Eng
Esp

Copyright © 2024 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Remnants of a 12th century unique medieval fortification wall discovered in Kyiv

byBBC
30/07/2018
2 minute read
Modern view of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons
Modern view of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons
Remnants of a 12th century unique medieval fortification wall discovered in Kyiv
Article by: Diana Kuryshko
Translated by: Yuri Zoria
On the premises of Ukraine’s National Kyiv-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Reserve, where the famous Lavra Monastery is located, archaeologists have unearthed the foundations and remnants of a fortification wall, which was ruined by Batu Khan amid his Siege of Kyiv of 1240.
Remnants of the fortification wall, its length was 21 meters. Photograph: Serhii Taranenko

Serhii Taranenko, Head of the Scientific and Research Department of Archaeology at the Kyiv-Pechersk Preserve, told BBC Ukraine about the find.

According to archaeologists, the foundation and walls consist of boulders, small rubbles of sledged stones, and chippings of the Old-Rus bricks, known as plinthites.

At the excavation site, a piece of an Old-Rus bracelet with a braided ornament was also found.

Fragment of a Kyivan Rus times bracelet found at the excavations of the wall. Photograph: Serhii Taranenko

The dig was conducted near the Gate Church of the Trinity in the Metropolitan Garden of the Lavra.

The archaeologists have discovered that the wall is 21 meters long. The scientists have unearthed only fragments of foundations as of now, scheduling the full excavation for the next year.

Foundation of the wall. Photograph: vechirniykiev.com.ua

“Among the plans we have is creating of the display, which will include the remains of the fortification walls. Maybe we with an information center,” told Mr. Taranenko.

According to Taranenko, the find was a part of the wall which enclosed the Upper Lavra. This fortification was built at the end of the 12th century and it stood for about 150 years, up to the Mongol-Tatar invasion of Rus and the fall of Kyiv in 1240.

Read also: The life and death of people in medieval Ukraine, told by a paleoanthropologist

Archaeologists at work in the Lavra. Photograph: Serhii Taranenko

It was built in place of a wooden fence, so-called stovpya. After the Mongol-Tatar incursion in the 13th century, the next stone wall around the Lavra emerged only at the end of the 17th century, funded by Hetman Ivan Mazepa.

The archaeologists call this wall unique because only two other pieces of the monumental fortification from the Kyivan Rus times were discovered in Ukraine. And the design of its foundation is, for now, one-of-a-kind among all the historical monuments of the entire period in the whole territory of the state of Kyivan Rus.

Read more:

Translated by: Yuri Zoria
You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Please leave your suggestions or corrections here



    Euromaidan Press

    We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!

    Related Posts