Description of the attraction
Castle Hill is one of the attractions of the city of Zhitomir. It is located above the Kamenka River. Here until almost the 19th century there was a fortified stone castle surrounded by moats. According to legends, the castle was founded in the 9th century by the warrior of the Kiev princes Dir and Askold - Zhitomir. There is information that the original castle could have had a completely different location. In historical annals, the first written mention of the Zhytomyr castle dates back to 1392. At that time he was captured by the prince of Lithuania Vitovt.
The Zhytomyr castle during the attacks (mainly Tatar-Mongol) became one of the centers of defense, since it was very well fortified, and had many guns, and could also accommodate a four to five thousand garrison. The castle was repeatedly destroyed, but each time it was rebuilt again.
After a while, a city settled down next to the castle. At the same time, many dungeons were built, some of which were lined with bricks and stones. Underground passages were one of the main components of the castle's defense.
In 1648-1654, during the liberation war, the castle was badly damaged, to the point that it lost its military purpose. In 1802, its remains burned down. The last structures of the Zhytomyr Castle existed until 1852. In 1890, the city duma decided to give the settlement for individual buildings, after which the castle finally disappeared.
Today only a huge number of underground passages remain from the Castle Hill, some of which are located at a depth of 5-8 meters. Today, on the territory of the castle, there is a small city park, as well as a monument in honor of the founding of the city of Zhitomir.
