Khotyn Fortress

Khotyn Fortress is a medieval fortified structure located in the city of Khotyn (Chernivtsi Oblast) on the right bank of the Dniester River. Built between the 13th and 18th centuries on the site of an Old Rus hillfort (10th–13th centuries), it became one of the most powerful strongholds in Eastern Europe, serving an important defensive and trade function. The fortress originated on the site of Slavic wooden fortifications (8th–9th centuries), which were later replaced by the first stone fortifications, presumably during the period of the Kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia (in the late 1240s and early 1250s). Following the decline of the Rus principalities, Khotyn Fortress became part of the Principality of Moldavia (from 1375) and subsequently came under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Poland, the Ottoman Empire, and the Russian Empire. The fortress underwent its greatest expansion and reinforcement under the Moldavian ruler Stephen III the Great (15th century), who erected walls up to 5–6 meters thick and 40 meters high, along with five towers. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the fortress was the arena for pivotal military events, including the Battles of Khotyn in 1621 and 1673, which featured Ukrainian Cossack forces led by Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny and Jan Sobieski, respectively. At the beginning of the 18th century, the Turks, with the assistance of French engineers, constructed the New Fortress around the old castle, featuring powerful earthen ramparts and bastions, which turned Khotyn into the primary Ottoman outpost on the Dniester. Following the Treaty of Bucharest in 1812, the fortress became part of the Russian Empire, and in 1856, it lost its strategic importance and was decommissioned as a military facility. In the 1960s, the fortress complex was granted the status of an architectural monument (protection No. 803). On October 12, 2000, the "Khotyn Fortress" State Historical and Architectural Reserve was established. Following a nationwide campaign, the fortress was recognized as one of the "Seven Wonders of Ukraine."