The text describes the village of Ostrog on the Horyn River. The history of the place, dating back to the early Middle Ages, is recalled in detail. The main families who ruled the estate are mentioned, starting with Vsevolod through the Ostrogski dynasty, and later including the Jablonovskis. The text is accompanied by several photographs illustrating the town (Source: "Ziemia. Tygodnik Krajoznawczy Ilustrowany' Warsaw 1928, no. 8, pp. 7-10, after: Wielkopolska Biblioteka Cyfrowa).

A modernised reading of the text

Ostróg nad Horyniem

A casual traveller, staying by chance in the Volhynian town of Ostróg, is struck by the immensity of power and might emerging from the remains of the ancient fortifications of the castle of the Ostrogski dukes, erected on a mountain at the confluence of the rivers Neris and Horyn. For Ostróg is one of the major centres of Volhynia. Situated on the south-eastern fringes of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it played a prominent role in its history. The fate of this town was closely linked to the fate of the whole of Volhynia and the Ostrogski dukes who settled there; they shared successes and disasters together. Ostrog is located in the hills near the mouth of the Vilya (formerly Velya) and the rest of its tributaries Gnilka and Garbarka into the Horynia (formerly Gar). It is believed that the town got its name from the Old Russian word "ostrog", which means a fortified settlement enclosed by a tensil.

Its former names were Ostrobor, i.e. a fortress in the forest, and Ostoróg, i.e. a place forming a sharp corner of the uplands and settled by the noble Ostroróg family. Excavations indicate that the area was already inhabited in pre-historic times (Stone Age), and was subsequently settled by proto-Slavs, probably the long-headed Walinan tribes (hence Volhynia), then the Dulebians, Polans, Drewlans, and from the 6th century the Avars. It was not until the 9th century that it was conquered by the Varangian-Russians. The ancient town (now a suburb of Belmaz) was given to Vsevolod in the 9th century, and at the end of that century the population was baptised by the clergy of Vladimir Volynsky (former Lubomir). In 1100, Ostrog is appointed a grant town and at the Vetych convention it is given as a share to David (died 1120), grandson of Yaroslav the Wise, in exchange for the principality of Vladimir; it then passes to Vsevolod's son, then to Yaroslav, son of Kyiv's Grand Duke Svyatopolk, and hence becomes a bone of contention between the various princes.

In 1241, Ostrog was ruined by Batuchan, and in 1320 it was conquered by Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas and handed over to his son Lubart. It was taken from Lubart by Casimir the Great in 1349, but the town returned to Lubart in 1366. The first historically known prince of Ostrog was Roman Halytsky's grandson, Daniel, who named Ostrog as the capital of his duchy. Prince Daniel Vasilyevich hands the town over to his son Fedka, who starts the dynasty of Ostrogski dukes. Vladislovas Jogaila confirmed him as governor in November 1386, and Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas during his stay in Ostrog in 1427 and Svidrigailo in 1438 granted him various privileges and favours. Fedko, Duke of Ostrog (canonised in Kyiv in 1441), populates Ostrog with Jewish, Greek and Armenian merchants and thus creates the commercial centre of Volhynia. His son, Vasily Krasny (handsome), is known for his victories over the Tatars and for building a castle, walls, ramparts and ditches to protect the town from all sides.

He also fortifies the neighbouring towns of Dubno and Zastaw. Ostrog then passed into the hands of Ivan, Vasily's son, and flourished under his son Konstantin. Prince Constantine (1460-1533) no longer called a sovereign, but an independent prince of Ostrog and was given the title of Lithuanian Hetman. He is also known as a good steward of the country. He built stone towers, defensive walls and a cathedral in Ostrog in 1521. During his reign, Ostrog became not only the most important fortress in Volhynia, but also an important point in trade relations with the north, south and west. After Konstantin's death, Ostróg was inherited by his son, and after his death by his wife and daughter, Halszka of Ostróg, known in history and legend. Finally, Ostrog passes into the possession of Prince Konstantin Konstantinovich, to whom Stefan Batory approves the title of Lithuanian Hetman and Voivode of Kyiv. In addition, Konstantin is granted the privilege of a crimson seal and titles himself 'By God's Grace Konstanty Konstantinovich'.

Between 1527-1608, Konstantin Konstantinovich's estates amount to: 106 towns, 2,760 villages, up to 20,000 morgans of land; 600 Orthodox churches, 20 monasteries, 61 castles, 3,000 mills, a huge apiary near Ostrog, employing 300 apiarists, and finally countless herds of horses, buffaloes and camels. His income was around 200 million Polish zlotys (hence the proverb: 'Rich like Ostrogski'). While fighting battles with the Tatars and Ivan the Terrible, Prince Constantine completed and extended Ostrog's fortifications, building a new tower. His political activity is known for concluding a number of profitable treaties, signing the act of uniting Volhynia with Poland and Lithuania (the Union of Lublin 1569), and his first candidacy for the Polish throne. A staunch supporter of religious tolerance, so rare at the time, he became, after the Union of Brest (1596), an ardent protector of the Eastern rite. Understanding the need for education, he opens schools, printing houses and invites eminent scholars to Ostrog, arranges a library, and covers the walls of the cathedral and palaces with beautiful frescoes.With Konstantin's death, the period of Ostrog's flourishing ends.

Ostrog is inherited by Konstantin's two sons. One of them, Alexander, dies young (poisoned 1603), while the other, Janusz, brought up at the Viennese court, adopts Catholicism, invites the Jesuits to Volhynia (1612), creates the Ostrog militia and ordination. Janusz rarely visited Ostrog, living permanently in Mezhyrzecz; he built a Franciscan monastery (1606) on the site of the ancient Holy Trinity church.

Janusz dies childless and on 19 August 1620 the dynasty of the Ostrogski dukes in the male line expires. Ostrog passes to the protector of Catholicism in Volhynia - Anna Aloysia, wife of Hetman Karol Chodkiewicz (both buried in Ostrog), and then to further heirs of the Ostrogski dukes on the distaff side: the Koniecpolskis, Zaslavskis, Wiśniowieckis, Radziwiłłs and Sanguszkis. Later to the Grand Chancellor of Lithuania Małachowski (1690), and finally to the Jabłonowskis.

From 1794, Ostróg became a district town and was owned by the Jabłonowskis. In 1880 it was incorporated into the Russian Empire.

Nowadays Ostrog occupies an area of 800 hectares and has 17 045 inhabitants, of which:
Polish nationality - 161,
Ukrainian nationality - 19,
Russian nationality - 71,
Czech nationality - 114,
German nationality - 11,
Jewish nationality - 561.

The Czech population in terms of religion is Orthodox. As a result of the Council of Ministers' Decree of 16 July 1924, Ostrog ceased to be a county town and belongs to Zdolbunov County with the seat of government in Zdolbunov. This had a highly negative impact on Ostrog's development. Cut off from the town by the border line on the one hand, and the lack of convenient communication with the railway station on the other, the town seems to have been plunged into political and social lethargy.

There is hope, however, that the construction of the Zdolbunov-Ostróg normal-gauge railway planned for the future by the regional parliament will have a revitalising effect on the town. The industry is small-scale craft industry; apart from two mills, there are no major manufacturing enterprises. Trade is dormant.

Administratively, Ostróg is equipped with a district office - the so-called District Headquarters. There is also a post office and telegraph, a court and prison and a spirit monopoly. A regiment of lancers is also stationed here. In the social welfare department, two hospitals, a district dispensary, an orphanage and a nursery for 70 children, and an asylum for the elderly and crippled for 10 people were organised and opened in Ostrog. In addition, the Regional Council provides substantial subsidies to the "Kropla Mleka" (Milk Drop) Society and a dormitory for indigent pupils at the grammar school.

In the education department there are: a co-educational state grammar school, a teachers' seminary, a craftsmen's school, seven comprehensive schools and a modelling workshop called the "Workhouse". The State Museum, managed by the local Board of Trustees on behalf of the Ministry of Education, has relatively extensive premises, consisting of several rooms and a spacious underground. Of the collections, prints from the 16th century, remnants of archival and library material are particularly rich. The gallery of family portraits of the Ostrogski dukes consists mostly of copies. There are many weapons and religious objects. A significant amount of the collection is of adventitious origin and does not relate to the history of Ostrog.

Attendance, as I stated in the attendance book, very low. The intellectual life of the town is very poorly developed; in fact, it hardly exists. There are no good and accessible libraries. Ostrog is connected to the Ożenin railway station, 12 kilometres away, by an incomplete beaten track. Locomotion is provided by the original horse-drawn carriages and, more recently, by two buses; a third is planned for spring this year.

This is the current state of Ostrog in terms of its material and spiritual culture; however, every month sees a certain improvement, which allows us to believe that in time - with the support of government factors and the efforts of the local population - Ostrog will truly become what it once was and what it should be, i.e. a true pearl of our borderland towns.