Kremenets Castle

Kremenets Castle
Zamkova Street, Kremenets, Ternopil Oblast
Photo of Kremenets Castle.
Coordinates50°05′42″N 25°43′51″E / 50.09500°N 25.73083°E / 50.09500; 25.73083
TypeCastle
Site information
Conditionruins
Site history
Built13th century
Materialslimestone

Kremenets Castle (Ukrainian: Кременецький замок, Lithuanian: Kremenecio pilis, Polish: zamek w Krzemieńcu) is a castle situated in the city of Kremenets, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine. The castle was built of limestone on a steep hill. The keep located on its west side, and its width was 65 metres (213 ft) and length of 135 metres (443 ft). All the elevation was surrounded by a tall stone wall, and in the earlier ages of the 13th century wood as building material was used instead.

The castle is known as an impregnable citadel that had been tried by many as

  • 1226 Hungarian king Andrew the Second,
  • 1240 – 1241 Batu Khan. Kremenets Castle was one of few that survived inroads of Mongol hordes on the land of Kievan Rus',
  • 1255 Kuremsa, tumen of Batu Khan,
  • 1261 fortress was demolished to an order of Vasyl’ko the Landlord in demand of Boroldai, Mongol general. Anew the castle was rebuilt by landlords Liubartas, Vytautas, Svitrigaila.
  • 1569 the castle became a property of queen Bona Sforza with forthcoming renovation conforming to Renaissance architectural style and upgrade.
  • 1648 marshal bastion had been captured by Cossacks squadrons in an aftermath of 6 week long siege. Maksym Kryvonis lead the attack.