Kyiv Fortress

The Kyiv Fortress or Kiev Fortress (Ukrainian: Київська фортеця, romanized: Kyivska fortetsia; Russian: Киевская крепость, romanized: Kievskaya krepost, also New Pechersk Fortress) is a historical and architectural monument complex of fortifications in Kyiv, Ukraine built from the 17th through 19th centuries. Construction began after the 1654 Council in Pereiaslav, on the site of the already existing fortified monastery of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. Located on the hills of the high right bank of the Dnieper, bounded on the north by the Klov ravine, on the south and west – by the slopes of the Lybid River valley.

The Kyiv Fortress once belonged to the extensive system of western Russian fortresses that existed in the Russian Empire. The Kyiv Fortress complex features many separate fortifications in Pechersk, Lysa Hora, Podil, Zvirynets and other city districts of Kyiv. Currently, most of the remaining structures have received a historic designation. The main fortification associated with the Kyiv Fortress (where located the Historic and Architectural Museum) is the Hospital fortification.

Text adapted from “Kyiv Fortress” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Kyiv Fortress ranks #1,413 of 8,133 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #26 of the 188 mapped in Ukraine. Founded c. 1850, it is older than 8% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 607 atlas entries founded in the 19th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 2,581 times in the last 60 days, more than 72% of the atlas. 6 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. See how Ukraine compares in the castle statistics.

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