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HISTORIC AND GEOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE CITY

The city was founded during the liberation movement led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky in the seventeenth century. A new fortress was built at the site of the old Ukrainian village of Zabolottia between the Nadvirna Bystrytsia and the Solotvyno Bystrytsia rivers. The fortress gradually turned into a trade, craft and cultural centre in the Pre-Carpathian region. In 1662 the city acquired the Magdeburgh Law and became known as Stanislaviv. In 1962, the year of its 300th anniversary, Stanislav was renamed to Ivano-Frankivsk, to honour Ivan Franko, a prominent Ukrainian literary figure.
Since the mid 17th century, the site served as one of the most important crossroads of the major trade routes to and from Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania to the south and to Lviv, Poland and Lithuania in the north. Originally the city was encircled with fieldstone walls, the remains of which can be seen even now. Despite numerous wars, the period witnessed the construction of several churches and a town hall made first of wood and then later of stone. The city can boast elaborate buildings of the 17th-18th centuries.
For the two months of January and February 1919, Stanislaviv was the capital city of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic (ZUNR). At that time the history of our nation was created. During that period Mykhailo Hrushevsky, Volodymyr Vynnychenko, Symon Petliura and Yevhen Konovalets visited Stanislaviv.



Yevhen Petrushevych, who was President of the Ukrainian People's Council lived and worked here. The city's appearance changed over the decades and its old streets remind us of the inspiring poetry of Ivan Franko and Mykhailo Pavlyk; the charming music of Denis Sichynsky and Mykola Lysenko; and great voices of Solomiya Krushelnytska and Oleksandr Myshuga. Such celebrities and many other prominent people created the history of the city.
After the Second World War the city was turned into an industrial centre with numerous industrial facilities, cultural, educational and medical institutions and banks.
Ivano-Frankivsk is the capital city of one of 24 Oblasts in Ukraine. It is a city with important industrial, economic and scientific potential.
All this, and also the location of the city near the geographic centre of Europe opens incredible opportunities for development and offers various possibilities for both interregional and international contacts, including the sphere of tourism and recreation.



CULTURE


The region's culture has benefited from the area's rich folk traditions, unique customs. dialects, music, folk costumes and crafts, all of which have passed from generation in generation,
The region's traditions and culture can be studied in the city's museums:

The Regional Museum
The Regional Museum was founded in 1939 to house the collections of the Pokuttia Museum and the Hulsi.il Museum in Zhabyc Town. The Regional Museum holds 104,996 artefacts. More than 110,000 people visit -A variety of exhibitions held at the museum every year.
The museum consists of several departments including Ancient History, Modern History, Contemporary Folk Art and Nature Studies. The Department of Contemporary Art exhibits the region's distinctive fine and applied arts, particularly its wood carving, weaving, embroidery, leather and eerarnics. Each year the museum holds up to 20 exhibitions on various historic and art is tic themes.
The museum is located at the City Hall, 4a Halytska Street,tel. 2-21-22


The Art Museum
The Art Museum is a unique treasury of'thc area's fine and folk arts. Its 15,000 items collection was initiated in 1980 and now includes the splendid masterpieces of Halychyna iconography and Baroque sculpture, painting of prominent Western Ukrainian artists such as Kornylo Ustiyanovych, Ivan Trush, Yaroslav Pctrak, Yulian Pankevych, Oleksa Novakivsky, Osyp Sorokhtey, Olena Kulchyiska, drawings of Ukrainian artists of the second half of the 20th century, as well as creations of Polish, Austrian, German and Italian painters of the 18th-20th centuries.





Build in the 17'" century in the Rennaissance style, the Collegiate Church is a permanent exhibition which is loceted in the oldest building of the city.
{8 Sheptylsky Street, tel. 4-40-38}
You may enjoy the most valuable items of the museum's collection which include icons dated from the 15* to 19'" centuries. Baroque sculpture of Thomas Gudder. Konrad Kulschenrciter. Johan George Pinzel. Mathew Polejowski, Dionis Stanetti, pictures of the Untcrberger Bros, and old sacred books published in Lviv. Pochaiv and Univ.
It is necessary to admit that the Ob last Union of Painters and the Union of Writers are very active in society. They initiate and organise numerous cultural events.

The Pre-Carpalhian Museum of Literature
The Museum was opened in 1986. The museum collection shows the development of arts of the region from the 16'h century untill present. The museum has become a leading research and educational centre for literature studies.
27 Lepky Street Tel. 2-50-47.

The Denys Sichynsky Museum
The Museum was established in 1958, It contains more than 500 exhibits.
44b SichovykhStrillsiv Street Tel. 2-34-07.

The Museum of History of the Technical University of Oil and Gas
The museum was opened in 1975 and has 1,200 exhibits.
15 Karpatska Street Tel. 9-93-24.

The Museum of Liberation Movements in the Pre-Carpathian region
The museum was opened on 14 October 1998. During the grand opening of the chapel of the Demyaniv Laz Complex, a branch museum was blessed. The museum holds 1,500 exhibits and they depict the heroic fight îà the Ukrainian people to gain independence since the 10th century.
21 Tarnavsky Street Tel. 4-80-14

The Oleksa Dovbush Museum
The museum was established in 1997 and contains 600 exhibits.
Herman Mazepa Street Tel. 2-57-29.



HISTORIC MONUMENTS


The Parish Church, 1672-1703
Arch. F. Corassini, C. Benoe. In the second half of Hie 19lh century the cluirch interior walls were richly embellished with the paimings done by E. Fabiansky. Now the church houses the Art Museum.
8 AndreySheptytsky Square

The Church'of the Holy Resurrection
1753 - 1761 The church was built in Baroque style and was restored in ² 988. It now belongs to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
22 Antlrey Slieptytsky Square.




The Armenian Church, 1742
The church is an example of the late Baroque style. It belongs to the Ukrainian Aulocephalous Orthodox Church.
6 Virmenska Street City Hall, 1695
It acquired its cross design after the reconstruction of 1929-1932. The cellars of the City Hall were used as a prison for opryshky (rebels living in the Carpathian forests). On 15 April 1990, the Ukrainian national flag was put up on its tower. Now the City Hall houses the Regional Museum.

tel.: (03422) 2-38-39, tel. mob.: (050) 150-56-51 e-mail info@karpathy-usa.if.ua
 Kryva str. 4A/34, Ivano-Frankivsk, 76018, Ukraine
òåë.: (03422) 2-38-39, òåë. ìîá.: (050) 150-56-51
 âóë. Êðèâà 4À/34, ì. ²âàíî-Ôðàíê³âñüê, 76018, Óêðà¿íà