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KAMYANETS-PODILSKIY

Quick Facts and History

It is nor a fake Walt Disney movie setting made of cardboard and plastic foam. It is real. Speaking of Walt Disney, one of our customers wrote:  I am absolutely positive that Kamyanets-Podilskiy should be declared the eighth wonder of the world. If Walt Disney ever finds out about it, they'll buy it and start charging $50 per person to get in. Ukraine has to be the last country in the world where you can still roam freely about such a marvel. (full story)

Kamyanets-Podilskiy is an ancient (at least 940 years old) town located 90 km north-east of Chernivtsi. A major settlement of the Kievan Rus Galicia-Volynia Principality on the trade route from Kyiv to the Balkans in 11-14 c.c., Kamyanets fell under the Lithuanian rule in mid-14th c., but in 1430 was taken over by Poland. As it was a strategic point on the southern boarder, Kamyanets was repeatedly subjected to attacks by Tartars, Moldavians and Ottoman Turks. In 1672 it fell to a Turkish seige, but in 1699 was returned to Poland. It then fell to the Russian in 1793 and 1797 became the administrative center of the Podolia Province (gubernia) of the Russian Empire and was a major center of trade, culture and education. The city was the capital of the Ukrainian National Republic (UNR) for almost eight months in 1919. In the Soviet times it also was an administrative center of the province for some time. Having lost this status, Kamyanets-Podilskiy lost some of its importance, but it still remains the de facto eighth wonder of the world. 

Ironically, during World War II the "Walt-Disney-ish" Old Town of Kamyanets-Podilskiy was turned by the Nazi into ghetto. Already in August 1941 the town set the gruesome record of the first five-figure massacre of Jews - 23,600 people. All in all during the war an estimated 85,000 people were murdered.

Kamyanets-Podilskiy and Khotyn are usually visited en route Chernivtsi - Vinnytsya (Ternopil, Khmelnytskiy, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk) or on a day trip from Chernivtsi (100 km one way). 

Places of Interest

Since 1977 the whole town is the National Historical and Architectural Preserve. 

Kamyanets-Podilskiy is usually visited together with the town of Khotyn to see the most outstanding sample of Ukrainian medieval fortification. Khotyn fortress (12th-16th centuries) was the biggest fortress in Europe. The area near the fortress was the site of many battles in the course of the lasting wars with Turkey. The biggest took place in September 1621, the total number of men on both sides was nearly 300,000. Due to the victory of Slavs in the battle, the 150,000 strong Turkish army retreated and refrained from the attempts to conquer Western Europe.

Side Trips

Hotels

Restaurants