Palanok Castle in Zakarpattia
Palanok, one of the most beautiful castles in Ukraine, has an ancient history intertwined with the destinies of many famous people in Europe. It is built on a mountain of volcanic origin, 68 meters above sea level, and has been watching over the picturesque city of Mukachevo for many centuries.
However, no one knows exactly how many centuries. People have lived here for tens of thousands of years, as artifacts from Paleolithic, Bronze, and Iron Age settlements have been found here. The neighboring Lovachka Mountain hosts the largest settlement of Celts in Ukraine – the same Celts we mostly know from ancient British history. They once lived in Ukraine, like many other tribes and peoples, which then gave rise to numerous modern European nations.
There is no exact information about the date of the castle's construction. However, it already existed by the 11th century. The famous Hungarian kings Stephen I of Hungary and Ladislaus I, who were highly respected and were both nicknamed the Saint, contributed to the fortification's construction. This was not without reason: in 1241, Palanok became one of the barriers to the Tatar-Mongol invasion. Batu Khan destroyed Mukachevo but failed to conquer the fortress, which helped spare Europe from the Mongol Horde.
In the following centuries, the castle was owned by various European noble families. In the 14th century, it was allegedly reconstructed by the Italians, and in the 17th century by the Austrians, and during the Napoleonic wars, the sacred crown of the Hungarian monarchs was safeguarded in Palanok. Each epoch added to the castle, and now it consists of a whole cascade of separate terraces, which still keep their secrets. For example, just a few years ago, a mysterious buried building was found near the eastern bastion. Following a thorough study, it finally came to light in 2024 that this was the castle's ice storage to preserve food, built in the middle of the 16th century.
Palanok is ready to reveal its secrets. But only if you ask politely.
Zoltan Almashi
Zoltan Almashi (1975, Lviv) is a contemporary Ukrainian composer, cellist, teacher, organizer of musical performances, one of the founders and directors of the festival of classical and contemporary music "Golfstream".
Zoltan Almashi studied at the Lviv secondary specialized boarding school named after Solomija Krushelnytska at the department of the strings instruments and successfully graduated in 1993. He continued his studies at the Lviv National Music Academy named after Mykola Lysenko in the class of Professor Yevgenij Lanyuk in two directions: cello (graduated in 1998) and composition (graduated in 1999). 1999–2002 continued his Ph.D. study at the department of composition in the National Music Academy of Ukraine named after Petr Tchaikovsky in the class of professor Evgenij Stankovych. 2008 trained in Poland by composer Professor A. Lason. Member of the National Union of Composers of Ukraine (since 2001). Zoltan Almashi combines composing with teaching at the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine (since 2002) and the work of the artist, soloist-instrumentalist of the National Chamber Soloists "Kyiv Chamber" and the Rikoshet Contemporary Music Ensemble (both since 2000). Member of Ukrainian contemporary music ensemble Nostri Temporis (since 2007); cellist and artistic director of the Lev Revutsky String Quartet (since 2018). One of the founders and directors of the Gulf Stream Festival of Classical and Contemporary Chamber Music (since 2012). As a composer and cellist, he constantly participates in contemporary music and contemporary art festivals in Ukraine: Contrasts, Young Music Forum, Kyiv Music Fest, Musical Premieres of the Season, Two Days and Two Nights of New Music, Gogolfest, Odessa Classic.
Zoltan Almashi positions himself as a polystylistic composer. The artist's artistic style is a synthesis of traditional and innovative, neo-romantic tendencies with modern means of compositional writing.
Zoltan Almashi is the author of more than 70 works, mainly for chamber orchestra. He is actively uses folklore samples, experiments with genres and styles of music of previous eras, tries out new sounds and forms of musical art (in particular, the work "Van Gogh for Kitchen Utensils and Gift Package", 2011). The composer has created many works to order by various creative associations and musical institutions. Thus, at the request of the European Cultural Society, Sonata No. 2 "Facets" for cello and piano (2004) was created. Many pieces of Zoltan Almashi have been written specifically for the contemporary music ensembles Nostri Temporis, Ricochet, and especially for the National Soloist Ensemble "Kyiv Kamerata". He is the author of music for the musical and theatrical mystery Symphony of Dialogues (2007; directed by O. Balaban). Among the major works of the composer: "Stairs ..." for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2001), Symphony No. 2 "Island" for Grand Symphony Orchestra (2010), Chamber Symphony No. 1 (2011), "Concerto grosso # 4 "Seasons" for violin and chamber orchestra (2011), chamber symphony # 2 "Dialogue of two drunks about the meaning of being" (2012), chamber cantata for violin and strings (2015), "Suprun-rhapsody" for viola and strings (2016) and others. Zoltan Almashi's works were performed by the Akademos String Quartet (Poland), the Kaunas Philharmonic String Quartet (Lithuania), the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble (Russian Federation), the Kyiv Soloists Chamber Orchestra, the Lviv Virtuoso Chamber Orchestra, and the National Orchestra of Ukraine, etc .; conducted by S. Kamartin, O. Lyniv, V. Matyukhin, V. Sirenko and others. His works are performed in Belarus, Moldova, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the United States, France, Switzerland, Chile and other countries. Awards and recognition Winner of the International Competition "At Home of Sergey Prokofiev" (Mariupol) in the nomination "cello" (1998) and in the nomination "composition" (2000). Winner of the L. Revutsky State Prize (2003) and B. Lyatoshynsky State Prize (2013).