Ternopil region is called an open-air museum. Here you can see dozens of unique historical and cultural sites. A special place in the list of attractions is occupied by ancient castles. One of them is located in the village of Mikulintsy. It is especially interesting because people live in it. This castle is almost half a century old. It is included in the National Reserve of the Ternopil region, but tourists are not allowed to enter its territory.
Mikulintsy
The village is located 23 km from Ternopol. It was founded by monks about 1000 years ago. The great old Russian prince Vladimir Monomakh wrote about this settlement in 1096 in his work “Teaching to Children”.
Monks in the wasteland erected the Church of St. Nicholas (in Ukrainian, Mikolaj). Therefore, the settlement was called Mikulin. According to another version, the name was given in honor of the governor of Mikula. Later, the village was named Mikulintsy. In 1387, he was captured by the Poles.
Castle construction
Not far from the village was a highway that the Tatars used during their raids. They constantly robbed and killed civilians. At first, a wooden fortress was erected in Mikulintsy, but it did not provide reliable protection against the enemy. In 1550, Anna Iordan (Iordanova), who at that time owned the village, ordered a stone castle to be built on the site of a wooden fortress. She was the daughter of the hetman Nikolai Senyavsky and the wife of the Cracow kastelan Spytko.
Fruit and flower tea in the afternoon! What tea is worth drinking at different times of the day
The world does not need a fortress: why no one wants to buy a fort on a private island
Katy Perry showed a new hairstyle: fans bombarded the singer with compliments
Anna had an imperious character. Her order immediately rushed to fulfill. The construction of the castle was completed by 1555. Anna had a daughter Zofia (Sofia). As her dowry, the castle passed to the nobles Zborovsky, and then to the Konetspolsky. In the future, he had many more hosts.
Architecture
The territory of the castle looks like a square. It is surrounded by walls, the thickness of which reaches 2 m. In each corner of the square there used to be a round three-story tower with small loophole windows. Now one tower is completely destroyed, the rest are preserved, but need restoration. On the west side there was an entrance gate with a drawbridge. Additionally, the castle was surrounded by a deep moat.
On the inner territory there were living quarters, and underneath they built basements and dug underground passages. They say that their length reached 9 km. However, they are now littered, so it is not possible to verify this information.
Heavy siege
Talking about an amazing residential castle in Mikulintsy, it is necessary to mention the events of 1675. Then the Turks occupied the settlement, plundered it, and killed or stole the inhabitants into slavery. Several hundred people hid in the castle. The Turks decided to besiege him. For 15 days, courageous defenders held the defense. And now on the stone walls you can see the remains of resin, which they poured on the heads of enemies. The Turks made a dig under one of the towers and blew it up. The breach was closed, but the castle defenders did not have any chances for salvation.
How to cook food in the mizo tribe: a lost type of Indian cooking
I was tortured to remove old paint from the railing of the stairs and took a kitchen tool
Making a bright wreath of spring flowers: a step-by-step master class
The Turks suggested people give up. They promised that they would not touch anyone. Defenders were forced to go to these conditions. Of course, the Turks broke the agreement. They looted the castle, killed all the men, and stole the women and children into slavery.
100 years later
In the XVIII century, the village of Mikulintsy belonged to Senyavsky, then Lyubomirsky. Potocki owned it for some time. They remade the castle from a defensive structure in a monsieur dwelling. In 1815, it was bought by Baron Jan Konopka. He opened a cloth factory in the castle, and instead of loopholes in the walls he installed the usual wide windows. However, his business did not develop well. The Baron abandoned the work begun. The castle is empty. People left him, and time began its destructive activity.
Maid Anna
In 1920, Mikulintsy became part of Poland. Countess Jozef Rey owned the village. Once she brought up an orphan girl. Her name was Anna. The girl was Jozef’s most beloved laborer. She graduated from the 3rd grade of the parish school, was able to read and write. Anna not only performed housework, but also led the financial affairs of her mistress.
The girl grew up, she had a groom. Soon the young people got married. So that the beloved servant would not leave, Jozef invited her and her husband to settle in the castle while their own house was being built. She even bought them building materials.
In any season I bake a black cake and pour it with Irish glaze: a simple recipe
Popular Locations in Lugano, Locarno: Monte San Salvatore Peak
War years
Anna had two children, but for some reason the construction of the house had not yet begun. Meanwhile, the Great Patriotic War began. Anna's husband went to the front, where he died the death of the brave. The daughter of the countess died of typhus, and her son also died in the war. Soon, Jozef herself went into another world. Anna and her little daughters remained in the castle.
In 1941, the Nazis occupied the Mikulintsy. They placed their soldiers in the living quarters of the castle, and hid tanks behind the thick walls. Anna and her children had to leave their home. The occupation lasted 3 years.
When Soviet troops liberated the village, they set up a veterinary clinic for horses in the castle. Anna and her children were allowed to return and occupy their rooms.
Mikulintsy became part of the Soviet Union in 1939. The medieval castle was included in the register of architectural monuments of the Ternopil region. Anna was offered to work as a watchman in it.
After the war, the family remained to live in the castle.
Nowadays
Now only the daughter of the old servant Anna remained alive. Her name is Stefa Boloy. She was married, but God did not give children. The old woman is already the eighth dozen, but she is full of strength. Stefa keeps two pedigree dogs in the yard, a farm. But it’s already hard to manage one. There are few modern conveniences in a medieval building, for example, it has to be heated with wood.
The nominations for the prize of the Tokyo Anime Festival 2020 became known
Ava and Everley just get funnier over the years. Babies are already 7 years old
Ethiopians consider it undesirable to get tourists in the photo: they explained why
Stefa allowed her distant relatives to live in the castle. She says that with guests it is both easier and more fun. However, she does not take money for accommodation.
A few years ago, the great-granddaughter of Jozef Rey came to the castle from England. Stefa told her everything and showed her. The direct heiress does not claim to be a castle.
The old woman says that there was nothing left of Jozef, not even photographs. Once the Polish delegation arrived at the castle. Its members saw old photos and asked to take them with them. They promised to return everything to the mistress when they make duplicates. However, so far nothing has been returned.
