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Пояс Вітовта - Транснаціональний туристичний маршрут, що об’єднує замки та інші історико-культурні об'єкти в Україні, Литві та Польщі

Kyiv Castle

Ukraine

Archaeological reserve Castle Hill

Geolocation

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Adress

Castle Hill, a Historical Area in Podil, Kyiv, 04070

Additional Information

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About Kyiv Castle

According to Prince Vytautas himself, Kyiv was the jewel in his crown, or as Lithuanian officials later said, “the gateway to the lordship.” Kyiv Castle was a fortress built in the 14th century. It had one quadrangular and other round towers, wooden fortifications, two gates, and about 20 buildings inside. The castle was located on a hill, 70-80 meters high, next to the river port of Kyiv. It covered an area of about 1.45 hectares, adding to its significance as the main fortress of the Kyiv lands within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

All the towers of Kyiv Castle had platforms for shooting and three levels for artillery combat. Within the castle were military structures, the house of the voivode, and residences of the secular and spiritual nobility.

With the construction of the wooden castle, the capital of the Kyiv Principality transformed into an important defensive point of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In 1397, Vytautas appointed his deputy in Kyiv, Prince Ivan Holshansky. Ivan’s daughter, Uliana, later became Vytautas’ wife.

When Vytautas began his rule, he undertook a major reconstruction of the castle, strengthening its defensive functions and equipping it with cannons. In 1397, weapons, including firearms, were brought from Poland to Lithuania to fortify the castle, and the defense was further reinforced by Polish military units and Tatars.

In the 14th-15th centuries, the castle had its own mint where coins of the Kyiv princes were minted. Discovered treasures, as well as the remains of jewelry, foundry, and pottery workshops, testify to the development of crafts on Castle Hill.

During Vytautas’ time, Kyiv retained its status as the seat of the metropolitan. The city was a gateway to eastern trade, which extended to distant India and China. From here, Vytautas conducted his policies towards the Golden Horde and the Black Sea states.

In 1399, Khan Edigu wanted to capture the Kyiv fortress, but he failed. In 1411, important political negotiations took place in Kyiv Castle between King Władysław II Jagiełło, Vytautas, Jalal ad-Din, and Prince Oleksandr Mykhailovych. In 1416, Kyiv Castle withstood the Great Campaign of Khan Edigu, but in 1482, it was destroyed by the troops of Khan Mengli Giray.

Today, the site of the former Kyiv Castle is located within the territory of the archaeological reserve “Castle Hill.”

This model, while based on available research, may include creative interpretation elements, where data was limited, reflecting the historical and architectural standards of the time.

  1. Castle Hill: A Bibliographic Guide / Compiled by D. Kononiuk, T. Musienko; Edited by O. Ioanidi; Responsible for publication G. Bragarik; Podil District Centralized Library System, Griboyedov Library. – Kyiv, (2020);**
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  5. Kapustin K. Archaeological Research of the Lithuanian Castle (2015);
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  7. Kyiv Castle in the mid-16th Century. Reconstruction by T. Streltsova. Artist S. Koshkin. Museum of the History of Kyiv (1983);
  8. Klymovsky S.I. Castle Hill in Kyiv: Five Thousand Years of History. Kyiv, (2005);
  9. Klymovsky S. Prospects of Research and New Finds on Castle Hill in Kyiv. In the book: Historical-Geographical Studies in Ukraine. Issue IX. Kyiv, (2006);
  10. Klymovsky S.I. Social Topography of Kyiv from the 16th to mid-17th Century. – Kyiv: Stylos, (2002);
  11. Novikova-Vyhran O.S. Kyiv Fortifications / O.S. Novikova-Vyhran // Questions of the History of Science and Technology. — № 1. (2018);
  12. Description of Kyiv Castle in the Lustration of 1552 // Archive of South-Western Russia, published by the Temporary Commission for the Analysis of Ancient Acts: Acts on Settlement = Archive of South-Western Russia. — Kyiv, — Vol. VII-1. (1886);
  13. Description of Kyiv and Kyiv Castle. 1545 // Collection of Materials for the Historical Topography of Kyiv and its Surroundings. – Kyiv, (1874);
  14. Protsenko S.S., Defensive Structures of Kyiv from the 10th to the 19th Century in the Context of the History of the City and the General Development of Military Fortifications, Kyiv (2012);
  15. Popelnytska, O. Kyiv Castle in the 14th-17th Centuries in the Light of Written and Archaeological Sources / O. Popelnytska // Kyivska Starovyna. – № 3 (2006);
  16. Popelnytska, O. Description of Kyiv Castle in 1552 as a Source on the Historical Topography of Kyiv’s Podil in the 16th-17th Centuries / O. Popelnytska // Kyivska Starovyna. – № 1. (2003);
  17. Protsenko L.A. History of the Kyiv Necropolis. Kyiv, (1995);
  18. Rappoport P.A. Ancient Russian Fortresses / P.A. Rappoport – Moscow: Nauka, (1965);
  19. Reconstruction of Kyiv Castle by Klymovsky S. and Shcherbina V.;
  20. Tolochko P.P. Historical Topography of Ancient Kyiv. Kyiv, 1970;
  21. Shovkoplyas H.M. Archaeological Monuments of the Kyselivka Hill in Kyiv / H.M. Shovkoplyas // Works of KDIM. – Kyiv: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, – Issue 1. (1958);
  22. Yakovenko N. A New Source on Kyiv Castle. Inventory of Kyiv Castle, June 21, 1619 // Archives of Ukraine. — № 2. (1980).
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