Attractions of Olyka

The majestic and luxurious collegiate Holy Trinity Church was built in Olyka according to the project of architects Benedetto Molli and Dzhovanni Maliverny in the style of the Jesuit church Il Gesu in Rome.

The construction was financed by Prince Albrekht Stanislav Radzyvill, the great chancellor of Lithuania. The Trinity Church was the ancestral burial place of the Radzyvills. In the 17th century, a collegium operated here - a branch of the theological academy in Zamost.

The Trinity Church in Olyka was considered one of the most beautiful in Poland. It was surrounded by a fortress wall, from which the corner towers-chapels remained. The facade is generously decorated with sculptures and stucco (the sculptor Melchior Erlenberg worked on the exterior decoration).

Despite the destruction that the church suffered during the Soviet era (a warehouse was located here), the church still makes an unforgettable impression.

Restoration has begun. The church is being brought back to life by the efforts of the local parish and the Polish Cultural Heritage Foundation. The facade of the attraction has already been updated. Next is the interior.

The ancestral castle of the Radzyvill princes was built by Mykola Radzyvill "Black" (Cornyi) in 1558. It was one of the first square bastion castles in Ukraine. Its area was 2.7 hectares, the palace had 365 rooms, as well as days in a year.

During the years 1591-1648, the Olyka castle withstood many sieges, but was captured only once - by the Swedes in 1702. By the end of the 18th century, it lost its defensive significance, but until the middle of the 20th century, it remained the residence of the Radzyvills.

In 1737-1755, Mykhaylo Kazymyr "Rybka" Radzyvill carried out reconstruction. A three-story palace appeared on the territory, the northwestern gate was decorated with a two-story tower with a clock.

The last owner of the castle was Yanush Radzyvill, who was arrested in 1939 by the Bolsheviks and sent to Stalinist camps for several years.

During Soviet times, the regional psychiatric hospital No. 2 was located on the territory of the castle.

Today, the Olyka Radzyvill Castle is a department of the Volyn Museum of Local Lore.

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Olyka is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Volyn.

It was built in 1450 by the Lithuanian hetman Petro Bilyi. In 1560, Prince Mykola Radzyvill Chorny, who converted from Lutheranism to Calvinism, handed over the Olyka church to the evangelists. However, Calvinist teachings, which helped the Polish nobility in their struggle with the clergy for political reform, were soon suppressed, and the Peter and Paul Church was returned to the Catholics.

Reconstructed in 1612, it was used as a chapel. The facade of the small temple is made in early baroque forms.

Located in the old cemetery.

The entrance Lutsk Gate is the only building of the once powerful external city fortifications of Olyka that has survived.

It was built in the 30s of the 17th century. The fortifications included earth ramparts, walls and two gates. The two-level tower of the Lutsk Gate is characterized by loopholes in the form of an inverted keyhole.

Restoration is in progress.