The following watercolors were included in the fourth album of the artist Zbigniew Szczepanek “Zamki na Kresach”. It shows the 59 most famous fortresses in Kresach (the Polish name of the territory of present Western Ukraine).

About 40% of the objects show the author’s reconstruction, the remaining 60% – show the current state of the monuments. The images of some fortifications were reconstructed for the first time and thus can be considered a kind of unique.

Berezhany Castle in Berezhany, the Ternopil region.

picturesque Ukrainian castles

Tags: fortress · Ivano-Frankivsk oblast · Khmelnitsky oblast · Rivne oblast · Ternopil oblast

Mezhyrich Holy Trinity Monastery is a complex of monastic buildings of the 16th-17th centuries located in the village of Mezhyrich, 38 km south-east of Rivne.

This monastery is an outstanding architectural monuments of Ukraine because of its layout, composition, mix of secular, religious and defensive features, Renaissance decor. Mezhyrich Monastery on Google Maps. Photos by: Maxim Ritus.

beautiful monastery

Tags: Rivne oblast

Nevytsky Castle can be found near the village of Kamyanytsya in the Zakarpattia region, about 12 kilometers northeast of Uzhgorod, the capital city of the region.

The castle was built on a hill above the Uzh River in the 13th century, on the site of an earlier wooden fortifications. In 1241, it was destroyed during the Mongol invasion, but, in the second half of the 13th century, it was restored.

very picturesque castle

Tags: Uzhgorod city · Zakarpattia oblast

Schonborn Palace, the former residence and hunting lodge of the Counts Schonborn and the sanatorium “Carpathians” (since 1946), is located near the city of Mukacheve in the Zakarpattia region.

The palace was built by the Count Erwin Friedrich Schonborn-Bukhgeim in neo-romantic style, combining Romanesque and Gothic motifs, in 1890-1895.

beautiful palace

Tags: Mukachevo city · Zakarpattia oblast

Church of St. Basil the Great is the oldest church of the small town of Ovruch located in the northern part of the Zhytomyr region.

The church, a part of a complex of St. Basil Convent, is an architectural monument of national importance. The church was built by Prince Rurik Rostislavovich in 1190.

classic ancient Russian church

Tags: church · Zhitomir oblast

The main sight of Danylovo village, located on the territory of Khust district of the Zakarpattia region, is an unusual wooden church of St. Nicholas built in 1779.

Danylovo Gothic church is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful churches in Transcarpathia. Today, after the restoration made in 1968, it is one of the finest examples of Carpathian wooden churches of the 18th century. Danylovo village on Google Maps. Photos by: Maxim Ritus.

unique wooden church

Tags: church · Zakarpattia oblast

Chernohora is the highest ridge in the Ukrainian Carpathians and Chernaya Gora, also known as Pip Ivan, is one of the highest of its vertices (2,020 meters).

The mountain is located in the south-eastern end of the mountain range, on the border of Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia regions. Mount Pip Ivan on Google Maps. Photos by: Alexander Kotenko.

the main sight of the mountain

Tags: Ivano-Frankivsk oblast · Zakarpattia oblast

In the Carpathians the haymaking period usually begins in June and ends in September. At this time of the year, almost every picture taken here has amazing color transitions – from bright green to burning-orange.

It’s like a carpet of different shades which covers the slopes of the Carpathians. And of course Carpathian haystacks add a special charm. Photos by: Sergiy Kotko.

amazing colors

Tags: Chernovtsy oblast · Ivano-Frankivsk oblast · Lviv oblast · Zakarpattia oblast

The village of Isaevo, located in the Nikolaevsky district of the Odessa region, has several interesting architectural monuments. One of them is a quite well-preserved mansion, once belonged to the landlords Kuris from Odessa.

The mansion stands on the banks of the Tiligul River. Near this place the river is dammed and forms a picturesque pond – a popular vacation spot among local residents.

explore the place

Tags: Odessa oblast

In winter, the Ukrainian Carpathians, part of the Carpathian mountain range in the west of the country, are like a remarkably beautiful place from a fairy tale.

Let’s go on a trip to the area near Mount Chorna Klyva (1,719 meters), located on the border of Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia regions. Photo by: Alexander Kotenko.

explore the snowy country

Tags: Ivano-Frankivsk oblast · landscapes · Zakarpattia oblast