The aristocratic Tarakaniv Fort (New Duben Fortress) is reminiscent of the British colonial architecture with the elegance of its lines, the same smoothness of outlines, a large number of arcades and architectural decor. A beautiful monument of fortification art of the 19th century, located on the outskirts of the village of Tarakaniv , Rivne region, today is devastated and abandoned. Trees sprout through its walls, masonry crumbles, and silence reigns in the dark, damp casemates.
Fate dealt cruelly with the fort, which offered great strategic hopes. He resembles a wedding general, important, elegant, but knowledgeable about real military history.
Today, the fortress, which is gradually fading under the weight of time and physical factors, has a bad reputation - people wander here, clocks go crazy, and the sounds of military marching are heard at night. 
It is the contrast of fatal beauty and hidden danger that attracts tourists-stalkers to the casemates and dungeons of the fort, who try to unravel the mystical secrets of the citadel and open the veil of its legendary past. Trees sprout through its walls, masonry crumbles, and silence reigns in the dark, damp casemates.
The contours of the Tarakaniv Fort resemble a rhombus. The defense system included a deep ditch and earth ramparts, strengthened by a retaining wall with figured masonry.
The citadel was connected to the outside world by two bridges and underground tunnels. Along the perimeter of the fortress there were buildings of incredible beauty - 105 two-story casemates with ornamented friezes and pilasters. 
Casemates were intended for housing the lower personnel of the garrison, economic and military needs. During the war, the casemates could hold up to 800 people. 
Legends and dangers of the Tarakaniv Fort
From the old residents, you can hear the legend that during the Second World War, the Germans developed secret weapons in the fort; 
It is said that there have been cases of disappearance of people in the fortress. Here, on one of the walls, you can see a list of the names of people who never returned from the fort in the second half. 20th century; 
There are rumors that ghosts of Austrian soldiers who found their last refuge on the outskirts of the fort roam the fort at night;
Casemates and underground passageways, where carefree tourists lie in wait for trap wells, should be explored with extreme caution. Therefore, it is advisable to have a flashlight with you to view the fort and visit this object only accompanied by experienced guides. 
The fort can be found here:
https://goo.gl/maps/tviytDQucMKExnXHA
