Skalat Castle

Skalat Castle is a fortification structure known since the first half of the 17th century and located in the floodplain of the Hnyla River in the city of Skalat, Ternopil region. It was founded in 1630 by the Halych sword-bearer Krzysztof Wichrowski. The castle is almost square in plan, with sides of varying lengths, and was surrounded by a deep moat. At the corners are four pentagonal towers, similar to bastions, each of which had four tiers of embrasures. In the second half of the 17th century, after passing into the ownership of the Firlej family, the castle was fortified and reconstructed. However, it suffered significant destruction during the War of Liberation; in particular, in 1648, it was captured by the detachments of Maksym Kryvonis, as well as during Turkish-Tatar raids, especially in 1672. At the end of the 18th century, the new owner, Maria Shynionova, rebuilt the castle and also constructed a palace complex and outbuildings, attached to the eastern and western walls, respectively. At the end of the 19th century, the architect Teodor Talowski restored the towers in the Neo-Gothic style. The castle suffered destruction during both World Wars. In the 1960s and later, after the 2000s, significant conservation and restoration works were carried out, which made it possible to restore the four corner towers up to the roofs and partially recreate the defensive walls. Since 2003, Skalat Castle has been functioning as a branch of the National Reserve "Castles of Ternopillia".