Khotyn fortress

Khotyn Fortress is among the most famous architectural monuments of Bukovyna and the Seven Wonders of Ukraine, along with St. Sophia's Cathedral, Kiev Cathedral, Kiev Pechersk Lavra and Khortytsya Island. In the XIII century Prince Daniel of Galicia ordered to build a fortress on the site of Khotyn wooden fortifications, the era of Vladimir the Great. On the left the fortress was protected by 5 gates: Yassky, Russky, Bender, Podolsky and Kamenetsky, and on the right by a deep moat with an earthen rampart. The fortress was important and one of the most powerful in Eastern Europe. The fortress was the cause of fierce battles between Poles, Moldovans and Turkish sultans who wanted to capture the fortress. In 1621 an important battle took place, which contributed decisively to the destruction of the Ottoman Empire. There is a legend that a harem of 30 girls was kept in one of the castle's cellars. A wet spot can be seen on one of the walls of the castle. According to the legend, a girl is walled up in the wall, and the moisture is her tears. According to another version, the girls sacrificed themselves to make the fortress invincible and the third version that the girl was killed by an enemy arrow when she was climbing the rope carrying a jug of water. In one of the towers there is a torture chamber with gruesome and at the same time interesting exhibits that were used at that time. There are other interesting exhibits, restored siege guns, catapults and battering rams. Khotyn fortress is so attractive that it has become the setting for many movies. The most famous ones are "Zakhar Berkut", "Taras Bulba", "The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe", "Black Valley", "The Three Musketeers", "The Viper", "Robin Hood's Arrows" and many others.