Kamianets-Podilskyi
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Kamianets-Podilskyi (, ; ) is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
on the Smotrych River in
western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, to the north-east of
Chernivtsi Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also #Names, other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivt ...
. Formerly the
administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...
of
Khmelnytskyi Oblast Khmelnytskyi Oblast (), also known as Khmelnychchyna (), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in western Ukraine covering portions of the historical regions of western Podolia and southern Volhynia. The Capital (political) ...
, the city is now the administrative center of Kamianets-Podilskyi Raion within the oblast. It hosts the administration of Kamianets-Podilskyi urban
hromada In Ukraine, a hromada () is the main type of municipality and the third level Administrative divisions of Ukraine, local self-government in Ukraine. The current hromadas were established by the Cabinet of ministers of Ukraine, Government of Uk ...
. Population: Kamianets-Podilskyi is a historical center of
Podolia Podolia or Podillia is a historic region in Eastern Europe located in the west-central and southwestern parts of Ukraine and northeastern Moldova (i.e. northern Transnistria). Podolia is bordered by the Dniester River and Boh River. It features ...
region, serving as a capital of the Duchy of Podolia, Podolian Voivodeship, Podolia Eyalet, Podolia Governorate, and Podolian District. During the Ukrainian–Soviet War, the city officially served as the
temporary capital A temporary capital or a provisional capital is a city or town chosen by a government as an interim base of operations due to some difficulty in retaining or establishing control of a different metropolitan area. The most common circumstances leadi ...
of the
Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...
from 1919 to 1920.


Name

Originally known as Kamianec, its name was changed to the current following the
partitions of Poland The Partitions of Poland were three partition (politics), partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place between 1772 and 1795, toward the end of the 18th century. They ended the existence of the state, resulting in the eli ...
and occupation by the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
in 1795. The first part of the city's dual name originates from ' () or ', meaning 'stone' in Old Slavic. The second part of its name relates to the historic region of
Podilia Podolia or Podillia is a historic region in Eastern Europe located in the west-central and southwestern parts of Ukraine and northeastern Moldova (i.e. northern Transnistria). Podolia is bordered by the Dniester River and Southern Bug, Boh River. ...
(), of which Kamianets-Podilskyi is considered to be the historic capital. Therefore, the town name literally means '''The Stones of Podilia'''. Equivalents of the name in other languages are: ; ; ; ; ; .


Geography

Kamianets-Podilskyi is located in the southern portion of the
Khmelnytskyi Oblast Khmelnytskyi Oblast (), also known as Khmelnychchyna (), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in western Ukraine covering portions of the historical regions of western Podolia and southern Volhynia. The Capital (political) ...
, located in the western Ukrainian region of Podillia. The area where the city is located is part of the
Podolian Upland The Podolian Upland (Podolian Plateau) or Podillia Upland (, ''Podilska vysochyna'') is a highland area in southwestern Ukraine, on the left (northeast) bank of the Dniester River, with small portions in its western extent stretching into easter ...
which is notable for its elevated places known as Tovtry (see Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park) and creating a
canyon A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency t ...
-like relief feature. The Smotrych River, a tributary of the
Dniester The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...
, flows through the city. The total area of the city comprises . Among other notable neighboring cities, Kamianets-Podilskyi is located about from the oblast's administrative center, Khmelnytskyi and across
Dniester The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...
in southwestern direction from
Chernivtsi Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also #Names, other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivt ...
, an administrative center of the neighboring
Chernivtsi Oblast Chernivtsi Oblast (), also referred to as Chernivechchyna (), is an oblast (province) in western Ukraine, consisting of the northern parts of the historical regions of Bukovina and Bessarabia. It has an international border with Romania and Moldo ...
.


History


Classical antiquity

Several historians consider that a city on this spot was founded by the ancient
Dacians The Dacians (; ; ) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often considered a subgroup of the Thracians. This area include ...
, who lived in what is now modern
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
,
Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...
, and portions of Ukraine. Historians write that the founders named the settlement ''Petridava'' or ''Klepidava'', which originate from the
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
word ''petra'' or
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
''lapis'' '
stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
' and Dacian ''dava'' 'city'.


Principality of Halych and Tatars (11th c.–1241)

Modern Kamianets-Podilskyi was first mentioned in 1062, when it belonged to smaller principality of Terebovlia, then Halych principality and
Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia The Principality or, from 1253, Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, also known as the Kingdom of Ruthenia, Kingdom of Rus', or Kingdom of Russia, also Halych–Volhynian Kingdom was a medieval state in Eastern Europe which existed from 1199 to 1349. I ...
. Around 1230, the Galician prince Lev Danilovich invited
Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...
to join his army to defend the eastern border of his state. In gratitude for their good military service, the prince rewarded them with estates and land near Kamianets. In 1241, it was destroyed by the Mongolian invaders.


Polish rule (1352–1672)

In 1352, it was inherited by the Polish King Casimir III. In 1374 the city was granted
Magdeburg Law Magdeburg rights (, , ; also called Magdeburg Law) were a set of town privileges first developed by Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (936–973) and based on the Flemish Law, which regulated the degree of internal autonomy within cities and villages gr ...
. In 1370, the Dominican monastic order began to function in Kamianets, a monastery was founded, and soon the
Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...
founded their own monastery in the city. Later, monks of other orders moved:
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
(1608),
Discalced Carmelites The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel () or the Order of Discalced Carmelites (; abbreviation, abbrev.: OCD; sometimes called in earlier times, ), is a Catho ...
(1623),
Trinitarians The Trinitarians, formally known as the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives (; abbreviated OSsT), is a mendicant order of the Catholic Church for men founded in Cerfroid, outside Paris, in the late 12th century. From the very o ...
(1699). In 1378 it became seat of a Roman Catholic Diocese. In 1432 King
Sigismund I the Old Sigismund I the Old (, ; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was List of Polish monarchs, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the son of Casimir IV of P ...
granted Kamieniec Podolski city rights. It was an important royal city of Poland. In 1434 it became the capital of the Podolian Voivodship and the seat of local civil and military administration. The ancient castle was reconstructed and substantially expanded by the Polish kings to defend
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
from the southwest against Ottoman and Tatar invasions, thus it was called ''the gateway to Poland''. In 1510, a peace treaty was signed in the city between Poland and the
Principality of Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially independent and later auto ...
. During the free election period in Poland, Kamianets-Podilskyi, as one of the most influential cities of the state, enjoyed voting rights (alongside
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
,
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
,
Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...
,
Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...
,
Lwów Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
,
Wilno Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
,
Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...
,
Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...
and
Elbląg Elbląg (; ; ) is a city in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland, located in the eastern edge of the Żuławy region with 127,390 inhabitants, as of December 2021. It is the capital of Elbląg County. Elbląg is one of the ol ...
).


Ottoman rule (1672–1699)

After the Treaty of Buchach of 1672, Kamianets-Podilskyi was briefly part of the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
and capital of
Podolya eyalet Podolia Eyalet () was an eyalet of the Ottoman Empire. Its capital was Kamianets-Podilskyi (; ; ). History In 1672, the Ottoman army, led by Sultan Mehmed IV, captured Kamaniçe after Siege of Kamenets, a short siege. The Treaty of Buchach confi ...
. It was also sanjak of pasha (central sanjak) of this eyalet with nahiyas of , Satanova, İskala, , Kırıvçe, (It was known as ''Ijvan'' during Ottoman rule) and Mıhaylov. To counter the Turkish threat to the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
, King Jan III Sobieski built a fortress nearby, Okopy Świętej Trójcy (now Okopy, Ternopil Oblast; meaning "the Entrenchments of the Holy Trinity"). In 1674, local Armenians, who made up one of the main Armenian communes in Poland up to that point, were expelled by the Ottomans. Most, after about three years of exile in the
Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
, moved to the territories remaining within Poland, chiefly
Lwów Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
and Stanisławów. In 1687, Poland attempted to regain control over Kamianets-Podilskyi and Podolia, when the fortress was unsuccessfully besieged by the Poles led by Prince James Louis Sobieski.


Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1699–1793)

In 1699, the city was given back to Poland under King
Augustus II the Strong Augustus II the Strong (12 May 1670 – 1 February 1733), was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1697 to 1706 and from 1709 until his death in 1733. He belonged to the Albertine branch of the H ...
according to the
Treaty of Karlowitz The Treaty of Karlowitz, concluding the Great Turkish War of 1683–1699, in which the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the Holy League at the Battle of Zenta, was signed in Karlowitz, in the Military Frontier of the Habsburg Monarchy (present-day ...
. The fortress was continually enlarged and was regarded as the strongest in the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
. The preserved ruins of the fortress still contain the iron cannonballs stuck in them from various sieges. During this period, Bishop Dembowski, at the instigation of the Frankists, convened a public disputation at Kamieniec Podolski, in November 1757, and ordered all copies of the
Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...
found in his bishopric to be confiscated and burned. Accounts of the Talmud burning differ—contemporary sources say that up to a thousand copies of the Talmud were destroyed, though other reports say only one copy was burned. Dembowski himself died days after the events. A plague broke out and the local priests exhumed his body and cut the head off to prevent any further disaster.


Russian rule (1793–1915)

After the
Second Partition of Poland The 1793 Second Partition of Poland was the second of partitions of Poland, three partitions (or partial annexations) that ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The second partition (politics), partition occurred i ...
in 1793, the city belonged to the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, where it was the capital of the Podolia Governorate. The Russian Tsar
Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
, who visited the fortress twice, was impressed by its fortifications. One of the towers was used as a prison cell for Ustym Karmeliuk, a prominent peasant rebel leader of the early 19th century, who managed to escape from it three times. In 1798, Polish nobleman Antoni Żmijewski founded a Polish
theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...
in the city. It was one of the oldest Polish theaters. In 1867 the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kamianets-Podilskyi was abolished by the Russians authorities. It was re-established in 1918 by
Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (; ; born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, ; 21 November 1854 – 22 January 1922) was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His pontificate was largely overshadowed by World War I a ...
. According to the Russian census of 1897, Kamianets-Podilskyi remained the largest city of Podolia with a population of 35,934. In 1906, the local society "
Prosvita Prosvita (), since 1991 officially known as All-Ukrainian Prosvita Society named after Taras Shevchenko () is an enlightenment society aimed to preserve and develop Ukrainian culture, education and science, that was created in the nineteenth cen ...
" was established in the city, thanks to its activities, the study of the Ukrainian language was introduced in primary and parish schools. On 1 July 1910, more than 48 percent of the city's residents were
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
. The city was located in the settlement zone that the Russian Empire had set aside for Jews. In 1914, a direct railway line linked the city to Proskurov. File:Kamieniec Podolski.jpg, Lithograph of Napoleon Horda between 1862 and 1876 File:Kamyanets-fortress 1865.jpg, Kamianets-Podilskyi fortress 1865 File:Каменец-Подольский с высоты птичьего полёта (нач. XX в.).jpg, Kamenets from a height, the beginning of the 20th century File:Кам'янець-Подільський. Вигляд південного боку з ратушної вежі.jpeg, Church of St. Nicholas, 1902 File:Польський ринок1906.jpg, Polish market, centralny plac, 1906 File:Kamieniec-Pod. - Centralny plac (02).jpg, Centralny plac, 1906-1910 File:Kamieniec-Pod. Pocztowa ulica.jpg, Postova Street, to the right of the Jewish shops, Old Town, 1910 File:Кам'янець-Подільський аерозйомка 1914.jpg, Kamianets-Podilskyi aerial survey, 1914 File:Kamianets-Podilskyi-1918.jpg, Austro-Hungarian troops enter the Kamianets-Podilskyi, 1918 File:Staremisto1.jpg, Kamianets-Podilsky bridge, 1918


World War I and Ukrainian People's Republic ( UNR and ZUNR)

During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the city was occupied by
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
in 1915. After the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, the city was briefly controlled by the
Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...
and the Hetmanate before ending up as part of the
Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...
when Ukraine fell under
Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...
power. During the Directorate period, the city was chosen as de facto capital of
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
after the Russian communist forces occupied
Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
.Kamianets-Podilskyi. How the Petliurists did what Sultan Osman II could not do
Historisna Pravda (3 June 2019)
During the Polish-Soviet War, the city was captured by the
Polish Army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...
on the night of 16–17 November 1919"The Last Capital", or as Kamyanets returned to the past for three days
Historisna Pravda (27 August 2019)
and was under Polish administration from 16 November 1919, to 12 July 1920 as capital of the Podolian District. In July 1920 battles between units of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) and the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
took place in the village Veliki Zozulintsi and surrounding villages nearby Kamianets-Podilskyi. On 7 July 1920 soldiers of the 6th Reserve Rifle Brigade of the UPR Army were taken prisoner by the
Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...
. After refusing to join the Red Army, captured UPR soldiers were executed. In Veliki Zozulintsi a mass grave of 26 UPR soldiers is located.A memorial to UPR soldiers was opened in Khmelnytsky region
Historisna Pravda (23 August 2021)


Soviet occupation (1921–1991)

Sources: After the defeat of the
Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...
in the Ukrainian-Soviet war, the city was occupied by the Red Army. The area including Kamianets-Podilskyi was ceded to
Soviet Ukraine The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. Under the Soviet one-party m ...
in the 1921 Treaty of Riga, which determined its future for the next seven decades as part of the Ukrainian SSR.
Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...
and
Ukrainians Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the List of contemporary eth ...
have always dominated the city's population. However, as a commercial center, Kamianets-Podilskyi has been a multiethnic and multi-religious city with substantial
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
and
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
minorities. Under Soviet rule it became subject to severe persecutions, and many Poles were forcibly deported to Central Asia. Massacres such as the Vinnytsia massacre have taken place throughout Podillya, the last resort of independent
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
. Early on, Kamianets-Podilskyi was the administrative center of the Ukrainian SSR's ''Kamianets-Podilskyi Oblast'', but the administrative center was later moved to Proskuriv (now Khmelnytskyi). In December 1927,
TIME Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
Magazine reported that there were massive uprisings of peasants and factory workers in southern Ukraine, around the cities of Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Kamianets-Podilskyi,
Tiraspol Tiraspol (, ; also /; , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Transnistria, a breakaway state of Moldova, where it is the third-largest city. The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River. Tiraspol is a regional hub of cul ...
and others, against
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
authorities. The magazine was intrigued when it found numerous reports from the neighboring
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
that troops from Moscow were sent to the region and suppressed the unrest, causing no less than 4,000 deaths. The magazine sent several of its reporters to confirm those occurrences which were completely denied by the official press naming them as ''barefaced lies''. The revolt was caused by the
collectivization Collective farming and communal farming are various types of "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...
campaign and the lawless environment in the cities caused by the
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
government. The
Holodomor The Holodomor, also known as the Ukrainian Famine, was a mass famine in Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians. The Holodomor was part of the wider Soviet famine of 1930–193 ...
of 1932-1933, a terrible crime of the totalitarian system, did not escape the city. Although the situation was somewhat better than in other regions, this was largely due to the proximity of the border with the modern western Ukrainian territories. Given the border status of Kamianechchyna, the population, especially from the villages located on the Zbruch River, tried to move to the modern western regions. There, Podolians exchanged their belongings for bread and grain. There were many cases when people were hired for the opportunity to eat or worked for bread. However, not everyone was able to do this: along the border with Poland along the Zbruch River and the border with Romania along the Dniester River, barricading lines were set up in many places, and Soviet punitive bodies were guarding the borders. The situation was also difficult in the city, according to data in 1932-1933, 585 people died of hunger. During the years of the Great Terror, namely 1937-1938, 9,009 people of various nationalities and professions were convicted in Kamianets-Podilskyi, 62 people were arrested on charges of espionage, and hundreds of people were evicted from the city by the families of "enemies". people", for example 101 families of Polish nationality (see '' Polish Operation of the NKVD''). For example, on the territory of the Roman Catholic Church of Archangel Michael, in the former monastery of the Dominican sisters, the Soviet authorities set up a prison, and in its dungeon - a torture chamber. In the 1930s, most of all, in 1937, people were shot in the basements of the monastery. According to some memories, for example, up to a hundred people were brought in a day. Twenty were sent to camps in the north, the rest disappeared. During this period, 11,634 Polish and German families, or at least 46,500 citizens, were evicted from Podillia.


World War II

Following the
Soviet invasion of Poland The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military conflict by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Second Polish Republic, Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Polan ...
at the start of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the administrative center of the oblast was moved from the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi to the city of Khmelnytskyi. Kamianets-Podilskyi was occupied by the German troops on 11 July 1941 in the course of
Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
. German, Ukrainian, and Hungarian police massacred 23,000 Jews 27–28 August 1941. On 26 March 1944, the town was occupated by the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
after German occupation in the
battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...
of the
Kamenets-Podolsky pocket Kamianets-Podilskyi (, ; ) is a city on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine, western Ukraine, to the north-east of Chernivtsi. Formerly the administrative center of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, the city is now the administrative center of Kamianets ...
. After the capture of the city by the Soviet army, the population's disloyalty to the Soviet government was manifested not by a desire to continue the fight against the Nazis, but people were tired of the difficult periods of the German-Soviet war. But the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
launched active mobilization measures from the very first days of entering the city. Such measures significantly reduced the quality of the selection of conscripts, and also negatively affected the level of their training. The pernicious practice of their immediate use in hostilities began from the first days of mobilization, therefore a significant number of mobilized residents of Kamianets and local villages died in the subsequent phases of the Dnieper–Carpathian offensive in the territory of neighboring regions. Sending poorly trained, and most often poorly dressed and armed people into battle was more reminiscent of a cruel act of revenge for the disloyalty to the Stalinist government shown in 1941, for such units a conventional name appeared - «Chornopidzhachnyky». Thereafter Kamianets remained in
Soviet Ukraine The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. Under the Soviet one-party m ...
until the
Dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
. Ukrainian Insurgent Army A structural network of the OUN functioned on the territory of the city: Kamianets-Podilsky District, which belonged to the UPA-South. During the German occupation, Ukrainian national forces formed local self-government bodies: the regional administration, the regional department of education. Hryhoriy Kybets was appointed the head of the regional administration. In January 1942, the Nazis began mass arrests and executions of people from Bandera in Kamianets-Podilskyi, more than 150 Ukrainian nationalists were shot. In 1944-45, the 19th tactical division of the Kamianets UPA, the Lysonya military district, and the UPA-West military group operated on the territory of Kamianechchyna in 1944-45. The department was later divided into two parts in the summer of 1945. And self-defense bush units of the UPA from Ternopil Oblast also went on raids. Soviet occupation after 1944 In 1986, the population of the city reached 100,000 people, according to this indicator, Kamianets moved from the category of medium to large cities. In 1989, the Cultural Landscape of Canyon in Kamenets-Podilsk was listed on the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in Ukraine. On 16 October 1990, a rally was held in the city in support of the students of Kyiv, who announced a hunger strike as a sign of protest against the government's policies. In the central square of the city, the demands of the students to the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR regarding the adoption of laws on local self-government and the non-signing of the Union Treaty, and to the City Council regarding the raising of the blue-yellow flag were approved. On 16 October the presidium of the city council satisfied the students' demand and was the first in Khmelnytskyi to raise the national flag.


Independent Ukraine

On 16 July 1990, the new Ukrainian parliament adopted a declaration of sovereignty. On 16 January 1991,
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
re-established the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kamianets-Podilskyi, which was dissolved under Soviet occupation. Since 24 August 1991, Kamianets-Podilskyi has been part of independent Ukraine and is a significant economic, cultural, educational and tourist center of the state. In 2004, residents of the city actively participated in the
Orange Revolution The Orange Revolution () was a series of protests that led to political upheaval in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005. It gained momentum primarily due to the initiative of the general population, sparked by the aftermath of the ...
, people held rallies on the Renaissance Square. On 1 December 2013, city students from the Ivan Ohiienko National University, Podolia State Agrarian and Technical University and other educational institutions protested in the city, marching in a column through the streets and forming a viche near the city council, they expressed their anger at the authorities for their arbitrariness. In the future, many residents of the city gathered every day for vigils under the city council to express their protests against the regime and to support the
Euromaidan Euromaidan ( ; , , ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv. The p ...
in Kyiv. The largest rally in terms of numbers took place on 26 January 2014, about 2,000 people took part in it. , Kamianets-Podilskyi was the third-largest city of Podolia after
Vinnytsia Vinnytsia ( ; , ) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug. It serves as the administrative centre, administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast. It is the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. It also s ...
and Khmelnytskyi. In 2015, the city center completed the construction of the European Square, where the flags of the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
countries fly, according to officials, this will be a confirmation of the European choice of the city and Ukraine.«У центрі Кам’янця з’явиться Європейський сквер із неоновою підсвіткою та геометричними клумбами»
/ref> Until 18 July 2020, Kamianets-Podilskyi was incorporated as a city of oblast significance and served as the administrative center of Kamianets-Podilskyi Raion though it did not belong to the raion. In July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, which reduced the number of raions of Khmelnytskyi Oblast to three, the city of Kamianets-Podilskyi was merged into Kamianets-Podilskyi Raion. The
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
began on the morning of 24 February 2022, during rocket fire.


European integration of the city and cooperation with the European Union

In 2015, the construction of the European Square was completed in the city center, where the flags of the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
countries fly, according to officials, this will be a confirmation of the European choice of the city and Ukraine. Thanks to the EU program Mayors for Economic Growth, and cooperation with the public organization Eidos: Centre for Political Studies and Analysis, the city received a grant of 1.8 million hryvnias to support small and medium-sized enterprises, conduct seminars, business trainings, and promote products.


Decolonization in the city

Until 2022, the fight against the Soviet past began with the removal of the Lenin monument from its pedestal on 18 August 1992. The decommunization of the squares, streets and alleys of Kamianets-Podilskyi partially took place in 1990-1993. In 2016, the process was continued in the city 14 streets and 16 alleys were renamed. The streets were renamed on: Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, Heroes of the Krut, Andrey Sheptytsky, Ustym Karmaliuk,
Roman Shukhevych Roman-Taras Osypovych Shukhevych (, also known by his pseudonym, Tur and Taras Chuprynka; 30 June 1907 – 5 March 1950) was a Ukrainian nationalism, Ukrainian nationalist and a military leader of the nationalist Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) ...
, Jan de Witte and others. After the 2022 Russian invasion, scholars of Eastern Europe have renewed awareness of Russian colonialism and interest in decolonizing scholarship. In the first stage of 2022, 18 streets, five squares and one park were given new names in the city. This is how the streets of
Kvitka Cisyk Kvitka Cisyk (April 4, 1953The Myth of Kvitka
The Ukrainian Week (11 April 2013)
– March 29, 199 ...
, Yevhen Konovalets,
Stepan Bandera Stepan Andriyovych Bandera (, ; ; 1 January 1909 – 15 October 1959) was a Ukrainian far-right leader of the radical militant wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, the OUN-B. Bandera was born in Austria-Hungary, in Galicia (Eas ...
,
Ivan Mazepa Ivan Stepanovych Mazepa (; ; ) was the Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host and the Left-bank Ukraine in 1687–1708. The historical events of Mazepa's life have inspired Cultural legacy of Mazeppa, many literary, artistic and musical works. He was ...
,
Pavlo Skoropadskyi Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi (; – 26 April 1945) was a Ukrainian aristocrat, military and state leader, who served as the Hetman of all Ukraine, hetman of the Ukrainian State throughout 1918 following a 1918 Ukrainian coup d'état, coup d'éta ...
,
Yaroslav the Wise Yaroslav I Vladimirovich ( 978 – 20 February 1054), better known as Yaroslav the Wise, was Grand Prince of Kiev from 1019 until his death in 1054. He was also earlier Prince of Novgorod from 1010 to 1034 and Prince of Rostov from 987 to 1010, ...
, Heroes of Mariupol and the fallen participants of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine appeared. A Soviet tank from its pedestal and communist symbols were also dismantled. In the second stage of 2023, 29 streets and 11 alleys received new names. The streets were renamed on: Heroes of the ZSU, Heroes of the UPA, Sichovykh Striltsiv, Solomiya Krushelnytska, Liubomyr Huzar, Petro Sahaidachny, Volodymyr Ivasyuk, Oleksandr Koshyts,
John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
, alleys: Dmytro Vyshnevetsky,
Myroslav Skoryk Myroslav Mykhailovych Skoryk (; 13 July 1938 – 1 June 2020) was a List of Ukrainian composers, Ukrainian composer and teacher. His music is contemporary in style and contains stylistic traits from Ukrainian folk music traditions. Skoryk wa ...
, Gustaw Belke (zoologist), Vasyl Stefanyk and others. More than 80 toponyms changed their names in the villages of the
hromada In Ukraine, a hromada () is the main type of municipality and the third level Administrative divisions of Ukraine, local self-government in Ukraine. The current hromadas were established by the Cabinet of ministers of Ukraine, Government of Uk ...
.


Jewish history

During the
Khmelnytsky Uprising The Khmelnytsky Uprising, also known as the Cossack–Polish War, Khmelnytsky insurrection, or the National Liberation War, was a Cossack uprisings, Cossack rebellion that took place between 1648 and 1657 in the eastern territories of the Poli ...
(1648–58), the Jewish community of Kamianets-Podilskyi suffered much from Khmelnytsky's Cossacks on the one hand, and from the attacks of the
Crimean Tatars Crimean Tatars (), or simply Crimeans (), are an Eastern European Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group and nation indigenous to Crimea. Their ethnogenesis lasted thousands of years in Crimea and the northern regions along the coast of the Blac ...
(their main object being the extortion of ransoms) on the other. About the middle of the 18th century, Kamianets-Podilskyi became celebrated as the center of the furious conflict then raging between the Talmudic Jews and the Frankists. The city was the residence of Bishop Dembowski, who sided with the Frankists and ordered the public burning of the Talmud, a sentence which was carried into effect in the public streets in 1757. Kamianets-Podilskyi was also the residence of the wealthy Joseph Yozel Günzburg. During the latter half of the 19th century, many Jews from Kamianets-Podilskyi emigrated to the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, especially to
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where they organized a number of societies. One of the first and largest
Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
massacres A massacre is an event of killing people who are not engaged in hostilities or are defenseless. It is generally used to describe a targeted killing of civilians en masse by an armed group or person. The word is a loan of a French term for "b ...
carried out in the opening stages of war between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, took place in Kamianets-Podilskyi on 27–28 August 1941. The killings were conducted by the Police Battalion 320 of the
Order Police The ''Ordnungspolizei'' (''Orpo'', , meaning "Order Police") were the uniformed police force in Nazi Germany from 1936 to 1945. The Orpo was absorbed into the Nazi monopoly of power after regional police jurisdiction was removed in favour of t ...
along with Friedrich Jeckeln's ''
Einsatzgruppen (, ; also 'task forces') were (SS) paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass murder, primarily by shooting, during World War II (1939–1945) in German-occupied Europe. The had an integral role in the imp ...
'', the Hungarian soldiers, and the Ukrainian Auxiliary Police. ''Also in:'' According to Nazi German reports, in two days a total of 23,600 Jews from the Kamianets-Podilskyi Ghetto were murdered, including 16,000 expellees from Hungary. As the historians of the Holocaust point out, the massacre constituted a prelude to the
Final Solution The Final Solution or the Final Solution to the Jewish Question was a plan orchestrated by Nazi Germany during World War II for the genocide of individuals they defined as Jews. The "Final Solution to the Jewish question" was the official ...
conceived by the Nazis at Wannsee several months later. Eyewitnesses reported that the perpetrators made no effort to hide their deeds from the local population.


Population

According to the data of the first all-Ukrainian population census in 2001, the population of the city was 99,610 people. At the end of the 16th century, 10-12 thousand people lived in the city (for comparison: in Kyiv - 15 thousand, in Lviv - 18 thousand). After Ottoman rule (1672–1699), the city's population decreased almost 10 times: from 700 houses to only 100 people. According to the 1989 the city had a population of 102.2 thousand people, in 1990 - 103 thousand, in 1991 - 105 thousand.


Language

The city is located on the territory of the Podolian dialect, which belongs to the group of Volhynian-Podilian dialects of the southwestern group. The West-Podilian dialect, which has common features with the Dniestrian Ukrainian dialect, and the South-Podilian dialect, which has common features with the Pokuttia–Bukovina dialect, are common in the city. Kamianets-Podilskyi is included in the "Atlas of the Ukrainian Language". Distribution of the population by native language according to the 2001 census:


Ethnic groups

Ethnic composition of the city as of the Ukrainian national census in 2001:


Religion

All major religious groups in Ukraine are represented in the city, a large part of Kamianets residents are Catholics, many are Orthodox. Throughout history, various Catholic monastic orders have functioned in Kamianets-Podilskyi:
Dominicans Dominicans () also known as Quisqueyans () are an ethnic group, ethno-nationality, national people, a people of shared ancestry and culture, who have ancestral roots in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican ethnic group was born out of a fusio ...
,
Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...
,
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
, Capuchins,
Discalced Carmelites The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel () or the Order of Discalced Carmelites (; abbreviation, abbrev.: OCD; sometimes called in earlier times, ), is a Catho ...
,
Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God The Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God, officially the Hospitaller Order of the Brothers of Saint John of God (abbreviated as OH), are a Catholic religious order founded in 1572. In Italian language, Italian they are also known commonly ...
,
Trinitarians The Trinitarians, formally known as the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives (; abbreviated OSsT), is a mendicant order of the Catholic Church for men founded in Cerfroid, outside Paris, in the late 12th century. From the very o ...
, and as of 2023, the city has Pauline orders and the Society of Christ. File:Тринітарський костьол в осінній день.jpg, Trinity Church File:P1280268 Трапезна монастиря домініканців.jpg, The refectory of the Dominican monastery File:Костьол Св.Петра i Павла.jpg, Church of Saints Peter and Paul File:Вул. Татарська, 9 IMG 9122 stitch.jpg, Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul File:Хрестовоздвиженська церква в Кам'янець-Подільський.jpg, Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross


Climate

Kamianets-Podilskyi is located within a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
with warm summers.


Culture


Main sights

The different peoples and cultures that have lived in the city have each brought their own culture and architecture. Examples include the Polish, Ruthenian and
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
market squares. Famous
tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beaut ...
s include the ancient castle, and the numerous architectural attractions in the city's center, including the cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Holy Trinity Church, the Polish City Hall, and the numerous fortifications. Ballooning activities in the
canyon A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency t ...
of the Smotrych River have also brought tourists. In May and October, the city hosts Ballooning festivals. In addition, everyone can book a balloon flight even not during the time of the festival. Since the late 1990s, the city has grown into one of the chief
tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity on ...
centers of
western Ukraine Western Ukraine or West Ukraine (, ) refers to the western territories of Ukraine. There is no universally accepted definition of the territory's boundaries, but the contemporary Ukrainian administrative regions ( oblasts) of Chernivtsi, I ...
. Annual
Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...
Games (''Kozatski zabavy'') and
festival A festival is an event celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...
s, which include the open ballooning championship of Ukraine, car racing and various music, art and drama activities, attract an estimated 140,000 tourists and stimulate the local economy. More than a dozen privately owned hotels have recently opened, a large number for a provincial Ukrainian city. "Respublica" Festival is a music and art festival for youth featuring modern music, literature, and street art. This festival is held annually, gathering hundreds of young art lovers, musicians, and art enthusiasts. Many of the city's buildings are decorated with murals, created during these festivals. The murals depict historical events, as well as modern concepts.


Twin towns – sister cities

Kamianets-Podilskyi is twinned with: *
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
, United States *
Brantford Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully indep ...
, Canada *
Cihanbeyli Cihanbeyli is a municipality and district of Konya Province, Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. I ...
, Turkey *
Częstochowa Częstochowa ( , ) is a city in southern Poland on the Warta with 214,342 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest city in Poland. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship. However, Częstochowa is historically part of Lesser Poland, not Si ...
, Poland *
Dolný Kubín Dolný Kubín (; also known by #Names, other names) is a town in northern Slovakia in the Žilina Region. It is the historical capital and the largest settlement of the Orava (region), Orava region. Names The name is derived from the archaic Slov ...
, Slovakia *
Edineț Edineț () is a municipality in northern Moldova. It is the administrative center of the Edineț District, eponymous district. The town is located 201 km north of the national capital, Chișinău. It is located at . The town administers two ...
, Moldova *
Esslingen am Neckar Esslingen am Neckar (Swabian German, Swabian: ''Esslenga am Neckor''; until 16 October 1964 officially '' Eßlingen am Neckar'') is a town in the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, seat of the Esslingen (district), Distri ...
, Germany * Herrljunga, Sweden * Głogów, Poland *
Głogów County __NOTOC__ Głogów County () is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, south-western Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed ...
, Poland * Gorzyce, Poland *
Hautmont Hautmont () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is southwest of the centre of Maubeuge, and has 14,500 residents. On 3 August 2008 a narrow but strong F4 tornado swept through the town, as well as Maubeuge, Neuf-Mesn ...
, France *
Hrubieszów Hrubieszów (; ; , or ) is a town in southeastern Poland, with a population of around 18,212 (2016). It is the capital of Hrubieszów County within the Lublin Voivodeship. Throughout history, the town's culture and architecture was strongly shaped ...
, Poland *
Kalisz Kalisz () is a city in central Poland, and the second-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship, with 97,905 residents (December 2021). It is the capital city of the Kalisz Region. Situated on the Prosna river in the southeastern part of Gr ...
, Poland *
Kutná Hora Kutná Hora (; ) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants. The history of Kutná Hora is linked to silver mining, which made it a rich and rapidly developing town. The centre of Kutná Hora, i ...
, Czech Republic *
Līvāni Līvāni ( ; ; ) is a town (population approx. 10,000) in Līvāni Municipality in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia. It is situated at the junction of the Dubna River (Daugava basin), Dubna and Daugava River, Daugava rivers, approximately 170 ...
, Latvia *
Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...
, Poland *
Mariestad Mariestad () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Mariestad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 16,611 inhabitants in 2019. Until 1997 it was the capital of the former Skaraborg County and an episcopal see in the ...
, Sweden * Ponte Lambro, Italy *
Przemyśl Przemyśl () is a city in southeastern Poland with 56,466 inhabitants, as of December 2023. Data for territorial unit 1862000. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Subcarpathian Voivodeship. It was previously the capital of Prz ...
, Poland *
Radoviš Radoviš ( ) is a city in the Southeastern statistical region, southeastern part of North Macedonia. It is the second largest city in the southeastern region. The city is the seat of Radoviš Municipality, which is spread on the bottom of Plač ...
, North Macedonia *
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
, Romania *
Sanok Sanok (in full the Royal Free City of Sanok — , , ''Sanok'', , ''Sianok'' or ''Sianik'', , , ''Sūnik'' or ''Sonik'') is a town in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship of southeastern Poland with 38,397 inhabitants, as of June 2016. Located on the San ...
, Poland *
Sanok County __NOTOC__ Sanok County () is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, south-eastern Poland, on the Slovakia, Slovak border. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish loc ...
, Poland *
Siret Siret (; ; ; ; ) is a town, municipality and former Latin bishopric in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Bukovina. Siret is the 11th largest urban settlement in the county, with a population of 6,708 ...
, Romania * Targówek (Warsaw), Poland * Tarnowo Podgórne, Poland *
Teruel Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel (province), Teruel Province. It had a population of 35,900 as of 2022, making it the least populated provincial capital in Spain. It is noted for its har ...
, Spain *
Ukmergė Ukmergė (; previously ''Vilkmergė''; ) is a city in Vilnius County, Lithuania, located northwest of Vilnius. It is the administrative center of the Ukmergė District Municipality. Ukmergė (Vilkmergė) was mentioned for the first time as a ...
, Lithuania * Valle de Mena, Spain *
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Notable residents

* Mikhail Alperin (1956–2018), Ukrainian jazz pianist. * Maria Berlinska (born 1988), Ukrainian military volunteer and women's rights advocate, born here. * Andriy Bondar (born 1974), Ukrainian poet, translator and writer. * Andrei Bondarenko (born 1987), Ukrainian operatic baritone, born here. * Mykhailo Drapatiy (born 1982), Ukrainian military officer, who is currently serving as the Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces * Volodymyr Sichynskyi (1894–1962), Ukrainian emigre architect, graphic artist, and art historian, born here. * Yukhym Sitsinskyi (1859–1937), Ukrainian historian, archaeologist, cultural and public figure of Podillia, Orthodox priest, lived and worked here. * Ihor Marchuk (born 1969), Ukrainian entrepreneur and politician, born here. * Serhiy Hamaliy (born 1979), Ukrainian statesman and entrepreneur and former Governor of Khmelnytskyi Oblast. * Victor Deysun (born 1962), Ukrainian abstract expressionist painter. * Mykola Bazhan (1904–1983), Ukrainian writer, poet, highly decorated political and public figure. * Nikolai Chebotaryov (1894–1947), Russian and Soviet mathematician, best known for the Chebotaryov density theorem. * Ustym Karmaliuk (1787–1835), Ukrainian outlaw who fought against the Russian administration and became a folk hero to the commoners of Ukraine. Karmaliuk was conscripted to serve in the Imperial Russian Army in Kamianets-Podilskyi. He was forcibly inducted into the Russian Imperial Army, and served in the Napoleonic Wars of 1812 in an Uhlan regiment, but eventually escaped and organized rebel bands who attacked merchants and landowners, while distributing the booty between the poor. He was captured in 1814, and was sentenced in Kamianets-Podilskyi to run a gauntlet of 500 blows, a typical military punishment. * Moisey Gamarnik (born 1936), Soviet and Ukrainian physicist and inventor, born here. * Mykhailo Hrushevsky (1866–1934), Ukrainian academician, politician, historian and statesman, one of the most important figures of the Ukrainian national revival of the early 20th century, lived and worked in university here. * Ilarion Ohienko (1882–1972), Ukrainian Orthodox cleric, linguist, church historian, and historian of Ukrainian culture. In 1919, he was Minister of Education in the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) and first rector of Kamianets-Podilskyi State Ukrainian University. * Vladyslav Vanat (born 2002), Ukrainian professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a striker for
Dynamo Kyiv The Football Club 'Dynamo Kyiv', also known as Dynamo Kyiv, or simply Dynamo, ( ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Kyiv. Founded in 1927 as a Kyivan football team of republican branch of the bigger Soviet Dynamo Sports Society ...
, born here. *
Vladyslav Khamelyuk Vladyslav Ruslanovych Khamelyuk (; born 4 May 1998) is a Ukrainian professional football player who plays for Bukovyna Chernivtsi. Club career He made his Ukrainian Premier League debut for FC Chornomorets Odesa on 17 March 2018 in a game ag ...
(born 1998), Ukrainian professional footballer, born here. *
Vasyl Matviychuk Vasyl Matviychuk or Vasyl Oleksandrovych Matviichuk (; born 13 January 1982) is a Ukrainian long-distance runner. Career Matviychuk is a three-time national champion for the 5000 and 10,000 metres. In 2001, he won the gold medal in the junior d ...
(born 1982), Ukrainian
long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...
. * Borys Sulkovskyi (1881–?), Ukrainian colonel of the UNR Army, born here * Vasyl Mazur-Lyakhovsky (1889–1949), Ukrainian military sergeant of the UNR Army, born here. * Marko Mazurenko (1871–1929), Ukrainian corporal general of the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic, born here. * David Günzburg (Baron de Günzburg; 1857–1910) Russian orientalist and Jewish communal leader, born here. * Israel J. Hochman (1872–1940), American klezmer violinist and recording artist, born here. * Sergius Ingerman (1868–1943), American physician and socialist, born here. * Józef Kallenbach (1861–1929), Polish historian of literature, born here . * Yuriy Khimich (1928–2003), Ukrainian painter, born here. * Yelyzaveta Hilyazetdinova (born 1994), Ukrainian handball player, born here. * Andrii Klantsa (born 1980), Ukrainian cardiac surgeon, scientist, Merited Doctor of Ukraine, Doctor of Science in Public Administration. * Stanisław Koniecpolski (1590 or 1594–1646), Polish military commander, fought here. *
Yevhen Petrushevych Yevhen Omelianovych Petrushevych (; 3 June 1863 – 29 August 1940) was a Ukrainians, Ukrainian lawyer, politician, and President (government title), president of the West Ukrainian People's Republic formed after the collapse of the Austro-Hung ...
(1863–1940), Ukrainian lawyer, politician, and president of the
West Ukrainian People's Republic The West Ukrainian People's Republic (; West Ukrainian People's Republic#Name, see other names) was a short-lived state that controlled most of Eastern Galicia from November 1918 to July 1919. It included major cities of Lviv, Ternopil, Kolom ...
, lived and worked here, when WUPR government settled in Kamianets-Podilskyi. * Myron Tarnavsky (1869–1938), Ukrainian supreme commander of the Ukrainian Galician Army, the military of the West Ukrainian People's Republic, fought here * Mark Kopytman (1929–2011), Soviet-Israeli composer, musicologist, and pedagogue, born here. * Murray Korman (1902–1961), American publicity photographer. * Leib Kvitko (1890–1952), Yiddish poet, author of children's poems, and member of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee. * Mykola Leontovych (1877–1921), Ukrainian composer, studied and graduated from the city's Theological Seminary. * Iryna Merleni (born 1982), Ukrainian female wrestler. * Aleksander Michałowski (1851–1938), Polish pianist, born here. *
Mieczysław Mickiewicz Mieczysław Mickiewicz (1879 – before 1939) was a Ukrainian politician and lawyer of Polish descent, later a statesman of the Second Polish Republic. Mickiewicz, a member of Polish Democratic Centrist party, was the deputy-secretary of Polish a ...
(1879–before 1939), Ukrainian and Polish politician, born here. * Vitaliy Mykhaylovskiy (born 1974), Ukrainian historian. Doctor of Historical Science, Professor. * Szymon Okolski (1580–1653), Polish historian, lived here. * Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski (1876—1945), Polish writer, explorer, professor, anti-communist and political activist; lived here. * Morris Schappes (1907–2004), American educator, writer, radical political activist, historian, and magazine editor. * Zvee Scooler (1899–1985), Jewish actor and radio commentator, best known as the Rabbi in
Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...
; born here. *
Mendele Mocher Sforim Mendele Mocher Sforim (, ; lit. "Mendele the book peddler"; January 2, 1836, Kapyl – December 8, 1917 .S. Odessa), born Sholem Yankev Abramovich (, ) or S. J. Abramowitch, was a Jewish author and one of the founders of modern Yiddish and Heb ...
(1836–1917), Jewish author; lived here * Moses Wilhelm Shapira (1830–1884), Jewish scholar, antiquarian (alleged forger); born here * Leo Sirota (1885-1965), Jewish pianist . * Samuel Spielberg,
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
's paternal grandfather. * Mihail Starenki (1879–?), Bessarabian politician born here. * Leonid Stein (1934–1973), Soviet chess Grandmaster, born here. * Paul Burman (1888–1932), Estonian painter and graphic artist of Baltic German descent, born here. * Moshe Stekelis (1898–1967), Russian-Israeli archaeologist . *
Arthur Tracy Arthur Tracy (born Abba Avrom Tracovutsky; June 25, 1899 – October 5, 1997) was an American vocalist and actor, billed as The Street Singer. His performances in theatre, films and radio, along with his recordings, brought him international f ...
(1899–1997), American singer, born here. * Anton Vasyutinsky (1858–1935), painter, coin and medal designer, born here. * Mikhail Veller (born 1948), Russian-Estonian writer, born here. * Ion Vinokur (1930–2006), Ukrainian archaeologist, historian, lived and worked here. * Jan de Witte (1709–1785), Polish architect and commander of the local fortress. * Jerzy Wołodyjowski, Polish colonel, prototype for one of
Henryk Sienkiewicz Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz ( , ; 5 May 1846 – 15 November 1916), also known by the pseudonym Litwos (), was a Polish epic writer. He is remembered for his historical novels, such as The Trilogy, the Trilogy series and especially ...
's characters, Michał Wołodyjowski; killed here. * Oleksandr Zaremba (born 1978), Ukrainian historian, military reenactor, festival organizer, and civic activist. * Maurice Zbriger (1896–1981), Canadian violinist, composer, and conductor, born here. * Isidor Zuckermann (1866–1946), Austrian businessman. * Jan Olszanski (1919–2003), Ukrainian Roman Catholic prelate as the first diocesan Bishop of the reestablished Roman Catholic Diocese of Kamianets-Podilskyi from 16 January 1991 until his retirement on 4 May 2002. * Józef Zajączek (1751-1826), Polish general and politician, born here.


Gallery

File:Kamianiec Podilsky Stary Zamek DSC 0829 68-104-9007.jpg, View on the fortress from Zamkova Street File:Frozen waterfall.jpg, Frozen waterfall File:Міст над Смотричем у Кам'янці.jpg, Novoplanivskyi Bridge File:Armenian Bell Tower.jpg, Armenian Bell Tower File:Будинок культури в КП.jpg, House of Culture File:Minaret, Saint Peter an Saint Paul Cathedral, Kamianets-Podilskyi.JPG, Sculpture of the Mother of God File:Kamieniec Podolski, cerkiew.jpg, Orthodox church File:Stephen Báthory Gate.JPG, Stephen Báthory Tower File:Арт-об'єкт "Я кохаю Кам'янець-Подільський".jpg, Art object "I love Kamianets-Podilskyi" File:Будинки по вулиці П'ятницькій.jpg, Piatnytska Street File:Twierdza w Kamiencu Podolskim 2012 005.jpg, Fortress walls File:Тріумфальна арка.jpg, Triumphal Arch File:Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle (Tenchynska Tower).JPG, The impregnable fortress File:Фортеця і міст в весний день.jpg, Fortress, 2023 File:68-104-9007 Kamianets-Podilskyi Fortress RB 18 2.jpg, Fortress at dawn File:Twierdza w Kamiencu Podolskim3.jpg, Fortress File:L.Ukrainky street 52.jpg, Residential building at Lesya Ukrainka Street File:2017 - Кам'янець-Подільський - Фортеця.jpg, Old city File:Картинна галерея, Кам'янець-Подільський.jpg, Art gallery File:Здвиженська церква у Карвасарах P1770773.jpg, Сhurch File:Новопланівський міст в осінній день.jpg, Novoplanivskyi Bridge and the Old City File:Kamyanets-Podilskiy - City of a Dream (2013).webm


Panorama


References


Sources

*


External links

*
Official website
* "The old fortress on the Smotrich River," in '' Dzerkalo Tyzhnia'' (Mirror Weekly), 28 June – 5 July 2002
available online


Jewish community


History of Jewish Community in Kamenets-Podolski

The murder of the Jews of Kamianets-Podilskyi
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, at
Yad Vashem Yad Vashem (; ) is Israel's official memorial institution to the victims of Holocaust, the Holocaust known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (). It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; echoing the stories of the ...
website.
The Lost Jewish Community of Kamenets-Podolsk

Information about the execution of Jewish people in Kamyanets-Podilsky during World War II
from Yahad-In Unum {{Authority control Cities in Khmelnytskyi Oblast Cities of regional significance in Ukraine Historic Jewish communities in Ukraine Holocaust locations in Ukraine Kamianets-Podilskyi Raion