OLESKO CASTLE (ОЛЕСЬКИЙ ОЛЕСЬКИЙ)

Situated 75 km east of Lviv, this medieval castle dates back to the th century, but the construction of the first walls dates back to the th century, at the time of the first crusades. It was at a crossroads between the west dominated by the crusaders and nomads of the east. Several times vandalized and rebuilt, it is mentioned in a large number of historical documents of the th and th centuries, but it is only in the th century that it appears clearly on a map. The famous Polish king Ian III Sobieski was born in 1629. His portrait and that of his wife are displayed in one of the exhibition rooms. For over years, the castle has been home to paintings and sculptures of great artistic value and functions as a museum.

At the exit you can also visit an old capuchin monastery. At first glance you can be disappointed by the state of the castle, the exhibitions and the park: plaster facades peeled, a rough garden with little care, bad painting of the 1970 s covering most walls of the interior and very visible Soviet heating installed in some parts! In addition, a huge wooden statue, executed in 1971 and placed on the outskirts of the castle, several metres high representing the castle's «defenders», contrasts with the architectural ensemble. Therefore, to appreciate this visit, it is necessary to know under what conditions the castle, the first to have been opened to the public in 1975, has been reconstructed. In 1939, when Lviv was attached to the USSR, Communist ideology demanded the precipitous closure of churches and the destruction of a large number of icons and paintings belonging to the Church and the old regime. Specialists and art lovers fudge what they could. Thus, the collection is displayed in the castle today.

These are only objects saved from political vandalism. In 1969, the local government was preparing to transform the castle into a boarding school for apprentices of a technical school. It was at this time that the art historian, Boris Voznytskyi, looked at it. Bringing together local history enthusiasts and local scholars, he succeeded in creating the sympathy of some official officials for his project. To be arrested at any time, the supporters of the project worked hard for five years to revive the castle. Although Olesko was the first Ukrainian castle to be rebuilt, no assistance from the Ministry was granted to him. The Minister of Culture even ignored his existence throughout the entire shipyard. To ensure the graces of Soviet officials, at the opening of the castle, Voznytskyi and his colleagues would put a marble Lenin bust in the inner courtyard of the castle with the quotation of the first Soviet ideologue affirming the need to preserve heritage.

Today this marble is no longer there, but the traces of the difficulties and controversies associated with safeguarding heritage during the Soviet era are still present.

You can reach Olesko by bus from Station No. 2 (bus about every hour, 1 hours a day) or by car using the M 06-E 40. The easiest way to get to Olesko is through one of the many tourist agencies in Lviv.