When you stand on steep bank of a canyon, on which smoothly carries the waters river Smotrich, the city is seen as from bird's-eye view.

Wonderful picture here opens - high walls of fortress, towers, domes of the temples in the Old City buried in verdure. In the name of memorable places and architectural structures the voice of the History is heard.
It's a Old Fortress, Russian and Polish Gates, Russian and Polish Folwarks, Dominican and Cathedral Temple,
City Hall, Armenian Bastion, Armenian Well...

FIRST SETTLERS

Directing on the south, to the Dnister, the river forms on a Podillya Hills a twisting channel. And in territory present Kamyanets-Podilski river describes a loop, in which borders is placed Old City.

Archeological finds testify that the people here lived from most ancient times. Per the first centuries of AD territory of the future city and its vicinities occupied Chernyahovk-culture's tribes, which basic employment was agriculture. The found here Roman coins (2-3 centuries AD) testify to trade and cultural relations of the local population with the inhabitants Northern Black Sea Coast and Roman provinces. At the end of first millennium of our era territory Middle Dnister River occupy east-Slavic tribes Ulichi and Tivertsi, which were included into structure Kyiiv Russ. At excavation in Old City the rests of Slavic site of ancient settlement are found out. On this site in 12-13 centuries AD City was generated as early-feudal city in structure princedom of Galichina and Volyn.

Already in the city's name the essence of its applicability is made: city-stone, city-stronghold – on southwest border of Russ. Being on trade ways from the countries of Western Europe and East, it was also city of the advanced crafts, significant shopping center. At the end of XIV centuries Kamyanets has become political and administrative center of Podillya.(City's name can be translated to English as Podolian Stonecity)

INVASION OF CONQUERORSArmenian Belltower

Throughout five centuries Kamyanets was "an apple of discord" among numerous invades including Mongol and Tatar khans, Lithuanian princes, Polish kings, Turkish sultans.
In the mid-13th the city was plundered by the Golden Horde invaders. For modern the area labored under the yoke of conquerors until 1362 when the Lithuanian prince Olgerd won the battle near the Sinyushka River and liberated Kamyanets from the Tatar-Mongolian invaders. At this, in place of ruined fortifications, a fortress of wood and stone typical of Old Russ defensive structures was erected in the southwest section of the city. The Church of St. Nicholas is another structure of the 14th century and the only one of the city's buildings of the period to have survived to the present.

KAMYANETS – TRADE AND CRAFT CENTER

Kamyanets residents formed three independent ethnic communities: Ukrainian, Lithuanian-Polish and Armenian. Each communities had its own administration its own market. Hungarian merchants sold honey and wine, silverware and horses, Turkish traders offered spices, the Russians - furs and wooden articles, the Vallahian cattlebreeders – wool and sheep. The handicraftsmen were glorified pottery, sartorial products, weapon, jewelry and many others products.
MinaretAs early as 1374 the Magdeburg Right was conferred upon the city. It was by a recognition of its importance in Europe as trade and craft center. In 1375 Pope Gregory XI issued a bull (edict) that the Podolian Catholic Episcopate be created with Kamyanets as its headquarters. As result, Catholic monastic orders were established and Catholic Monasteries and Churches constructed. The thirty-years long struggle of Lithuanian and Polish feudal lords to annex Podolian lands ended in 1434, when Podillya was incorporated to become a part of the Polish Kingdom. Kamyanets became
a center of the voivodstvo (province). The structures are reconstructed. The fortress gets the polygonal form with stone walls of two-meter thickness, with eleven towers. The Russian and Polish Gates built as important defense and hydrotechnical complexes were also completed. In the late 16th century a stone Armenian bastion was erected. The construction of a town hall in city center and inhabited buildings around it concerns also to XVI centuries. The massive structures of the Cathedral(SS Peter and Paul's)and Dominican Catholic churches towered high over the central section of the 16th century of Kamyanets.

The further progress of trade and culture brought about social stratification in the city. In 1594-1596 the townspeople self-denyingly battled in Cossack regiments under Severin Nalivaiko command, and participated in Liberation War against Polish Kingdom in 1648-1654 under Bogdan Khmelnitskiy command.

TURKISH DOMINION

In the early 1670s the area endured an attack of Sultan Turkey. 27 years of Turkish rule caused great damage to the city and proved hard trial for its residents. Craft and trade were at low ebb. Most of the town folks had to leave the city, many were driven off as slaves. After Turkey lost the war against Russia, in conformity the Karlovtsi Treaty (1699), the area was joined to the Poland again.

In 1793, as result of Second Division of Poland, East and part of West Podillya joined to the Russian Empire. From 1795 the city is a center of Podolian Province.

USTIN KARMALYUK

The national memory keeps to this day name of the legendary hero Ustin Karmalyuk, almost quarter of century leading country antifeudal movement. He is called Ukrainian Robin Hood. With 1814 for 1823 imperial gendarmes three times putted him into casemate of a fortress transformed by then into prison. In 1823 after next escape and new arrest Ustin was chained to a wall in Pope's tower, then have subjected terrible tortures on the central square of city.

Later, in 1846, Kamyanets-Podolski has visited famous Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko. He was interested by destiny of the national hero, that has found reflection in its "Diary" and narrative "Varnak".

CITY IN TIMES 1870-1930

The new city's district (New Plan) were build in 1870-1880.
During the Civil War 1917-1920 the city was a capital of Ukrainian Peoples Republic (short time).

CITY IN TIMES OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR (1941-1945)

The boundary city by one of first has undergone to an attack invaders. The city dwellers to the full could test horrors occupation. Release to city during Proskurov-Chernovtsy operation have brought on March 26, 1944 of a part of the 4-th tank army under command of the colonel-general D. Lelyushenko.

CITY IN PRESENT TIME

Now Kamyanets-Podilkiy is the city-museum. " Necessarily visit in Kamyanets", - will tell to you everyone, who has visited here. And annually it is visited more with than three hundred thousand tourists.

... Visit in Kamyanets-Podilkiy! Visit that will join to long and wise life of unique city, which carefully keeps memory about last !