An issue of the magazine "Poland" devoted to Podolia. The history and geography of the entire region is recalled, and the most important centres, including rural ones, are listed. The text is richly illustrated with both natural monuments and, for example, a panorama of Ternopil or monuments and significant buildings (Source: "Polska", Warsaw 1937, R: 3, no. 1, after: Jagiellonian Digital Library).

A modernised reading of the text

The poet-countryman Wincenty Pol sang about Podolia that:

"Bright sunshine over Podolia After the vapours, the country deviated in a great arc or semicircle, The Dniester rolled towards the sea... Through a ravine, through a ravine, behind oxen, Manovce behind sheep - Pobereż to Podolia, And in Podolia like a barn! As the lands of God have fallen, Cross the country, cross the field, Go around the world, cross the sea, There is no country above Podolia! As far as the eye can see, And far, and wide The world is only flowing with ears And in the fields the eye is lost... Here the whole country is one patch And endowed with every crop; Flowing with milk, flowing with honey, And the whole people a great master! The land is black, unkempt, The fodder fertile, the waters fishy, A little weedy indeed, But bread to the waist. When you descend towards the water, You are as if you were in the mountains: The rock is a rib of sight, The banks are walls. On them the young scrub climbs, From them the cliff of rocks has fallen, On the elbows the water hums, And the pond is clear as a mirror. But when you slip out of the ravine, The rocks disappear, the noise comes, As if you were on the steppe again, Evenly, quietly, again on the doe...'.

Bright sunshine over Podolia! There is not a shadow of exaggeration in this poem by the poet in love with "our land". The golden sun on a white field was the coat of arms of the former Podolia Voivodship, which, in a truncated form due to the vicissitudes of fate, is today's Ternopil Voivodship. Podolia has completely different climatic characteristics from the rest of our country. The south-eastern districts of the Ternopil Voivodeship are called "Warm Podolia", and Zaleszczyki, located over the southern border of the country (on the Romanian side), is one of the warmest corners of our country.

This is because Podolia is a flat plateau, belonging to the Black Sea plateau, elevated on average to 820 m above sea level, which descends towards the south-east, so that its southern part is exposed to more intensive sunlight than any other of our lands. The relief of the Podolia Highlands has caused the waters to drop towards the south (most of the rivers of this land are tributaries of the Dniester, belonging to the Black Sea water basin), and the layout of the earth layers has led to the entire plain being ploughed through deep river valleys, forming ravines with picturesque steep banks, which often give the landscape a foothill character. Tourist traffic from other provinces of our country is also directed to Warm Podolia. It is the most well-known part of the charming Podolia region, through which the blue ribbon of the Dniester River winds in fantastic curves among beautiful ravines.

The Dniester, from the ancient Cherven Castle of Halicz in the Stanislav Voivodeship to Zaleszczyki, is one of the most beautiful canoe routes of our country, at the final stage of which Zaleszczyki, known as the "Polish Meran", is located. It is situated near the Dniester River, which forms a peninsula on which fruit, including grapes, ripens until late autumn in the golden glow of generous sunshine. Apricot and cherry orchards and vineyards cover the slopes of the beautiful valley. The cultivation of grapes in the life-giving sunshine of warm Podolia develops more and more successfully from year to year.

Vineyards not only cover the valleys of the Dniester, but conquer the ravines of its tributary, the Seret, and spread over all the southern slopes of the Podolian valleys. In the warm Podolia region, noble dessert varieties of grapes are already being cultivated, and other varieties can be used to make wine that tastes as good as wine from the Rhine. In addition to sun, water and fruit, Zalischyky offers other attractions, such as the beauty of the surroundings and views of the Dniester and Seret rivers, trips to waterfalls, the largest of which in Poland is located on the river Dzhuryn (12 m high) in Chervonogród, and finally, visits to villages lost in apricot orchards, where tourists admire the high artistic value of folk products: textiles, rosewood, wood carvings and ceramics.

Moreover, it should be remembered that centuries ago, the north-eastern border of the Roman Empire ran along the Dniester. An excellent trace of these times has remained in the Podolia region. Around the village of Vyhoda, on the way from Zalischyky to Okopy St. Trinity, tourists come across the so-called "Trajan's Bulwark", which stretches between the Zbruch and the Dniester. Here, at the furthest tip of the mighty state of the Caesars, Roman legionaries erected powerful earthen fortifications to defend the Roman domains from incursions by nomadic steppe tribes. The rampart has been clearly preserved to our days, and excavations carried out in its vicinity have unearthed many Roman coins, vessels, weapons and Trajan's battle eagles.

This rampart is unique in this part of Europe. In the Dniester valley there is another reminder of the past: The Holy Trinity Trenches, located at the confluence of the Zbrucz River into this most beautiful river of Podolia at the point where the borders of three countries, Poland, Romania and Russia, meet. Okopy Św. Trójcy (Holy Trinity Trenches) was founded by Hetman St. Jabłonowski and General Marcin Kącki in 1692 as a fortified camp against the Turks. King Jan III Sobieski, a pious monarch, ordered the construction of a church dedicated to the Holy Trinity in the camp, which is where the name of the village comes from. In 1700, a settlement developing near the camp was turned into a town by a privilege granted by August II. This valuable historical monument, stained with the blood of the Confederates of Bar, who defended themselves here against the Muscovites in 1769 under Pulawski's command, has been preserved in the form of two brick gates with towers and ramparts, inside which there is a church with a 17th century painting of the Holy Trinity.

To the north, there are the ruins of a defensive tower, which played the role of a watchtower. This is not the only reminder of ancient times. The whole of Podolia is dotted with the ruins of castles, fortresses, palaces and ancient temples. Names such as Trembowla, Podhorce, Olesko, Zborów, Złoczów, Brzeżany are well known to each of us Poles, and are associated with the history of the Polish army. In fact, incessant wars have historically been a part of Podolia, as all roads from the Black Sea steppes into Poland lead through this fertile land criss-crossed by numerous rivers.

As a result, enamoured by the riches of the Commonwealth, it was constantly attacked by Turkish armies, Tartar chambuls, Cossack and Wallachian waddles. In order to prevent the eastern invaders from entering the borders of our state, numerous castles and fortified towns were built on the steep slopes of ravines in Podolia, and brave knights were stationed on the borders of the state. Podolia boasts a large number of great sons whom it has given to the Republic, and, faithful to its historical tradition and mission, has recently added a new name to the chain of famous names: - Marshal Śmigły-Rydz. Marshal Śmigły-Rydz was born in Podolia, in Brzeżany, famous for its magnificent castle, built by the great knight and patriot, Great Hetman of the Crown, Mikołaj Sieniawski:

"To God for the glory and defence of the Christian faithful".

For many years the castle was a stronghold for Tartars and Cossacks, and even in 1675 and 1676 the Turkish army had to retreat from under its walls twice. A magnificent chapel has been preserved here to this day, where the marble and alabaster tombstones of the Sieniawski family delight visitors' eyes. Brzeżany is a true pearl of Podolia, picturesquely thrown into the valley of Zlota Lipa on the banks of a large lake.

There are numerous monuments: the Gothic parish church, built at the end of the 15th century from hewn stone, the Bernardine church and monastery with the miraculous image of the Assumption, the Armenian church where, in 1914. The present leader of the nation painted a picture of the Virgin Mary and "straight from the scaffolding he went to the legions", as the old inhabitants of Brzeżany are fond of saying, the town hall built in 1811 by Count Potocki, several one-storey manor houses of the nobility, and finally a small chapel on the site of the battle between the Poles and the Muscovites in 1709. - these are monuments worth visiting. In addition, the Holy Trinity Church in the market square, the monument to King Sobieski and, above all, the surrounding hills and forests add to the town's charm. There are many more similarly beautiful places in Podolia as Brzeżany.

In the bends of rivers, on the steep banks of ravines, fortified castles and chateaus were built, famous in the history of the Commonwealth for their numerous battles against eastern invaders. These castles were architectural masterpieces, whose magnificent appearance is nowadays only poorly reflected in the ruins scattered all over the Podolia region... ruins that nevertheless add to the unusual, albeit bleak picturesqueness of the Podolia landscape. Among the most famous remnants of the past are first and foremost the ruins of Prince Wisniowiecki's castle in Zbarazh. Even the historian Shuisky wrote that: "the defence of Zbaraż in 1649 belongs to the most beautiful deeds of Polish bravery", and later H. Sienkiewicz immortalised the vision of Zbaraż Castle in the heart of every Pole and Polish woman, resurrecting in the pages of "Ogniem i mieczem" the wrestling of Prince Jeremy's army with the Cossack-Tatar invasion.

Recently, the castle of Zbarasko was in a deplorable state. It was crumbling into ruins, but last year this precious monument was taken care of by the Ternopil Reserve Officers' Association, which began with modest funds to rebuild the castle and during 1936 restored its eastern wing. Another castle, famous in the history of our wars, was the Trembowel fortress. Only the ramparts, perimeter walls, towers and a massive front rondel remain of the castle, which is situated on a hill with a magnificent view of the town and the surrounding area. In the town of Trembowla, the attention is drawn to the Renaissance Carmelite church and monastery surrounded by defensive walls.

The castle in Podhorce, built by Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski (1636-1640), should not be passed over in silence. This magnificent Renaissance edifice, described by the French poet of Sobieski's times, Dalerac, as "the most beautiful house in Poland, and although it is not large, it would be considered very beautiful in any other country", is now turned into a museum of the memorabilia of King John III Sobieski, as Podhorce belonged to the Sobieski family for a long time. Another castle that cannot be missed during a visit to Podolia is the palace in Olesko, where King Sobieski was born. It dates from the 14th century and was converted into a magnate's residence in the 16th century - it is one of the most precious jewels of Podolia, thanks to its well-preserved, stylish two-storey building, the tower above the entrance gate and the beautiful linden avenue, shrouded in memories of the victor from Vienna.

There are so many such respectable reminders of the past in Podolia that it is impossible to mention them all. Names such as Tarnopol, Zborów, Złoczów, Skała, Czerwonogród, Jazłowiec, Gliniany and many, many others conceal a glorious content, which has had, and still has, magnificent views and architectural jewels as its background. Wincenty Pol sang of the Podolia landscape that: "As far as the eye can reach And far and wide - The world with ears only flows, And in areas the eye is lost. Ears flow in a light wave, And somewhere, visible in a blue dale, Sad and windswept birches, And old-growth oaks...". This is the country, along the roads leading from the capital of the province - Ternopil to the east, a tourist gets to Myadobory, which is another peculiarity of this bizarre land, generously endowed by the Creator with numerous gifts.

Miodobory is a chain of hills formed from coral reefs at the bottom of the warm Sarmatian Sea, which once flooded the whole of present-day Podolia. It stretches in a narrow band from Voronoky near the springs of the Seret over a distance of 250 km through the whole of Podolia from north to south. In the northern part, they are not very attractive, in the southern part, where they form a compact mountain range with an average height of 400 m, they feature a beautiful landscape. The Zbrucz River gorge through Miodobory near Kręciłów forms a deep ravine, cutting across the entire mountain range, and is one of the unforgettable sights.

The most beautiful places in Myedobory are also "Klonické Skály", "Černá Skála", "Ostrava and Nazarova Skála" and "Hole Rock", which emerge from the horizon above the wheat steppe with their jagged contours, as if they were some fantastic ruins of enchanted castles. The whole area is dotted with hermitages and rock monasteries where hermits - ascetics - once lived, of which stone statues and bizarre sculptures remain. It is also not uncommon to find temples and altars of pagan idols wrought in the rock from prehistoric times. The view from the high rocks of Miodoborów is extensive and magnificent.

In winter, they are a skiers' paradise. Another geological treasure of Podolia are the gypsum caves in Krzywcz, which are one of Europe's rarities. The caves in Krzywč and Zlatý Bilč are large rock chambers made of crystalline gypsum and calcite. They are decorated by nature's hand with exquisite crystals, sparkling in the light with a rainbow of colours, as if they had been decorated with carpets woven with diamonds. From the chambers there are corridors that form labyrinths, often ending in treacherous chasms.

Bilcz is regarded as the Pompeii of Poland, and this is for the great number of excavations, as the caves here were the refuge of primeval man for many centuries. Podolia is rich, charming and diverse. It combines the bizarre beauty of a steppe landscape with submontane vistas, the fertility of wheat plains with the picturesqueness of ravines covered with vineyards, all complemented by the work of numerous generations of people who built castles and palaces, populous towns and villages here.

In addition, the mysteries of undergrounds, gypsum caves and labyrinths, and a wealth of folk art - all this makes Podolia one of the most precious lands of our vast homeland, which should be known, understood, appreciated and loved by everyone who loves their country, their state, and who wants to know all its value, grandeur and majesty, enclosed in the work of human hands and in the works of nature. Podolia is also an open book of our history. In the Podolia region sleeps a proud, chivalrous and glorious past, the strength of which all generations should draw for the eternal struggle for the greatness and glory of our nation.

Those who would like to get acquainted with this beautiful land of ours, should study the basic and very valuable collective work "Ternopil region", published in 1931, and a number of guides and descriptions of individual districts, published by the Podolski Tourist and Sightseeing Society in Ternopil.

"Dumka exile"

Song by Maurycy Gosławski from 1831

"If to be an eagle,
To have a falcon's flight,
With an eagle's wing or a falcon's
To hover over Podolia,
To live that life!
Dear this land!
My thought knows it!
There my happiness first,
There my anxiety first,
There my tears first!
Tambym night and day,
Like an enchanted shadow,
Tambym flew like a memory,
Breast refreshed, drew breath
From those fond breaths!
If a star to be!
Above Podole to hover!
With a bright eye on a May night,
Above the lover's fond head,
Till morning shine.
Or from beyond the mist,
Send sweet dreams!
As in the lake's clear background,
Reflect with pure light,
In the drop of her tears!
Then all day long,
Like an enchanted shadow,
With unseeing eye,
Delight in her sight!
God! Into a star turn!
In vain these days
The image of the soul dreams -
Weep, mother, with bitter weeping
Over Podole, over the wanderer,
What was dear to you.
Condemned we!
Remember the heart trembles, -
Eagles fly, stars shine,
Country in fetters, you far away tears!".

"Podolanka"

The mating song of the Podolian lancers in Zamosc

"To the cup or the baton
Fate will call us,
Let the homeland live ours!
This is the first voice.
Live, our elder brothers,
What you have to lead us,
Recover dear losses,
Live! Honour you, honour you!
Live, unconscious brothers,
Where Boh, Dniester and Zbrucz.
The thought sees you, the heart remembers you,
Though you have disappeared from the eyes.
Live, our dear Podole!
To you our blood!
To you thoughts and batons,
And hearts longing singing.".