A cultural heritage site of national significance, “The fortified settlement of the chronicle city of Bilhorod and burial ground”.
The Bilohorodka defensive ramparts and moats are the remains of the fortifications of the city of Bilhorod, built on timber-and-earth log structures, in some cases faced with core brick. They are an outstanding example of Old Rus military engineering architecture of the 10th-13th centuries.
At that time the city of Bilhorod played a significant role in the defence of Kyiv. It stood on the road to the capital from the west and was the last fortified outpost on the approaches to the capital. According to chronicle reports from the second half of the 11th century, Bilhorod often figures as a princely residence or a place where military reinforcements came during internecine wars for the Kyiv throne.
The fortifications divided the ancient city into three districts: the detynets (the oldest part of the city), and the northern and southern suburbs. The length of the fortifications reaches about 3 kilometres. The height of the walls was 12 metres and the width was over 20 m.
According to the Hypatian Chronicle, Prince Volodymyr founded the city of Bilhorod in 991: “In the year 6500 [991] Volodymyr founded the city of Bilhorod, and recruited [people] into it from other cities, and brought many people into it, for he loved this city.” Archaeological research confirms that it was in this period that Bilhorod grew and became a large city with an area of about 120 hectares.
Inside the ramparts there were three-walled log structures filled with earth. On the outer side, that is, the enemy’s side, a wooden structure laid with adobe brick (unfired clay brick) adjoined the log structures. All these structures were covered with earth and faced with turf. On top of the rampart there were towers and a wall with loopholes.
Archaeologists have also studied such important parts of the fortifications of ancient Bilhorod as poternas (secret underground passages) and entrance gates.
Such a unique construction of fortifications as in Bilhorod is known only in two chronicle cities of Kyivan Rus, namely Pereiaslav and Vasyliv (the modern cities of Pereiaslav and Vasylkiv). The founding of these outposts and their transformation into large Old Rus urban centres is undoubtedly connected with the name of Prince Volodymyr Sviatoslavych.
