In the footsteps of my ancestors

by Oleksandra Lisova (Ukraine)

I didn't expect to find Ukraine

Ukraine is an amazing country, this time I explored its western part, the former lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. I saw how Ukrainian, Polish and Jewish cultures intertwined, which affected the unique architecture and heritage of these places. Interestingly, the majority of the population of these territories were Jews, which radically changed history. Jewish civilization has flourished here for over five hundred years. In the small town of Medzhibozh (Podillia region), the religious movement of Hasidism arose and became stronger, which influenced Judaism throughout the world. The name of the village is determined by its geographical location - between the Southern Bug and Buzhok rivers. The main attraction of the village is the Medzhibozh fortress-castle. The castle is also called the “white swan” - before the fortress was whitewashed, and in the reflection of the water it became like a floating swan (although the whiteness gradually faded away over the years). Initially, the castle was a security point on the eastern border of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from Tatar raids. At different times, the castle was occupied by Cossacks, Poles, Turks. The fortress itself was damaged during World War II - on the orders of local authorities, the residents dismantled the fortress for building material for the construction of the village council and individual estates, which turned the fortress into ruins. So far, three towers, two castle buildings, the castle church of St. Nicholas (in its history it was a church, a mosque, and an Orthodox church), an arched exit bridge and defensive walls have been preserved. The castle has a triangular shape, its walls reach 17.5 meters in height and up to 4 meters in width. I went up to the observation deck, where there used to be a balcony and balls were held, here a panorama of the picturesque valley and river opens. You can also climb the tower at the entrance (height - 37.5 m; 5 floors through narrow stairs), and visit the local history museum and the Holodomor Museum. There are secret cellars in the fortress. At the entrance there is a memorial plaque indicating that Medzhibozh was visited by Ukrainian writer Taras Shevchenko (1846). By the way, restoration work is still ongoing. The castle has the status of a state historical and cultural reserve (since 2001). Annually festivals are held here (“Ancient Medzhibozh” in August, and “Winter Tower” in January), this is also a favorite place for newlyweds where photo shoots take place. Medzhibozh is also considered the birthplace of Hasidism, since its founder, Besht, is buried here. Besht’s grave is a place of pilgrimage of Hasidim from all over the world. There is also a two-story Synagogue (now the Jewish library) and an old Jewish cemetery. By the way, the name of the streets of Medzhibozh is indicated not only in Ukrainian, but also in Hebrew. Such unusual inscriptions are made so that it would not be difficult for pilgrims to get to the grave of the teacher. We have witnessed how a large number of pilgrims came together - near the old Jewish cemetery, all conditions for their stay were equipped (hotels, food, shops). Medzhibozh has a historical past, which is expressed in the castle-fortress, small streets, the remaining ruins of the church, a picturesque valley overlooking the Southern Bug River. It would seem that this is a small town, but very rich in history and culture. Thanks to this journey, I saw material monuments of Jewish culture and art, books, manuscripts, scrolls, tiled one-story mud houses, carved stone gravestones in Jewish cemeteries and much more. Without the past, we will not know our future. I saw how the locals live in order to better understand myself. Thus, I not only went on a trip, I explored the traditions, customs and life of my ancestors.