#CULTROUTE From princely times to the modern day: Pniv Castle, XVI-XVII centuries

In the foothills of the Carpathians, near the village of Pniv, not far from Nadvirna, probably the best-preserved castle in the Halychyna region lies. The sight of several-metre-high walls enclosed in a single boundary, the remains of an entrance tower with lifting mechanisms, and the ruins of towers with dungeons still impress visitors today. The history of the construction of this stronghold, designed to protect trade caravans crossing the Carpathian passes, dates back to princely times, and it is clear that such an outpost was then located on Mount Horodyshche, which still towers over Nadvirna today.

The construction of the castle in the village of Pniv is associated with the noble family of Kuropatva of the Yastrubets coat of arms. They received the surrounding estates from the lord and heir of Rus, Prince Vladislav Opole, in the second half of the XIV century. In the middle of the XVI century, Halychyna cupbearer Pavlo Kuropatva built a stone castle, which in its layout closely resembles the Byzantine fortress of Saranta Kolones (Forty Columns), founded on the island of Cyprus in the VII century and rebuilt by the Crusaders in the XIII century. It is not known for certain whether the builders borrowed specific architectural solutions from the Cyprus model, but the similarity between the fortresses is very noticeable. 

The main material used for construction was local Carpathian stone, and the walls were 1.5 to 2 metres thick. Towers of various shapes – round, hexagonal, and semicircular – played an important role in the fortress's defences. One of the unique features of the fortification was that the towers partially extended beyond the line of the wall. This design feature provided the defenders with a wider field of view and the ability to fire effectively, which was extremely important in the context of the development of firearms.

However, the impregnable defensive walls of Pniv Castle were still captured through cunning. In 1621, Carpathian opryshky, led by Hryn Kardash, managed to infiltrate the fortress by trickery and rob the treasures of Kuropatv. Until the construction of the Stanislaviv Fortress, Pniv Castle, along with the Halychyna stronghold, was considered the most secure in the entire Pokuttia region. This is confirmed by the attempts of the Cossacks to storm it during the war of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky. It is known that the Cossacks, led by Colonel Semen Vysochan, kept the castle under siege for several weeks in the autumn of 1648, but without success. Later, in 1672 and 1676, thousands of Ottoman troops broke their spears against the walls of the stronghold, but again without success. Given the important strategic role of Pniv Castle, its then-owner, Petro Kuropatva, strengthened the walls and defensive capabilities, allocating a significant portion of his income for this purpose.

In 1745, with the demise of the Kuropatva dynasty, the castle in Pniv was taken over by Ignacy Centner, a prominent political figure of the last years of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, the new owner paid little attention to the fortress. Ultimately, the incorporation of the Halychyna region into the Habsburg Monarchy after 1772 significantly changed the political situation, and the old castles and fortresses of Pokuttia became less relevant. Between 1786 and 1787, Count Centner sold his Nadvirna estates to the Telefus family, and until the end of the XVIII century, Pniv Castle was considered inhabited. In the XIX century, the Austrian administration allowed the stone walls to be dismantled for the construction of town houses and a brewery in Nadvirna. Since then, the castle has been in ruins.

It should also be mentioned that during World War II, in 1941, horrific executions organised by the Soviets took place near the walls of Pniv Castle. According to the stories of old-timers, people brought from the NKVD torture chambers were shot right under the northern wall of the castle. Traces of bullets fired by the moscow occupiers can still be seen on the wall.

Near Pniv Castle in neighbouring Nadvirna, there are ruins of one of the towers of Krasnodvir Castle, which was built in the XIV-XV centuries. It is likely that this fortress served as the main defensive structure in the area before Pniv Castle was built. There are legends that both outposts were later connected by underground passages, and Krasnodvir Castle housed the court guards and servants of the Pniv citadel. Interestingly, previous studies of Krasnodvir Castle indicate that at the height of its glory, it was even larger than Pniv Castle. Therefore, both interesting monuments are still waiting to be discovered.

Today, with the support of the European Union, the restoration process has begun at Pniv Castle, an audio guide has been created, tables with visual reconstructions have been installed, and interesting excursions organised by the “Museum of Knighthood” are being conducted.

This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Department of Investment Policy, Projects, International Relations, Tourism and City Promotion of Ivano-Frankivsk City Council and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.