Movie Star Fortress

Just as a real movie star, Khotyn fortress hides from impertinent curiosity. You can drive through this whole one-storied town in the Chernivtsi region and not have the slightest idea of the treasure hidden nearby on the bank of the Dnister River. Acting as “guardian” near the entrance to the stronghold there is a monument of Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi, the hero of the Khotyn war of 1621. Farther is the kilometer long earth mound of the New Fortress, constructed in 1718 as a project overseen by French engineers. And only after that comes the breath-taking view of the 700 year old “Old Fortress”, familiar to us thanks to our favorite Soviet films such as “The Three Musketeers”, “The Arrows of Robin Hood”, and “Ivanhoe”.

It came into being in the times of Kyiv Rus. Even then the stronghold which protected ferriage across the Dnister was one of the mightiest in Eastern Europe. Since the middle of the 14th century its owners were Moldavian boyars, strengthening the frontier outpost.

Nearby the well there are remains of the Governor’s Palace. In that time, when Khotyn belonged to the Ottoman Empire, the palace was transformed into a golden cage for the 37 captives of Pasha’s harem. The beauties had a swimming-pool and even their own cosmetologist, whose miraculous recipes were actually found by archeologists a few years ago.

White stone gothic windows and massive portals decorate the castle chapel. In its foundation there is a diorama of the Khotyn battle of 1621, when Cossacks saved Europe from Turkish invasion. It seemed as if the 57 thousand Polish and 40 thousand Cossacks would not be able to withstand the 400 thousand warriors of Osman II. The Khan predicted self-confidently that he would have breakfast under the walls of Khotyn among the Cossacks troops and would have dinner in the fortress with the Polish troops. He did not manage to do it though, because the intense battling continued for five weeks. Half of the soldiers were killed, but the fortress remained unconquerable.