Archaeologists have found a section of the historical wall of the Froliv Monastery on Castle Hill, as well as passages to unknown underground spaces.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Discovery of Monastery Wall Remains in Kyiv
In Kyiv, on Castle Hill, researchers from the State Historical and Archaeological Reserve “Ancient Kyiv” together with the team “Ukraine Incognito” have identified the remains of the wall of the Froliv Monastery. According to the reserve, these walls were constructed in the mid-19th century based on the design of the renowned architect Pavel Sparro.
Only separate sections of this historical structure have survived to this day: to the southeast of the bell tower, as well as along Horyva Street, where the northern gate can still be seen, although its pointed arch has already been dismantled. Information about the section of the wall on Castle Hill remained unconfirmed – archaeologists only knew that it was “somewhere there”.
“Only separate sections of the wall have survived to our time: to the southeast of the bell tower, as well as along Horyva Street, where the northern gate (whose pointed arch has been dismantled) still stands. Regarding the section of the wall in the Castle Hill area, it was only known that it was ‘somewhere there’,” the post published on the reserve’s Facebook page explains.
Mysterious Underground Spaces and Scientists’ Theories
The discovered part of the wall extends for 30 meters and is located on the steep southern slope of Castle Hill. During the research, archaeologists also uncovered vaults above passages to underground rooms that had not been described anywhere before. The purpose of these underground spaces remains unknown. Scientists suggest that they could have been storage cellars, burial vaults (since the monastery cemetery was located here), or engineering structures for draining melt and rainwater.
The head of the reserve “Ancient Kyiv”, Roman Malenkov, leans towards the theory that the discovered underground structures may indeed be collectors for drainage. He notes that the entrances to the underground spaces are extremely difficult to access, which reduces the likelihood of their use as burial sites or storage rooms. However, final conclusions can only be drawn after further research.