Zbarazh Castle is located near the center of town Zbarazh in Ternopil region. Near the castle there is a nice park where you can walk and relax. The castle itself is in good condition: small repairs are constantly being made here.
It was built in 1626-1631 by the last representatives of princely Zbarazh family Yuriy and Christopher. The brothers were highly educated, their teacher in Europe was Galileo Galilei. In 1612 they asked the Italian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi to create a project of the castle. After the death of Prince Christopher in 1627, Yuriy continued the works. And after his death the castle passed to the princely family of Vishnevetski.
In 1649, the army of Bogdan Khmelnytsky besieged the Polish garrison, which was in the castle. The army of King Jan Kazimierz wasn't able to help. However, at that time tatars and the Crimean Khan, who were the allies of the Cossacks at that time, betrayed Bogdan Khmelnytsky. Probably they became afraid of the forces of Zaporizhzhya or were persuaded by Polish ambassadors. Bogdan Khmelnytsky was forced to sign the Zborowski contract in which the number of registered cossacks decreased from 60 thousand to 40 thousand. However, at the same time the army of cossacks received formal government in some provinces.
Two famous cossacks, Ivan Bohun and Nestor Morozenko, died during the battle near the walls of the fortress. These events were further described in the famous novel "With Fire and Sword".
In recent years, scientists have conducted aerial scan of Zbarazh and found out that the town is full of underground tunnels. One of them leads from the castle to the Bernardine monastery and is 500 meters long.
Zbarazh Castle ©Yuriy Buriak
Zbarazh Castle ©Yuriy Buriak
Church and monastery of the Bernardine Fathers ©Yuriy Buriak
Getting there: By a minibus from Ternopil (the interval is once in 15 minutes).
