The act of Partnership was signed: 8.06.2018 r.
Our cooperation with Kamieniec Podolski began when pupils from our commune met the pupils from Kamieniec Podolski commune.
The cooperation on the administrative level started with the meeting of our delegates in our partners’ communes – in Ukmerge,
Lithuania and in Livani, Latvia.
Until today, we have jointly completed one of our partnership projects which was organization of summer holidays in Tarnowo Podgórne
commune for a group of 50 children and their guardians. Thank to the support of the local enterpreneurs, who have been helping us every year since 2014, we were able to fill in the free time of our young visitors with interesting event and give them presents. Bardo, our partner, has also participated in this project two times. Organizing holidays for children is not the only way of cooperation. Another example of our partnership was directed, this time, towards culture, as Lusowiacy Song and Dance Ensemble took part in the 6th International Local Culture Festival. The inhabitants of our commune can go on a trip to Kamieniec Podolski, which is a place filled with our common history, thanks to the village administrators and village administration boards (for ex. Tarnowo Podgórne and Przeźmierowo).
We signed the letter of intent on May 21st, 2016 in Kamieniec Podolski and concluded the partnership agreement on June 9th, 2018 in Tarnowo Podgórne. Kamieniec Podolski obtained municipal rights in 1432. Back then only three large ethnic groups lived here: Poles, Ruthenians and Armenians. A package of rights has had a great impact on the flourishing of commerce and crafstmanship. The fortress and the defensive walls of the city were also substanially expanded.
The castle was conquered by the Turkish army during the war of 1672. As an act of desperation (or, perhaps, by accident) the gunpowder mill was blown up. The explosion resulted in the death of the commander of the castle, Jerzy Wołodyjowski (these events inspired Henryk Sienkiewicz to write ‘First in the Steppe’). The Treaty of Karlowitz was singed in 1699, and that is also the year when Kamieniec Podolski was back within the borders of the Republic of Poland. But despite the attempts to rebuild it, it has never regained its former status.
Following the fall of the German Emipre and upon the signing of the Peace of Riga, the city was under the control of the Bolsheviks. The communists have devastated many artefacts (i.e. the Armenian Cathedral has been blown up). Germans continued the process of destruction started by the Bolsheviks.
Nowadays, Kamieniec Podolski is a city with a many interesting tourist attractions. These are the places worth seeing:
– Castle, defensive walls along with the towers – its convenient location (Smotrycz River meanders by the rock, which made the city itself function as as fortress). Kamieniec Podolski look magical with its numerous ramparts, towers and gates that have been preserved,
– Nowy Most (New Bridge) from 19th century connects Nowy Plan neighbourhood with the Old Town. The bridge itself is located over a green riverbank of the Smotrycz River.
– Rynek Polski – the main market square of the Old Town. In the past it was the place of meeting of the Polish community from Kamieniec Podolski. There is a beautiful Baroque-Renaissance town hall, and it is a place where many concerts, and oudoor events are held,
– Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul – which is a burial place of former bishops from Kamieniec Podolski