CHORTKIV CASTLE, 1610

located in Chortkiv, town in Ternopil region of WESTERN UKRAINE
Polish and Austrian place name: Czortkow, Russian name: Chortkov

History and description of Chortkiv castle:

CHORTKIV CASTLE DATES FROM 1610,
when Chortkiv and whole Western Ukraine
were part of Polish Kingdom) and is situated on the top of a hill on the
bank of the river Seret, which flows south through Chortkiv and is a
tributary of Dniester). It is a stone building and was built as a private
possession on the place of an earlier wooden castle (most of medieval
castles in the area were wooden ones). It was erected of local sandstone
and is regular in plan of five corners. At each corner it was fortfied
with towers. Nowadays, we have only defensive walls (which surround the
yard), two towers and palace ruins preserved. Earlier the interrior
consisted of stone houses located peremiterally. At the same time, the
external walls of these houses served as defensives ones. Out of these
houses we have only numerous cellars left. The main entrance to the
castle was in northern wall.

Palace occupies western side of the interrior yard and is rectangular in
plan, joined with two towers at the corners of the castle.
Chortkiv castle is built in rennaisance style and at the yard facade it
had the arch galleries of two floors.

The premises of the lower floor were intended for economic purposes and
were covered with cross-like and semi-compass archs. The entrance to the
living premises of upper floor was through the open staircase, which led
onto the gallery. The halls of the palace were painted with frescos on
secular themes.

Two preserved towers with their structure come out of the walls line.
South western tower is of five facets and has two circles with a cellar.
North-western tower is of four facets ans has one circle with a cellar
also. Their floorings had been preserved.

At the time of reconstruction of the castle, after it lost its defensive
meaning (in the first half of 18th century) towers were turned into the
risalithes of the palace and at the external facade, a terrace was
arranged between the towers. Also cellar premises (coming out as archs
from the outside) were built under this terrace.
The preseravtion of castle ruins was made in the begining of 20 th
century (during Austrian rule) by Podolian Tourist and History Society.
Chrtkiv was on the main road junction, open to Tatar and Turkish
invasions from the south east. Thus castle played an important defensive
role before the 18th century (when it lost its defensive purpose and was
reconstructed after the invasions ceased).

CHORTKIV CASTLE IS AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE OF PRIVATE CASTLE OF
TRANSITIONAL TYPE, REPRESENTING THE MAIN TENDENTIONS OF DEFENSINVE
ARCHITECTURE OF PODILLYA / PODOLE AREA OF 17th CENTURY.