Chornyi Ostriv was once known throughout Podillia as a town with luxurious architecture, today it is a village with a population of less than 1,000 people. It is true that town hall in Chornyi Ostriv has survived – the only one in the Khmelnytskyi region (except for the Kamianets town hall – the oldest in Ukraine), but it is also living out its last days. In addition, the palace complex part of the Chornyi Ostriv owners Pshezdetskyis and church survived. The latter is known to local historians because until 1938 it contained a masterpiece by sculptor Viktor Brodzkyi – the tombstone of Laura Pshezdetska, which is now in the cathedral in Kamianets-Podilskyi.

Palace of the Pshezdetskyis in Chornyi Ostriv

Mikhal Pshezdetskyi built a palace on the castle site of the Vyshnevetskyis princes in the second half of the XVIII century. In the White Hall there was a portrait of Countess Liza Pshezdetska by Franz Winterhalter, there were also portraits by Alphonse Muraton. In the next hall hung portraits of the Pshezdetskyis, the Olizars, and the Mostovskyis by Italian portrait painter Matteo Baccelli, who lived in Chornyi Ostriv in an English house with a terrace on the river bank.

Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin

The church was being built from 1775 to 1779 at the expense of the Greek Catholic priest Ioan Strelbytskyi-Zhyhailo, who consecrated the church. After the partition of Poland, Russians made the church Orthodox. There was an icon in the church – a copy of the Pochaiv miraculous icon of the Mother of God.

Town Hall

Town hall with an inn is another interesting building in Chornyi Ostriv. It was built in the early XIX century. The town hall suffered a fire and now it is planned to restore it with arrangement inside the culture and art centre of the community with exhibition and concert halls, art gallery, rooms for workshops.

Former appearance

Current appearance

Restoration project

Stable

There is also stable on the route, where we will order horseback riding, take a master class on horse care, as well as try the local gastronomy in the restaurant. And we will return to Khmelnytskyi satisfied and full.