Medzhybizh Castle
This castle is just a collage of fortifications and buildings of different times. Some fortifications are dated as far back as the Kyivan Rus era of the 11th century, but the fortress itself goes back to the 16th century. All its owners gradually scaled up the castle, so that it became a mixture of styles – from the masonry of the Lithuanian era to the Eastern European Renaissance.
Medzhybizh Castle resembles an elongated triangle located on a cape between two rivers, thus all approaches are protected by water. The highest buildings are almost 17 meters, and the wall thickness is up to 4 meters.
In the 15 and 16th centuries, the stronghold acquired significant military and strategic importance and became a barrier in the way of Mongol-Tatar raids. During this period, the latter sieged the castle five times but failed to conquer it. However, in the 17th century, the castle changed hands often. At different times, Poles, Tatars, and Cossacks ruled here, and after the advent of artillery, Medzhybizh lost its importance and turned from a mighty fortress into a palace.
In the middle of the 18th century, Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, lived here for two decades. The grave of this Jewish religious figure is now in the crypt–chapel, and pilgrims come to the castle every year to honor his memory.
The darkest times for the castle were caused by battles or sieges, but rather Soviet rule. An oil factory was opened on the old premises, causing serious damage to the building. Only after the 1960s and already during the independence of Ukraine, the reconstruction of Medzhybizh began. For example, in 2020, the historical look of the bridge leading inside was restored. Nowadays, Medzhybizh is a touristic center, with museum exhibits and regular festivals featuring knightly battles. Almost like those that once were held in this amazing castle.
Ihor Zavhorodnii
Ihor Zavhorodnii - Ukrainian violinist, violist, composer, laureate of international competitions. He was born in 1988. He is an artist of the NCE "Kyiv Soloists", Ukho Ensemble, violinist of the Danapris String Quartet. He has been participating in the "Open Opera" project on the baroque viola. Since 2020, he has been cooperating with the modern opera laboratory "Opera Aperta". In particular, he participated in the creation of the project "Chornobyldorf. Archaeological opera" as a musician-multi-instrumentalist (viola, morin khuur, shakuhachi), performer, actor and vocalist.
Since 2022 - member of NotaBene Chamber Group, soloist of the National House of Organ and Chamber Music of Ukraine. From 2018 to 2023, he was a violin teacher at the KMAM named after R. M. Gliere.
As a soloist and chamber musician, he toured in Austria, Bulgaria, China, Lithuania, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, and Japan. Performer of numerous premieres of works by Ukrainian and foreign composers, some of which were recorded with the National Radio of Ukraine, published by the labels Winter & Winter, KAIROS.