Tourist route
"Knyazha Doba (Princely Period) of Halych-Volyn State"
Lviv - Zvenygorod - Plisnensk - [Kamyanka-Buzka] - Belz -
Schekotyn - Lviv (visiting Zhovkva)
The route is a standard one day tourist route in the region for a car travel by annalistic Oldrus' settlements. The total length of the route is 204 km. (Lviv
(Vysokyi Zamok) - Zvenygorod - 24 km., Zvenygorod - Plisnensk - 74 km.,
Plisnensk - [Kamianka-Buzka] - 52 km., [Kamianka-Buzka] - Belz - 53 km., Belz -
Schekotyn - 48 km., Schekotyn - Zhovkva - 6 km., Zhovkva - Lviv - 27 km.).
Quite a lot mystic antique attractions - places rather puzzling, attractive even mystique – are on the tourist map of Lviv region. For about two centuries, these monuments agitate thoughts of adventurers, treasures-amateurs and scientists, archaeologists, educated co-citizens and foreign travellers. All of them agree that these places preserved the clusters of the past, its energy demonstrating the instability of human being. But these places drag you again and again, because only here you comprehend a historic gait of the native people measured by thousand years.
The main objects of the tourist route are the fragments of the majestic defensive and city-creative archaeological complexes of the annalistic cites of the
Kyevan Rus and Halych-Volyn state – the biggest towns of western Ukraine -
Zvenygorod (1086), Plisnenska (1188), Belz (1084) and also the traces of The Old
Rus fortifications on Harai Hill near Zhovkva (chronicle of Vynnyky vil.) and
Great Princely Castle on Lviv hill – Vysokyi Zamok.
The traditional milestone of the route is Vysokyi Zamok in Lviv. It's worth to see the fragments of the defensive walls and to hear the story about glorious and tragic pages of the "biography" of Halych-Volyn State and the town of Lev Prince.
The next milestone of the route is an annalistic settlement Zvenygorod.
Zvenygorod - is one of the most populated old Slavonic sites that turned into a flourishing trade and defensive city of Rus-Ukraine of X-XII centuries in the era of consolidation of Kyevan Rus. The first documentary recollection about this town can be seen on the pages of our most famous collection of chronicles -"
Povist' Vrem'yanykh Lit" (The Tale of Bygone Years).
During 1086 (in
Lavreniivsky Chronicle - "Povisti") - 1087 (in Ipatiivsky Chronicle - "Povisti") the chronicle tells about violent death under the walls of Zvenygorod as a mighty prince Yaropolk from Volodymyr's land.
The prosperity of Zvenygorod came in the twelfth century - the era of
Prince Volodar's direction, a fearless grandson of Yaroslav Mudryi (Wise), and his son-heritor Volodymyrko.
By the will of Prince Volodar a mighty Zvenygorod inherited
Volodymyrko and became a capital city – the residence of an independent
Zvenygorod's principality (1124). In the epoch of the universal feudal parcelling of
Old Rus state Volodymyrko left a worthy sigh in the national history as Princecollector of feudal atomic independent principalities into a coherent state. Two decades needed this outstanding Old Rus' Prince to unite Peremysl, Zvenygorod,

Terebovlya and Halych territories into Halych State and transfer it to his native son
Yaroslav Osmomysl.
During the XII – and the 1 st half of XIII century Zvenygorod was the second of its social and political importance center of Galician principality after
Zolotokupolny Halych, but all archeological data about Zvenygorod prove that it was the city of most mighty and richest people on Western Ukrainian lands in Old
Princedom of Rus Ukraine. So there is nothing strange that this city met the destiny of all the richest cities and capitals of that time – it was captured and occupied by the Mongol-Tatar invasion of Batu Khan. The city didn't mange to recover after such cruel devastation.
- The tourist review of the annalistic Zvenygorod starts in the modern village of Zvenygorod located on the suburb of the ancient settlement. The main object in the village is the Museum of history of the Old Rus city - Zvenygorod.
Here you can see expanded archaeological expositions telling about the history of
Zvenygorod region beginning from the Stone Age up to early Middle Ages.
- Next to the museum you'll see a monumental sculptural ensemble to a
Rus-Zvenygordians, whom serve as a back-ground for pictures – to remember this legendary Old Rus city.
- The next object is actually the reserved territory of an annalistic site of the settlement itself. Your attention will be taken, first of all, by a skillfully thought system of tremendous defensive ramparts and ditches, with several rows (lines of defense) surrounded the city. Everyone got impression after a slow tub on the verge of defensive wall of Zvenygorod where the Tatar blood shed and Old Rus people fight for their life dependant native city.
From Zvenygorod the tourist route goes to vil. Pidhirtsi of Busk District
(across Zolochiv, highway A-267), and just three kilometers to the south you'll found the site of annalistic Old Rus town - Plisnensk.
Plisnensk is the second large city of Kievan Rus' and Halych-Volyn State.
The first documentary mentions about Plisnensk could be found in the Halych-
Volyn chronicle in 1188 and 1232 and in "Slovo o Polku Ihorevim" (The Tale of
Igor's Campaign). It was an important city in the period of Old Rus - defensive administrative and trade center. In 1241 a rich city of Plisnensk was completely ruined by hordes of Khan Batyi.
The objects of sightseeing on the territory of annalistic city are:
- a strong system of fortification (12 mtr. high) which contains seven levels of ditches and trenches.
- the territory occupies 240 hectars of conserved lands with the archeological excavations (diggings).
- Plisnensk Women's Monastery founded by Princess Olena Vsevolodovna
- the sister of Belz Prince Olexander Vsevolodovych. The same inscription you can see on the stone monument in the monastery church, built in 1706. The historians state, that Princess Olena died heroically in Plisnesk during the Polovets invasion.
Since that time, the place of her death is called "Olena's park."

- The Monastery on the territory of the settlement was abandoned for more than 500 years, and was restored in the XVII century by the Basilian brothers.
Tourists are able to see a two-storied monastery building, errected in 1771-1786.
- The visitors have got an opportunity to see Saint Onuphrius's Monastery
Church, built in 1726-1750, in baroque style with a genuinely decorated facade. In the church preserved the authentic iconostasis, created in 1754 by the architect
Paul Gizhutsky. The iconostasis decorated in baroque style with a combination of highly artistic painting and sculptural elements. It has a great artistic value.
Then the tourist route goes through the highway E-40 to the town of Busk and later on comes down the Western Bug's valley up to Kamianka-Buzka.
Kamianka-Buzka is a district center of the Lviv Region, situated between the Bug river and its tributary Kamianka. The town has been known since the
Medieval Period and was considered to be one of the most protected and fortified towns of Halych-Volyn State in XIII-XIV centuries. It's washed by water on three sides and has got additional artificial fortifications. Besides, it was located just on the crossing of the transport ways from Transcarpathians, Galych and Lviv, to
Volodymyr-Volynskiy and Kyiv. Ancient fortress, surrounded on three sides by water, and artificial occupied a strategic position at the crossroads of transport routes from the, Lvov and and Kyiv.
In 1448 the King of the Polish State (the so-called Rech Pospolita) gives
Kamianka the status of a free town and later on in 1471 the town was granted rights under the Magdeburg Law (Right).
Kamianka-Buzka can attract the tourists to:
- a wooden St. Nicholas church (1667) with a Cyrillic inscription on the door about the date of its foundation. The church was built of pine and oak. It consists of a huge nave, and smaller altar, and the column gallery. Here we can also admire the unique five-tiered iconostasis of the XVII century.
- The wooden belfry next to the St. Nicholas Church (built approximately in the second half of the XVII century.) It was made of the oak girder and has got the dome construction and the date of the construction, cavered on the entry door.
- The Town Hall and the sensational stone buildings of the historical downtown.
Then the tourist route goes to Velyki Mosty and to the ancient town of the
Old Rus – Belz, located in Sokal Region near the Polish border.
Belz - is one of the most powerful cities of Kievan Rus, the capital of an independent Belz principality. The first record of Belz dates from 1030 (when it won Prince Yaroslav), but according to archeology fortified Slavic settlement existed here long before the formation of Kievan Rus in IV-IX centuries.
The city was founded on the island's hillock watershed and wetland valleys of Solokiya and Richytsya. The natural inaccessibility, combined with powerful fortifications helped to transform Belz into the richest trade center of Chervona
Rus’ (Red Rus'). Since 1170 the reign of Prince Vsevolod Mstyslavovych (1170-
1195) the city became the capital of a separate Belz principality. Since 1234 Belz land enters the submission of princely Romanovych dynasty - to Danylo Halytsky and his descendants. In winter 1240-1241 Belz was devastated by Mongol - Tatar

invasion of Khan Batyi. During the destruction Belz icon of the Blessed Virgin
Mary miraculously survived (in 1382 it was moved to Chestochova by Prince
Vladyslav Opolsky, where this icon became the most respected religious- pilgrimage sacred (holy) place of Poland).
Until 1260 Varno Danylovych, then - Lev Danylovych reigned in Belz. In
XIV century for Belz land was fierced struggle between Hungary, Lithuania and
Poland. In 1340 Belz principality came under Lithuanian rule, from 1377 was under Hungarian rule, in 1384 – under Polish rule.
Belz in 1377 was granted rights under the Magdeburg Law by the
Hungarian king, which in 1509 was supported with the decree of the Polish king.
In Medieval days Belz represented himself as a first-class rich fortified market town with two castles (on the site of the former princely citadel and near the city walls).
After World War II Belz was included in Poland. Since the middle of 1946 practically all the population of the district was exiled from Belz and its suburbs as a part of the notorious "Visla Operation". On February 15, 1951 the territory of
Belz was returned to Ukrainian Soviet Social Republic as a part of an exchange scheme instead of Ustrytskiy district. Now Belz remains unfrequented border town, which in 2001 has received the status of the National Historical Cultural
Reserve.
The main objects of sightseeing in princly Belz are:
- Fragments of defensive walls of the Prince's settlement X-XIV centuries.
- Defensive tower of 1606 - the remainder of the medieval defense system of Belz.
- Friday church of the XVII century - a monument of wooden folk architecture.
- Dominican Monastery of the XVII century, was built in the Baroque style. The ensemble of the monastery includes: a majestic baroque church of St.
Nicholas (1653) with a monumental facade, monastic cells (1743), farm buildings and defensive walls of the monastery (XVII - XVIII centuries).
- Memorial monument is in honor of the 950 th anniversary chronicle og the town Belz (1980, sculptor V.Savchuk, architect B.Circassian).
From the princely capital Belz tourist route turns south to the city and leads to the ancient settlement of Schekotyn, which is located near the modern town
Hlyns'k.
Schekotyn was founded as a military stronghold on the outskirts of the city in the thirteenth century. The town existed until XIVth century as a fortification Galicia-Volyn state, and the final inclusion of Galicia to Poland lost its defensive significance.
- In Schekotyni tourists are able to see the system of defensive ditches and ramparts of the castle-citadel. Run shaft height is 13-16 meters, the width ditch is from 6 to 10 meters.
The last point of the tourist route towards returning to Lviv is the royal city of Zhovkva . It should examine such objects (you can find the details of the attractions in route number 3 The Golden Ring of Lviv Region):

- The remains of ancient settlement on the Haray hill.
- The Royal Castle. This Castle was restored and you can see its towers and residential housing, locking out the wooden galleries, look into the front inner chambers.
- Zhovkva Market Square. It is located near the Royal castle.
- Glinska and Zverinetska Incoming gates of the city. They were built in the XVII century and served as the main strongholds in the system of defensive walls of the royal city.
- Dominican monastery of the XVII-XVIII centuries, is protected by high stone walls with loopholes. It resembles a miniature castle. The decoration of the monastery is the monumental monastery church.
- Vasilian monastery of the late XVII - early XX centuries. The decoration of the monastery is Trinity Church (1612-1905). It is painted in traditional style interior. The main object of pilgrimage in the Trinity is the power St.Parteniy, who possess the power of healing.
- Wooden church - sights of ancient architecture. Two authentic old
Ukrainian churches survived in Zhovkva from the XVIII century: the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, founded in 1705 (it preserved the original iconostasis
1708, that is the work of painter Kunash) and Holy Trinity Church, built in 1720.