rifles for hunting in grandfather's hogs and skins of wild animals: bears, elks, deer, wolves, lynxes, badgers, martens ...

In the middle of boxes filled with Hussar, Cossack, Turkish stirrups of iron and silver, Asian, Cossack, German, Greek saddles, silvered shishaks (helmets), there were several sabers, among which one stood out - one that was bought for 6000 thalers, And then framed in gold and decorated with stones.

Among the donors were the princes Czartoryzskie, Puziny, Marmeduk, Benedikt, Shask, Ryskowski, Balaban, the voivod of Trotsky and Vilensky. And this is not counting proxies, dealing with the supply of "interesting" copies, paying for purchases by means of the princely treasury.

Among the confidants was the personal secretary and bodyguard of the prince - Bogdan Suslo, distinguished by his excellent appetite. "Bogdan," write historians, "ate very much. For example, at breakfast this glutton was eaten by roast pig, goose, two cocks, oxen fries, three loaves of bread, a cheese head and drank two bowls of honey ... and when the time was drawing to dinner, he was again terribly hungry ... His dinner was From ten pieces of oxen meat, a large amount of veal, lamb and pigs. Then he demanded a goose and a capon, which he seized with three kinds of roast: oxen, veal and pork, washed down with wine, honey, vodka, beer ... but he could not be called a very full person ... "

Bogdan Suslo ate for thirties and, possessing incredible power, one could overcome thirty opponents at once. Prince Ostrozhsky, when arranging feasts, planted Bogdan for a separate table, located in such a way that guests, open-mouthed, could marvel at his incredible appetite.

Castle family Ostrozhskys (Castle Ostrozky) - an impregnable fortress

During the Tartar attack in 1577, the castle, enclosed in armor and tin, became for its inhabitants not only reliable protection, but also a source of untold provisions. Only supplies of fat, smaltz, fish, herring, jerky meat and pickles were counted in several barrels.

Ostroh Castle could withstand a long siege, and its inhabitants did not know thirst and hunger, and also did not experience irregularities with ammunition. Thanks to the many underground passages leading from the castle to different parts of the city, the besieged could move freely.