Shargorod

The town of Shargorod was founded by famous public man and supporter Jan Zamojskij. On May 26, 1579 he received the commission to build the castle in order to defense. At that time these lands suffer from the permanent attacks of Tatars horde. The castle must protect new settlements, which started to build on the waste ground, from the raids. Zamojskij chose the place for the castle, where people could hide from the attacks, on the cape, made by two rivers – the Murashka River and the Kolbasna River. The fortress got the name “Shargorod” in commemoration of the ancestor of the Zamojskijs – Florian Sharogo. According to the permission of Zamojskij, the Jews started to settle in Shargorod. In 1595 the founder of Shargorod built St. Florian’s Roman Catholic church, which was destroyed during the national liberation movement under the guidance of Bogdan Hmelnitskij in 1648. St. Florian’s Roman Catholic church was restored in 1717. This church exists at present. Its facade was decorated by ancient compositions and by wooden statues. There are wall paintings (1895-1899) on the walls of the Roman Catholic church. The synagogue, well known in the whole world, is a place of interest in Shargorod. The synagogue wasn’t not only a religious building, but also a defensive installation. Its walls were so heavy in order to sustain the attacks of enemies.

From 1672 till 1699 the synagogue passes over into the hands of the Turkish invaders. It was used as the mosque. At the beginning of the XVIII century the synagogue was restored, the exterior was changed because the first flour was completed. There were the rooms for women on the first floor; its wooden elements didn’t survive up to the present day. In the center of the praying hall there was a wooden bimah (the cupboard for Torah) on the stone pedestal. At the end of the XIX century the entrance was made in the central part of facade. In 1930 the synagogue was closed and the structure was used as the factory. Now, the building isn’t used.

In the XVIII century St. Nikolay’s Monastery was built in Shargorod. At present it consists of several parts such as St. Nikolay’s Cathedral, Gate’s building with belfry, Brother building with Michael church, Corner tower and Monastery service.

Initially, the Monastery was located in the village of Kalinivka, not far from Shargorod. At the end of the XVII century it was destroyed by the Turkish armies and was in ruins till 1715. It was restored and was moved from village to town. In 1795 the Monastery was renamed St. Nikolay’s Monastery.

In 1797 the theological seminary was opened in the territory of Monastery which worked by the end of the XIX century.