Tykhomel Hill Fort: A Medieval Rus’ Town and Later Fortress
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- Ukraine
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Unclassified
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Fort
On this page6 sections
History
Tykhomel Hill Fort in Ukraine is associated with a medieval Rus’ fortified town first recorded in 1152 and a later fortress built on the hill. Rus’ was the medieval East Slavic realm; its appanage princes were members of ruling dynasties who governed individual principalities.
Medieval Rus’ Town
Tykhomel was a fortified town of Rus’ princes and was frequently contested between the principalities of Volhynia and Galicia. It is mentioned in connection with the war between Iziaslav Mstislavich, prince of Kyiv-Volhynia, and Vladimirko Volodarovich, prince of Galicia.
Early Modern Fortress
A fortress was built on the hill in the early modern period. The site belonged to the Senyut family in the 16th century, when its tower-chapel was built. The chapel was rebuilt in the 18th century and also served as the family tomb. The medieval town later disappeared.
Remains
Fortified Enclosure
The hillfort has a four-sided plan in the Horyn River basin, about one kilometre from the village of Tykhomel. A defensive bank and moat bound it to the east, north, and west, while Yampil pond adjoins its southern side.
Tower-Chapel
South of the hillfort, the tower-chapel stands above a vaulted crypt, an underground burial chamber. The four-sided building has a cloister vault, formed by curved surfaces meeting at the centre, and decorative turrets at its corners. Rectangular openings occupy the first tier and oval openings the second; no intermediate floor separates them. Fragments of frescoes, paintings made on plaster, survive above the second-tier windows.
