Zbarazh: 800th Anniversary
Zbarazh is preparing for a great holiday. This year it is 800th anniversary of the first written mention of the town in the Galicia-Volyn chronicle.
The celebration will be held on weekend October 15-16, but already now citizens of Zbarazh are having very active preparations. Particular attention is focused on the improvement of Zbarazh castle and the city stadium, where, as expected, the main event will be held. The sacred sights of the city were also paid attention to.
Over the years the stadium in Zbarazh has slowly been destroyed. Today it breathed a new life in. Citizens say, that the restoration began only recently, but the work is proceeding rapidly. Already by mid-October, it is planned to establish new stands, to restore a fitness complex and a jogging track and finish the stadium lighting.
Hoptyan Valentine, head of Ternopil regional state administration says: "We are planning to finish the works on the stadium approximately in three Sundays. The restoration involved everyone and everything... Some do not believe, as they did not believe in Gusiatin, that it is possible to do that much during one month, but we succeeded then and will succeed now."
National Reserve "Ternopil Castles" staff is also very busy these days. Anatoly Matsipura, CEO of the National Reserve "Castles of Ternopil" comments: "Our organization has actually been preparing for this event for two years. Work has been done not only in Zbarazh castle, but also on those objects that are included into the balance of the reserve, for instance in Zbarazh it is the defensive type Saviour Church built in 1600, where facades and landscaping was done. Interiors are being restored there now with the support of the religious community.
Among other sacral monuments of Zbarazh, which are on the balance of the reserve, there is the Bernardine monastery complex, which includes the Church of St. Anthony. Despite numerous damages, caused to the religious structures at different times, these magnificent buildings still overlook the city. And the citizens of Zbarazh are trying to return them the previous look, so the architects use the found sketches of the eighteenth century during the restoration.
Ruslan Pidstavka, senior research associate at the National Reserve "Ternopil Castles" comments: "These buildings are in a bad condition, since the monastery and the church passed through many disasters that were destroying them during their long history. The late 18th century fire and plant "Quantum", placed in the church of St. Anthony, caused tremendous damage to this sacred object, and just now the process of its recovery and restoration had started."
One can notice some changes in other streets of Zbarazh as well. A new paving is being laid at the heart of the city, schools and roads are being repaired. Although the weather does not disturb builders, there is not much time, and therefore many workers are involved. According to the plan, all these works will be completed less than in three weeks, as the celebration of 800 years from the date of the first written mentioning of the city will take place already October 15 -16.
