Name: Ostrog castle.
Location: Rivne region
Country: Ukraine
Review this castle

It stands in Rivne region, on the border of Khmelnytsky region. The castle was a fief of Prince Konstantyn Ostrozhsky, the famous Ukrainian defender of faith and mecenate. Here, in his town,one of the first Ukrainian printed books appeared, among them The Ostrog Bible , a real masterpiece of printing. The castle was built in the 14th c at the place of The Kyiv Rus fortress. The stronghold stands on a little hill and
surrounded with the Horyn river. The plan of the castle is irregular cause of relief. There was another, so-called "Blyzhny"castle supported the defensive abilyty of this fortress,but it was not preserved. Nowadays all the complex of Ostrog castle consists of  Round Tower, Murovana Tower, walls, the church and a bell-tower. Round Tower is made out of stone and bricks in 16th c., has 3 stories ,the lower part of it has 3 contrforses, the upper stories have gun-slots .The beautiful crenellated roof is an evidence of Renaissance origin of this tower.   Murovana Tower was at first a donjon. It was the first stone defensive building of the castle's hill. In 15th-16th cc. the tower was reconstructed, the rectangular story  and contrforses were added, gun-slots and vault were rebuilt. in the end of the 16th c. the decorative Renaissance elements were added. The plan of Murovana Tower is almost rectangular with contrforses from 3 sides ,has 3 stories.There are 2 inner yards inside. The "Bohojavlenska" church is the link between the Ancient Rus sacral architecture and Ukrainian architecture of 16th-17th cc. There are no data about the time of erecting this church in literature. On the north wall of the building one can see the inscription "1521". Some historians think it's the date of church's reconstruction, other believe the temple was built in 1521. The church is made out of bricks, there are 3 naves, 3 apsydes and 5 domes .The north defensive wall has 4 gun-slots and a watch terrace. The castle entrance was through the arch of the bell-tower built in 1905.
The remnants of the outer castles are Lutsk and Tartar Towers. Lutsk tower was the town gate and a fortification at the same time. It's a characteristic Volyn building formed by merger of a castle gate and a barbacane.  Tartar Tower defended the town from Novgorod-Volynsky side. In plan it's a union of oval and a quarter.  Ostrog castle was restorated in 1980s.

Have you visited a castle?
Do you know something about a castle?
If so, write something about it here.
Review this castle