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CIESIELSKI, TOMASZ: Fortresses on the south-eastern borders of Poland in the 18th century

were rusted. As a result, access to the inside of the fortress was easy from all sides. The buildings inside were seriously damaged too - there were no windows, the roofs were leaking. The only exception was the new commander’s house, erected in 1757. In 1758, the then commander of Biala Cerkiew stated in his report that the military facilities in his charge are “only a fortress by reputation and by name”. Despite several inventory committees being founded, this state could not be changed, and in 1768 the cannons were removed from Biala Cerkiew, as well as its entire garrison. The town of Biala Cerkiew retained some military significance as it was surrounded with an embankment and a palisade reconstructed in the years 1752-1756. Moreover, there was a defence mansion belonging to the starost, the local governor. Reconstructed in 1731-1756, it was surrounded by a tall embankment and a palisade, with a guardhouse for the garrison, a small arsenal, a chapel, a kitchen, a stables and a groom’s shop inside13. This does not alter the fact that in the 18th century, Biala Cerkiew was no longer a stronghold, and only a local refuge, capable of facing only bands of marauders or highwaymen. Regular troops equipped with artillery could easily conquer the town and fortress of Biala Cerkiew in no time.

The smallest and newest stronghold was Okopy Swiqtej Trójcy. Erected at the turn of 1692 and 1693 on a rocky promontory between the river Dniester and the Zbruch as an element of a system blockading Kamieniec Podolski which was then under Turkish occupation, the Okopy fortress only had some modest fortifications. Its southern and northern fortification lines were created only by two long embankments. The western fortification line consisted of two half-bastions connected by an embankment, as well as the Lviv Gate with a ravelin. On the east the stronghold was protected by a bastion with the main gun battery (a great pan), two half-bastions, and the Kamieniec Gate, enhanced with a ravelin. The entire stronghold was surrounded by a palisade and a moat14. In the years 1721-1734, the fortress’s artillery consisted of 21 cannons, 4 mortars and 21 broken hand bombards. After 1736, there were only 4 cannons in the fortress. The largest cannons

13 Ciesielski, T: Armia koronna. pp. 554-560.

14 Marcinek, R.: Okopy Swiçtej Trójcy. „Téka Komisji Urbanistyki i Architektury”. vol. XXVII. 1995. s.217—226.; Pilarczyk, Z.: Fortyfikacje na ziemiach koronnych Rzeczypos- politej w XVII wieku. Poznan, 1997. p. 203.

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