Tarakaniv is a small village situated close to Dubno in Rivne Oblast. The place is known for its fort, one of the most impressive military objects on the territory of Western Ukraine. Numerous vaults, the labyrinth of underground passages, deep wells and chasms, brick casemates and concrete defensive posts take a visitor back to the uneasy times of the end of 19th century when the territory used to be the borderland of the Russian Empire.

 

The strategic purpose of the fort was the defense of the western border of the Empire. By a twist of fate the fort has never fulfilled its original aim – it was easily taken by the Austrians in 1915 when the Russian troops just left it in a hurry. Later on the fort used to be an army depot, a prison and a shooting ground of the Soviet army. It is still considered to be an object belonging to Ukrainian Army, but it is not used nowadays.

 

 

Tarakaniv Fort was designed by the progressive Russian military engineers of those times. A sliding bridge was the only way to get in. All the doors were ... Read more »