An amazing virtual tour
of the Ostrog Castle Museum has been posted at:
The museum is housed in
the Вежа мурована (Murovena Tower), the southeast tower of the castle.
While this castle had
nothing to do with my ancestors' daily lives, it does show a lot about
Volhynian historical culture. The castle stood largely in ruins in the
19th Century, but was still a prominent landmark in the Ostrog area.
The Leeleva Mennonite Church identified its home village as "Lilewa
bei Ostrog" (Leeleva by Ostrog), so clearly in their minds they were tied
to Ostrog.
It's important not to
view our family history as having happened in a vacuum. To fully
understand our ancestors' lives, one has to have a handle on the local culture
- politically, socially and historically.
