Lutsk castle
Lutsk Castle is one of several well-preserved medieval castles in Ukraine. It is an architectural monument and the oldest building in the city of Lutsk.
In total there were 2 castles in Lutsk: Okolny and Verkhniy, connected to each other. It is believed that the castle was built in 1340, but there was a powerful fortification in Lutsk back in 1069. It was then that the troops of the Polish king Boleslav the Bold, after 6 months of siege, failed to take possession of the city. In 1085, Lutsk Castle is found for the first time in the Ipatiev Chronicles. In subsequent years, the castle was repeatedly the scene of internecine wars. The Galician princes Vladimir Volodarevich and Yaroslav Vladimirovich tried to occupy it in 1150 and 1155. In 1255 it was besieged by the Golden Horde. In 1349, Lutsk sought to capture the Polish king Casimir, and in 1431 Jagiello. But Lutsk Castle didn’t care, and in 1502 the reconstruction of the castle began, during which it became a stone one.
Since its foundation, the castle has housed the authorities of the Volyn Voivodeship: the regional administration, the court, and the residence of the princes. In 1429, a meeting of authoritative European rulers was held here, among whom were: King Jagiello of Poland, Sigismund - ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, King Eric of Denmark, Moscow Prince Vasily II, Grand Master of Prussia, Legate of the Pope, Crimean Khan and Ambassador of the Byzantine Empire. At the meeting, financial and political issues were settled. Over time, the castle lost its functions, and the Okolny Castle was completely destroyed. After the division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Lutsk became part of the Russian Empire. During the civil war in 1917-1920, it changed sides several times, and from 1921 to 1940, Lutsk was a possession of Poland. The upper castle received very severe damage and was restored throughout the 20th century. In the early 2000s, part of the Okolny Castle was restored.
Due to the relief, the shape of the Lutsk Castle resembles a triangle. To the west are the castle gates; during reconstruction in the 15th century, most of the towers were given another tier, and loopholes for cannons were built on the walls. The walls of the Okolny Castle were made of wood and in some places of brick. The wall of the Okolny Castle adjoined the Styrovaya Tower of the Upper Castle. Only 1 tower out of 8 towers of the Okolny Castle has survived to this day.
