Khotyn fortress

Built in the XIII century, the Khotyn fortress for a long time remained the most impregnable in Europe. For several centuries, the fortress performed an important strategic function to protect the territory of Bukovina from enemies.

The fortress stands on the right bank of the Dniester River near the northern outskirts of Khotin. Prince Vladimir chose this place for the construction of border fortifications. In the XIII century, Prince Danila Galitsky built the first small stone fortress here. But already in the XVI century, the Moldavian king Stephen III rebuilds the castle, expands its territory and creates new defensive fortifications. The fortress was surrounded by powerful walls with a height of 40 and a thickness of 5-6 meters. Behind the walls were built courtyards: the Prince and Warriors, the Commandant's Palace, dug deep cellars for storing weapons and food. There is a prison under the fortress. Until now, the fortress has been preserved in this form.

The most significant event in the history of the Khotyn fortress was the famous battle of 1621, when Turkish troops numbering 250 thousand soldiers six times stormed the fortress. They were opposed by the Polish army and the Ukrainian Cossacks under the leadership of Hetman Sagaidachny. The battle lasted more than a month, but in the end, the Turkish sultan was forced to start negotiations, which saved Europe from the invasion of the Turkish army. Today, the fortress has become a favorite object for filming movies.