TO THE PROBLEM OF THE RESTORATION OF DEFENSIVE STRUCTURES OF THE RUS KINGDOM AND PRESERVATION OF THE HISTORICAL MEMORY OF THE LVIV HIGH CASTLE OF THE ХІІІ-ХVІІІ CENTURIES IN UKRAINE

The whole era of the material and historical heritage of the history of Rus-Ukraine, and especially the Rus Kingdom (the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia), remains a "dark spot". The whole century of Ukrainian history: from the destruction of Kiev by Batu’s invasion in 1240 and time after the capture of the Rus by the Polish king Kazimir III in 1349, is the least known and least studied. The Rus (Ukrainian) state was not lost after the invasion of Batu, it moved to the West on the territory of Galicia and Volhynia and is known in Europe as the Rus Kingdom, where I Building of the defensive structures of the pre-Mongol period in Rus continued by way of development and improvement following European traditions. But some researchers of occupied Rus created fictional versions underlinin g backwardness and savagery of our country in the defensive art. Over the past decades, historical and architectural studies have substantially enriched knowledge about the unique defense structures of the Rus or the Rus Kingdom and refuted the version created by some researchers. The archaeological research of the King Danylo’s Castle in Chełm (capital of Rus Kingdom and a number of stone defensive towers in the close to the Chelm settlements Belavin, the Savior, the Reichs, the tower of the monastery at the Stolp Hill near of the Chelm - all of them demonstrating trace of the Byzantine traditions in defensive buildings of the Rus Kingdom but are not existing in the Polish arts defense building.

Special attention was directed to the most significant defensive structure of the Rus Kingdom at the High Castle of the Lviv, where the Rus Kings coronation kleynods were stored and the royal treasury were kept. An in-depth study of historical information, archaeological research, illustrative and written documents gave grounds for a new version of the reconstruction of the High Castle in Lviv, to distinguish and underline several stages of its development. Illustrations and descriptions of the Castle pointing to a number of features that the previous researchers could not logically interpreted. The main reason is that for them there is no analogues in the defense construction of medieval Poland. Instead, the attention to the methods of the defense architecture of Near East (Byzantium, Syria, Palestine), the era of the Crusades, made it possible to reconstruct these features and find analogues convincingly.

In the 11th and 13th centuries the territory of Pontic littoral (North Black Sea Region) including of the Danube and the Dniester rivers estuaries where the brick fortifications were existing from ancient times (Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times) were under control of the Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia with Byzantium and the Crimea, constant trade relations. Galician warriors participated in the crusades of the XII century, which was the result of political unions and dynastic ties of the Western-Rus princes with German kings and princes. It was main opportunity to learn the fortifications of the Near East and the new castles built by the Crusaders. The idea of the Renaissance of the Lviv’s High Castle has arisen from the first days after its destruction. Citizens of Ukraine and the inhabitants of Lviv should have their own eyes to see the traces of their glorious and heroic past and the story of the old Ukrainian state should have a real visible basis. In our opinion to get this it is necessary to do quite a bit: to restore part of the castle fortifications, as a symbol of the old Ukrainian statehood. In "Riga Charter on authenticity and historical reconstruction... " (item No. 6): "In exceptional cases, the reconstruction of a cultural heritage lost as a result of natural or man-made disasters may be acceptable when for a specific region of history and culture has a symbolic meaning. " Reviving the historical memory of the people and comprehending our past - we strengthen the State. In order to preserve the historical memory of the royal fortress, in our opinion, it is necessary to conduct a competition of ideas and proposals of architects of the city and the diaspora for the best project of the concept of the presentation of the High Castle. The Contest of Ideas and Concepts should find the best option that would satisfy historians, art historians, architects, designers, publicity of the city and would meet the historical realities of the past.