Ternopil is a large historical city located on the Seret River in the center of Western Ukraine. It is a city where you forget about everyday problems and worries and seem to plunge into the atmosphere of coziness and hospitality. Its clean streets attract with their beauty and dispose to leisurely contemplation of the sights of Ternopil.
Well, what kind of acquaintance with the city without getting acquainted with its history?
The date of the first mention of the city of Ternopil is considered to be 1540, when the Polish king Sigismund I issued a charter to the Cracow castellan (manager of the castle and adjacent territories) Jan Tarnovsky, according to which he became the owner of these lands and had the right to establish a fortress here, but the beginning of its history Ternopil takes much earlier, somewhere in VI-VII century BC.
The main fortification of the XVI century was a castle, the task of which was to defend the south-eastern borders of the kingdom from enemy raids. As for the name of the city, there are several versions. According to one of them, «Ternopil» comes from the words «field of thorns», on which it was founded, and according to another — from the surname of its founder Jan Tarnovsky.
Obtaining the Magdeburg Law in 1548 contributed to the development of trade, economy, culture and living standards of the city’s population.
Great damage to Ternopil was caused by the Tatar and Turk raids that continued throughout the XVI-XVII centuries, as a result of which the castle was very badly damaged and the fortifications were destroyed.
This city is significant because it lay on the path of the national liberation movement of the Cossacks led by Bogdan Khmelnitsky. At that time, most of the population joined their ranks.
At the beginning of the XVII century two churches were built in the city — Vozdvizhenskaya and Christmas; by the way, these two sights of Ternopil have survived to our time.
In 1772 another event happened in the history of Ternopil that is worth mentioning. After the first partition of Poland, the city became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At the beginning of the XIX century, the new owner F. Koritowski carried out a reconstruction, as a result of which all the defense structures were demolished and the castle acquired the appearance of a palace. These lands were part of the Austrian state until 1918, then after the First World War they returned to Polish rule.
In 1939 Western Ukraine became part of the USSR and the Ternopil region was formed. During the Second World War, Ternopil, like many other Ukrainian cities, was severely destroyed, but in the early 50’s began its large-scale reconstruction.
Today it is a highly cultured city, with many hotels, bars, restaurants and even a water park. One of its most beautiful and picturesque places is considered to be «Ternopil Lake». This artificial reservoir, which is almost as old as the city itself, was created in 1548 by order of Jan Tarnovsky.
The Dominican Church of the XVIII century is considered to be the visiting card of Ternopil’s sights.