Lubart's Castle has long been a hallmark of ancient Lutsk. Its walls constantly remind of themselves both the residents of the city and the tourists who visited this amazing region. It is often called Lutsk Castle. The image of this architectural masterpiece can be found at every step - from funny magnets with the inscription "Lutsk" to the emblems of various organizations and commercial enterprises.
Born of three princes
Lutsk castle, or Lubart's castle, which is described in all Volyn guidebooks, has a long history. For the first time the name of the castle appeared in the chronicles of the late XIX century. Then even the old people remembered the ancient name of the building - Vitold's Castle. Its construction was associated with the name of the legendary Vitolds, who more than once held control of the Lithuanian lands.
This building was originally made of wood. Already in our time, archaeologists have found traces of wooden buildings, the oldest of which date back to the beginning of the 12th century. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find out the exact year of the foundation of the Lutsk castle, but already in 1100 it was known and mentioned in the ancient medieval notes of merchants andtravelers. The names of the architects and builders of the fortified structure disappeared into the abyss of time and remained unknown to future researchers. In many ways, the Lutsk castle in style resembles the castles of Western Europe of that time: for example, the castle in Czersk, which is located in the Masovian Voivodeship, can be considered the brother of the Lutsk fortification. The appearance of these buildings has quite a lot in common, and it is quite possible that both structures were built according to the same project.
Entrance tower
Due to the unreliability of wood, the castle often burned, and as a result, it was decided to fortify it with brick walls. In the middle of the XIV century, part of the tower, which now bears the name of the Entrance, and most of the fortress wall were already built. Participation in the construction of this fortification was taken by the ruler of the Galicia-Volyn principality, Lyubart Gediminovich. Interestingly, the Entrance Tower of the Lutsk Castle bears traces of completion. After the construction was completed, the prince decided that the height of the main tower was insufficient for observing the surroundings or conducting military operations. He ordered the tower to be completed a few meters higher. Well, the height of the old structure can be easily determined by the teeth. They surround the walls of the Entrance tower of the Lutsk castle of Prince Lubart (x v c). In addition to the Entrance, the castle has two more towers - Styrovaya and Svidrigailov.
The construction of the castle continued even after Lubart's death. Vitovt, the new prince of Galicia and Volyn, made Lutsk the beautiful southern capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was during his reignthe city flourished with full life, and the Lutsk castle acquired its modern shape. After the death of Vitovt, his brother Svidrigailo came to power, who completed the reconstruction. And the castle became similar to the one we see now. It is thanks to these three princes that the Lutsk stronghold has survived to this day.
Church of St. John the Theologian
Lutsk castle was the heart of Volyn, its administrative, religious and political center. Few people know that the forecourt of the castle was used as a place for sentencing, and a court functioned within the walls of the ancient building. There, for a long time, the Orthodox Cathedral named after I. John the Theologian, the remains of which can be seen when visiting the dungeons of the Lutsk castle. This is the first Christian temple in Volhynia and the oldest stone building in Lutsk, which, unfortunately, is only partially preserved. The walls of the Temple were made of plinths - the so-called flat and wide slabs of rocky material, which was often used to build churches and temples in Kievan Rus and Byzantium.
Forgotten for many centuries, the dungeons of the Lutsk castle keep many secrets. For the first time, researchers penetrated into their depths at the end of the 19th century. Conventionally, they can be divided into two parts - the graveyard of the Church of I. Theologian and a complex of wide corridors. Perhaps it is on this churchyard that the grave of the legendary Lubart, the founder of the castle, is located. Tourists are allowed to inspect some corridors with exhibits on display. The rest of the church is closed to visitors.
Interesting facts
The independent Galicia-Volyn principality existed until 1452. After the death of Svidrigailo, the keys to the Lutsk castle, and to the entire principality as a whole, were handed over to the mayor of the city, Pan Nemyra. From that moment on, the principality loses its independence, and its rulers become vassals of the kings of Lithuania, Poland, and then Russia.
In the 16th century, the Lutsk fortress stood in the way of numerous Tatar raids. Already in 1508, the fortified castle of Lubart was able to successfully stop the Tatars - the high walls of the fortress were defended by infantrymen of captain Lukasz Moravec.
By the middle of the 16th century, the castle lost its status as a princely residence, but retained its importance in the administrative hierarchy. The main building of the fortress yard was the lord's house, where representatives of the church lived. The cellars of the towers were used as prisons, and those condemned to death were paid in the Market or Castle Square of the city.
Destruction and rebirth
In 1795, Lutsk became part of the Russian Empire. Lutsk castle lost its administrative significance and gradually began to collapse. In the 19th century, the city authorities even issued a special decree allowing them to take the stone for their own needs. The fact that the fortress was not completely destroyed once again testifies to the conscientiousness of Lubert's builders - the masonry was so strong that it was almost impossible to dismantle the walls. In 1885, the opinion about the old castle changed, and it was even called a historical heritage. Having survived two wars, Lutsk Castle became graduallybe restored, and serious restoration work was carried out already in the second half of the twentieth century.
Castle today
Currently, Lutsk Castle is a large museum complex covering the period from the 13th century to the present. It regularly hosts masquerades, conferences and jousting tournaments. The main attraction of the city of Lutsk is open to tourists and guests of the city. Various entertainment and educational programs are provided for visitors, from which you can learn interesting facts about the life of the castle for several hundred years. A visit to this attraction will be interesting for people of all ages and nationalities.
