Description of the attraction
The Russian gates are located in the southwestern part of Kamenets, where some part of the fortifications, the foundation of which was laid at the beginning of the sixteenth century, is still preserved. The history of this ancient monument is very interesting. Since the indigenous population of Kamenets-Podolsky flatly refused to accept the Polish Catholic faith, they were evicted by the Polish authorities outside the city, to the unfortified outskirts along the banks of the Smotrych River. So that later people could defend themselves from the attack of the merciless Tatars, as well as Polish robbers, the Russian-Ukrainian community built their own personal fortifications, which later became known as the Russian Gate.
The Russian gate was the main entrance to the city from the south. It was a rather powerful defense system - practically another fortress. It consisted of eight towers and approximately 100 meters of huge stone walls with bastions. Its first two towers are located near the cliff, and the third at that time adjoined the mouth of the river, the channel of which, in turn, was crossed by a lock connecting it with the tower on the other side. Thanks to the sluice system, the water level rose when necessary, and the river became the main protection of the city. If the city was in danger, then the entrance through the gate was still closed with bars, which descended from the second floor with the help of a special mechanism.
In the 17th century, due to frequent floods, the fortifications that were near the river began to collapse, and by the end of the 18th century, 4 towers completely collapsed. Only the Gateway, Coastal, Gateway, Sentry and Barbican have survived. To date, they have been restored. Some part of the premises of the Russian Gate is used by modern potters as a creative workshop. It is also planned to create a cultural and handicraft center there in the future.
The Russian gate is unique and has no analogues in Eastern Europe.
