The walls of the famous attraction collapsed. This is an important place for Poles
Another historical attraction was destroyed. This time it’s not about the Italian “lovers’ arc”, but about a fortress just across our border.
It has existed since the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries and has looked flawless in recent years. Now the fortress in Chocim has lost some of its splendor. Suddenly, part of the walls collapsed, as announced by the city’s mayor, Andriy Dranchuk, last Saturday, April 18. “A very unpleasant and extremely emergency situation occurred. This collapse is very significant,” he said on social media.
Historic fortress damaged
The Khotyn Fortress, also known as the Khotyn Castle, is a monument located on the Dniester River in Ukraine. The city itself is well known to Poles and is associated primarily with two great victories of our soldiers over the Turkish army in 1621 and 1673.
The well-preserved facility still attracts many tourists and is considered one of the largest of its kind in Eastern Europe. There you can see 40-meter-high walls decorated with geometric patterns made of red brick, a small historical exhibition, a two-story castle chapel from the 15th century and the ruins of a mosque. The surroundings are also important – the castle stands on a promontory between the river and a deep valley, which makes it a great viewpoint.
The partial collapse of the castle walls caused serious damage and limited tourists’ access to one of the parts of the facility.
The fortress in Chocim after the collapse
Photos appeared on social media showing damaged walls. “Unfortunately, it is not artificial intelligence,” commented Andriy Dranchuk. He emphasized that everyone present at the scene at the time of the accident was alive and no one was hurt.
The DIAZ “Chotyn Fortress” team and other staff quickly responded to the situation, including: they limited the access of tourist groups near the site of the accident.
Currently, it will be important to find funds to subsidize the restoration works. The facility’s representatives assured that they intended to restore the former splendor of the fortress. The district military administration, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Community and Territories Development of Ukraine have already been informed about everything.
