fortifications

The Battle of Zboriv is one of the major events in Ukrainian and Polish history.
The Zboriv battlefield was explored by a Ukrainian-American archeological expedition led
by author and archeologist Bogdan Strotsen. The studies lasted several years. The article
covers the history of the Zboriv battle and reveals the main results of archaeological research.
The results of the studies allowed to hypothesize the construction of elements of field
fortifications and to interpret their localization in the territory.

The article examines the urban features of the late 18th century, contained on
the map of R. D'Otto since 1772: «Lemberg. General Carta von dem Marche der bey
Hommona in Hungarn gestandenen K.K.Trouppen, bis zur Hauptstadt Lemberg in Pollen;
welcher 9. kleine Special Charten mit einigen Anmerkungen bey gefuget sind. Feld Laager
bey Lemberg. d. 20= Augusti. ao: 1772». For scholars, the d'Otto map is known only from the
publication of its latest worksheet with the image of the city of Lviv in the Atlas of Historic

The authors of the article focus on the urban activities of the princes of Zbarazh of the senior branch. Special attention is paid to cities whose location and fortification are directly associated with representatives of the princely family. An attempt is made to find the principle that guided the Princes when choosing the city and choosing the method of fortifications.

Reliable fortifications were the key to the stable functioning of the castle, city or monastery on the territory of Western Ukraine in the XVII-XVIII centuries. 

The Ukrainian frontier lands have introduced the principles of early-modern European urbanism which primarily included a defense component in the 16th–17th centuries. The inventory papers and studies of that time indicate that the presence of defense structures around the settlements was determined by the city status, which gave privileges and responsibilities to defend and keep both the city and castle fortifications.