Zamkova Hora (literally Castle Hill) is considered one of the three mountains on which Kyiv was founded. Located between Starokyivska Hill, Andriyivskyi Descent, Vozdvyzhenka, and Podil, it is a remnant of the high bank of the Dnipro River, which rises 70 meters above the lower city.
Formed as a natural fortification, with steep slopes and nearby ravines similar to fortress moats, Zamkova Hora has long been a place of human habitation. According to archaeological research, it was developed in the late 3rd millennium BC. Life on the mountain did not stop until the 17th century, when it was inhabited mainly by artisans. At the end of the 14th century, Kyivan Prince Volodymyr Olgerdovych built a castle with a large number of administrative, residential, and warehouse buildings, three Orthodox churches, and a church. The first Ukrainian coin was minted in the mint on the territory of the fortress.
The castle was first mentioned in the chronicles of 1416 as impregnable for the troops of the Horde ruler Edigei. As for the name “Zamkova Hora” the area was first mentioned in the description of the Kyiv Castle in 1552. In 1651, the castle was burned down by Bohdan Khmelnytsky's Cossacks as a center and symbol of Polish rule. Subsequently, the area was used mainly for agricultural purposes. In the first half of the 19th century, a cemetery was arranged on the hill, the Trinity Church, a greenhouse, etc. were built. The cemetery and church were liquidated during the Soviet era.
Since 1972, Zamkova Hora has been a part of the Ancient Kyiv Park-Museum and an archaeological reserve. In 1983, it was connected to St. Andrew's Descent by a 65-meter staircase, and since then it has been one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.
A cross on the mass grave of the UPR Army soldiers of the Directory era who died in 1919 during the battles for Kyiv. It was installed on the southern slope in 1998.
