King’s town-2 (PHOTOS)

In the previous publication, we mentioned Korolevo and its attractions, and now we want to tell about another of its tourist highlights, in particular the ruins of the "Nyolab" Castle.

Uzhgorod, Mukachevo (Palanok) and Chynadiyevo (Saint-Miklos) are the castles of Transcarpathia, which are well preserved and attract thousands of tourists every year.

However, there are also underappreciated ones, such as the ruins of Khust, Serednye, Nevytsky and Kankiv castles. The "Nyolab" castle, which is located in the village of Korolevo in Vynogradiv district, is one of those.

According to the legend, the castle is most likely named after its first ruler, who was called Nyolab. Now, what once was a majestic stronghold is a bunch of ruins, therefore, there is nothing special about it from the architectural perspective – a usual defense structure, that served to guard the borders of the Hungarian kingdom and the so-called "salt path", which was used to deliver salt from Solotvyno salt mines to the markets of Europe. However, historically and archaeologically, it is a real treasure house full of mysteries and interesting stories.

It dates back to the XIII century, more precisely 1279, when the Hungarian king Istvan V granted some privileges to local residents, mostly Saxons. But most likely, back then, it was just a hunting lodge, where noblemen would come to hunt. Later, a stone structure was built there. The owners of the castle changed very often, until on March 12, 1405, it was granted to the Pereni family, who became the owners of these lands for several centuries. During this period, the castle began to prosper, and the entire surrounding area turned into a lucrative agricultural province.

It was also a cultural center, because it was here that Benedict Komyati, a thinker and priest, made the first translation of the Bible from Latin into Hungarian, which was later published and considered the first printed book in Hungarian. And before that, in 1401, the 4 Gospels were translated into the Church Slavonic language, which is now one of the twenty Ukrainian manuscripts, that have a specific date of creation and are monuments of ancient literature.

Like the rest of the castles, "Nyolab" had the periods of heyday and decline. It survived the peasants’ uprising in 1515, and was destroyed by the Austrian troops in 1672. However, even today, even in such a state, it is a source of knowledge and numerous studies. Each year, archaeologists from Ukraine and abroad conduct scientific excavations here, finding tiles, coins, ceramics and much more… and who knows what other secrets the once magnificent "Nyolab" castle is hiding inside.