Archaeology – is a science that allows us not only to reproduce the pages of the past, but also to better understand the historical processes that shaped the face of our region. Kremenets, with its centuries-old history, is a real treasure for researchers. In 2025, the Kremenets-Pochaiv State Historical and Architectural Reserve, together with specialists of the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, conducted significant research on the territory of the Kremenets Castle and the underground crypts of the St. Nicholas Cathedral (the former Franciscan Monastery).
Castle Hill: 13th century burial, silver hryvnia and coin of Casimir the Great
Castle Hill – is one of the most famous symbols of Kremenets. The archaeological work carried out here is aimed at studying the cultural layers preserved from the first fortifications to later stages of history.
The inner courtyard of the stronghold was investigated, including the wall of the first stone castle, which was opened in 1975 by the architect Yevheniia Plamenytska. Then, the scientist dated the age of the found building to the VIII–IX century. In fact, the wall can be dated no earlier than the middle/second half of the XIII century.
However, the most important discovery was the cemetery, which arose as a result of the Mongol invasion of the middle of the XIII century. Scientists have excavated the burials of adults and children who apparently died during the siege in 1241.
Yuliia Ushakova, an anthropologist at the Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, who examined the remains of undetected traces of violence, so the cause of death was hunger or disease, which were the result of a long siege.
Since the settlement was cut off from the outside world, it became impossible to bury the dead behind its walls. Therefore, the cemetery in the castle yard became a forced necessary sanitary measure. Among the discovered burials, a women’s and a children’s burial was established, which were 25 and 3 years old at the time of death, respectively. The other two burials belonged to an adult man and a woman – 40-50 years old. According to the anthropologist, both people worked a lot physically during their lifetime and rode horses since childhood.
In addition, unique finds have been added to the research area: a fragment of a silver Lithuanian hryvnia – the second such find in the region, as well as a copper coin of Casimir the Great (1337–1375), minted in Lviv and used exclusively for internal trade within the city of Lviv. Another find is a stylus for writing. These artefacts highlight Kremenets’ links with regional trade and currency networks in the Middle Ages.
Among other finds, the remains of an XVIII century stone building were discovered. According to Vasyl Ilchyshyn, director of the reserve, the castle was destroyed by Cossack troops during the National Liberation War of 1648-1657, but that was not the end of its history. The remains of a XVII century building found at the site suggest that the castle continued to function after the end of the Khmelnytsky Uprising. The stone building probably belonged to a nobleman. Archaeologists found silver coins, metal and bronze tableware, and a men’s silver brooch at the site. Perhaps this house belonged to the mayor of Kremenets. The destruction of the building probably dates back to the events of the war of 1675 (note: the Polish-Turkish war of 1672-1676), when the Tatars ravaged the surrounding lands.
Another important site of archaeological work was St. Nicholas Cathedral, part of the former Franciscan monastery complex. This monument is of exceptional historical significance, as it has been the spiritual and cultural centre of the city for centuries. Research into the crypts beneath St. Nicholas Cathedral has revealed the real consequences of historical upheavals. Three crypts with the remains of burials have been examined, which were looted and damaged – vandals took the bones and threw away the clothes.
Access to them was difficult: the entrance, which is usually located inside the temple, was bricked up, so entry was only possible through ventilation holes from the courtyard. According to DIAZ director Vasyl Ilchyshyn, the destruction of the crypts took place in several stages. The first was in the XIX century, when the tsarist authorities transferred the complex of the Catholic Franciscan monastery to the Russian Orthodox Church. At that time, the intrusion into Catholic burials by Russian clergy was not considered an unacceptable sin. The second intrusion into the burial site took place in 1944, after the city was liberated from German occupation. It was then that the inscription ‘16 April 1944’ appeared on the wall of the crypt, probably related to the looting by Soviet soldiers. In 1991, during renovation work, the parish at the time came across human remains and reported the find to the police. It was then established that the burials were old Catholic ones.
Currently, scientists have examined the upper layer of the burials: measurements have been taken and the bones found have been described. Anthropologist Yulia Ushakova commented on the work carried out in the cathedral crypts: “At present, we can only estimate how many people’s remains we have found and are examining. Based on the intact skulls, there are 78 individuals at this level of the plundered burials. In total, there may be over a thousand at all levels.”
Researchers have established that more men than women are buried beneath St. Nicholas Cathedral. There are also a large number of children’s graves of various ages. The study of injuries visible on the bones was of particular scientific interest. In particular, chop wounds were found on the skulls. In three out of five cases, the wounds had healed. These injuries were caused by blows from sabres and axes.
After examining the remains, researchers speculated on the health problems people had 200-300 years ago. A visual examination confirmed the poor condition of the dental system, which was typical for the population at that time, primarily due to genetic characteristics, poor-quality water, and a diet high in carbohydrates.
It should be noted that some of the remains will be further examined in the laboratory at the Institute of Archaeology in Kyiv. After that, they will return to Kremenets. There are also plans to study and restore XVII-XVIII century clothing that belonged to the local nobility and was found in the crypts, which did not interest the looters. However, when they looted here, they tore the clothes off the skeletons, which is why they now need careful restoration. After all the work is completed, our Reserve will have unique examples of clothing as exhibits.