Khotyn Ukraine

"Хотинська фортеця"

Maryna Lukach

1. Khotyn Fortress is a true architectural gem dating from the 13th to the 18th centuries, boasting a rich and fascinating history that traces back to the original Khotyn fort built in the 10th century by Prince Volodymyr Sviatoslavych. It is a place where Christian and Muslim traditions converge. 2. An ancient well has been preserved within the fortress grounds to this day. It reaches a depth of 62 meters; because the castle stands atop a high cliff, a deep shaft had to be dug to reach the water. Water can still be drawn from the well today, and it is said to be delicious. 3. The Church of Saints Helena and Constantine, founded in the 13th century, is located within the castle courtyard. 4. The most famous conflict associated with the site is the Khotyn War of 1621. It became a symbol of Cossack valor, given that the Turkish armada was considered the most powerful in the world at the time. 5. It is said that one of the castle complex's buildings once housed famous Turkish baths complete with a pool. Even more intriguing is the fact that a genuine Turkish harem was located here; legend has it that thirty young women were kept there. 6. When Christians expanded the fortress, unusual symbols were preserved on the towering walls; they remain clearly visible to this day. The patterns come in various types—such as the so-called "Babylons" (symbols of architectural wisdom) and "Golgothas" (symbols of the holy mountain) 7. In 1890, a treasure hoard was unexpectedly discovered near Khotyn Fortress. It consisted of various coins from Saxony, Thuringia, Bohemia, Hungary, and other countries 8. Numerous films were shot on the fortress grounds, including *Taras Bulba*, *The Viper* (Hadyuka), *Zakhar Berkut*, *The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe*, *The Three Musketeers*, *The Black Arrow*, *The Old Fortress*, and *The Arrows of Robin Hood* 9. The fortress walls stand 45 meters high and up to 5 meters thick. A deep moat surrounds the fortress, meaning it could only be captured through prolonged sieges; interestingly, Khotyn Fortress was never taken by direct assault 10. Rising on the eastern side is the Eastern Tower, also known as the "Tower of the Condemned" (or "Tower of Death Row"). Those sentenced to death were thrown from this tower; no one could survive a fall from walls 45 meters high—hence the tower's dual name. A mixed-media textile artwork featuring textile collage, hand embroidery, machine embroidery, ribbon embroidery, beadwork, acrylics, pastels, batik, photo-printing on fabric, and textile markers. Dimensions: 80x60 cm.