The Zbarazskis is the ancient
aristocratic Volin family and the relatives of the Vishnevetskis. The place and role in
the history of Podillia are of 
great importance, because the representatives of this
family had great political and military abilities. The family came to Bratslavshchina
after the Ostrozki and Koretski princes in the second half of XVIth century
and stayed there for more than 60 years. Stephan Zbarazkiy fought in Livon War together
with the king Batoriy, and soon got the estate in the south-east of Bratslavshchina. His
nephew Janush Zbarazkiy became the governor of Bratslav in 1576 and was at that post for
32 years. Janush had to defend steppe borders from tatars, and the fortune was inclined to
him. In 1576 he defeated great Nogayski horde near Zaslavl; a year before he
defended Zbarazh
from the Crimeans. For strengthening of his position on the lands of Bratslavshchina
Janush Zbarazkiy built some fortificated castles - Priluka (1594), Dashiv (1590) and
Bershad (1617). They symbolized the power of the family on the East-Podolian lands. Janush
Zbarazkiy succeeded not only as a military man, but as a diplomat as well. In 1596 he
negotiated with the Papal nuncio Gaetano on the pretext of the formation of the sacred
union against the Ottoman Porte. Janush Zbarazkiy died in 1608. His sons Ezi and Krishtof
continued his business. Especially energetic was life of Ezi Zbarazkiy. He studied in
Netherlands and after coming back he served under 
the leadership of
Jan Zamoyskiy. In 1609 he took part in the Moscow campaign. After returning from Moscow
together with great crown hetman S. Zholkevskiy went to steppe borders where they fought
with Turkish commander Iscander-Basha. After signing a peace treaty in 1617 Zbarazkiy had
to burn his own fortress Bershad on demand of Turks. After a successful mission in 1622
that statesman was highly thought of in Rich Pospolita. At that time after the defeat of
the Polish army in Cecora (1620) and the death of Stanislav Zholkevskiy the part of the
military leadership of Rich Pospolita was captured by Turks. The negotiations in Istanbul
headed by Zbarazkiy helped to free those people from captivity. Ezi Zbarazkiy was the last
representative of his family. The family did not exist since 1631, when Ezi died. All the
possessions got to Vishnevetskis who also had a great influence in Bratslavshchina. Thus,
Andrey Vishnevetskiy was the governor of Bratslav in 1572-1576 and Mikhaylo Vishnevetskiy
occupied a post of kashtelian of Bratslav.
