Petro Smolin
Director
Petro Smolin has been the director of the Preserve from the first days of his foundation (1993). The government of Ukraine highly estimated the selfless work of the leader by conferring to him the rank of the "Honoured worker of culture of Ukraine", the Honoured distinction "For achievements in development of culture and arts", Gratitude of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for the considerable personal contribution to the saving of the historical and cultural heritage and high professionalism, the Certificate of Honour of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for special merits before the Ukrainian people.
The Dubno State Historical and Cultural Preserve was created in 1993. The premises of the Preserve include such historical, cultural and architectural sights, as: 15th cent. Dubno castle (the Ostrozkyis’ princes palace, the Liubomyrskyis’ Princes palace, over gate corps), 16th cent. Lutsk Gates, 16th cent. synagogue, 17th cent. Spaso-Preobrazhenska church, 18th cent. Sviato-Yuriyivska church, 17th cent. Carmelite monastery, 17th cent. Bernardians church and its monastic cells, 19th cent. Yan Nepomuk church, Sviato-Illinskyi cathedral of the beginning of the 20th cent., 18-19 century’s society buildings in the central part of the city.
The Preserve also comprises the museum of local lore. The research workers open new thematic exhibitions and permanent displays, carry out scientific conferences, fill up the funds, publish the new regional editions, run the restoration workshops on all the objects of the Preserve. The ancient stronghold of the Dubno territory is constantly visited by the domestic and foreign tourists, keeping the unforgettable impressions in their memory.
The first written mention about the town of Dubno (Duben) is dated 1100. In 1507 Dubno received the Magdeburg right. The historical building development was formed during the 15th-18th centuries. The eastern frontier of Dubno was the 15th century castle with a defensive ditch, with two bastions overlooking the city. On the north the city was protected by the Carmelite monastery of the 17th century, on the north-west - the Bernardians church of the 17th century. Close to the city fortifications there were located the island settlements - Khrestovozdvyzhenskyi (or Chesnokhrestskyi), Perobrazhenskyi (or Spaskyi) monasteries, and also Pidboretskyi and Straklivskyi monasteries. The former suburbs Zabrama, Vyhnanka, Surmychi, Pidbortsi, Strakliv has presently merged with the city. The high-rise dominants among the buildings of Dubno are the cult buildings, the castle and the underpasses.
During the excavations there were discovered settlements of the early and late bronze epoch, Cherniachivska culture, the culture of spherical amphorae. There happen the finds of the Roman coins of the 2nd century on the territory of Dubno.
From the second half of the 13th century Dubno has been the part of the Halych-Volynia principality. Afterwards the princes Ostrozkyis, Zaslavskyis, Liubomyrskyis, Sangushkyis become the proprietors of the city. The city was visited by the Ukrainian hetmans and Russian emperors, Polish kings and Italian architects, the great Taras Shevchenko and the writer Honore de Balzac, Commander Michail Kutuzov… At the Preobrazhenskyi monastery there was created by the celibate priest Arsentii the famous handwritten Dubny Tetraevangelion in 1539-1566.
Today the Dubno State Historical and Cultural Preserve is open for millions of persons wishing to see the living history of the legendary territory.

7a Zamkova Street, 35600 Dubno, Rivne region
tel./fax: +38 (03656) 4-24-01
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