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 today’s Western Ukraine).

About 40% of the castles show the author’s reconstruction, the remaining 60% – their current state. The images of some fortifications have been reconstructed for the first time and can therefore be considered unique in a way.

Berezhany Castle in Berezhany, Ternopil Oblast.

picturesque Ukrainian castles

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

This architectural monument is unique for Ukraine. The Holy Protection Fortress Church is located in the village of Sutkivtsi in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, about 47 km south of Khmelnytskyi.

It was built as a defensive church at the expense of the nobleman and owner of these lands, Fyodor Sutkovetsky, in 1476. It combines features of the Gothic and Baroque styles. The thickness of its walls is about 1.5 meters.

amazing fortified church

Tags: church · Khmelnitsky oblast

In Sutkivtsi, a small village with a population of about 1,200 people located in Yarmolinetsky district of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, there is an amazing Orthodox church dating back to the 15th century. The thickness of its walls is about 1.5-1.8 meters.

The Church of the Holy Intercession, built of gray stone with pointed, cone-shaped towers and loopholes, is a unique monument of defense construction in Podolia. It is one of the oldest defense churches in Ukraine and has no analogues in its architectural and planning solutions in the country.

unique fortified church

Tags: church · Khmelnitsky oblast

There is a number of old castles and fortified palaces all over Ukraine, especially in its western part, and you will need a lot of time to see them all. Since 2017, in the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi located in Khmelnytsky Oblast, you can do it in half an hour.

“Castles of Ukraine” is an open air museum with beautiful replicas (1:20) of the 16 most famous castles of Ukraine recreated to the smallest detail. The official site of the museum. “Castles of Ukraine” on Google Maps. Photos by: Sergey Zaglinskiy.

the best Ukrainian castles in one place

Tags: Kamenets Podolskiy city · Khmelnitsky oblast · museum

Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle is a picturesque medieval fortification located in the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi in Khmelnytskyi Oblast of Ukraine.

In the past, it was the main part of the defensive system of the town of Kamianets, the capital of Duchy of Podolia in the 14th-15th centuries and the Podolian Voivodeship in the 15th-18th centuries. The castle acquired its current appearance in the middle of the 16th century and was known as the “uttermost bastion of Christianity”.

magnificent medieval castle

Tags: fortress · Kamenets Podolskiy city · Khmelnitsky oblast

Horodyshche is a village of about 2,000 people located in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, about 93 km north of Khmelnytskyi.

In this village you can see one of the most significant monasteries in Podolia – the Holy Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery. Horodyshche on Google Maps. Photos by: Maxim Ritus.

Catholic monastery converted into Orthodox

Tags: church · Khmelnitsky oblast

Zinkiv is a village with a population of about 1,600 people located in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, about 56 km south of the city of Khmelnytskyi.

There are several architectural and historical monuments here. One of them is the Church of St. Michael built with funds from parishioners in 1769. This is one of the most impressive monuments of Podolia wooden church architecture. Zinkiv on Google Maps. Photos by: Maxim Ritus.

very picturesque wooden church

Tags: church · Khmelnitsky oblast

The palace and park ensemble “Illyashivka Estate” is a museum-estate located in the village of Illyashivka in the Starokostiantyniv District of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, about 70 km northeast of Khmelnytskyi.

The construction of the palace in the style of classicism began in the late 18th century. Some sources claim that it was designed by the famous architect Domenico Merlini. Illyashivka Estate on Google Maps. Photos by: Maxim Ritus.

picturesque small palace

Tags: Khmelnitsky oblast

Bakota, located about 50 kilometers from Kamianets-Podilskyi in the territory of the Podilski Tovtry National Park, in the very south of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, was once a village, but its story ended in 1981, when it was flooded due to the construction of the Dniester hydroelectric complex.

Today, Bakota is a place with amazing nature and beautiful views. Here, from the rocky high bank of the river, you can spend hours watching the water surface and picturesque cliffs. There are also boat excursions available. On the territory of Bakota, you can spend the night in a tent, fish.

Tags: Kamenets Podolskiy city · Khmelnitsky oblast

Medzhybizh Fortress is a monument of fortification architecture of the 16th century built in the Renaissance style and located about 40 km east of Khmelnytskyi. This fortress is listed in the State Register of National Cultural Heritage of Ukraine.

The fortress has the shape of an elongated triangle with powerful walls and corner towers that protrude significantly beyond the line of walls. The courtyard has a length of 130 m, the largest width (on the western side) is 85 m. The wall thickness is up to 4 m, the height is up to 17 m.

Tags: fortress · Khmelnitsky oblast