UKRAINE
Vinnytsia as the eastern outskirts of Christian Europe in the late medieval times represents Ukraine in the Federation since 2023 with the itinerary Camino Podolico. Currently it’s the easternmost starting point of Saint James Way in Europe, 4625 kilometers to Santiago de Compostela.
The tradition of pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela from Ukrainian lands has been recognized since the 13th century. The Saint James Way of Podillya (Camino Podolico) connects two major spiritual centres – Vinnytsia and Kamianets-Podilskyi – as well as the Saint James Church in Panivtsi village.
The Roads through Ukraine
Historically, the first Ruthenian (Ukrainian) route to Santiago de Compostela was laid through the Via Regia, which connected the capital of Kyivan Rus, with other kingdoms and principalities. The Podillya Way was formed after the foundation of fortress cities in the 14th century.
Camino Podolico in the regions of Vinnytska and Khmelnytska oblasts was created in 2021 as part of the project funded by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, with Bar and Vinnytsia City Councils as the main coordinators. Despite the full-scale aggression of Russia against Ukraine the pilgrimage has resumed in 2024 with more then 500 pilgrims during the first 1,5 years.
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THE WAYS IN UKRAINE
Camino Podolico
Camino Podolico is a 280 km long cultural, educational and pilgrimage route between the two centers of Podillya – Vinnytsia and Kamianets-Podilskyi, with many churches and monasteries, palaces and remains of fortresses, as well as the village of Panivtsi with the only historic Saint James Church. The mention of this historical road was documented on maps of the 16th-17th centuries and reveals the region’s rich history. Podillya had a border status for a long time – first as the eastern frontier of the Kingdom of Galicia-Volynhia, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and later as the southwestern edge of the Russian Empire.
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